I just want a sprinkle of Elite Talent for JB to coach. One or two players is all JB needs because he is a good coach.
I think a team of one or two elite players surrounded by developed role players, with a good coach will win their fair share against a team compromised of mostly elite talent and an underwhelming coach.
Couldn’t have said it better. We need 1 upper tier, multifaceted player per year in order to compete at an elite level every year. Need to be able to have guys step in an contribute immediately because attrition is a fact of life - one good year and guys leave. We don’t need 5 guys a year like UK, but we need to have 2-3 guys on the roster that you can just give em the ball at the end of close games, get the hell out of their way, and they will get you a bucket.
Yep he's got one, JB's got none. But by your own standards I don't think the 1 for 6 backs up your assertion that talent wins above anything else. 1 for 6 doesn't seem like consistency.
I guess we will revisit on Monday night, but if Duke wins then it will just lend further support to the fact that talent wins out. Elite, sure fire, one and dones/upper tier players are simply the easiest path to winning on a consistent basis. Duke just dismantled a team full of ‘developed’ upperclassmen in MSU. Didn’t even look like they belonged on the same court for the final 36 minutes of the game. Im sorry, but elite talent is simply preferable to a feel good story in my opinion.
How many one-and-dones were on 2014 UConn? Or 2013 Louisville? I’ll give you 2012 UK. But what about 2011 UConn? Or 2010 Duke? Or 2009 UNC? None. None of those teams had any one-and-dones. And all of them had a solid core of upperclassmen.
Chalk one up to a flat out better coach who also has a core of elite level talent on his team.
The way Bo Ryan exploited Calipari’s decision to go small at the start of the 2h was beautiful.
UK’s 2 shot clock violations in crunch time are a direct reflection of poor coaching. You can’t just roll the ball out there and expect to win these games when the other team is as talented as Wisconsin and as well coached.
Completely agree on Ryan out coaching Calapari.
Regarding elite talent, sans Dekker and maybe Nigel Hayes, the rest of their team is comprised of guys that most elite programs didn’t want. Kentucky had five times the elite talent but still got punked. So my point was - coaching and player development matter. Some on here will not stop talking about how important it is to get the best of the best coming out of high school. There are other ways to get it done.
Koenig picked Wisconsin over UNC and Duke. Dekker could have went anywhere he wanted but the kid would have probably given up an organ to play in Wisconsin. The best coaches have a core of elite talent on their team surrounded by players you have developed over a couple of years.
There are always other ways to get just about everything done. The best way IMO is having a quality coach who can both land elite talent and develop players around them.
Michigan’s last final 4 run and JB’s only final 4 appearance was on the back of a kid that did this: McGary joined Blake Griffin (2009) as the only two players in the last 15 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournaments to achieve 14 or more rebounds and 21 or more points in back-to-back games.
JB didn’t coach that. That’s raw ability that made a good team great.
Yep - and one year later they were a crazy shot away from making another Final 4 with Jordan Morgan playing elite basketball without the ability to play our elite recruit McGary. Nobody wanted Morgan coming out of high school. Yet some how magically he played like he did at the end of his career. McGary was special in the 2013 tourney no doubt. But let’s not act like elite recruiting is the only way to go. I’m done here - you guys can have the last word - waste of my time trying to enlighten you.
You must have missed the part where I said you need developed role players. Morgan most certainly fits that mold. Still don’t see how your example of Morgan against UK helps your argument. Morgan was in over his head most of the game trying to rebound and defend against UK. He certainly battled and being 5 years older than everyone on the court certainly helped but he was no match from a talent stand point in that game, foul trouble or not.
Further more, we lost and like MattD said, if we are going to play the what if game, we should have been toast in the sweet 16 in 2013.
I will have the last word because you are not reading what I was saying. In no way am I saying the only way to win big is recruit at an elite level. In fact, I clearly state, there are other ways to win. My argument is, for Michigan to consistently make tournament runs (like Sparty) JB needs to land at least one elite recruit per class and have developed role players around him.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda - just like your Cats this year.
Love the second grade level rebuttal! No excuses for the cats, were beat by a better team. Let’s just hope the devils get it done…long live talent!
You are such a baby. Why Dylan ever let you out of your banning, I will never know. The board was a lot better to visit. Whenever I sign back on and see 30 new posts on a thread in a couple of hours, you werr the one who started the clusterfuck 100 percent of the time.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda - just like your Cats this year.
Love the second grade level rebuttal! No excuses for the cats, were beat by a better team. Let’s just hope the devils get it done…long live talent!
You are such a baby. Why Dylan ever let you out of your banning, I will never know. The board was a lot better to visit. Whenever I sign back on and see 30 new posts on a thread in a couple of hours, you werr the one who started the clusterfuck 100 percent of the time.
Stay classy. Some people just hate the fact that there are people who don’t share opinions that may be perceived as contrary to the current UM model…sad in many ways.
For those of you that said there is no way UK goes undefeated.........yeah, good luck with that.
I can't stand Wisconsin.......that is all
This game had to of killed you haha
At least it’s the Big 10
Ehhh, not really. I’m not a UK fan by any means, but I hate Wisconsin. From that standpoint I was irritated. As long as Duke handles business I guess it will be a wash.
How about the two gator championship teams also. The second championship was against one and dones oden and Conley.
I’ve already conceded that you can win through the development route, but it’s just not as efficient because guys essentially waste 2 years while not giving production. Who the hell wants to wait 2 years for a guy to Possibly become a decent player when you can add a sure thing? Seems like common sense to me.
Chalk one up to a flat out better coach who also has a core of elite level talent on his team.
The way Bo Ryan exploited Calipari’s decision to go small at the start of the 2h was beautiful.
UK’s 2 shot clock violations in crunch time are a direct reflection of poor coaching. You can’t just roll the ball out there and expect to win these games when the other team is as talented as Wisconsin and as well coached.
I absolutely loathe Duke. I can only imagine how much more my hatred would be for them if I was around during the Fab 5 era. I hate their whole 'better than thou' culture, and while I also hate Bo Ryan (and Wisconsin in general), I would root for the Badgers over Duke 10/10 times. Regardless of what happened last game, we should expect fair officiating, and that was clearly not the case. Duke got a bunch of lucky breaks.
I’ll be honest with you, UM is very much perceived as having a ‘better than thou’ disposition by most non UM alumni/fans/affiliates. Awful lot of similarity between Duke and UM if you really look at it.
If you compare fanbases, I agree we are not necessarily that different, however I would say that a non-smug Duke fan is the exception the rule. I would characterize myself as a realistic UM fan. Right now, there’s not much to be proud of in the way of UM athletics, and there hasn’t been for much of the time I’ve followed UM (early 2000s to now). I’d have to be crazy to brag about Michigan… Additionally, I don’t think I have a ‘better than thou’ attitude, which is why Duke’s fanbase pisses me off. The same could be said for Ohio State fans, etc.
Which is funny, because that is every OSU fan’s chief complaint about UM…that we are snobs in every sense. I will say that we do have a certain arrogance, which Im actually proud of if that makes sense.