Don’t even get him started on Saugatuck!
Agreed, but it seems Juwan sees Nunez as next man up, and isn’t done giving him the space to claim the role.
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Two steals, a block, or was it two blocks? A couple of buckets. Sadly he stepped OB on that three but it was a thing of beauty. And I thought he stayed in front of those little River Hawk guards pretty darn well for a 6’7 guy!
I’ll not comment on that other guy whose name is so popular in this thread, but if we’re looking for a wing player, I think Bajema should be the “next man up,” but again, I’m not in practice and I don’t see or know what the coaches see. I DO trust them, though!
Having said all this, though, some guys are getting some experience and will hopefully be able to hold their own when Isaiah gets back. Speaking of Isaiah, can anyone who was at the game comment on how he was walking, because, literally, he was NOT walking well eight days ago! He was walking kinda like me, and I’ve noticed I’ve started walking a lot like my dad lately! 
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This was so good to see! Luke’s first points as a Michigan Wolverine! So happy for him. He’s now scored more points for Michigan than (almost) anyone on this board! 
Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself! Again, happy for Luke!
In the pre-game video, Livers was definitely wincing as he walked.
I agree with all of this, but I really think that Eli was playing near the end because Juwan just wanted to be sure someone was out there to sort “run” things. We were not going to lose, of course, but you don’t want guys just bombing away, at least I sure didn’t want that when I was coaching. You want some “organization” out there and Eli is a very smart player, so Juwan kept him in, I think, until Luke came in. But, yeah, I would have liked to see Cole in with the rotation players, too. To be honest, just my opinion, I think Cole SHOULD be a rotation player.
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Yeah, see that’s not good. So much for this Balas theory that he’ll be back for State! Let’s just get the kid healthy, 'cause we’re REALLY gonna need him!
Only saw about five minutes of the second half. Hope I catch a replay? How’d things look?
I love that area…I have a cottage in douglass. Saugentuck is nice but kind of expensive as well. Very nice place.
Pennyroyal, awesome! Farmhouse Deli, awesome! Hikes through Saugatuck Dunes to the lake, along the beach and back, awesome! Love Saugatuc/Douglas!
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Me too…I love all the surrounding areas too like holland, denville ect…great area.
I generally agree with you. But I trust this coaching staff, so there has to be something Bajema’s NOT showing in practice. Or maybe something Nunez is showing in practice that has the coaches comfortable Nunez is close to settling in on game day?
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Regarding the Cole/Adrien discussion…
In one of his press conferences a while ago, Howard indicated that Bajema had a ways to go on the defensive end. Of course, Nunez currently leaves a lot to be desired on that side of the court as well.
Nunez was ranked 305 in the composite, 211 by 247sports in the 2018 class.
Bajema was 112 and 74, respectively, in the 2019 class. He’s a higher level talent.
On the offensive side, there is no question Bajema is more versatile and skilled. There could be a number of reasons why Nunez is seeing minutes and Bajema is not. For one thing, Nunez has more of a college-ready body after a full year in the program. Nunez was also recruited and offered by Martelli at St. Joe’s, so Martelli has seen a lot more of him than he has Bajema, and has more of a history there.
From a fan’s-eye view, Bajema appears to be the better player at this stage. However, as has been stated, the coaches see a lot more of these guys on the court than do we, and they are more knowledgeable about the game.
In short, I’d like to see more of Cole in games, but I defer to the more fully-informed coaching staff on that score.
I expect Cole will develop into a great college player, and Adrien may also grow and expand his game. I know better than to assume that a player will always be what he currently is. We’ve seen more than enough examples to the contrary. It’s easy to forget, but Nunez does look considerably more comfortable out there than he did as a freshman, and Bajema looks very much at ease already.
One great thing about being a Michigan fan is I like every player on this team. Off the court, they are quality young men—and I appreciate their hard work on it.
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Definitely worried about our offense sans Livers. I think the injury has sapped Wagner’s confidence on his shot. I like Johns but he’s more of an energy guy right now. And obviously if Castleton is in at the 4 our spacing is sapped. Seems like we need great shooting from Brooks, great play from X, and Teske has to be able to score from the block. Can he do that against Tillman?
Yeah, I took a little ribbing when I said that Wagner’s contribution has been spotty, but so far he’s been pretty far from “the straw that stirs the drink,” etc. that we were hoping for. He may still be the key, though, especially if Michigan is going to play high-level hoop without Livers. There was an interesting tinge of concern in Dylan’s post-game reflections, if I was reading correctly.
I’d rather Livers not play the MSU game if it means getting him back to 100% quicker. His absence definitely means that the expected point differential swings even further towards MSU, but the variance of it is very high in just one game. BJJ can very possibly play well and mitigate the Livers difference, or perhaps someone else plays well and mitigates it.
With that being said, if Livers plays and aggravates something and is out for longer, the difference will very likely be felt over a larger sample size.
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I Mark a lot of it up to the injury. I was concerned about the effects a wrist injury would have on him as soon as I heard about it. He’s obviously a better shooter than he’s shown as he’s shot considerably better at high levels.
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Off of that point, with the team going forward without Livers for an undermined length of time, Franz’s average per-game contributions aren’t something I’m really concerned about. Dude’s got a great shot and doesn’t look lost out there. Nor am I overly worried about Eli–I think he’s proven that, random off-game withstanding, he’s solid. Points of “concern” (namely, items that could really tip the scales one way or another) are: 1) whether Johns Jr. can maintain his aggressiveness on the boards and can maintain the physicality he’s shown against B1G competition; 2) whether DeJulius can read pass-versus-shot situations adequately, especially when Zavier isn’t on the floor (and yet keep the scoring 'tude–we’ll need it); 3) if Castleton can be serviceable at the four and cut down his extraneous moves when he’s playing the five; 4) if Nunez can embrace a “microwave” role, especially from the three–I don’t have him problem doing cuts for open layups but please please please make them 90% of the time; and 5) whether Bajema can gain about 40 lb of muscle mass in about five days. Oh, and happy new year, all. My resolution: to shut the hell up on this board until 2020. I think I can pull that one off.
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I don’t question his ability–and have no trouble believing that he’s still recovering his shot. But I do think he may be spending a while adjusting to the American game.
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