2017-18 wisconsin

1 hour and 23 minutes

2018-02-20 mgopodcast 9.18

We are at the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, which now is the time to book those rooms for football next year because those fill up.

We Couldn’t Have One Without the Other

We can do this because people support us. You should support them too so they’ll want to do it again next year! The show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan there would be VERY long hiatuses between podcasts.

Our other sponsors are also key to all of this: HomeSure Lending, Peak Wealth Management, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Michigan Law Grad,Human Element, Lantana Hummus and new this week introducing Ecotelligent Homes

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1. The Hoops Podcast

starts at 1:00

Bracketology: Even the biggest skeptics are coming around on Michigan as a 6-7 seed: NCAA and their buckets make it annoying because a win at Michigan State is the same as a “Quadrant One” trip to Penn State. Encouraging to see head of the selection committee say strength of nonconference is garbage. Big Ten goes to 20 games next year so we’ll see fewer Houston Baptists.

Poole eating into Matthews’s minutes, which is a nice thing to see given CM’s turnovers. MAAR is up to 20% usage. Michigan can beat anybody when they’re getting a huge shot differential from their turnover avoidance. Posting up on Dunc doesn’t work anymore. Peak Wisconsin names—Happ took 23 twos in that game!

Big Ten future: Indiana should be back up, Maryland will solidify itself, Brad Underwood a good hire at Illinois. Annually convince ourselves that Iowa will be good, but they’re 250th on defense. Penn State preview: Watkins gets angry—go get him Mo! Unlikable players in the Big Ten?

2. The Ball of Crap so We Aren’t Talking Recruiting Segment

starts at 34:01

Curling! Signing Day: Michigan recruiting imploded and we don’t know why. Otis Reese is understandable because Georgia is paying ridiculous money. Losing Herron from the 2019 class hurts.

Jim McElwain: he’s a position coach who can’t recruit, don’t think he’s a competent dude or a good dude—denigrating players like Mark Mangino. Made up a death threat. Credit card fraud. Track record as a WRs coach but as a 10th assistant he’s a wasted opportunity more than anything. Nobody down South likes him so you’re not even getting some help in Florida recruiting. Like Sherrone Moore and Ed Warriner hires. Not great that Pep is still around if it’s only because he didn’t get an NFL offer.

3. Gimmicky Top Five: Top Five Things NCAA Would Cite Beilein For

starts at 52:51

The FBI is going to come down on a lot of programs and the people in Ann Arbor aren’t scared, but we’re going to try to figure out what they’d find if they put Michigan’s basketball program under the microscope. This is what Michigan State failed to do—we’re getting out in front!

4. Ace’s Hockey Podcast wsg David Nasternak

starts at 1:06:26

Sweep weekend over #1 Notre Dame gives them a shot at the playoffs, provided they take care of business down the stretch vs. Arizona State—tournament upsets can really hurt teams in the 13-15 at-large area. ND was a good matchup for us because Michigan's an offensive team that can control the puck.

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MUSIC:

  • “We Will Not Make It (Not Without You)”—Twin Peaks
  • “The Star Spangled Banner”—Francis Scott Key, as “performed” by Fergie
  • “Drunk and On a Star”—Kevin Morby
  • “Across 110th Street”

THE USUAL LINKS

They do have a couple of immensely punchable faces.

imageTHE ESSENTIALS

WHAT #29 Michigan (19-7) vs
#92 Wisconsin (11-15)
WHERE Trohl Center
Madison, WI
WHEN Noon, Sunday
LINE Michigan –2 (KenPom)
TV CBS

Wisconsin has been flexed on repeatedly this year.

THE US

This is Not A Vintage Beilein Offense. It's not the schedule, or some goofy shooting that will clear itself up. It is time we accept the fact that sometimes basketball can be ugly even when the Submaster is in charge, and this is pretty ugly. Michigan's bottoming out at around 60th and slightly above-average in conference play, so that's nice. But the Northwestern game rather confirms suspicions from earlier in the year that this is a team that is going to be in a scuffle most nights.

The alarming plummet of Charles Matthews from budding star to a guy with a 92 ORTG in conference play is a large part of this; free throw shooting and guys like MAAR and Robinson hitting their ceiling is a majority of the rest. You can hold out hope that Michigan is going to have one of those Purdue games again, and they might. But prepare for rock fights.

FWIW, Isaiah Livers is touch and go.

THE LINEUP CARD

Projected starters are in bold. Hover over headers for stat explanations. The "Should I Be Mad If He Hits A Three" methodology: we're mad if a guy who's not good at shooting somehow hits one. Yes, you're still allowed to be unhappy if a proven shooter is left open. It's a free country.

Pos. # Name Yr. Ht./Wt. %Min %Poss ORtg SIBMIHHAT
G 34 Brad Davison Fr. 6'3, 205 76 22 104 No
PG-type substance w higher TO rate than A rate, decent shooter and gets to line fairly well.
G 1 Brevin Pritzl So. 6'3, 197 66 16 114 Eh
Just A Shooter-ish, w two-thirds of his shots from deep. 33% shooter there. No TOs.
F 21 Khalil Iverson Jr. 6'5, 210 73 19 103 Extremely
Garbage man at rim (68% of his shots), 0/21 from 3 on year. OREB threat. Gets to line.
F 2 Aleem Ford Fr. 6'8, 215 57 13 115 Not at all
Just A Shooter hitting 47% from deep.
C 22 Ethan Happ Jr. 6'10, 235 75 36 107 Very
Post monster has top 20 assist rate nationally but has too much on his shoulders to be efficient.
F 35 Nate Reuvers Fr. 6'10, 215 34 22 94 Eh
Stretch four takes a ton of 2PJ at 36%, meh three point shooter. Doesn't rebound much.
F 20 TJ Schlundt Jr. 6'5, 197 17 10 81 Very
Yes, I expect you to believe that Wisconsin has a bench player named "TJ Schlundt."
F 25 Alex Illikainen Jr. 6'9, 231 15 8 116 Sort of
It is extremely disappointing that Illikainen never worked out because his last name makes for excellent headline fodder.

Note that we assume D'Mitrik Trice is not available. Trice has not played since December 6th.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the preview.]