Long season. Very weak big ten. Can definitely still turn it around. But if he misses the tournament with one of the most experienced teams in the league, it’s very fair to let him go rather than choose to rebuild.
IMO it doesn’t get better next year (unless Bamba miracle). It’s 2 years from now where we see a major difference. That’s too long to wait for even some moderate success if we really do miss out on postseason play to end the Irvin/Walton era
When I train kids my punch line is ‘you have to be willing to die for the game’. Obviously I don’t mean that literally, but the point is that players have to be willing to provide elite effort mentally and physically when they’re out of breath, when the opposition is being physical, when the play isn’t run for you.
This team simply does not have personnel that are willing to die for the game so to say. And the coach does not hold them accountable for it either.
The only reason for hope now is that teams will take us lightly and think we are an easy win and then we finally step up. Kind of like Wisconsin last year.
Wisconsin before or after they had a mid-season head coaching change…
Our views on this are in perfect harmony right now. I couldn’t have said it better.
Just like I was measuring John Beilein objectively when he was winning, I’m going to measure the team/Beilein objectively now. The season isn’t over, so there is the possibility of him getting the team to rally and getting into the tournament. I’ve never been the type to over-react to individual games for the most part, and I’m not going to do it now either.
after the change
Minus a Bamba miracle, who of the 17 recruits are coming in and turning this sieve of a defense around next year?
Certainly not Brooks or Poole, Livers won’t be a factor because DJ is going to get 30-35mpg.
Could Livers play the 3 with Matthews at the 2 in a potential “defensive” lineup? He occasionally plays Irvin at 2 and Robinson at 3 this year so it seams feasible.
Don’t know if Livers has the type of agility to defend 3s on a regular basis. I think a 2-3 zone would be a realistic option at that point with Matthews, Livers, DJ, Mo. That’s a lot of length on the floor.
Anything but the 1-3-1. Holy hell it is long overdue for that to be thrown in the garbage.
I’m thinking JB is too stubborn to try a 2-3.
@umhoops wrote a great (Exceptional in fact) article that I remember about our zone defense being good 2 years ago. I just want to know how we’re so awful at it now with all the length we have and similar athletes.
I honestly wish Beilein could’ve just recruited the 17 class in 15. I think that would’ve fixed some talent/personnel issues that we currently have. I think John has to think long and hard, and perhaps come to grips with the fact that individual players/talent are more important than his system/culture. It can be a very hard thing to do for an individual accustomed to doing things his way, but I think if he’s being honest with himself he has to realize that.
Recruiting to a system is already hard enough, but with the other handicaps he imposes on himself that we’ve discussed ad nauseam over the years it is nearly impossible to succeed long term.
I know many of you here have thought of me as nothing more than an asshole that hates on John Beilien for no apparent reason.
I’ve tried to point out for almost a year that my takes on Beilien are reasonable in relation to other UM fans in large part. Take a look at MGoBlog now.
If you think I’m extreme, I’d hate to see your reactions to that.
lol nope, not even gonna look.
This might be true, but I doubt he’s much slower than Duncan… And Poole not being ready to defend may be true, but we are probably just going to have to bite that bullet to replace the offense that leaves with Walton and Irvin, and then hope X’s and Matthews’ defensive upgrade compensates for Poole’s deficiencies. Though, hell, MAAR was our best guard on the court tonight, so who knows.
There just isn’t a quick fix minus Bamba. The lack of any sort of athleticism/motor in recruiting has absolutely killed this program.