Basketball Snowflake Thread - Today and Predictions for the BTT
Mates,
It occurs that as the games get more important maybe a snowflake thread is worth having. We are a roller-coaster team if there ever was one, and would've been nice to have a better ending to the regular season.
Comments on today and thoughts on the BTT starting for us on Thursday at noon.
Have a great day despite the game,
XM
An incredibly inconsequential loss for us (a loss actually helps more). Honestly would've rather had a bad defensive game than a bad offensive game. I think we just gotta pick up the focus and intensity on defense. Offensively, we've been fine for the past 4 games or so other than Livers bricking everything in sight.
It's good consolation to know that we have a fairly easy path to the semis of the BTT: Rutgers and Wisconsin. Still can't overlook them though.
What? How in the world does the loss help more than a win?
A win would’ve pushed us to the 5th seed in the NCAA tourney (which means we have to go up against a 1 seed early). It also would’ve put us against MSU and Maryland in the 2nd and third round of the BTT, rather than Wisconsin and Illinois/Iowa.
All things considered it was a good regular season with some big wins.
Excited to see what they can do on a neutral court.
Future is bright with Juwan
Agree w/ points 2 and 3, but I wouldn’t really call it a “good” regular season. Finished .500 in conference play and 9th in the standings. After starting 7-0, they went 12-12 the rest of the way. And they peaked 2-3 weeks too early and are faltering going into postseason play. The team was never able to shoot well consistently, w/ the last few games being some of their worst shooting of the season, and their defense has been awful lately.
There are different ways to look at it. Yeah, after Atlantis our record wasn't great. OTOH, there was a point where we were 11-8 and 2-6 in league play, and looking doubtful to make the tournament. We righted the ship after that. Even with these last two weeks, we still finished the regular season 8-4.
It's annoying to lose three of the last four, but those losses came against two league champions and a hot OSU on the road. There wasn't too much at stake in those games. The essential was taking care of business before that to secure a tourney bid and we did.
Their seeding has taken quite a beating the last 4 games. We were talking about them possibly playing in Cleveland before this stretch. Now they need to win at least once in the BTT just to avoid a 1 or 2 seed in the second round.
What were your preseason expectations?
It was a good season, won a championship in Atlantis, split with MSU, many other good wins. All while dealing with injuries to key players and a first year head coach.
You have no idea if they hit their peak yet. They could get hot and go on a major run. Also, no shame in losing to osu and maryland on the road.
Some of you have zero perspective in regards to college basketball.
I didn’t say they were embarrassed by OSU and Maryland. I didn’t say they should feel shame. I said they aren’t playing well right now, especially on defense. Which is true! And in the trajectory of the season, Michigan was playing much better during that 8 game stretch they won 7 of than they are right now, especially on defense, which has disappeared.
And the quality of the season =/= my opinion of Howard. Overcoming injuries speaks well of the coach, but suffering injuries reduces the enjoyment of the season. Watching a shorthanded Michigan lose games they could have won if they were fully healthy reduces the enjoyment of the season. So saying, “Sure they finished 9th in conference, but they suffered injuries” doesn’t make sense re: the conversation we’re having.
Pathetic fucking performance. Franz, give up some of those set shots and I don’t know maybe defend a shooter once in a while instead of dropping 5 feet away from him.
worst game for Simpson since he was a freshman. Didn’t have it on offense, and was downright disinterested on defense. Just bad.
Livers needs to massively improve shot selection.
David dejulius was the only bright spot but they feature him so little what does it even matter?
lastly, Davis can’t play extended minutes against good teams. Would like to see more castleton minutes or Johns at the 5, especially against 5-out offenses.
just a pathetic performance against an incredibly overrated and secretly very mediocre team.
Pathetically hot take LOL.
Simpson was good on offense. One of the worst defensive games of his career? Sure. But he was a big reason our offense looked competent for the second half. We're still one of the most efficient pick and roll teams in the country bc of him
I don't know how you can blame Wagner's shot after this game.
Agree. Wagner is probably our best defender (him and Brooks). Z played great O 2nd half. Definitely not worse game of his career. Only take I agree with is perhaps seeing CC/Johns more and less Davis if matchup presents itself. Oh and the obvious on Livers shooting.
DeJulius was much better all game. There were plenty of possessions where Zavier held the ball or didn’t get the offense into sets that don’t show up as turnovers or missed shots but are wasted possessions. DeJulius barely got to do shit because we made the offense all about a guy who couldn’t finish a layup to save his life today.
Wagner took a couple of very ill-advised contested threes early in the shot clock. More importantly, he kept backing off of shooters and giving Maryland open threes.
They just were not prepared in any aspect of the game today. Just an awful fucking performance. The Zavier Simpson that I watched the last two years would never get outplayed by a fuckboi like Anthony Cowan. Wtf happened?
What happened is you joined this message board and now all of our lives are worse because of it
Overrated...probably. Very mediocre...NO.
Overrated by who ? Started the year unranked and not even getting votes. Way exceeded expectations. As of now they area clearly better than their AP rank according to Kenpom and Torvik. So unless someone secretly has Michigan ranked as a top 5 team, explain how they are overrated ???
Not talking only about today's game. Look at their last 5 games. Beat Minnesota by one point, lost to Rutgers, spanked by MSU and Ohio State.
Well, we are now 0-2 on torn jersey flagrant reviews. Isn't the old saying that it's tough to make a flagrant call against the same team three times in a row?
Unfortunately, we probably don't have enough season left to see #3.
Our history on neutral courts may suggest otherwise. I'm glad to be done playing on Big Ten home courts.
I legitimately would be surprised if Michigan wins another game this season. We fucking suck right now
Shut up and cook your chicken Gus
Odds are certainly above 50% uofm wins another game. So if you would be surprised, it must mean you can’t understand simple odds or math if any kind.
I'll take that bet, what's the wager?
We need to win a couple in the BTT or it’s going to be a short March Madness, IMO.
It’s going to be a short March Madness either way. We had 3 NBA/G League players last year and went 2-1. This year we have none. 1-1 if they’re lucky.
Time will tell how many pro players are on this team. I could see Wagner and Livers making it to the pros. Regardless, it's not all about pro potential but just playing well together as a team.
Rutgers is a good matchup for us. They can’t shoot. Wisconsin is a nightmare matchup for us because they have 2 bigs who can shoot in Porter and Reuvers. So we win one and lose in the quarters.
NCAA will be about matchups. If teams have mobile bigs who can shoot, we have no shot. Either way, getting out of the first weekend seems like a long shot as we’ll likely be an 8/9 seed forced to play a 1 (if we can even win our first game).
Win against Rutgers and we are 7. Win the next game and a 6. The Rutgers win might even get the 6 alone.
Entering today, we were a consensus 6 seed on the Bracket Matrix. I don't think losing to a top 10 team on the road is going to change that.
Beating Rutgers probably solidifies a 6 seed. Losing might drop us to 7. The BTT probably doesn't change things that much unless we reach the final.
Yes should be a 6, I’m just half expecting the committee to give uofm 1 seed lower than the bracket matrix suggests. Maybe that’s just unwarranted pessimism.
Was hoping Juwan would get 20 wins this season but it's getting iffy.
We have 19 wins and are about to play a team we are 2-0 against - and we were shorthanded in both games and neither was at home.
Defense was confused and lazy in the first half. Too many long scoring droughts.
They might win a game in the BTT. If PSU is their first opponent that’s not a great draw.
In the NCAA tournament: They seem to play well in neutral sites so hopefully, if their defense can step it up, they can make it to the second weekend of the tournament.
I believe we're locked into Rutgers, right?
Looks like it. That’s a better matchup.
Livers 1st 4 games back from injury: 46%/36%. His last 4 including today: 30%/26%. He's not right since his ankle injury. Shut him down for the BTT in the hopes that ten days off will heal him. If they lose to Rutgers so be it, that’s not the prize.
We squeak by Rutger and get boat raced by Wisky.
Lose 1st NCAA game
The broadcast kept showing us playing Penn St on Thursday, but from what I had read we are locked into playing Rutgers, and with a win Wisconsin. I like those two matchups. We beat Rutgers both times this year, and we played Wisconsin to a 3 point deficit with 30 seconds to play and the ball - without Eli Brooks. So, that's a winnable game the 2nd time around.
If we win those two games, that classifies as being on a roll going into the semi-finals. I'm confident that Michigan is getting, at least, that far! Also, I can see this team reaching a 4th consecutive Sweet Sixteen.
I saw the same graphic and keep wondering what everyone here knows that they didn't during the game since Rutger & PSU finished yesterday.
They have (had) us as #9 playing #8 PSU with #7 Rutger playing #10 Purdue - they even talked about the rematch and what a win for Purdue would mean.
Maybe someone can explain. Rutger & PSU had same (11-9) conf. record and were 1-1 head to head. With PSU having a better overall record by a game. I guessing FOX Sports knows all that.
it was a weird situation where the 8/9 game was locked up based on all the possible outcomes of later games, but at that time, PSU was in the 8/9 game.
if that makes any sense. The michigan/rutgers game was a guarantee, but just at that moment PSU was in the 8/9 game.
the results of the MSU/OSU and Iowa/Illinois game automatically bump PSU out of that game, even though those games haven't happened yet
It doesn't but thanks for the effort.
At that time was just a couple hours ago and the only game at the time was Mich/Mary with any relevance to the subject which apparently had no relevance at all. Was led to believe it was Rutgers until they went with that earlier and even made commentary about the Rutgers/Purdue rematch. Seems dumb to do that. But whatever, I'm glad with a win we would play Wisky instead of any alternative. Really had no preference to play either Rutgers or PSU. Not sure how much could be gleaned from the PSU loss. Was in the middle of the 4 game skid. Only 7 players saw the floor that game and X never left it.
12-12 in our last 24 games. We’re probably a 7 seed. Early exit from the BTT and we could drop to an 8, no worse.
How concerned are you about sparty next year without Winston or Tillman ? Obviously won’t be a title contender, but do they even make the tournament ??
I think many of us were hoping we just made the tourney around 2/1. We had no clue if Livers was coming back, and we were going south fast.
Fast forward to now, after a few weeks of really good ball and some bad, we all want to see a March run with us playing our best. Unfortunately can’t always control that, being healthy, or other teams missing shots.
My hope to end this year is just play hard and smart. Guys stay within their limits and do what they do best. Hope Z and Teske see that the end is near, and I’ll leave it all on the floor. (Z like 2nd half and not 1st, but better D!!). The breakdowns by this squad is very concerning, especially by upperclassmen.
I wanna see good D and an edge by all on the D side of the floor. In doing so, we get stops and find ways to get out and run. This team needs easy buckets, only way they can win multiple games in a tourney setting (BTT or Ncaa). This teams shooting is what it is. Some games will be better than others. But, if this team makes runs in either tourney, will start and end with an edge on the D end. Plus, get some breaks with no foul trouble and guys like Brooks/Livers hit their stride from deep.
It's hard to keep getting good-ish looks when teams play us as MD did today and others have throughout the year. We are limited in shooting and teams can sag and let guys shoot bricks, disallowing much penetration off the dribble. We have to hit outside shots and make teams pay or we won't go far in eithet tournament. Maybe if the defense ramps up dramatically and we start forcing more turnovers leading to more transition buckets (i.e those easy looks). Finishing and making the easier layups we do get would be a welcome addition to the offense as well.
I think they win a game or two in the BTT, get a 6/7 seed in the tourney, and put a scare in a team in the sweet 16 before losing. Overall a pretty good season and sets up nicely for next year.
Michigan is going to be eliminated from the tourney by putting up a brickfest (like last year), not a close game against a better team that barely squeaks out a win.
I mean, that's another option. It's very likely that Michigan will lose a game where they shoot worse than their opposition, but losing in the Sweet 16 regardless of how they do it still feels like a pretty good year.
I mean, not for people who want to be angry and feel vindicated in it, but that's not my problem.