U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL: 2018-2019

[Hannibal]

If getting Teske into foul trouble is going to be Izzo's strategy then we'll have trouble winning in Breslin. I fully expect that clown who reffed our three losses to be the ref in that game too.

[hack]

I am not sure about that. It's been pretty hard to put a second foul on Teske in the first half this year. Even if successful, you'd probably need more than a handful of possessions to do it, and you'd be asking a backup to do the job, and not to throw up bricks in the process. And you'd be taking the ball out of the hands of your one guy who can create for others. Odds are pretty high they don't get what they want out from that plan. They'll pound it in early no matter what based on that old assumption that they can intimidate Michigan, and if they can get a whistle on him in the first few minutes of the game things might change, but I'm fine with four Sparties standing around in a stagnant offense while we force Tillman to beat us.

[The Oracle]

Best of the B1G will likely get a 2nd seed, Sparty could've, should've if healthy and isn't out of it... Purdue is playing the best basketball...

As we've said all season, M needs another Livers on the bench or at least two guys who can take what the defense gives them and not be a liability on defense. It's been a great regular season but this is far from one of JBs better teams imo.

What? This is probably his best team. The tourney will ultimately determine that on a grand scale, but cmon.

And I'd love our chances vs Purdue, at any time, any setting. They haven't been all that impressive, despite the Ws. Lots of fortune that will run out. They have at least 2 more Ls coming.

[hack]

The worst-case scenario about this team is that they just happened to spend their few good-from-three nights beating top-25 teams in December, and aren't really anything more than a decent #2 seed. The best-case is that, like in some but not all previous years, the tourney brings the opportunity to play games against teams who defend worse than anybody in the Big Ten, and things loosen up, three-point shooters relax and make more because clean looks are more plentiful, and the team hits a post-season stride like it has in the past two years, but just as a better version. The mid-point, and most likely, is that it's all about whether they have that once-a-tourney shoot-the-lights-out game when they need it most. Or at aren't icecold from 3 in that particular game.

[WM Wolverine]

I don't see this teams ceiling as high as the Trey Burke team. I'd take last seasons team over this one too... Yes, regular season this team will certainly be better and a high seed could give them an easy path to the Elite Eight...

Still a lot of basketball left and Sparty's injuries opened the door for both us and Purdue to win the B1G.

This team is excellent defensively but I just see them missing a piece.

[hack]

Pretty hard to find a ceiling higher than 12-13. Legit blue-chip big man plus an elite shooter and an elite wing athlete joining a Wooden Award winner and the guy who went on to make more than all of them combined in the NBA in TH2. I said before the season that we shouldn't be surprised if they get to the FF and you said it would be nice to win a tournament game.

It's impossible to diminish this year's team by saying that team had a higher ceiling.

[Cody_Russell]

[hack]

They haven't yet exceeded my expectations, which was for a 4-6 loss season, but can still do that by winning out.

I think this team beats 12/13. 12/13 feasted on inferior competition, wilted in conference play, and then caught fire in the tournament behind Burke getting in the zone against Kansas. This team shows why D is more resilient than O, and has a sixth gear we haven't seen in a while but could again in big games.

Might just be me presonally though. I like defense.

[Hannibal]

[The Oracle]

Take away a miracle vs KU and 12-13 was just a nice year. Even last year, at least we had the BTT title. A tourney run covers up a lot of warts and a deep tourney run is a fickle thing.

[hack]

Strictly from the perspective of the amount of fun I had watching them, I would ranked Walton's senior year first, and last year second. this year is an incomplete, but of course has the chance to vault of the top of all metrics.

[Kstat]

[Cody_Russell]

[Kstat]

[Kstat]