U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL: 2018-2019

[*JD*]

46-20 rebounding advantage. No other analysis needed.

I'd say that was the more determining factor but the FT-discrepancy was the other major point. It's not like Michigan wasn't driving the hoop. 7 FT's is a joke.

That said, MSU was the better team in both games, or at least Winston was the best player on the floor both times. Hopefully, we'll get a 3rd crack at them and hopefully Matthews will be healthy.

Also, I'm guessing the "Teske is Michigan's Best Center" conversation gets tabled for a while. Our 2nd most valuable player on the season but he was near-invisible yesterday.

[*JD*]

I didn't get to see the game so I can't comment on the refs beyond what the box score says. But if we were getting legitimately hosed then it's yet another example of Beilein failing to work the refs effectively.

Beilein was ejected for less than what Izzo was doing to the refs last night. He's in a tough spot.

[*JD*]

I was really hoping that we could get that 1 seed since there is a big dropoff to the OSU/Illinois level from Wisky/Maryland/iowa.

I believe we are not in Wisconsin's side of the bracket, which I like.

[hack]

That rebounding margin and that FT discrepancy and they only won by 12. That tells you a lot. It's not clear to me that Winston was the best player on the court yesterday.

Iggy: 20 points on 7-12 shooting in 22 minutes. 3/4 FTs. Winston: 23 on 7-17 shooting in 31 minutes. 8/9 FTs. 4 boards.

Winston: 23 on 7-17 shooting in 31 minutes. 8/9 FTs. 7 A, 5 TO.

I think the instant/lazy analysis on the game is that MSU is the tougher team and Winston the best player on the court, but it's pretty easy to be tough when playing 8-on-5, and the numbers are pretty clear in Iggy's favor. If he could have played 31 minutes too, things might have been awfully different, but that just wasn't going to be allowed. So many things had to go right here for MSU -- the FTs, the boards, Iggy being on the court half the time, and even the non-shooting stuff like the foul called when Loyer fell, or the ``travel'' on Teske. All that, and they still only won by 12.

I would have liked them to respond better to that situation, but the failure to do so does not change the fundamental fact about this game. That said, I do wonder if the missing ingredient this year is the lack of a rah-rah guy, like Mo was the past two years and TH2 in '13. Z is a quieter leader. I think TH2 getting fired up kept them in a few key games that year, with the OSU game at home the primary example. 4 second-half threes, all followed by the chest thumping and screaming in teammates' faces.

[hack]

I'd say that was the more determining factor but the FT-discrepancy was the other major point. It's not like Michigan wasn't driving the hoop. 7 FT's is a joke.

That said, MSU was the better team in both games, or at least Winston was the best player on the floor both times. Hopefully, we'll get a 3rd crack at them and hopefully Matthews will be healthy.

Also, I'm guessing the "Teske is Michigan's Best Center" conversation gets tabled for a while. Our 2nd most valuable player on the season but he was near-invisible yesterday.

They really sold out to stop the Z/T pick-and-roll, and that seemed like a good strategy and they executed it well. Credit due for that. Even wiser a choice if you know in advance that the refs are going to whistle Iggy off the court.

[hack]

I'm on Hannibal's side re the refs. Dakich said it too last night. Izzo was riding them to get calls, and he got calls. I don't know what the right approach for Beilein is, but I hope he reconsiders the martyr approach.

[lineygoblue]

Izzo riding the refs is how he has coached his entire career. He is allowed to holler, scream, wave his arms, trot up and down the sidelines, and all sorts of behavior, and sure enough, it works. He gets the calls, and he is absolutely adored by the Big Ten and the NCAA. Probably only second to Coach K.

Beilein questions one call too vigorously in 43 freaking years ... and gets tossed. Can anyone recall Izzo ever getting tossed?

The favoritism toward Sparty and their coach is palpable.

But hey, he's got them the hardware over the years, so I guess that's what matters most ..

[WM Wolverine]

Rebounding margin was in large part because of the FT disparity, you don't have shots to rebound on a FT that goes in...

Iggy was the best player on the floor last night, when Izzo's best player (the refs) decided to take him out of the game, the game was over. Middle of the second half, I posted here the FT disparity was 18-3. There were tons of marginal calls that went Sparty's way and Tillman was banging guys under the basket and couldn't get a foul called on him...

However, this team still can't create offense against a team that doesn't have breakdowns defensively and unlike early in the season, they make little attempt to score points in transition.

[hack]

Give Sparty credit for an excellent defensive game plan. We'll never know if it would have been enough to beat Michigan on its own, but it was a really good game plan.

[NewOrleansLion]

[lineygoblue]

Once again, free throws that go into the basket count for one (1) point apiece. MSU had 23 of those. Michigan had 5.

Rebounds only count on the stat sheet.

[WingsFan]

Who want to watch Izzo working the officials before play/ during play/ and after the whistle. Literally walking or running from one to another. and it works... How is that? He is literately on the screen all game.

[WM Wolverine]

"There were 66 missed shots available to rebound. Both teams had an equal shot at every one. The Spartans got to 46 of them. How does the number of free throws have anything to do with that?


Because you have a much much better chance at getting a rebound on the defensive end. When M was on defense, Sparty was getting charity at the FT line. M missed tons of shots at the other end.

Yes, M got out rebounded but not near as badly as the numbers looked.

[NewOrleansLion]

We're getting into dead horse territory here, but I'll take another swing at it. If the rebounding was just even, that results in 13 more possessions for M. They shot 40% from the field. Yes, I know some could have resulted in turnovers, but 2 points on 40% of those possessions equals 10 points. Rebounds lead to points.

I'm not denying that the FT discrepancy was notable. M was called for 8 more fouls, and 3 of those were intentional at the end of the game. That's a real difference of 5 -- a factor, but not the deciding factor.

To me, the game was decided in the seven or so minutes at the end of the first half. Winston sat with 2 fouls and M was up 8. Zavier Simpson vs. Foster Loyer for 7+ minutes. The Spartans ended the half down 6. That was M's opportunity.

[hack]

That's the stretch of the game in which a foul was called when Loyer fell down untouched. there's just no way to understand this game without starting with the refs. Michigan went to the elite 8 getting its ass handed to it on the glass, so don't tell me the rebounding is the one stat to heed. It never is. Izzo loves rebounding more than anything else and hasn't been past the first weekend of the tournament in what, three years?

Good on you, assuming you are Sparty side, for acknowledging the role the refs played. There are some pretty asinine takes from many MSU fans on this.