MBB vs. LSU postgame snowflakes
1. I know Michigan started off slow (well, really LSU came out playing with unbridled energy) but I really enjoyed seeing Brandon Johns show some early assertiveness. Also, that dude has a Maurice Hurst-level first step.
2. Eli Brooks probably made himself some money tonight. Obviously, he’s not going to garner a lot of NBA interest, but it would be hard to see him not being on a high-level squad overseas with that type of versatility, defense and leadership acumen.
3. Chaundee Brown may have also made himself some money. That +19 stat looked very real, Even though he and Johns got called for some phantom fouls.
4. Here’s something I didn’t think I would be saying in an NCAA tournament game: I am really enjoying Terrance Williams’s minutes. Other than getting caught at the top of the key with no help, he made very good basketball decisions, and his mind meld with Dickinson paid off again.
5. Tip of the cap to LSU’s Thomas and Smart for a highly entertaining game. There is a different script to this game and team where a better-coached squad plays more fundamental defense and looks like a Final Four squad.
Plenty more to say, but what did you all think?
March 22nd, 2021 at 11:27 PM ^
Nantz/Raftery will definitely call the game leading into 60 minutes on Sunday. That will be the “big game” that day.
March 22nd, 2021 at 11:25 PM ^
Being that we will play on Sunday...we are probably the second game on Sunday. Gonzaga probably gets the 5pm slot on Sunday against Creighton. If I had to guess Bama/UCLA will get the opening game and USC/Oregon will play the nightcap(this assumes they go with the Sunday set up of Noon, 2:30p, 5p, 7:30/8p).
March 22nd, 2021 at 11:24 PM ^
That felt like a NCAA tourney game. And what an awesome feeling it was.
Franz hit some key shots in the 2nd half. Even with Chaundee and Eli going ham, Franz is the X-factor.
I also found myself muttering after LSU continually jacked up contested shots. I should’ve been happy for them to keep chucking, but it’s an affront to the basketball gods. They got what they deserved in the end.
March 22nd, 2021 at 11:47 PM ^
This is how to win tough games in the tournament -- an all-around team effort with valuable contributions from everyone.
Team ball beats hero ball. This team kicks ass.
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:00 AM ^
One of the best things (of many) about Coach Howard and this staff is their ability to take what happened in the first half, download what went wrong, and throw out the correct solution(s). Seeing Thomas get mostly shut down in the second half is the latest example in a season long trend. Love this staff, love this team. Looking forward to what the rest of the tournament has in store, as well as the future! Go Blue!
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:07 AM ^
Just excellent in-game adjustments by Howard and staff. A few I noticed:
1. Switching to the 2-3 zone midway through the half. LSU's three-headed-dog of Thomas, Watford and Smart were still able to penetrate from time to time and shoot those nasty floaters, but overall many of LSU's buckets came from transition offense and not half-court sets after the switch.
2. Changing the defensive assignments in the second half. In the first half, Franz was guarding Watford and Dickinson was guarding Hyatt. In the second half, we saw Dickinson actually match up on Watford; Dickinson performed extremely well guarding out near the perimeter. A lot of trust was placed in him by Howard.
3. Defining a new lineup: Brooks, Brown, Wagner, Johns/Williams, Dickinson. This lineup was great throughout the game. As Howard noticed, playing both Brooks and Smith together was a liability in man-to-man defense, hence the 2-3 zone switch when both guards will still on the floor together in the first half. This did mean Brooks was running more point than usual, but he did a fantastic job of initiating the offense.
4. Though Davis was sort of unplayable in this game due to the obvious mismatch any of LSU's forwards would be on him, he still managed to hold his own on a straight-up drive by Watford. The offense also NEVER WENT TO DAVIS. Big Country had no FG attempts, and I would be shocked if he even touched the ball on offense tonight. Smart offensive gameplanning here by Howard.
Not a one for one metaphor, but I’m reminded of the old apocryphal at least Mark Twain quote about not getting in a fight with stupid people because they’ll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.
This team won with experience. You want to run up and down the floor in a track meet and press and trap? That’s a two way street there! Love how Juwan encouraged the team to push it when LSU was surging early. Then every time they made a run, we made one in return. Thought our experience in taking those punches and bouncing back over the course of the season paid off and it got LSU out of their game and pressed a bit after we counterpunched.
Juwan gets points for keeping the team collected when down early and making defensive adjustments in particular, Chaundee was fantastic off bench, obvi, but Eli running the point with Chaundee at the 2 might just be our most dangerous lineup. I get not wanting to mess with established rotations and what have you, but in terms of riding the hot hands, and especially when matched against taller guards...
Remember that 92-89 win over OSU after the pause. Yes, this team is capable of playing high octane offense if need be.
At the beginning, with everything that LSU threw up going in, I was worried it was going to turn into the Michigan/Villanova game of 2018.
But Michigan kept battling back, then made adjustments and, eventually, not everything was going in for LSU.
I felt much better after that. Man, what a game -- but nerve wracking.
I'm hoping FSU will not be better than LSU was. FSU's scoring was surprisingly low for a lot of their game vs. Colorado.
Our guys needed that offense and point scoring from Chaundee and Franz. That was a huuuuge lift. I love and respect the fact that Chaudee played his best game as a Wolverine. Save the best 'till last. They have more games to play, namely FSU, so GOOOO BLUE!