Comments on: Game 7: Michigan at Utah Preview

By: Game 7: Michigan at Utah Post Game | UM Hoops.com

Game 7: Michigan at Utah Post Game | UM Hoops.com — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:16:46 +0000

[...] playing bad basketball and a 6-6 non conference record looks likely. As an astute commenter, Jeff, points out that means Michigan is on the NIT bubble, likely needing a 9-9 conference record to make the [...]

By: PeteM

PeteM — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:07:44 +0000

I was at the game last night in Utah, and was frustrated with the lapses and lack of consistent effort. On the rebounding front, yes they were a lot bigger, but there were also a lot of balls that bounced around that we didn’t come up with through what appeared to be lack of aggressiveness and/or effort. Also, when the game was still in reach Utah got a couple of layups that just shouldn’t have happened.

How can Stu Douglass (a shooter) miss two of two free throws? I know he is going through some things mentally, but sheesh.

I still think that Beilein is a great coach, but this team (outside of Manny and maybe Zack Gibson) has to play harder and more consistently.

By: Bball

Bball — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:54:12 +0000

Drew:
The Henderson kid was definitely a humongous toolbox…but you know what?

He played with PASSION and EXCITEMENT! I hope he sneezed on some of our guys – Sims especially – and that stuff is contagious.

By: Mith

Mith — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:15:43 +0000

Dang it, I meant 6-12.

By: Mith

Mith — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:15:07 +0000

I generally try to be an optimist, but I don’t see how we can even really hope for this team to be the 12-6 or so it would require in conference to make the tourney. The way they are playing they are headed straight for 5-13 or 6-13.

Alot of people keep saying they’ll get better. Why? They’ve been pretty suspect for the last 7 games, that’s a long time.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:42:50 +0000

Drew,
Yeah, he was obnoxious, but my overriding thought, especially in the first half was, why aren’t they guarding this kid. After his second three, I said ok, they need to guard this kid and he continued to get wide open looks. That has become a pattern with this team this year–a hot shooter who just continues to get wide open look after wide open look. It was very frustrating.

By: AG2

AG2 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:40 +0000

I don’t think its just after missed shots guys are getting back and beating our defense. There were a few times where they started running right after a make, UNC style. I counted at least 12 wide open layups last night.

Was I the only one who saw that massive Utah run coming when Michigan cut it to 1 and Manny missed the and one free throw that would have tied it?

The way this team plays, even gimmes vs. UD Mercy aren’t guaranteed. Yet somehow I can’t help but feel like we can still turn it around, beat UConn and go 12-6 in the Big Ten. We would be 19-11 then, and still possibly in play for a bid. I don’t know, but I kinda think we’re getting better.

By: Drew

Drew — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:21:52 +0000

Just taking a moment to forget about our struggles, is Marshall Henderson anyone else’s new favorite player to dislike? After seeing him run down the court flailing his arms, and then flexing after that and one. Nearly caused me to go into a fit of rage at the bar I was watching the game at

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:10:27 +0000

I’m not trying to be sensational, but this team is in real danger of missing the NIT. They will probably finish the non-conference season .500, so they will have to go 9-9 in a tough B10 plus win one game in the B10 tournament just to finish at .500 for the season. In less than a month of basketball, we’ve gone from a sweet sixteen candidate to a NIT bubble team. This sucks!

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:17:35 +0000

Looks like no tournament this year for Michigan. Other than Manny Harris no one on the team is forcing the issue and is constantly back on their heals reacting to what the other team is doing. They are only shooting 29% from 3 point range this year which is 242 out of 258 teams. A Coach Beilein led squad lives and dies with the 3 and so far that is what is happening and we are dying. We need to be shooting about 40% from 3 point range to be affective IMO.

The lack of shooting is also translating to the defensive end of the floor because MIchigan goes to their 1-3-1 zone after makes and if you aren’t making shots you can’t implement that strategy. Last nights game was evident after misses they gave up numerous easy layups in transition because the guards like Harris and Morris have to crash the boards.

Also not being able to hit shots allows defenders to play off of our shooters and take DeShawn Sims out of the game as last night he was only 2-7 with 3 rebounds against two 7-footers from Utah who camped under the basket all night. LLP is out of sync and Douglas has lost his shot and needs to find it. Morris is coming around, but we need to shoot the ball better end of story otherwise it is going to be a long year.

With the loss to Utah and potential losses to U-Conn and Kansas still looming that would give a us 6-6 in non-conference play with really no quality wins. What would we need in conference to make the tournament. 11-7 with 2 wins the B10 tournament to get to 19 wins perhaps.

I don’t even want to think about what it will be like next year with out Manny(who should stay for his last year, still very skinny and doesn’t look NBA ready IMO) or Sims.