Always great stuff from Gibson. It perfectly illustrates the importance of Livers vs. Johns at the 4. It also illustrates the level at which MSU is playing.
Outstanding analysis! I especially like the highlighting technique and the pacing of the explanation. Thank you.
The number of times Brandon Johns (or whoever is in the game at the four) pops up in these clips is troubling if Isaiah Livers doesn’t return soon.
do you have any intel on his timeline?
Livers? Nope. We will see what Juwan has said today.
I think it is very hard to put a timeline on a groin injury.
So there’s this huge narrative going on now on Michigan twitter and the Michigan blogosphere that we lose BECAUSE X shoots too much. There’s that stat about how our winning %s when X is above 10 shots. Now people are saying “well just take fewer shots” and I think they’re entirely missing the point. What would you like X to do? He made kickouts, except they were to Brandon Johns and he wouldn’t shoot. The reason his assists have dropped in losses is because our overall team shooting percentage in losses is probably substantially lower.
I’m already salivating over 20-21 MSU team MINUS Tillman and Winston.
If you think Tillman isn’t at MSU next year, you haven’t been watching MSU for the past 20 years.
*Pulls out hair *
People acting like MSU’s run is over are being massive homers. There’s still a lot of talent there, and Izzo develops guys like crazy. I can already see TIllman and Henry staying a year too long and becoming AAs. Sr Gabe Brown will be great. Bingham looks good. There’s still tons of talent. They have to figure out the PG position for sure though.
Zac Randolph, Jason Richardson, Shannon Brown, Gary Harris, Deyonta Davis, Miles Bridges, Jaren Jackson JR. All early entries. Only Brown played as far as a Jr.
Tillman has 1st round projection and guaranteed money looming.
Let’s not pretend Payne, Valentine, Forbes, Green and Winston had early entry options. They had to stay their senior year.
Bridges was projected lottery when he stayed. It’s not that MSU players don’t leave, it’s that they very rarely leave if not given a sure fire 1st round projection, which I don’t expect Tillman to get.
Yeah I saw that article some Michigan Basketball beat writer put me out because Dylan quote tweeted it. To me there’s no way you can take that stance if you actually watch the games. Not only is the sample size pretty small but in order to make the conclusion that guy made you have to just be ignoring lots of other things.
You made a really good point on assists in wins vs losses. Not only that but to me it’s pretty obvious that when nobody is making shots when you are finding them for open looks that you’ll try to find your own shot if you’re X. This is a simple case of correlation not meaning causation. And it’s a really damaging thing to put out as a Michigan beat writer because all it does is reinforce the anti X narrative a lot of casual fans have. The comments on the original article were so irksome to me.
I 100% agree. In the comments some dope said DDJ should start over X 
Tillman is an interesting projection going forward. Some analysts love him as a consummate role player and great teammate, others skeptical of size and athleticism.
If given any positive NBA feedback ( married with a small child, and a second one due in February ) hard to imagine him returning.
I see that one all the time it’s so frustrating. One time I responded to one of those guys and asked why he thought DDJ would be a better starting point guard than X and he responded with “There isn’t one thing DDJ can’t do better than X.” Some fans are just delusional.
Winston loss is going to be massive for next year, even with solid returning core.
That’s pretty funny. David has progressed tremendously this year, but right now, there is only one thing he can do better than X–shoot from the perimeter.
Wouldn’t have given a nickel for his pro possibilities watching him “ huff and puff” trying to get down the court in HS. Really transformed his body and conditioning.