Our team might have some of that going on too in the opposite direction. If Gard’s team has good chemistry, well, that’s not doing anything to cause opponents to miss FTs, but it’s obviously a team that’s far more than the sum of its parts, and is also apparently quite lucky, in the metrics that try to measure that to the extent it can be measured. Our team is clearly far less than the sum of its parts, and is also apparently pretty unlucky, in those metrics. Probably not entirely coincidence.
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Is Michigan unlucky by any metric? I assume their “luck” stat is pretty bang on average because they haven’t played a ton of close games.
I know the remaining schedule isn’t all that - still 5 home games and only 2 games against contending teams – but I would be pretty surprised if Wisconsin doesn’t drop another game or two to teams that you wouldn’t expect.
I just feel like people are using Wisconsin as a prism to make all different arguments in this thread that don’t even really apply to Wisconsin.
MSU is a much better sum of its parts argument – no elite players, but a 17th ranked team – than Wisconsin – one elite player and a team that is rated 30th on KenPom.
Michigan was in the 300s earlier this year on that Kenpom luck metric. I think you’ve written this year as well about how the defense wants to give up difficult off the dribble jumpers, and yet those are what a lot of opponents have made this year.
Good point about Michigan State. That makes me even more curious about the dynamic I’m pointing out here, and the correlation/ causation question about it.
Michigan had a lot of blowout wins and close losses early. But the close home wins over not great Northwestern and Nebraska teams has lowered the unluckiness metric a bit.
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Seems reasonable
I think Gard has been really good. He stepped in for Bo partway through a season and the team arguably got better. When Bo left I remember thinking that he was perhaps seeing the writing on the wall re: the program slipping. Gard’s 2nd full season was rough (maybe Bo was correct), but he was quickly able to return the program to tourney level and has stayed at that level.
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Or was caught having an affair 
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Ha, yes. Perhaps also an early victim of cancel culture.
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He inherited what is clearly a pretty resilient system. One that’s hard to recruit to, as Tyler Herro would point out, which has to be part of the analysis.
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Sadly the truth is that the manure-gorging arthropod Gregory Gard is simply an elite coach. I can deny it no longer. In fact I guarantee he wins the B1G this year, along with March Madness. He will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame
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Even if you just used up all of your reverse jinx powers in that single post…I’ll allow it.
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Hepburn looks like he has prospects for Wisconsin.
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I like Hepburn as well as Crowl. Crowl got his free year last year. He will be a load in a couple years.
TJD with two fouls at the under 16 timeout. Not good for Indiana, especially since the second foul came on a jump shot and was avoidable
Or maybe TJD foul trouble is the secret strategy to upset wins? /s
Lots of referee shenanigans for both sides in this one. Love it as a neutral
Bo Boroski absolutely terrible
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Goode is inherently unlikeable with his attempt at facial hair
Wow serious home cooking at Assembly here. Cmon Bo
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