UCLA Snowflakes

Eh, we didn't lose because of stupidity, overconfidence, or lack of effort. We just couldn't shoot. Couldn't shoot twos, couldn't shoot threes, couldn't shoot free throws. Sometimes you get a game like that.

The team with more points won tonight. 

If there is any estimate of “expected” points based on shot quality/location like there is expected goals in soccer, I would love to see that statistic. Michigan had to have had 15-20 pts more than UCLA. Michigan was missing layups, UCLA was making 18-20 foot contested jumpers. Both Smith and Wagner looked very tight tonight. They missed Livers leadership and presence on the floor tonight. Wagner is UM’s best player, but he’s still very young. I feel bad for him because without him they’re out in the 2nd round.
 

Also, clear this team was always missing a high level offensive player. There was no one like Juzeng, Cam Thomas, or even a guy like Dwayne Washington who can create offense on his own and hit a tough jumper late in the shot clock. When teams sag off Wagner, he can’t make them pay.

Still a great season, well beyond anyone’s expectations. It just sucks to lose a chance to go to the Final Four against a team that UM would beat 70-80% of the time.

Were UCLA the better team? Yes, but they were awful too. We just put forth one of the worst offensive performances I've ever seen. Not only couldn't we make a shoot, we forced things virtually every single time down the court. 

All things considered, I'll take a B1G title and an Elite Eight out of this group of players. Talent wise, I wouldn't rank this team in the top 4 of what we've had the last ten years. In basketball there's a general rule, if you have the best player on the court, you always have a chance. We saw that tonight. And unfortunately, there is no guy on this team who can consistently get a bucket. We've thrived all year off team play and having one or two guys a game get the buckets when needed. Tonight absolutely everyone was atrocious on offense.

Not sure who would advise Wagner to leave. Too many times guys with good physical abilities leave with an extremely unpolished game and get eaten alive at the next level. He won't be able to blow past guys in the NBA and without a more consistent jump shot, he'll be in serious trouble. Kind of reminds me of Iggy, and it hasn't worked out for him so far.

Wagner’s total meltdown was impressive. Truly Awe inspiring.

What it the hell were those plays. Taking multiple 3s when you need 1 and 2 points. Full retard kicked in hardcore either in the coaches or the players...maybe both.

UCLA will get ruined in their next game. 

Three things: 

1. Mike Smith played like shit.

2.  You really shouldn't be able to win as much as this time did playing through a traditional post.  There is a reason nobody does that anymore and that was part of what you saw tonight. 

3.  Michigan nearly never has the most talented player on the floor.  I think that will change with Howard's recruiting.



 

Strongly disagree ucla is the "better team" - they did have a better night.

If they made this a multigame series, Michigan almost certainly wins.  Tonight, we were uncharacteristically cold (open looks were there, just not falling).

1st, very proud of this team!

Don't understand Franz taking either of his last two 3pt shots. Get it down low in the paint. Everyone was ICE COLD. Damn, what could have been.

Coach Howard did not get Brown and Johns enough shots on offense. Johns was 4/5 and all in the 1st half. I don't get why he didn't get more looks in the 2nd half. Coach Howard also had Franz on the court after it was apparent to all that he just didn't have any game tonight. Plus, the over-reliance on feeding the post was a hinderance. I like Hunter, but he just couldn't score consistently enough. Coach Howard didn't read his team well tonight, and didn't adjust well, at all. This loss is on the coaching staff. They just had a bad game, it happens. Very good season, and I'll remember it as that. No shame in an Elite Eight appearance. 

Missed open 3s all game.  Missed FTs all game.  Critical missed lay-ups late in the 2nd.  Give some credit to UCLA's D, but in this case the team has to look in the mirror to see where the problem was.  Very disappointing.  

We need an elite point guard

Their star showed up and single handedly outplayed the top 3 UM stars.

UM looked over hyped the entire first half and couldn’t get a bucket late. That poor play sealed their fate.

Excellent season. Hope JH can build on it.

I love Juwan, but I will never, ever understand drawing up a play for Wagner to take a deep 3 with 10 seconds left. He was god-awful today, nowhere close to making any jumpers, hasn't been close to making any 3s the last 2 games, and your play is to have him shoot an NBA 3? Why not draw a play up for someone who has actually been shooting it well, like Chaundee?? Really embarrassing that he air balled it. I don't know how he can end his college career with a turd like that. 

I really question the decision to play play small ball and just bang the paint all night, played into UCLA’s hands

Juwan did a great job this year but some of his last shot play call decisions have been not great

Still, got outplayed and outcoached and still should have won regardless....missed far too many easy shots down the stretch 

I get what people are saying, but Chaundee isn't a guy who can beat his guy off the dribble into a three. He's a catch and shoot guy. I think Smith's look on the first three was fine. I'm not sure why they sent Franz off the high screen. Johns' on a lob was definitely the first read and UCLA took it away with their center. However, sending Franz off that pick instead of Chaundee was ?. 

No coach is perfect. I also get why he put Franz at the top of the key getting that screen. He expected him to be able to attack off the screen or feed the corner. UCLA went so far under the screen that he shot the ball instead. I think most of the coaching checks out other than Franz as read 2 on the final play. 

TBH, the team kind of sucked tonight. They couldn't shoot, turned the ball over, and didn't play with a lot of energy in the first half. I look forward to having a couple of bucket getters next year, and I hope a plethora of shooters who just pull the trigger. I thought Michigan was at its best when they took the first open shot mid-season. They bogged down a bit later in the year. 

Hats off to UCLA and to Mick Cronin.

This game was won in the margins, and without Livers, as has been repeated, this team's margin for error was basically zero. Throughout the second half, even when the lead was down to 3 or 4 points for the Bruins, it just felt insurmountable most times. Credit the pack-line defense and the individual efforts of Tyger Cambell and Jaime Jacquez for stopping plenty of dribble penetration. 

Some brutal final looks to end that game; really felt like they could have gone towards the rim and at least attempted to draw a foul. I thought the Smith look was a great shot with the very last shot, but it just didn't go down. 

Much will be made of the 5 missed free throws, and rightfully so, but the execution for Michigan just wasn't there. 

If we played well and lost, it would still suck but I’d eventually tip my hat to the opponent and move on.  But this trash performance against a mediocre UCLA team, where we continually shot ourselves in the foot with missed layups, free throws, careless turnovers, and had our last 2 shots comes from guys who went a combined 2-for-17 from the field, is going to take a little longer to lose the pain.

UCLA plays that slow tempo grinding game. We played their game and lost. We deserved to lose.  Good season. Really tough ending.  

Man, Eli Brooks had a clear look at that put back, but he panicked! Acted like there was no time on the clock. 
 

also, absolutely no flow to the offense the whole game. Why the plan was to go to 1960s back to the basket offense makes no sense. 

Agree with what others have said. Livers was the sorely needed missing piece tonight. Reminded me of the Michigan women’s loss the other day.  Amy Dilk was the clear missing piece. Great season for both teams. Just couldn’t overcome key losses. 

Hats off to Juzang and scrappy UCLA yes.  Michigan had plenty of chances, open looks, put backs and lay ups tonight.  UCLA made some tough shots.  Still feel Michigan might have better team, though it matters not at this point, especially when you don't show it.  Looks like Gonzaga and Baylor in final imho. 

I will use this thread to express my frustrations (it was a great season and will after today think fondly of this team)

1. Franz was God awful. Lottery picks don’t airball a 3 down 1 in the waining seconds like he did. 

2. Dickinson will be unstoppable next year, but he just wasn’t there yet this year. When your go to guy is a one move back to the basket player in 2021, you’re gonna run into some trouble.

3. Mike Smith did good things for us, but under the bright lights, his limitations showed and he was no Trey, Walton, or Zavier. 

4. Juwan should have worked Chaundee more. He was the only ‘dawg’ we had on the floor who would be fearless taking a shot.

5. I’ll say it: we lost to a team that we shouldn’t have. LSU and FSU were far superior talent wise to this team. We can hang our hats on a successful season, but what ended our season was plying like shit to an inferior team.

I think the worst part is losing to a guy named Tyger.  

If you're coaching in the NBA and have LeBron fuckin' James out there, taking a 28-foot 3 down 1 isn't the worst shot or plan. It is when you're a college coach with college kids. Down 1 in the double bonus. Drive the fucking ball. Down 2 in the double bonus. Drive the fucking ball. Or at least create an open look for a guy that isn't missing everything. Instead have Smith run full speed down the court and then jump and shoot what looked like a floater from 3. I really hope Howard in the off-season realizes that just having your players chuck from 3 is not a good idea at the end of the game.