Game 30: Nebraska at Michigan Recap

-I’m as guilty as anyone of taking X and Teske for granted but it really has been a pleasure to have them on the squad. Crazy to think that they were on the 16-17 team that won the B1G tourney after the plane crash. Seems like a long time ago.
-DDJ needs to start putting his head down and getting to the basket. He is way too passive out there. He drew a foul on one good drive in the second half so hopefully that’s a good sign.
-I don’t think Cole will transfer (he’s a lifelong UM fan). But if he does, I might cry. Kid is going to be special.

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Back when X and Jon were just first showing flashes of their elite defensive potential in their freshman season I told my brother they’d be selling ā€œPesky and Teskeā€ t-shirts by their senior season. Sadly, this never took hold. But a whole lotta winning did.

Best combined career stat on the game telecast graphic tonight: 30-5 record on neutral courts. That is seriously bananas.

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3 straight sweet 16 from X and T. here’s hoping for 4. that’s incredible!

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Not trolling here, but what on Earth makes you think that?
He could be, but I don’t see why.

Glad johns got aggressive late but we really need him to look to create and find his 3 ball again and fast.

So I’m just up late pondering this year and I can’t seem to shake the feeling that this team outside of Atlantis hasn’t played up to its potential yet.

It’s been noted by others that it seems when a couple guys get hot say Franz and Eli that others go cold like livers/ddj/ Johns or vice versa Johns and ddj find themselves and Franz and teske Flame out ect

Even with all this we have a top 20 roster with a ton of big wins who was very close to being a couple seed lines up if some foul shots went down or some unfortunate calls had gone gone our way.

My point to all this is even with all the bad breaks, luck, injuries, cold shooting, opposing players going unconscious ect. that this team put up a nice regular season and yet we still haven’t hit our peak or started to fire on all cylinders.

Maybe it never will and the roster isn’t good enough to get consistent play from all our rotation pieces at once or certain guys just aren’t good enough to do it Game in and game out or in some cases just not ready yet to do it.

Something keeps telling me though that they can do it, that they have the ability to put its all together and really go on a deep run. Time is almost out so its not looking good and there is still too many missed chances, sloppy tos, missed open threes , blown defensive assignments ect but I can’t help but feel like they’ve done all this and won many big games all while giving mostly b or c efforts ( not in terms of playing hard) outside of Atlantis.

There hasn’t been a ton of games where I came away feeling like they played close to their overall potential with a great top to bottom effort. Their winning with only half the roster clicking at a time. The possibilities if they can just string together a couple weeks here of everyone playing well is truly scary. I’m praying it clicks.

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He does have a nice stroke. If JB was still here we’d be talking about him like he is the next Nik/Caris

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We’d be talking about him like a future top 20 pick? I truly don’t understand a lot of the Bajema hype

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I think he’d be playing more under JB. He has the height and length and can shoot. I don’t hype him up or anything. In fact he’ll probably transfer and I won’t care that much. He just seems like the type of kid who would be a 1st rounder under the old regime.

For a team that has lacked consistent shooting all year long what Bajema’s shown in his little time is quite promising. I’m not saying if he sticks around he’s going to step in and be a 15 point scorer next season but it’s clear that he has talent and IMO when compared to what Nunez did last season in similar limited run, Bajema looks much more polished and to be an actual good shooter.

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I’d be upset if Cole transferred. You don’t see many pure shooters like that, even in high D1. If he didn’t have serious limitations in other areas of his game, he’d be playing more already; I get that. But, marginal improvements in those other areas could turn him into a critical piece, as early as next season. I want him turning into a critical piece here, not at some other school.

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He’s taken 7 3 pointers in his career. How can we say you don’t see many pure shooters like that?

I like Cole. I think he has a chance to be a solid college player whether at Michigan or elsewhere. But let’s not forget the outrageously low sample sizes we’re dealing with.

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I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen from Cole on the court so far, but your comment is spot on

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I’ve really never understood the Cole love. Sure he could be an important piece to a future team but the sample size is so unbelievably small. He could still be a bust too. Not that I think that’s the case, but there is in no way enough data for us to make that decision as fans.

I agree with your first and your third point, wholeheartedly, but I don’t think a basketball player should ever just put his head down and drive to the hoop…ever. I don’t think that’s really what you meant, though. I do think, as I think you do, that DDJ has an ability to take the ball to the basket. Perhaps that’s just not part of the offense…yet. X does a great job of it. Certainly DDJ isn’t where X is, but perhaps he could be some day. Again, though, having said this, as a LONG time coach, I never wanted my players to just ā€œput their head ā€˜down’ and drive.ā€ :wink:

As far as X and JT, gosh, they’ll be missed. And your Cole Bajema point? I’ve been a fan of Cole since before we signed him. I do not understand why he hasn’t played, but as a coach, and one who has never been in practice with these guys, I simply won’t be critical of Juwan’s substitution patterns or of his decisions on who plays and who doesn’t. I just have believed from day one that Cole has great upside, but we just haven’t gotten to see much of it this year.

Someone, maybe you, posted earlier that on an admittedly small sample Cole is averaging two points per shot. That is remarkable. I am with you in that I REALLY want Cole to stay. I think he’s gonna be good wherever he plays his college basketball, hopefully, though, that place is Michigan!

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I agree with all your points. I want DDJ to drive more b/c he has shown that ability. His strength, speed, and touch around the basket are all reasons why he should try to get into the lane more instead of settling for jumpers. I think Beilein once described him as a ā€œbowling ball.ā€

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It is the eye test. He looks like a pure shooter. It is also the composure. How many late game subs have we seen brick it?

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DDJ was looking for his own shot the entire game. Never looked to set anybody up, or to pass on the PNR. I think Brooks will get the starting job at the point next year, with Jackson and DDJ looking to share minutes, if they can manage to distribute the ball, rather than looking for their own shots.

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This is it for me, too. I understand sample sizes, but I also think I know a pure shooter when I see one. I’m not saying that some of you are wrong about Cole’s potential. But, if I have to choose one freshman or sophomore among the guys who rarely play today who can be a key piece down the road, Cole is my guy. He brings a rare skill.

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