Comments on: Game 28: Michigan at Iowa Live Blog

By: AG2

AG2 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:04:47 +0000

That’s a good point. If you really think about it, without Manny, we pretty much ARE Iowa. But getting 8 days rest and even then their team MVP was Ted Valentine. I just can’t get over that.

By: gpsimms

gpsimms — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:54:57 +0000

Man, Dylan i know how hard of work it is, but this is a game that needs some of your plus minus analysis. I am so positive that Merritt was killing this team when he was in. He CANNOT be the runner on the bottom of the 1-3-1. Iowa got so many open threes when he was in. I remember thinking it seemed like he was at fault on a lot of them, and then seeing during the halftime highlights that almost every one of their threes, it was Merritt running after them. He is way too short/slow for that spot. Kelvin may take poor paths through screens, but he is not slow.

Not to pile on, JB, and thank God you’re here, because we’re [almost] relevant again because of you, but really? Merritt and Lee and no Manny in OT? Does anyone remember how terribly Manny was playing against Purdue? He was awful…yet, we were close, until he was ejected. The team cannot perform without Manny, period. Stu and Zack and even Peedie, really, have trouble creating shots on their own. Manny changes defenses and creates openings for the rest of the team. Everyone knows this, ask any coach in the big ten how they plan for us.

The big debate about Kelvin this week will rage on, but I think the point is that CJ does bring things besides scoring and helps the team. So does Kelvin though, and no one suggests he replaces Lee, its Merritt that needs to sit.

Frustrating game in every way. I hope they pull together for a miracle run. They shoulbe up for the Purdue game given how it went in W Lafayette, but I’m afraid coach’s decision to bench Manny and Grady has the team reeling a little bit.

By: Go Blue

Go Blue — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:45:32 +0000

Kevin, thats not all you could ask for. You could ask that the best players get a chance to play.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:20:36 +0000

Man, everybody here is so pessimistic. The way I see it, we need three more wins to at least give us a chance. Even if we only get 1 in the regular season, it will either give us anothe quality win, or help knock Minny off the bubble. The BTT should be good for us considering JB’s quality record in tourneys. Bottom line, if we can get three wins, I’ll have something to watch for on selection sunday, and really, that’s all i can ask for considering what i was expecting coming into the season.

By: raiderfan

raiderfan — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:11:52 +0000

I think JB is going to bring great things in the future but tonight he flat out coached us out of the tournament. Yes, the officiating was horrible but that has to be expetced on the road. You have to put your personal stuff aside and put your best five on the floor. This was the biggest game in the last ten years, or at least the most important, and our best point guard didnâ€™t play a second and our best player didnâ€™t see the court in overtime. I honestly just donâ€™t get it.

By: Avery Queen

Avery Queen — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:16:35 +0000

Well Minnesota certainly recovered. Definitely can’t see us winning in Madison and if Minnesota is gonna be fighting for a berth don’t think I see that one happening either. Hope I’m wrong.

By: GBMDC02

GBMDC02 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:15:57 +0000

Uhhhhh…..

This season is over.

13 years since the NCAA tournament.

Heckuva job.

By: WHATAP

WHATAP — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:05:56 +0000

Agreed Gidds, definitely agreed. I myself will be screaming at the TV in insane optimism right until the very end. Lets all hope the program as a whole, but most importantly JB learns from this, and in moving forward devises better game plans. My suggestion: Dump it inside more against teams in which you have advantages.

By: Giddings

Giddings — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:00:03 +0000

Hard to be optimistic but at least the door is not completely shut as many people are suggesting. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No.

By: AG2

AG2 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:48:26 +0000

I’m not very optimistic about either the Big Ten tournament or the last 3 games. This team has needed overtime to beat two of the worst teams in the big ten on the road. Minnesota is a much better team at The Barn, and we have about as good a chance of beating Wisconsin on the road as we did vs. UConn.