zak irvin
derrick walton
hoops game recaps
2016-17 ucla

UCLA 102, Michigan 84 Comment Count

Ace


fair enough, Lonzo Ball

Michigan made 12 first-half three-pointers, only five short of the school record for an entire game. The Wolverines rebounded four of their ten missed shots in the half. They held a turbo-charged UCLA squad to two fast-break points.

Lonzo Ball pulled up from just inside the midcourt logo and tied the game at 50 as the half expired. Michigan had played a best-case scenario half and the Bruins matched them shot for shot. UCLA made ten threes themselves in the opening stanza. Only one team was equipped to sustain such a pace.

TJ Leaf, the former Michigan recruit, gave the Bruins the lead on the first possession of the second half, and they never lost it. This spectacular sequence from Ball and center Ike Onigbonu, who filled in more than capably for injured starter Thomas Welsh, stretched the lead to eight:

Alford and Leaf would push it to double digits with back-to-back buckets. Michigan made a couple mini-runs to get as close as five but they never had a shot to tie the game over the last 17:58. As the Wolverines offense sputtered, UCLA's continued to roar; the Bruins connected on 20-for-29 from the field in the second half while Michigan only went 10-for-29.

An impressive performance by Zak Irvin—who had 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and only one turnover—went for naught. Derrick Walton had another quiet performance, going 2-for-7 from the field for nine points with two assists and two turnovers, and if Michigan hoped to keep pace, they needed both their senior leaders to be lights-out tonight. One was, one wasn't. That isn't exactly a surprise to anyone who's followed their careers.

Michigan wasn't good enough to beat UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. That they hung with them for a half was impressive in and of itself, even if the second half left a feeling of demoralization. The Wolverines aren't an elite team this year; we knew that. The Bruins may be one; they've certainly looked the part. If Beilein's squad can keep up their early-season defense—judging that based on tonight is harsh, to say the least—and sprinkle in a little more of tonight's first-half shooting, they just might be a pretty good team themselves. Getting good performances from both their seniors at once would help; thus far, those games have been few and far between.

Comments

Dylan

December 11th, 2016 at 10:57 AM ^

Being Michigan, it's hard to accept that this is our reality in basketball.  I can hope and hope it will one day happen, but I don't know if we will ever get that star coach who can actually bring impactful one-and-done recruits.  And it sucks.

Joined: 01/22/2013

MGoPoints: 6187

AlwaysBlue

December 11th, 2016 at 12:54 PM ^

if you want them to be Kentucky? Belein is not going to sell Michigan as a one year audition for the NBA where education is just a small detail. He's not going to protect kids from the consequences of poor choices count on an administration that will look the other way. That's the way it is and I'm okay with that, even if it eliminates Michigan from contention for the majority of elite players.

Joined: 11/23/2008

MGoPoints: 7853

NateVolk

December 11th, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^

I keep having this defeated feeling watching the team the last three seasons. It's not on the players. They are who they are and I am sure they are great guys who have their priorities in order. Good student athletes.

It's remembering Burke/Stauskus/McGary teams. How they matched up talent-wise with anybody. Didn't always win, but you didn't walk away feeling happy about playing close for a half or 30 minutes or whatever.

It's my issue. Gotta get past it. Because this is more what Michigan basketball actually is for the foreseeable future.

As entertaining as the first half was, you could predict the second half happening just like it did. They had the way better players.

The second half for me was spent nervously anticipating when exactly the shoe was going to drop and then hoping for another camera pan over to Jessica Alba.

 

 

Joined: 07/19/2010

MGoPoints: 6863

Rabbit21

December 11th, 2016 at 1:26 PM ^

I was at the game and it was a great atmosphere got loud as hell at points and the rows was into it comments from UCLA fans that I heard were all about being impressed by both teams. I thought Michigan played very hard and were scrambling for loose balls and working hard on both ends, UCLA was hitting some unconscious shots and TJ Leaf and Lonzo Ball are just ridiculous talents. After last year I just wanted to see them scrap and they did that, I do wonder what would have happened if Mo and DJ didn't rack up so many fouls.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 11/12/2009

MGoPoints: 30387

Steve in PA

December 11th, 2016 at 6:10 PM ^

The reason this game was close for a while is because UCLA has no inside game either.  This was strictly guards vs guards and UCLA is peppered with elite talent.  The only thing that made this game close for a while was Michigan shooting a crazy% from 3.

I learned nothing new about Michigan Basketball from watching and am disappointed to hear whining about officiating again.

Joined: 08/10/2009

MGoPoints: 6327

The Fan in Fargo

December 11th, 2016 at 4:43 PM ^

Wow, Zak Irvin. You are a senior at the University of Michigan and that's all the stronger you can attack the rim? Pull up for a jumper or jump stop and pump fake. Don't get stuffed by a guy you have no chance against. That's how I went up for layups as a freshman in high school before I got in the weight room and hit a growth spert. Like a wussy.

Joined: 09/04/2016

MGoPoints: 1877

Jonesy

December 11th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^

Anyone complaining abou this game is delusional. UCLA is ridiculously good and we hung with them for a long time. That first half was the most entertaining half of basketball I've seen in a long time, perhaps ever. Ant UCLA's offense is the best I've ever seen. If we play like that all year we win the B1G with ease.

Joined: 03/14/2012

MGoPoints: 10702

ST3

December 11th, 2016 at 7:48 PM ^

I know there were not many to be had, but we were outrebounded 30-23. If we could have corralled a few more rebounds early, I wonder if it might have been closer down the end. Leaf and Ball led UCLA with 8 and 7. Ball's only 6'6" so it's not like they were towering over us. Our bigs tallied 4 rebounds total with DJ and Moe getting 1 each and Donnal getting 2. Getting consistent performances from DJ on the glass will be a key to whether we're challenging for one of the top 4 spots in the Big 10 or settling for the 5-7 range.

I noticed Donnal didn't get mentioned in the write-up even though he went 5-5 for 12 points, 2 boards and a steal in 18 minutes. I get it that Ace hates Mark, but when he has a good game it should be mentioned.

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52822