You guys, it was one game. All the deficiencies we saw in this team going into the year reared their ugly heads tonight. We all knew going into the season that shooting was going to be our issue. Tonight we saw a team get smacked in the mouth that didn’t have the firepower to hit back. Can a year make a difference? I absolutely think so. We’re a top 5 team moving into next season. We’re going to have a team that is bigger, stronger, faster and ready to run through a defense like we saw tonight. Unfortunately we weren’t tonight but Coach still brought us to the fricken Sweet 16 after losing Wagner, Rahman and Robinson…LET’S GO!!!
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There were windows of opportunity in this game that this team couldn’t capitalize on.
Even Simpson had a wide open layup that he kinda went high off the board with when just a regular shot was needed.
Needed some of those threes to go in. They got a few of theirs in, we just did not get those wide open looks in.
Need some of the young guys to be ready to go and everyone else to continue working.
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I lived through the days of losing records and NIT bids, so even though I have disappointment, I will never not enjoy 30-7 and a Sweet Sixteen run. The program is on really solid footing, great players returning, solid recruiting class, great coaching.
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When you look back at the season as a whole, 30 wins and a sweet 16 appearance can objectively be viewed as a good season. But if you were to tell me after the UNC game that we would hang no banners, go 0-3 vs. State (2 of the games for championships!), and then get embarrassed in the sweet 16, I would be really disappointed. I felt like this team could not be beat earlier on in the season.
It did feel like we had returned to form for the most part in the BTT (minus end of State game), and in the opening weekend, which makes this result pretty surprising to me. TT has a great defense, but I had confidence Beilein would have us more prepared. In the end it feels a lot like a Michigan football season I have come accustomed to. A decent amount of wins, but no championships, losing to our rival, and going down hard in the postseason.
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I’m not sure Beilein could have prepared the team much better with the limitations of this roster. Michigan is a very good team, but we don’t win because of our offense. We are not that hard to game plan against because we don’t present a lot of unique challenges.
Last year we had 6’11” Mo who could draw bigs away from the rim, shoot over them from 3 or take them off the dribble. We had Robinson at 6’8” who could force you to guard the 3 or pay the price. MAAR could stroke the 3, drive by you or find the open man.
We weren’t a terrible offensive team this year, but we couldn’t beat many good teams with offense and good defensive teams (MSU, Wisconsin, TT) could stop us.
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Honestly I think this team could have made the national championship if it had the draw that last year’s team had and last year’s team could have lost to Texas Tech in the sweet 16 if it had this year’s draw. The offensive kenpom efficiencies between last year and this year are identical.
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That’s an interesting point. This is a completely different tournament than last year; last season the early rounds were loaded with upsets. We knew going into the Sweet Sixteen that the path was wide open to get to the title game, and that’s what happened.
This year the top 12 seeds all advanced. That makes for incredibly stacked and exciting regionals, and it means good teams are going to lose to good teams.
I think Michigan could have eviscerated either Purdue or Tennessee, for example. But we drew Texas Tech. MSU gets as easy a 2-3 game as you can imagine, an LSU team without their coach, but then they probably face Zion Williamson in the next game.
It’s a tough tournament. These things happen.
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Yeah ultimately this team ends with an “accolade” that is both a credit and a demerit - arguably the best team I can think of that ends the season without a banner to raise for anything.
Agreed. March is about matchups and getting a few bounces to go your way. Happened with Michigan last year, didn’t this year. Is this year’s team that much worse than last year’s? Some would argue that it was better this year. MSU’s team last year was vastly more talented than this year’s. But one got to the second weekend and the other didn’t.
I like Michigan st to win but when LSU plays well their pretty damn good. If we showed up tentative and cold from deep , I think we’d lose to them too badly last night.
I loved last years team and maar was possibly my favorite Wolverine ever, but I’d say this team was superior.
The thing about last year’s team was that folks didn’t really have high expectations. There was so much drama in the big ten regular season. We didn’t know what we had in Simpson yet. It was kind of a roller coaster that ended as well as it reasonably could have.
I don’t know, I think last year’s team was better overall. We were almost as good defensively but could get to a whole other gear offensively when Wagner got going. When his threes were falling it was lights out for the other team. Also, Teske was his backup, which was a pretty nice luxury.
I loved last years squad and thought they were sleepers but following the Purdue beat down I really thought this team was the team to beat. At that moment I genuinely felt like any team in the country would catch a beat down if they were next on the schedule. Even after the Wisconsin lost I felt really really good because they played horrendous and still were very close to winning.
Last years squad couldn’t beat this one at each of their respective peaks imo.
I think next year this team will be fun to watch. Im expecting big jumps from the freshmen. We all know DDJ, johns and castleton will good but i think someone else will be rhe surprise player.
If iggy and Poole come back , this squad will be there in the end. Michigan vs Washington for the Natty.
Something changed as the season progressed, that is for sure. From Poole passing up open looks early in the shot clock for tougher ones later. From Charles abusing his defender with his mid range game. And more but to a lesser extent IMO for both Teske and Simpson.
Iggy over achieved to my expectations and seemed to never back down when physically challenged.
As for next year I see Livers being an over all upgrade to Mathews. His defense has gotten way better. More consistent from 3 and I saw signs he has better handles than given credit.
The key will be if we can develop DDJ, Castleton and Johns into solid contributors more nights than not. If so I see final 4.
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Washington?
I’m curious to see where Jalen Wilson fits into the rotation next year. I love the recent tape of him
Will probably do some catch up posts on the incoming recruits but this video features almost entirely the last two months of his high school career.