U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL: 2018-2019

[hack]

I very much enjoyed Brandon Johns Day.

[WM Wolverine]

Johns looks like he'll be a good one pretty soon, hopefully really soon. Would love to see plus/minus stats on Davis, he's a liability that shouldn't be on the floor.

[hack]

Davis is five useful fouls a few times a year who appears to be getting over his butterfingers. In a game like this against a guy like Morgan he was going to be a foul machine. Of course you much rather have Johns out there, and today's development is exactly what all of us wanted. No doubt Livers would have played better probably, but Johns actually might have filled up the box score more than Livers would have. But it's nice to have a Davis on the roster as long as you hardly ever need him, and you ask very little of him when the need arises. DeJulius also got 2 minues in the first half.

I'm glad Z made those two FTs late. They looked good.

Iggy continues to struggle finishing. I could see him having a conference-season fade like Matthews did last year. Just not enough tools once you're scouted well.

Poole is fucking awesome. I love his handle and what he does with it. There's no way we get another year out of him. Which is to say that the time is now.

[WingsFan]

Like to have Livers return next game. A lot of hockey players suffer from Back spasms, myself included and they can be debilitating.

[Hannibal]

[Hannibal]

Double digit win despite Livers being out and going 0-7 from behind the arc in the 2nd half. Hopefully we won't need him for the next two games and we can go into the Trohl center undefeated. That would really suck if we lose a third player this decade to a back injury.

[hack]

Davis has room to improve on 4 fouls in 4 minutes. I think he has it in him to go 5 for 5.

[Kstat]

[hack]

I heard he still likes to hold his mom's hand walking down the stairs every morning.

[WingsFan]

[hack]

It's Illinois, FFS! Start Johns and DeJulius. (Not really, but play them tons.)

[The Oracle]

It could be pretty tight tomorrow. Single digit tight.

[hack]

ESPN thinks Iggy is a Wooden candidate, but I think he's going to settle in as a third scorer now to Poole and Matthews. I think Poole is the clear-cut best option and best pro prospect on the team, and I won't be surprised if Iggy fades out of first-round-pick contention this year. He's scouted well now and lacks verticality. I don't see what scouts would think about his ability to finish in the NBA. Still a great prospect because he's ambidextrous and has good feet and can defend, but looks more like a two-year player at the moment. Needs a year to work on his explosiveness and using his body to shield defenders.

Poole looks like a lottery pick to me. Has the size and athleticism and skills for his position -- is a prototype NBA 2. His range, handle and flair with the ball will stand out. By April his mixtape is going to be a ton of fun.

[WingsFan]

What a shit half 11 turnovers

[hack]

Geez, Illinois isn't nearly as terrible as their record and press. Only watched a bit of it so far, but that's my read. There appear to be absolutely no bad teams in conference this year. Not a top-heavy year, as M and MSU are clearly cream of the crop.

And, congratulations to the team for tying the school record at 16-0. A chance to set the record Sunday night.