stu douglass

The locations. Five Fifth Factor Plots, Michigan's shot locations against the Badgers:

Now delete five of those midrange shots (one of them was the long Zeb Jackson make) because they came from the Kenpom Kids. Hot damn. UW entered this game forcing midrange shots at a top-20 rate and allowing just 52% at the rim. Michigan hit 70% at the rim and got to the rim 23 times.

As I've said before, the really exciting thing about this team is the sustainability of the things they're good at. They get to the rim against everyone and convert there; they force a ton of horrible shots. They are currently 8th at forcing long twos and eighth at defending them. Wisconsin: 6/12 at the rim, 5/25(!) on farther twos.

That's how you can have the best 2PT in the country and a top five FTA/FGA rate.

[After THE JUMP: charts of less auspicious character]

Beilein, analyst. Basketball dad is working with BTN now, and has some things to say about Hunter Dickinson:

That was a lot more detailed than I thought it was going to be. My expectations were something along the lines of "He's in what people call 'the post', and… okay he's got his back to the basket, which is weird, I always taught my players to look at it—oh wow he turned around okay I see where this is going… huh. Well, I never."

Instead he knows many things about the thing he never did.

Beilein was set to debut as a color guy for BTN but the Nebraska-Purdue game was postponed (say it with me: May Madness). That's going to be weird even if I imagine they'll keep him away from Michigan games. Looking forward to him talking about the basketball game in front of his face instead of whatever Andy Katz's deal is. QUIT RANKING DELIS ANDY KATZ.

[After THE JUMP: dunk tech FACTS]

I’m very excited to welcome Stu Douglass onto the show. The two-time Michigan basketball captain needs little introduction; he graduated in 2012 as the program’s all-time leader in games played and fifth in three-pointers made. Since his U-M career, he’s spent most of his professional basketball career in Israel, where he currently resides—a tricky situation at the moment that we discuss at length.

This episode, as always, is brought to you by the law offices of E. Jason Blankenship, who may be socially distanced from the courthouse but is still taking on clients. You can find his new website here.

SEGMENT ONE: RUNNING THE ISO IN ISRAEL

We discuss Stu’s current contract situation in Israel, why he stayed when other Americans left for home, and what it’s like being isolated away from his home country. Stu discusses the challenges of staying in playing shape and how that could impact the restart of basketball in any league—there are major risks for players in moving too quickly but money will influence leagues to push it.
Stu has some business plans and I probably should charge a commission if he takes my advice but we’re calling this one a freebie. We move into talking about his playing career in Israel, getting used to the country and style of basketball, sage advice he received early in his career, and the differences between Israeli ball (“half-assed sets and getting into a ball screen”), the NCAA/NBA, and other European leagues.

SEGMENT TWO: TUNING OUT THE OUTBURSTS

We take it back to Stu’s playing career at Michigan, starting with a discussion of the 2011 MSU game and where it stands among his most memorable moments. There’s one in here that most of you will not guess. Stu reveals who Zack Novak was yelling at during the Aneurysm of Leadership—that answer also may surprise you, as it certainly surprised him.

He also discusses the behind-the-scenes, business-like approach even the most clean-cut college coaches take in the NCAA. John Beilein called him soft in his first drill at Michigan. We talk Beilein’s departure from Michigan and whether it came as a surprise to him, how much he keeps up with the current team, and his thoughts on how fans perceive the early entry process versus the realities for the players.

SONG:

• “On Another Ocean (January / June)” — Fleet Foxes

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“That moment and that feeling, the hush of that crowd, that sticks with me most vividly, for sure.”