Sims and Harris 50-50? Don't count on it

I've been slacking on my posting for a few reasons. UM Baseball has kept me pretty busy, while NCAA basketball owned my previous weekend before last. I'm working on a story right now that is some of my best stuff, so look for that in Mid-April as I still need to attend one event before finishing the column. I'm trying to finish a paper right now, so thanks for your patience (again, my apologies) and here is something small to read:

A few days ago, ESPN's Chad Ford put out his newly minted Draft Board for the 2009 NBA Draft. Ford divided up the names into underclassmen who were locks to jump, probables, 50-50 guys, and guys who have already said they are coming back. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims both made the board...as 50-50 guys.

The deadline to declare isn't for a while, so both these guys have some time. And I'm sure I'll put up another post about in the next few weeks. But I think it'd be a huge mistake to make that jump this year. As I've said before, it'd be the worst move since Randolph Morris decided to jump from Kentucky. This program could make the Sweet Sixteen next year (more on that later), so why ruin both that run and your chances at a first round pick in 2010? Doesn't make sense. But like I said, we got time.

Interesting Notes:

• Evan Turner says he will be a Buckeye next year: I think this is a solid move. Turner can get to the hoop better than anyone in the Big Ten, and he's solid from 17 ft and closer. One more year, and he is a lotto pick and could be similar to Gerald Henderson this year. If Mullens stays, this is a pre-season top-10 team.
  

• Jonny Flynn stays at 'Cuse: I'm not holding my breathe on this pick. Flynn has been flying up draft boards since February, and was projected as a late first rounder this year. If the Orange make the Final Four, or he has a strong showing in the Elite Eight, I think the pull of pro ball would be too great, and Flynn gets drafted at around 14 or 15 in the first round.
• Vasquez declares: Couldn't figure out if he was declaring for the Euro League or the NBA Draft. This is a terrible move for the junior Terrapin. Good thing he hasn't hired an agent, or else he'd be handing Goran Suton water when both play for Maccabi Tel-Aviv in 2009. Anyways, NBA Draft.net doesn't have him on the board and neither do I.

OK, time to get back to the paper. Baseball, Basketball, and maybe some Lacrosse by the weekend.

Running Diary: Illinois/UM from Friday

Night number two of our Live Blogging here on M&B. Again, apparently Canseco Fieldhouse has the worst internet server to ever be created. So we did this running diary during the game and edited it early this morning. Thanks for the patience.

Alllllllllright!!!! Back for Round Two! Between now and when we finished last nights game, here’s what happened:

• Rob and Stu were forced to share a bed after I won odds/evens throw-down to win the single.

• We saw LeBron make a case for defensive player of the year with his block on Jason Richardson.

• UConn/Syracuse played the game that never ended.

• Talked to Gus Johnson over beers.

• Drunk Iowa BTN intern spit all over Stu while trying to start a conversation with us and WOLV-TV

• I attended a job fair that didn’t take resumes

OK! Good times. Now on to the game…

Crowd has filled in nicely to the Fieldhouse. The fans are 80-20 in favor of Illinois. This feels like a UI home game.

“Queme los barcos”: The UM team comes out of the locker room wearing shirts with this phrase on the back. It means “Burn the ships” and was the message Cortes told his troops before storming the New World. Basically, it was a “leave it on the court” metaphor.

(By the end of the game, I was calling for the team to burn the shirts along with the ship they traveled in).

GAMETIME: Like the show 24, events occur in real time,

17:54 Douglass puts it on the floor and gets called for a 5 second. At least he put it on the floor as opposed to the picking up of his dribble. Of all the players on this team, Douglass has the biggest identity crisis. Scores 20 against UConn, and then disappears down the stretch in the B10 schedule. He plays great defense, and then we don’t hear from him for three straight games. I give up trying to figure this kid out.

16:33 Zack Novak hits the deck and is bleeding. The official tells Beilein “He’s bleeding again.” I swear Novak loses more blood a week than any other player in any sport I’ve ever seen. They really should set up some sort of charity deal with the Red Cross where U of M will donate 100 dollars for every time Novak loses blood on the court. This would be the biggest charitable donation in U of M history. Guaranteed.

15:14 McCamey for three. 7-4 Illini. Anthony Wright into the game for the Wolverines. He attempts his first three and it’s way off. Over/Under Anthony Wright taking 2.5 shots on the next three possessions…or until he feels better about himself.

13:28 Davis with another turnaround over Novak. He is getting whatever he wants off the low block. I’m feeling Déjà vu from last time we saw him, where we made him look like Antonio McDyess 11-9 Illini.

11:40 Douglass for three!!!! Davis answers with a jumper. He looks like Sims last night. This could get ugly real fast.

This is a good time to mention that Michigan is going to be in trouble during the tourney if they face a team with a big front line that can pass (See Memphis or MSU). Right now, they have Novak playing the 4-spot. I know he’s a great shooter, but they NEEEEEEEEED Jevohn Shepherd to be ready come next Thursday. Hell, I’ll take Wright, too. But if they insist on starting four guards against a frontline that all hovers over 6’8, I would suggest everyone save their money and not even book a hotel room for the first round.

10:00 Coach Beilein just called the Illini “not a good rebounding team.” Irony?

9:10 Novak takes a charge underneath the hoop. I’ve seen this call go either way 6 times today in the previous two games played here today. The rule change that needs to happen most is the charge under the hoop. If this happened, Manny Harris would set the record for foul shots in a month.

7:33 Mike Davis has ten points. Anthony Wright back into the game as Merrit knocks down a three. Wright puts a bigger body on Davis. I like this match-up. Maybe not as much as with Jevohn Shepherd, but we are up 22-18. I’m going with it.

5:28 Zack Gibson with his second reverse in as many possessions. Good thing Illinois doesn’t watch film, or else they’d know this is all he does on the low block.

4:22 Heat-check 3 by Gibson. Way long. CJ Lee just said “Don’t leave McCamey! Leave Jordan” in the huddle. Stu said “That’s the first time any one has ever said ‘Don’t help on Jordan!’ in a basketball huddle.”

3:49 Timeout on the floor.

I need to mention quickly that Larry Fitzgerald Sr. is here covering the tournament for his Minnesota newspaper. Fitzgerald Sr. was the subject of a ton of coverage for the super bowl because his son (Larry Jr.) was playing. He said he refused to cheer in the press box if they he scored, in order to not appear biased.

Good to see Larry Sr. holding his journalistic integrity to the highest degree.

…However, it hasn’t stopped him from wearing a Cardinal’s No.11 jersey this whole weekend. Each day. At least it was easy to tell who he was.

2:36 Wright. Shepherd. Lee. Sims. Harris. Lineup combo 102098756 for Coach Beilein this year.

1:19 Meachem on Harris. I’m thinking mismatch. Michigan thinks otherwise and settles for a Novak fade-away three that lands way short.

23.5 Manny with an incredibly awkward looking three point. He shot that as if he was walking a tightrope with one foot in front of the next. Something is not right with this team…

0.00 Illinois misfires at the end of the half, but keeps a one point lead. 25-24 Illini. I’m trying to figure out whether I should be looking for a hotel, or drinking more coffee for the ride home.

HALFTIME:

Stu has nothing to add. Terrible shooting half. This team almost looks like they won the first game vs. Iowa, and then collectively thought “Uhhh so… what do we do now?” They just look a step slow.

Here is our Halftime exchange with Rob:

Rob: We are playing well!

Stu: Is that sarcasm?

Rob: No, it wasn’t Iowa yesterday but if they play that was in the 2^nd half they win.

Stu: They are shooting 9-30!

Rob: Relax. It will work out.

10 minute pause….

Rob: Alright. Well, these stats are worse than I thought.

SECONG HALF:

19:22 Tisdale hits the Illgauskas-patented 16 footer off the high screen and roll. Sims answers with a deuce of his own. 27-26 Illini

16:56 Davis with the full court reception and bucket…Then the steal….and then the dunk. Partisan crowd roars with approval. Bruce Weber is one of those coaches that likes to run the wacky schemes that have you pass up open shot, but also wants to run when he can. Well, they are definitely running. Timeout Michigan. 33-26 Illini.

14:13 Douglass has a two-on-one with Harris cutting to the hoop. Here is my thought process:

“GO! Nice steal! He's got Manny on the wing. Take it- wait…

What’s he doing? He’s slowing… He’s not going to sho- NO! #@$%!!!!!!!!!!!

(Missed three)

Uhhhhhh, OK. Five steps more and he’s got Harris on the low block. Wide open.

5 seconds later...

Coach Beilein: "Five more steps for the wide open lay-up!"

See? Me and Coach see eye-to-eye on plenty of stuff.

12:26 Meachem with a dagger three. Manny with the runner that goes too long. Crowd is roaring behind us. It looks as if Illini was the only team to buy second session tickets.

Bill Martin just used his phone to cancel his hotel reservation for tonight.

10:27 Sims with a steal and the forced foul at the other end. Splits the pair. Just notced Jeffrey Jordan has a “Jumpman” tattoo on his entire right shoulder. Jeff, your dad is Michael Jordan. Everyone knows this! This might be the worst tattoo decision I’ve seen in a long time.

9:20 Sims walks after getting good low post presence. Mich looks a step slow and every three is landing short. That’s a sign of tired legs. See Iowa/Mich live blog below.

7:08 Davis has 20 pts and ten boards. I don’t know what they thought was going to happen defensively here, but he can’t miss. This is just unbelievable. If they send Wright out there to guard Davis, Tisdale runs the pick-and-pop with McCamey. They just don’t have the weapons and strength to guard UI at this point.

4:12 Sims for 3 from 19 feet… even though Rob had the call and said it was a 30 footer! Like Belushi giving his speech in Animal House, Rob was in the moment and we are letting it slide. Momentum is starting to swing slightly at this point.

3:29 Sims on the lay-up. Down by 7. UI controls. Here we go.

2:55 Davis squashes that run with the turnaround. Novak tosses it off Sims’ hands and into the back court. Over and Back. This is the basketball equivalent of “blue balls.”

UM Band plays “Living on a Prayer.” Cliché and not necessary.

1:06 Someone just yelled out “What are you doing Hightower?” That’d be great except… Eddie did the first game at noon. Valentine (the ref from this game) probably gets this a lot, but looks nothing like Ed, except for the fact that they are both black. For future reference, Hightower has hair… Valentine has very little of it left.

0.00 Terrible finish. 60-50 Mich loses. Interesting towards the end, but I’m not really happy with how things went. Michigan shot terribly and got very little from both Sims and Harris. We all know how what happens if both those things occur. Leaving the game tonight to head back, as are the kids from WOLV and the Daily.

Best Moment of the Weekend: We have a tie! Getting to meet Gus Johnson over beers at the BTN media party, or getting to say “hello” to Erin Andrews. Media Relations director Bruce Madej got a hug from EA, so this trumps anything WCBN achieved this weekend. Although I got to give props to Gus for taking a couple minutes to chat and let us ask some questions.

We’ll be back next week, hopefully with a full broadcast. Hope you enjoyed the blog, and we’ll have a tourney preview (with a special guest) hopefully later this week.

Until then…

LIVE BLOG: Big Ten Tourney: Game 1

After a pilgrimage-like drive through the cornfields of Indiana, we arrived in Indy for the 2009 Big Ten Tourney. Our (Me, Stu, and Rob) original plan has us sneak-broadcasting, but given that we are two rows behind the bench, someone would notice. So we went with the live blog instead. Always fun, entertaining, and very off the cuff. I was a little intimidated since I saw the LaX live blog that Stu did this week. The response was good…. So good that we had an actual celebrity write Stu to give him praise (I’ll let Stu tell that story later… we may even get this woman to do a podcast. Who knows?)

Anyways, here is the live blog. This was written at the game and then edited after we got back to the hotel. Enjoy!

1:47pm: Minnesota vs. Northwestern is still going on, so me, Rob, and Stu are trying to see the game through the glare off Tubby Smith Jr.’s bald spot. I won’t complain with courtside seats, though. Good game though! The first half was slow with the Gophers getting out to the early lead. The media hospitality room started showing the Providence/Louisville game because it was so bad.

(Speaking of the Big Ten, Stu has 7 teams from the B10 in the tourney right now. I agree. Rob is skeptical, but willing to go along with this assessment).

1:56: Northwestern down 7 with 1:11 to go. Hellooooo, NIT!

2:04pm: Gophers beat up on the Wildcats and stretch it out to a 13 pt. win. The Gopher mascot is the last person in the “sportsmanship line” for shaking hands with the other team. If I were Kevin Coble, I’d hit him in the face. That’s just insulting. I would’ve gone “Randall Simon” upside his fury head.

OK, so we are about 25 minutes to tip-off at this point. I got to hand it to Minnesota. They traveled extremely well and had a nice little cheering section across from their bench. Same with Northwestern. As for your Maize and Blue? Nope. Barely any students and no group seating.

2:24pm: We have our first Erin Andrews sighting of the day! Talking to assistant coach Jerry Dunn… during which she was heckled by two 30 yr. old men behind me. It’s real hard to feel sorry for someone that pretty, but she gets this everywhere she goes! More on EA later. 4 minutes to tip-off.

2:30pm: The UM band just tried to start the GO-BLUE chant with five fans sitting in the middle section courtside. This school has seen prouder moments.

GAME TIME: The time counter will now coincide with game-clock.

18:03: Officials for today’s game are Steed, Gray, and Crawford. Eddie Hightower did the MN/NU game, so this game shouldn’t stop every 30 seconds. Gotta love Ed’s animated calls though. Dick Bavetta he is not.

16:49 : Sims draws a foul on Cole after a nice post-up move. Sims can get basically anything he wants from these guys but whenever I watch him play, I can’t help but think he ends up like a Corliss Williamson-type player in the pros: A guy with huge upside, but kind of a tweener without a niche. I reallllllly hope I’m wrong about this.

14:44: Michigan has worked the ball in the post nicely so far. Sims all but two of the Wolverine points…Nice block by Stu Douglass! Talk about a kid who has turned things around mid-season. He looks more comfortable in transition and doesn’t pick up his dribble anymore.

12:48: Sims is 6 for 6 with 12 points, all within 8 feet of the hoop. Iowa has no answer.

12:20 Sims again with a fall-away J at the free throw line! He has alllllll of Michigan’s points and is on fire! 14 points in 8 minutes.

***Just as I’m typing this, Beilein takes Sims out of the lineup!! What?!? Talk about taking your foot off the gas. (Post Script: Looking back on the game, this was a good move by Beilein. Sims was really pumped and this move probably evened him out a bit. I criticize his lineup changes a lot, but Beilein made the right move here).

10:51 Sims turnaround on the low block! I’m beginning to see a pattern…. (PS): This was the point in the game where we all thought he was going to go for 30+. The Michigan Daily guys floated out the idea and it slowly started gaining momentum.

10:28: Harris with the “And-1” off a pretty feed from David Merritt. Michigan looks like-dare I say it- a tournament team. I thought this day would never come! Somewhere, Robert Traylor is eating his 6^th slice of cake to celebrate.

9:44: LLP with his second three of the game. This guy must love big arenas because he’s had his both his biggest games in big arenas (The Barn and the Palace). Bright lights and big stage. However, he looks to have taken my advice and is extending the follow through nicely. He must read the blog.

7:58: The Big Ten and the Big Ten Network are taking this tournament as an opportunity to advertise their new shows, including Eddie George’s new show. I’ve seen the commercial 5 times and still can’t tell you what this show is about. Great job, BTN. Stu has a list of every time we see the commercial. The over/under has been set at 20 for the day. I’m taking the under.

6:00: Gibson got a nice feed in the post, chucked it high off the backboard and ball over to the Hawkeyes. One interesting note about Gibson. Each team is given a booth in the concourse area to show off jerseys and trophies. His jersey is the only one Michigan has in their little booth. Were Nos. 34 and 3 sold out at the M Den? Hell, I would’ve opted for a CJ Lee jersey!

5:08: Harris Dunk. 30-17 Wolverines rolling!!!

3:10: Michigan SID Tom Wywrot gets a little hug from Erin Andrews. Tom’s one of the best SID’s Michigan has in the Media Relations Dept… and I’m not saying that just because I’m hoping he gives me her number. Tom also just became the envy of all the men sitting in Section 8 of the lower bowl. Sims hits a pair of FTs for 18 points IN THE FIRST HALF. He looks like a young Antonio McDyess (Rob says I’m being too generous. Probably true, but 18 points in 20 minutes? Just for today I’m going with this)

1:19 Michigan up 38 to 17 on Iowa. Nice little 8-0 run the past few minutes. ..Timeout on the floor. Zack Novak is bleeding (go figure). A cut on the hand. He should be back. He’s a hockey player.

HALFTIME: Here is the Halftime story as told by Stu Zaas:

Deshawn Sims has dominated, leading all scorers with 18 points on 8-8 shooting from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line. Seven of his eight buckets have been assisted on and if Manny Harris can finish off a triple-double he’ll have Sims to thank. Harris has eight points, five boards, and five assists (four of them to Sims) at the break. Michigan as a team has been passing the ball around extremely well as they have 12 assists on 15 field goals. The extra passes have led to great looks and a much improved shot selection which has contributed to the team’s torrid 68.2% field goal shooting percentage.

I’ll take this opportunity to add that Conseco Fieldhouse is one of the nicest places I’ve ever taken in a basketball game. It reminds me of the Palace but a whole lot smaller and thus more intimate. The seats are only about 40-50% full for this game with Indiana fans dominating the attendance as the Hoosiers will look to pull the upset and end Penn State’s NCAA Tournament hopes in this afternoon’s final game.

****Quick note before the second half: In the media hospitality room, I got coffee right next to Erin Andrews and we exchanged pleasantries. From now on, I can say I “got coffee with Erin Andrews.” No one is going to take this away from me. I refuse to hear otherwise. Mike Titus, eat your heart out.

SECOND HALF

18:35: Iowa scores two quick unanswered hoops. CJ Lee answers with a nice move to the rim. Look at old-man grad student being assertive! The WCBN/Daily Coalition agree that Lee was probably the kid in 3^rd Grade YMCA Leagues who always had his shirt tucked in, and got way too excited over pass deflections out of bounds when he is cheering on the bench.

17:01 Sims from the baseline. 9 of 10 from the floor and 20 points on the day. Ridiculous. Nasty. Stupid. I’m running out of adjectives… 47-26 now off the Douglass triple.

15:45: Sims dunks the lob from Manny Harris. 22 for Sims on 2^nd alley-oop dunk of the season.

Timeout Iowa. SLAMMM IT HOME, DeSHAWN!!! During the timeout, we see two commercials on the Jumbotron…. And there is Eddie George!...again, plugging his show. I’ve asked five people what that show is about and no one knows. This commercial has been plugged more times than The Watchmen.

15:16: Three for Sims! 25 points and shooting the lights out. Guess he took the 2^nd Team All-Big Ten thing kinda personally.

Kelly gets his fourth for Iowa. 54-28 Wolverines. Looks like I’m going to have an extended stay in Indy, Dad!!

13:25: Gibson gets a nice dime from Harris on the high screen and roll. Harris is 10pts, 6 Rebs, 8 Asts. He’s obviously looking to pass, hitting Douglass who misses a three. He’s been watching Lebron this week, and thought the triple double might be fun. 56-32 Big Blue

Timeout: Stu and I have come up with the rankings of preferable tournament cites we would like to cover for Michigan’s first round game. They are ranked in order with estimated drive times: Miami( 22 hrs.), KC (11hrs), Philly (8hrs), Greensboro (11hrs), Boise (27hrs), Dayton (3 hrs), and Portland (34 hrs)

6:25: 61-36 Wolverines…. BUT Sims and Harris are still in the game. The Coalition all are trying to figure out why the two best players are playing in a blowout when the prospect of 4 games in 4 days looms overhead.

6:09: Harris hits a three to go up 64 to 36. Uhhhh, Coach B? Hello?….

4:38: Harris with a stat-padding three…. IN A GAME YOU’VE ALREADY WON!!!! What are you doing?!?! Keep these last 10 minutes in mind when you are watching the Illinois game. I need a cigarette… and I don’t even smoke.

4:26: Lee and Sims and Harris come out of the game… I’m putting down my cigarette

3:29: Timeout Michigan. Erin Andrews was just put up on the Jumbotron for the “Flex Cam” and showed off the guns. Highlight of the game! I always worry this will happen to me, much to the disappoint of all in attendance. I better see this on Youtube tomorrow.

2:48: CJ Lee says, “Start drinkin’ for tomorrow!” on the bench. Good advice from the captain… Grady into the game for the first time.

1:45: Douglass with the jam! Starters up off the bench in approval… Novak looks jealous.

47.5: Eric Puls into the game after Beilein says “This is how we earn victories!” Over/under 0.5 three point attempts for Eric Puls. I got the over. Stu has the under. Fasten your seatbelts.

46.1 Puls into the stat sheet with one foul! Cyrus Tate (who really fell of the map after last season) makes a pair. 73-45 Blue.

9.2 Puls for threeeeeee!!!!!! A miss…. But I still win the bet. I’ve been 1 for 2 on over/under bets today.

0.0 Game. Set. Match. Illinois tomorrow. Sims with 27, Harris with 18, 7, and 8.

Final Thoughts: Sims says that he “Can get a little crazy” sometimes and said he never started a game as hot as he did today. Coach Beilein is very happy with the maturity of his players.

Assuming things go like they did today, we’ll be doing this again tomorrow. Hopefully it lived up the Lacrosse blog.

Until tomorrow…

Dancing in the Aisle

Last night after Michigan’s final home game, the usher that always sits at the end of my row in the media area shook my hand and told me, “Well, its been a great season. Hopefully, I’ll see you next year.” He then turned to the rest of our broadcast crew and did the same to each member. No one had the heart to tell this elderly gentleman, “Apparently, you haven’t worked here many years. Don’t miss us too much because we’ll probably see you in two weeks for the NIT.”

This was the sentiment we all briefly thought about. Michigan just won its biggest home game since the Duke win in Decemeber. DeShawn Sims played his best in the biggest game of the season (again) and Manny Harris showed what kind of player he intends on being (obviously, Manny Fresh reads the blog). But was it enough to get Michigan back on track for the Big Dance? Michigan has been here before (i.e. 2004) where the bottom falls out on the season with the NCAA Tournament only a few wins away. Here are just a few of the questions that were raised last night as I headed for the arena exit:

Are we in?

Are we still on the bubble?

Is Wisconsin a “Must-Win?”

Does Joe Lundari take checks or cash?

Apparently, Lunardi saw something he liked from the Wolverines last night…either from the play of the Wolverines or anonymous cash donation. Lunardi now has the Wolverines as an 11 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. They would play LSU 1st round, and presumably Duke in the 2^nd Round in Greensboro, N.C. (Uh-oh). That puts PSU and Michigan as the 6^th and 7^th teams from the Big Ten that are potentially in the tourney. The ACC gets 8 teams in, with the Big Ten and Big East tied with 7.

As a fan of the Maize and Blue, this is great news. I haven’t seen Michigan in a NCAA tournament since I was in grade school and was wielding a Jurassic Park: Lost World lunch box (old-school thermos with picture of Velociraptor included) . However, take Michigan’s tourney news with a grain of salt.

Three of the four teams behind Michigan right now (according to Lunardi) are Minnesota, Providence, and Maryland. Maryland already beat the Wolverines this season and will get a chance to beat a top 25 team in the early rounds of the ACC Tournament. Providence is coming off a win over Pittsburgh, which is arguably the best team in the country. An early round upset in the Big East tourney would almost certainly put them in the field of 65. As for Minnesota, Michigan will play them at The Barn for their season finale. A loss here (and at Wisconsin), and Michigan would kill their tournament hopes. Each of these scenarios could bounce U of M from the bracket.

The real thing Wolverine fans should take away from this is that there is still too much basketball to be played to know anything for sure. Me, Stu, and a few friends debated this for about a half hour in traffic and for another hour at the bar while celebrating the win. After arguing over who was “in” or “out” (and also attempting to wager beers on who could guess the name of Michigan Basketball’s strength and conditioning coach… Mike Curtis), one conclusion was finally reached: We have no #*$*&%^ clue. There are too many variables left in play. We all thought Michigan still had to win two more games to even get back on solid ground with the tournament committee. But even that turned out to be slightly off.

Michigan is back in the tourney hunt that will come down to the very last game. I just hope yesterday was the last time I see our friend, the old Crisler usher, until next year.

Free Fallin'

I was so distraught after seeing the Wolverines lose in Happy Valley last night that I decided not to post a "post game report." Thank God for the Inauguration festivities because I don't think this game was watched by as many viewers as a normal Tuesday night game. The fewer people who witness that game, the better. Michigan, for the second straight game, came out flat in the second half and pounded the self-destruct button. The Wolverines are on a slide, losing their last three in convincing fashion. Penn State was supposed to be a game the Wolverines could use to build some momentum. Well, that didn't happen... but at least they have Northwestern coming up right?

Wait....NU just beat MSU in East Lansing for the first time since 1984. Granted, the Wildcats got a little lucky on a night F Kevin Coble couldn't miss, banked in three pointers, and went for 31 points. Two of the Wildcat starters had NO POINTS. I can't decide what kind of team MSU is going to put on the floor week to week, but give credit to the Wildcats for playing well. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Wolverines are catching NU at the wrong time.

The Wolverines are sliding but here are a few things I feel like they could do to right the ship:

Play Jevohn Shepherd: Or at least tell fans why this kid continues to ride the pine in favor of two freshman when you need a stop. Granted, Novak has really come on lately with his rebounding and Douglass found his touch against OSU. But not giving Shepherd meaningful minutes will only hamper this team defensively. A guy with his athletic ability should not be riding the bench when your team has struggled to play good on-the-ball defense.  His length would help in the zone as well.

Go to the rack:  More points in the paint is what this team needs.  Steve Lavin did a great job in last nights OSU-UI game of illustrating the importance of hitting the "sweet spot" in the zone in order to get points in the point.  Michigan didn't do that against OSU and it cost them a potential win.  Even against PSU, Michigan has relied too much on the jump shot and not enough on working the ball inside/getting to the rim.  Manny Harris did plenty of this early in the season and its time we see more of this heading into NU and OSU next week.

Find an identity or rotation:  I'm not sure this is exactly the root of the problem, but it is now January, and the Wolverines still don't seem to have a sense of a set rotation.  This might be due to John Beilein's preference to not have one, and he might believe in not having one, but it seems like this team hasn't found what works well for them.  Championship teams (or in this case just good teams) usually have the ability to do one or two things far better than their opponent in order to win.  With the Wolverines, it has been 3-point shooting so far this season.  But if the long  shots aren't falling, the Wolverines seem to lose focus and not have a real solid back-up plan.

Quick hits: This is kind of old but Michigan announced their new practice facility that we had reported last April (Props to Stu).  I initially doubted this, but give all the credit to AD Bill Martin for following through on this and doing it quickly.  The press release said private donations accounted for some of the funding.  I haven't been able to find out if Jalen Rose's name is on that list, but hopefully more to come on this later.

1883 Days

....That's how long its been since Michigan beat OSU in Football.  The number was spray-painted on a bed sheet and waved in the waining minutes of the 65-58 loss to the Buckeyes.  It was a sign that was displayed proudly during tonight's game by OSU's fans that had made the trip.  These same fans stayed well past the final buzzer, singing "Carmen, Ohio" and spelling the four letters that sting in ears of Wolverine fans.  On the same day that Michigan lost to OSU in "The Dual" (Michigan's head-to-head competition with OSU at the indoor track building) and then proceeded to lose to the Buckeyes in Baskteball, the sign and the singing were a reminder of how this year has gone for Wolverine athletics.

As for the actual game....This game probably would have been a lot more lopsided than the final score showcased if OSU hadn't gotten a bad case of ADD and strayed from the gameplan.  Here's a few questions this game left up in the air:

Why did Thad Matta take his foot off the gas?  Matta made a great move my inserting Dallas Lauderdale and BJ Mullens into the line-up at the same time around the 10 minute mark in the first half.  The Wolverines went to the 1-3-1 zone, playing Gibson with four guards (Harris, Douglass, Grady, and LLP).  The Buckeyes then went on a run, throwing three  quick offensive series consisting of alley-oops and drop-pass dunks to both Lauderdale and Mullens.  Then, Matta stopped going down low and totally went away from that strategy.  In fact, Lauderdale only played 8 minutes in the second half, after playing 13 in the first, getting four points and leading the team in rebounds (4 boards).  Thad Matta let Michigan back into this game and might have changed the course of this game had he gone with a bigger line-up.

Where has Stu Douglass been?  Stu Douglass returned to the sharp-shooter we saw earlier in the year, scoring 12 points from beyond the arc.  He still took one or two ill-advised threes, but otherwise played nicely and within the offense.  Welcome back.

Why did Manny quit going to the rim?  Harris drove to the hoop three times in the first 5 minutes, getting fouls on two of the attempts.  This strategy was working well through the game.  But after there was a no call during the first four minutes of the 2nd half on one of his drives, this strategy stopped.  Manny did the same thing in the Wisconsin game: He got discouraged and it threw him off his game.  This has to change if the Wolverines are to be successful against teams that decide to throw the zone at U of M.

Is this the end of Michigan's newest streak in the rankings? Yes

Are the next two against PSU and NU must wins? Definitely

Where do we go from here? Michigan needs to regroup and put this week behind them.  DeShawn Sims needs to become more assertive in the offense and needs to find his shot.  If he and Manny can get back on track (along with the emergence on Zack Novak this past week with his hustle plays and rebounding) Michigan should put themselves in good position going into the last week of January.

 

UM vs.Wisco: The Measuring Stick Game

Hope everyone had a good holiday. After spending time with family, friends, and getting chastized for showing up unannounced to a women's basketball game (more to come on the next post), I feel refreshed and ready to get back to blogging.

The title says it all. This next game is the measuring stick for how the Wolverines have progressed since the Duke game. Wisconsin might not have shot out to the start some people thought they would back in November, but Bo Ryan always puts out a disciplined team. As many people have written (including our friend Brian from MGoBlog), the Wolverines have not played any significant teams in the last 3 weeks. Teams like EMU, Oakland, and FGCU have allowed Michigan's RPI to gradually slide, putting them in an interesting position if the start to their conference season isn't good. If UM gets off to a rocky start, the game against UConn late in the season could become crucial.

Speaking of UConn, the Huskies committed the one huge mistake I was hoping wouldn't take place until AFTER the Wolverines traveled to Storrs: getting blown out at home by a quality team. In last night's game against Georgetown, Greg Monroe introduced himself to NBA Lottery teams by making 7-ft UConn center Hasheem Thabeet look like Manute Bol. Thabeet looked slow and out of place all game as Monroe showcased some nice low post moves and took Thabeet away from the hoop in order to drain 15-ft jumpers at will. Expect Thabeet's draft status to drop like a rock while Monroe just shot himself into the conversation of potential Top 5 picks.

What's this mean for UM? Michigan now doesn't have the element of surprise of being able to go in and hit UConn in the mouth unexpectedly. UConn is a talented and deep team and seemed to underestimate the Hoyas. Jim Calhoun is too good a coach to let that happen again this season. So, the road trip to Storrs might've just got a little harder. The silver lining: Hasheem Thabeet is an awful defender when forced to guard a man outside the paint. All I could think of while watching Monroe hit jumper after jumper was how reminiscent this was of DeShawn Sims against Brian Zoubek of Duke. If Sims can consistently hit the 15-17 ft jumper from the wing, Michigan might not need to worry too much about its RPI after this game.

OK. Back to Wisconsin...

"The Badgers are not who we thought they were"... to say the least. The Badgers come in at 9-3 having lost to every quality team they scheduled (Marquette, Texas, and UConn). Their best win came against Va Tech on a last second hanging-runner to beat the Hookies by 2. While this team is lead by some experienced players (Trevon Hughes, Joe Krabbenhoft, and Marcus Landry) they haven't lived up to their billing as a top 3 team).

"And if ya don't know, now ya know:" DeShawn Sims was named B10 POW this week. Sims hasn't gotten a lot of recognition so far by the mainstream media. I'll assume it's because he is undersized at the center position and the conference has some legitimate centers putting up decent numbers already this season (i.e. Suton of MSU). However, Sims is averaging almost a double-double (17 pts and 9 rebs) while being the first Wolverine in 30 years to post a 20-20 game earlier this month against FGCU. Sims has been nothing short of spectacular for a team who desperately needs a consistent rebounder. While they've shot double digit three point totals in the past couple games (the record setting performance of 16 vs EMU followed by 14 against OU), if those shots don't fall consistantly, Sims' work on the glass becomes far more essential. Look for him to have a distinct advantage in quickness over the lead-footed Krabbenhoft.

Long Distance Defense: This could ultimately decide the game. While Sims and Gibson will try to establish a low-post presence, Michigan needs to do a better job of defending the 3-pt shot against a team that likes the long-line almost as much Beilein. Wisconsin G Jason Bohannon torched Texas for 4-7 beyond the arch in a loss in Madison last week. Bohannon is a lot like Michigan's Douglass and Novak: A young, country boy that can go on a tear if given time and space. Michigan did a good job of defending OU's Eric Kangas (another deep threat) in the first half at the Palace last week, but lost track of him in the 2nd half and Kangas was able to get OU within 6 points in a hurry. Kangas and Blake Cushingberry (aka the Lost Gotti brother...Google it) were able to get wide open looks at ease once Michigan eased up. That can't happen or all five players (yes, even Krabbenhoft) could get on a run from deep.

"It feels good to be back": Michigan finally gained some mainstream media love after Memphis fell out of the Top-25, allowing Michigan to sneak in at 24 (they currently reside at 23 according to the AP poll). ESPN's bracketologist Joe Lunardi put the Wolverines in the field of 64 last week, giving them an 8-seed and facing Maryland in the 1st round. Also, Dana O'Neil wrote a nice piece on the Manny Harris-John Beilein relationship for ESPN.

Myself, Stu, and Rushi will have the call live from Crisler Arena at 2 pm. Click here to listen for what should be a great game. Post-game wrap to follow the game.

UM/Duke Recap: Everyone On The Bandwagon!

A packed house at Crisler. Top 5 opponent. National TV.

In a type of game that they routinely struggled with in the past, the Wolverines rose to the occasion as they beat Duke at home for the first time since 1997.  This was their second time beating the 4th ranked team this year (UCLA @ MSG last month) and now boast one of the best non-conference resumes in the country.  It was the type of win that teams wish they had when they are one of the last few teams left out of the Big Dance in March.

Side note: Give the Men's Basketball program a lot of credit for going back to the yellow jerseys with black shoes/socks.  It was as close a respectful nod to the Fab Five as we have seen in quite some time, and the closest thing Michigan has with regards to a throw-back look.  We might not see the Fab Five prominently displayed in the arena, the move was a great idea that a lot of fans enjoyed.  It showed this program had not forgotten its rich history and storied rivalry with another historic program.

A couple things to take away from the win:

Brick by Brick: Duke shot 2-18 from 3pt range in the first half and, at one point were 4-28 from beyond the arc.  Kyle Singler went 1 for 9 BY HIMSELF!  Even Anthony Wright was telling him "Man, your shot selection really needs to be better." Duke is notorious for establishing a low-post presence and kicking it back out to the wings for a 3-pt shot.  Beilein's quirky 1-3-1 completely shut down the wings, and Duke was forced to take outside shots from well beyond the arc.  While they were able to find their rhythm down the stretch, it was "too little too late" for the Blue Devils.  Couple that with the fact Michigan shot 44% from long-range and Duke was doomed.

Also, Michigan did a terrific job on the glass.  They managed to out-rebound Duke 35-34 and limited 2nd chance opportunities to only 10 the entire game.  Keep in mind, this is a team that couldn't out-rebound a GLIAC team a few weeks ago.   Michigan has done a great job in adjusting their game week-to-week and Coach Beilein deserves a lot of credit for this.  The system is working.

Calm, Collected and..."Oh, @#$&!!!! We are down by 7"... It was interesting to watch Duke's demeanor change from the beginning of the game and how they reacted in the second half.  For much of the first half, Duke  looked poised and calm running their offensive sets ( Coach K remained in his seat until the 9 minute mark in the 1st half).  However, in the second half, Duke looked rushed after Michigan made a run coming out of a timeout late in the second half with about 6 minutes left.  The knock against Duke (as it has been with storied programs, like Michigan football) is that they show up and sometimes expect teams to wilt because of their reputation.  It's this lack of focus that cripples them when their opponent hits them in the mouth.  Consider this game the "round-house righthand" to Duke's jaw.

However, I have a lot more respect for Coach K after today than I did before.   I know people hate on him and Duke the same way people hate on the Yankees, but I have a new found respect for him. In hearing him speak to the media afterwords, he talked about how great the Crisler fans were and how proud Michigan should be for boasting not only a great team, but also a great academic program.  He's a class act and is definitely deserving of his place as one of the greats of all-time.

The 3rd Shooter:  One of Michigan's biggest problems this season has been their inability to find scoring from Sims and Harris.  Today, that issue was solved by Zack Novak's 14 pts and 4-7 3pt off the bench.  At times, Novak showed signs of brilliance by hitting bomb after bomb whether it was coming off a screen or in transition.  Novak played well and he needed to, especially after Stu Douglass got two quick fouls, definantly pouted to Coach Beilein,  and decided to mail-in the rest of the game.  It'll be interesting to see how Douglass responds after his 2nd straight sub-par game and whether or not Novak's performance, and recent play, warrants a starting spot against EMU.  

Speaking of starters, I really liked Beilein's decision to start Senior Jevohn Shepard instead of Wright.  Wright's on-the-ball defense was great, but Shepard's athleticism and ability to rebound was a real advantage against Duke.  It also eliminated any chance of Wright getting trigger happy and "heat-checking" five times before he realizes he has totally taken his team out of the game. Shepard gave Michigan another athletic body to throw at Gerald Henderson, who had one spectacular put-back in the first half and then disappeared.  Credit Shepard for kidnapping Henderson's game (and, at times, doing the same to Singler).

Sims' Meteoric Rise:  I still can't figure out whether John Beilein was trying to motivate Sims by bringing him off the bench to start the season, or if Sims was really that bad in the pre-season as to warrant playing under Zach Gibson for 5 games.  Either way, Sims played one of the best big game performances I have seen in a long time.  Duke had no answer for this guy.  They threw Zoubek at him, and Sims hit the jumper he was given.  If it was Singler or Thomas, he used a variety of nice low-post moves (including a nice lefty hook that could be a weapon if developed properly).  Sims had a swagger in his step, and at one point, looked like he was about to flash the famous "I don't know what's going on" shrug that Jordan used on the Blazers in the early 90's.  A career day, a big win, and a statement to all those who thought Manny Harris was the only All-Conference player on this team.

Here they come... :  It was a sold out crowd of over 13,000 people at Crisler, many of whom hadn't been there since the last time Michigan beat Duke.  In talking with an alum I happened to be sitting next to during the game, he told me about how today's crowd was nothing compared to how crowded Crisler would get when the Fab Five would play.  It didn't matter if it was Duke or Little Sisters of the Poor, he talked about how students would look forward to basketball just as much as football season and how much fun the games were.  This made me feel sorry for student fans who have come and gone in the past ten years without having experienced what that feels like.  While today's crowd was great, I'm not sure how many people will be back until Michigan meets MSU in a few months.  However, a ranking will certainly help their chances at consistently filling Crisler.  This, plus the fact that students are now aware they can experience the rest these games for free (sans MSU), should help the Wolverines get a healthy student turn-out each week.

I've previously said that Crisler's crowd could help Michigan account for a few big wins this season if enough people and students showed up.  I'm not sure wins get any bigger than the one we saw today.