When two teams are fairly evenly matched - and these two are - the home team wins about 90% in the Big Ten. I’ll be surprised if we don’t beat them in A2.
As far as “the best players on the floor,” well, Bridges is probably a top 10 pick in the upcoming draft, so is it really surprising that he would play well? I thought Ward and Wagner was pretty even.
There’s no doubt we need to get some road wins. I’m far more encouraged by our recent showings at Wisconsin and MSU than by the two debacles against Iowa and Illinois. All of our remaining road
games are absolutely winnable (and loseable).
This loss is only frustrating to me because like many above have said, this year we are pretty evenly matched. We haven’t been the last few years and it’s unlikely we will be of their caliber next year. That plus the stakes of essentially ending MSU’s NCAA tourney hopes by sweeping them, and playing ourselves off the bubble completely. I can’t help but wonder what the final score would have been with a healthy Irvin.
I get what you’re saying here but those kids you mention all had a competitive fire that burned deeper than a lot of guys on this team. Look at DeWalt. He grew up with a blood understanding of this rivalry and fought harder yesterday than everyone except perhaps Mo. If you have kids that are competitive already they’re up for every game already. A local kid who is more laid back might not get his blood boiling for a January tilt against Purdue but they sure as heck might have extra jump in their step for your rival.
Does a scoreboard lie? I would say MSU fans should generally be happy with the product they put on the floor. I would rather have that than 3 medicore to poor seasons in a row.
Talking about the rivalry or “getting” the rivalry isn’t the point. The football team has never talked much about MSU, and yet outside of the RR/Hoke years, U-M has owned the series.
The issue to me is that the Mich basketball program has developed a culture that is uncommonly reserved, so much so that it’s to their detriment. Their approach to the MSU rivalry is just another example.
Sure, U-M did fine in 2011-14, but now Mich has a roster that’s so laid-back, they needed Illinois to call them out in order to start playing some D. It’s kind of crazy to scoff at Izzo’s rah-rah tactics when Michigan’s players have been sleepwalking at times this season. Seems like we could use more of that.
You missed the point of that question. I’m trying to get him to admit he is an MSU fan but that is as hard as getting you to admit you were wrong about Michigan not being able to beat anyone by 20+.
You asked if they were happy with the way Izzo recruits. I would say the talent and results speak for themselves compared to the mismanaged roster of average talent and mediocre results that UM trots out.
To get him to concede that he is, in fact, a MSU fan.
“Are happy with the way Izzo recruits for your Spartans?”
On a side note, were you right or wrong about your statement that Michigan wasn’t good enough to beat anybody by 20+? Why does it bother you so much to admit you were wrong? We don’t judge around here, bub.
Am I missing something? I could’ve sworn MSU is a program that has one shared conference title in the last 7 seasons, assuming they don’t make an impossible turnaround this year.
Does everyone else on this board think “mediocre” means NCAA tournament bid? By my count we had ONE mediocre season in the last 5. Not mediocre results every year like some keep repeating. If I’m in the minority here I will happily shut my mouth
I am definitely of the opinion that just barely making the tournament is mediocre. Basically just means you are a top 45 team or so. That’s pretty average/mediocre among high major conferences.
Say what you will but the biggest thing is something that JB has said himself. Basically we are a nice team off the court but too nice on the court. Until he starts recruiting the type of kid that shows that drive and passion we will struggle.
I guess it’s all semantics, but average doesn’t mean mediocre to me. An average JB year would be between 4th-6th in the big ten with a tournament bid. A good year would be 3rd or better with a sweet 16 or more and mediocre would be anything less
I don’t know where to put this and it probably doesn’t warrant a new thread so I’ll put it here:
I keep seeing Michigan football getting walk-ons that were 2 star scholarship players who came here over offers from Air Force, Columbia, etc. I look at our basketball team’s walk-on program and I really wish we would start taking some guys with high motors but who maybe lack in skill from Detroit or Chicago. I feel like that would be a good way to make some inroads in 2 crucial cities that we’ve done poorly with as of late.
The drop off from high major scholarship kid to kid that would walk-on instead of going to a MM, LM, JUCO, reclassify/prep is pretty large. Plus with the grades/money to attend U-M. Takes a unique combination.
Yup, forgot about the money factor. And I didn’t mean that these kids would play rotational minutes or anything, I was just thinking it would help with recruiting the cities more.
In terms of drive and passion, I honestly don’t think it’s debatable that Beilein’s earlier players played with a lot more intensity in general. Novak, Douglass, Morgan, Hardaway, Burke, Morris, McGary, etc. all went full go no matter what. I mean we beat teams with 3 NBA players on them while playing lineups of CJ Lee, Stu Douglass, Manny, Novak, and Sims. To win any games against solid teams there had to be some insane drive on the court. Obviously there were some Charmin (I’m sorry, I had to) type players mixed in there but overall I think the players early in his tenure did in fact play with more passion.