Wolverines vs. Illini: Open Thread

Some people say John B should go out on his own terms. 

He's not some legendary U of M coach. He had a few good years, and that's about it. Why can't the university let him go if the product is shit?

Keep the current path. Only way to progress in the long run. Playing for the future now, boys. Except it ain't a draft pick, but a young and energetic coach!

Everybody is writing about how well Xavier is progressing.  I see a 5'9" high school kid lost out there with no confidence. 

Gregg Marshall 2017. Say it with me! 

The 3pt defense isn't good, but good lord Illinois can't miss.  They are 83% from beyond the arc; that's insanity.  Also, 0 offensive rebounds.

That has checked out.  This season could be really really bad y'all

I haven't been able to watch as much as I'd like this year, but I swear I can't remember seeing an opponent miss a shot. Every time I turn a game on the opponent goes on a run where they can't miss. Wtf

We beat this same team in this building 3 years ago, 84-53.

They have 49 at half tonight.

Rebounds 16-6 to the bad guys... they have 10 more 2-pt attempts.  They scored 49 in the first half... #24 (not for long?) Minnesota was held to 47 tonight.... for the whole game.  Sigh....

So when exactly is the NIT selection show?

Question is whose worse beilein or red???

Wanted: Someone who will put in the same effort on the recruiting trail as the football staff. Please send your resume to Warde Manuel.

Unless some new blood can magically transfer in for the second half of the big ten schedule I'm failing to see how this team even gets to .500 in big ten play with a loss tonight. Is there a record that gets beilein fired or no?

Can we have arico coach both teams? Her teams are getting better every year and bringing studs

in 2013 and 14.He got ZERO benefit in recruiting from that run and has squandered all the momentum Michigan had..HE HAS TO GO...we just look SOOOO bad and uninspired

We need 9-8 to make the tourney.....and that's as a likely play-in. This is where we find ourselves in 2017.

I will never forget that great 2 year run where we made the national championship game and then won the Big Ten outright and got to the Elite 8. I assume that if we didn't have those 2 years - let's say we won a game or 2 in the tourney each of those years with no Big 10 title - Beilein may be on the hot seat (or lukewarm seat). As it is now, I think there's trouble in the program because instead of anger at the poor performances these past 3 seasons, I think there's more apathy than anything else. People aren't excited about the program, crowds are light and the general feeling is that the people who are decision makers - or who have influence with the decision makers - are fine with it. Beilein is a good guy, the players are good kids, and there is no hint of a scandal. And that appears to be enough (maybe not for some of us on this blog but for the general fan base). But I grew up in the 80s with dominant Michigan teams and then attended UM when the Fab 5 came in and those were great times. Not sure why we have so many fans willing to settle for mediocracy as long as it's clean. Didn't we punish ourselves MORE than any other program would have done? Seriously, it seemed like we self-imposed punishment on ourself - we de-emphasized basketball's importance and for more than a decade, basketball was basically like a non-revenue sport here. And our brief 2-year run now seems like it will end up being Beilein's peak at Michigan. I don't see us coming close to that level of play - let alone the greatness of the 80's and early 90's anytime soon. Maybe Warde's experience at UConn - a basketball school - will have some influence and I'll be proven wrong. I hope so. I hope more is demanded of our program than just being a bubble team every year. It feels like I've re-entered the Amaker days and I'm reliving it like Groundhog Day.

Fire Beilein. He recruited these guys. He coaches this team.