MBB B1G Quarterfinals vs. Maryland snowflakes
1. What an impressive game by Mike Smith. I don’t recall him having a single turnover against 15 assists. That is absurd. And all of those heady plays he makes in the lane are really impressive. i’m so glad I got to see this.
2. interior defense gets better during tournament time, which is why that old maxim about guard play being necessary for good tournament runs seems true. If that’s the case, we are in good shape, because the players who function as 1s and 2s are as good as they get when it comes to team ball.
3. The bench kept Michigan within striking distance, and Austin Davis, Chaundee Brown and Brandon Johns really had some stellar plays. I was particularly happy for Johns, who took advantage of a favorable matchup with a 6’7” guy, who he still took baseline.
4. I hope whatever Mark Turgeon said to Coach was worth the permanent ire of the Michigan fan base.
I could say more, but what did you all notice?
Great win after starting slowly against a whiny bitch of a coach and players.
What happened to Livers? 15 minutes and zero points. Hope he's okay. He seemed fine at the start but his shots were badly off, and then he played very little in the second half if at all.
Agree on the bench play. They were 9-11 FG.
Livers and Wagner need to stay involved. They disappear far too often. At this point I'm not sure who is more important to the team -- Livers or Brooks. I'm a big fan of Livers' abilities, but I've always felt like he lets himself get lost in the shuffle.
If his 3 point shot isn’t on, then he really doesn’t have much more to offer than Chaundee; who can get hot quickly and seems to be better at penetrating to the basket
The frustrating thing is that Livers can dribble and jump. There should be multiple times in a game where he can pump fake, let a guy fly by, and hit the lane with a head full of steam. But instead he pumps, dribbles nowhere and passes -- or drives to the mid post, halts, and does some awkward backdown that almost always results in a soft fadeaway or turnaround jumper. Attack the rim with that size and those hops. That's the difference between the NBA (G League) and overseas for him IMO.
Amazing how quickly Maryland passed MSU and Illinois on my shit list. Fuck Maryland.
Turgeon had a good game plan. When Coach Howard adjusted, Maryland spent the rest of the game chucking up 25 footers. Turgeon blows.
Somebody please figure out how to embed this tweet. Trust me its worth it.
https://twitter.com/itsAntWright/status/1370441467538329604?s=20
Livers needs to step up! Not sure what is up with him right now, but he is becoming passive and seems to have lost some confidence in his shot. His fire and aggressiveness must return for this team to make a deep run in the tournament. I think he might be playing himself right out of the NBA draft. Maybe that is the problem and the "NBA" is in his head right now. Absolutely loved him throughout his Michigan career and he will go down as another great "Michigan Man", but please find that spark, the team needs you tomorrow and beyond.
I think he had something going on. A mild but annoying injury? Smith talked about him being out? You dont play Livers 15 minutes because his shot is off.
Smith. First and foremost, this was his game. Dude balled out! His passing was superb, shooting deadly, enthusiasm boundless, composure under pressure unflappable. High level, high energy performance.
Next comes the bench. Refs seemed determined to make Hunter's day difficult, and both Davis and Johns really stepped up. Chaundee was a bundle of energy and mojo. I'm so happy to see Johns contribute in a big way and avoid mistakes/turnovers.
I thought Wagner played a good game - he was passive at the beginning, but he made some key shots and sliced through with some of his patented swooping drives. Defensively he really got out on 3-pt shooters in the second half - those arms of his are disruptive.
Brooks - can't say enough about him! He looked tentative and flat-footed in the first half - some of those shots he launched were truly ugly. Somehow he fought through it and made some key shots and dynamic drives. So happy he's ok - we need him.
We won fairly easily despite Maryland coming out smoking hot and two of our best players having off days. The good news is Hunter and Livers should be rested and motivated going forward.
Overall, the boys showed tremendous composure and fight. Excellent win. Go Blue!