To your last paragraph- that is what scares me the most. If I remember correctly, Weaver was wheeling and dealing to get three 1st round picks, and drafted Bey himself. If his vision is poor on the guys he is drafting, that's not good.
I'd feel a lot better if Bey was drafted before Weaver took it over and decided it didn't fit what he wants.
Stewart's a really solid bench guy- he shouldn't be starting. He reminds me of a more polished Jason Maxiell.
I was once very optimistic when Weaver started this rebuild; it looked like all the right buttons were being pushed.
Now, I'm not too sure. I can't quite figure out what the identity of this team is. Are they trying to be guard-dominant? Cade's a really good PG, and Ivey has the potential to be great, but after that? Hayes, Burks, Diallo? Bojan is having a career year, but you can't hook the future of a team to a 33-year-old guard that has typically been a second or third option on good teams.
The bigs? Yuck. Stewart, Bagley? Duren's going to be good, but he has a lot of development left.
I think Weaver's future is in the hands of the lottery. If he can get either Wembanyama or Henderson, they might be able to look ahead. There is a MASSIVE drop after the top two.
I have seen some people talk about how Beilein struggled early on as much as Howard, but there are a couple of big differences between the two situations:
-I'm pretty confident this has been brought up several times, but Beilein was given an absolute dumpster fire to work with. He had to turn a program upside down, given little fan interest and not a ton of support from the administration.
-The part that probably doesn't get talked about as much with this comparison is that you could SEE the changes on the court that Beilein was bringing. I was in the absolute minority during Beilein's early tenure that he could get it done, because I saw the massive changes in the way the team looked on the court. Howard's teams have been largely static- not great, not bad. I am very concerned that in the 4th year, we are talking about how this team, at home, is being outworked by an inferior CMU team. I also don't really know what this team's identity is. They can't shoot. The plan is basically throw it to the big guy down low and see what happens.
That whole idea of "not putting stuff on tape" is so overblown, especially at this point in the season. I think we know what Michigan's offense is.
If you told me before the game, "Yeah, it's cool if Michigan gets into the red zone a bunch and kicks FGs," I'd be pretty bummed out. Red zone offense is a HUGE concern for this team going forward. They will not beat OSU by kicking FGs. They did not just settle for FGs because they were "working out a few wrinkles;" they do not have much creativity down between the 20s.
The discipline thing is the most notable of your list. He was always rather unstable on the court as a youth and seemed to be privy to some serious emotional swings. He looks like he has calmed that WAY down.
I think we are making this WAY too complicated (which is fine for you stat dorks lol).
JJ was sharp, fast, and energetic. His passes have some serious zip and they were all on the mark. He gives an added dimension.
Cade is solid. No more, no less. I know we put a lot of points into the whole "leader" concept, but there is some narrative that seems to illustrate he's a superior leader to JJ. I'm very appreciative of Cade, and always will be. But let's not get it twisted- my man benefited from one of the greatest defenses in school history and a nearly unstoppable running game. In the Georgia game, we all saw what he could do against a superior defense, which wasn't much. At the VERY LEAST, JJ made some things happen against Georgia.
Someone said it best- every season is a totally different animal. I just get the feeling this group of guys is better suited to JJ.
Cade has been surprisingly inaccurate. The one thing everyone says about him is that he's steady and very accurate. That has not been the case against an inferior opponent- quite disappointing.
I disagree with that. I think Nakashima is on a great upwards trajectory; dude plays incredibly solid, has great depth, and doesn't seem to get rattled.
I'm worried about Korda. He just seems to be so incosistent.
I agree with Fritz. He should never have lost that match to Holt.
Tommy Paul absolutely should have taken out Ruud. In the 3rd set, he was serving 40-0 with set point on his racket, and could not close it out. He lost in a tiebreak and I think lost any chance of winning the match.
We are down to:
Nakashima vs Sinner (#11)- I actually like Brandon's chances here- Sinner is not great on hard court and Nakashima is playing some very good tennis. If he can win today, he has a very good chance of getting to the QF.
Brooksby vs Alcaraz (#3)- I don't think Brooksby has a shot here, but I've been wrong about him before.
Tiafoe (#22) vs Schwartzman (#12)- Diego has no weapons and hard court is his least-favorite surface. Tiafoe should be able to win this going away. After that, likely Nadal.
Tommy Paul takes out Seb Korda in 5- he's looking potentially like the best hope for the men this year. Still have a lot of American's left- JJ Wolf making a nice run as well.
I was so excited seeing this question that I actually got out of bed, turned on my comp, and responded lol.
I like his game a ton. Big serving lefty that moves pretty well. I think he can win a game or two in the US Open.
I think the hopes of the country rest squarely with Fritz. He's playing pretty well and the hard court is his surface. I worry about his fitness, as he has struggled a lot with the heat in the previous tournaments.
Cressy is someone to watch out for. He keeps getting better.
Who knows with Tiafoe. He's like a different version of Kyrgios; if he's interested and keeps his head, he can beat almost anyone. But he seems to hit this moment in every match where the wheels fall off and he cannot recover.
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Yes- I'm still here. Just figured you guys needed a year off from me.
Tornado warning in Wayne be careful everyone
"I don't move my arms when I dance? That's my signature!"
To your last paragraph- that is what scares me the most. If I remember correctly, Weaver was wheeling and dealing to get three 1st round picks, and drafted Bey himself. If his vision is poor on the guys he is drafting, that's not good.
I'd feel a lot better if Bey was drafted before Weaver took it over and decided it didn't fit what he wants.
Stewart's a really solid bench guy- he shouldn't be starting. He reminds me of a more polished Jason Maxiell.
Scoot's a pure PG. He's gotta run the 1.
I think you can let him handle the rock, Cade can be a secondary ball-handler but be a primary scorer, and then Ivey can play the 3/bench.
If Cade can stay healthy, that would be an absolute dynamite backcourt. But, the bigs are still going to be awful.
I was once very optimistic when Weaver started this rebuild; it looked like all the right buttons were being pushed.
Now, I'm not too sure. I can't quite figure out what the identity of this team is. Are they trying to be guard-dominant? Cade's a really good PG, and Ivey has the potential to be great, but after that? Hayes, Burks, Diallo? Bojan is having a career year, but you can't hook the future of a team to a 33-year-old guard that has typically been a second or third option on good teams.
The bigs? Yuck. Stewart, Bagley? Duren's going to be good, but he has a lot of development left.
I think Weaver's future is in the hands of the lottery. If he can get either Wembanyama or Henderson, they might be able to look ahead. There is a MASSIVE drop after the top two.
The Other Guys is one of the most underrated and underappreciated comedies of my life.
The first time I saw it, I didn't find it all that great. Ever since then, I think I have to rank it in the top 3 of my favorites.
I have seen some people talk about how Beilein struggled early on as much as Howard, but there are a couple of big differences between the two situations:
-I'm pretty confident this has been brought up several times, but Beilein was given an absolute dumpster fire to work with. He had to turn a program upside down, given little fan interest and not a ton of support from the administration.
-The part that probably doesn't get talked about as much with this comparison is that you could SEE the changes on the court that Beilein was bringing. I was in the absolute minority during Beilein's early tenure that he could get it done, because I saw the massive changes in the way the team looked on the court. Howard's teams have been largely static- not great, not bad. I am very concerned that in the 4th year, we are talking about how this team, at home, is being outworked by an inferior CMU team. I also don't really know what this team's identity is. They can't shoot. The plan is basically throw it to the big guy down low and see what happens.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.
I don't think so- TCU stays put IMO.
I still think TCU stays at 3. You can't have OSU jump them not even playing today.
I think he crossed the plane. That's a TD.
I honestly do not get TCU's offense. Do they just throw deep balls every snap?
Jett's a pro.
I know it's early but MAN I like the way this team looks.
I knew Kelly would go for two. He's done that his whole coaching career- starting at CMU. I had no doubt he would.
Uh- so should the Lions just not draft?
All they can do is try- as inept as they are.
That's why I want the Lions to take Bryce. He's just got that intangible ability to make plays. He can be a franchise QB.
Lol I remember why game threads are brutal to read.
Everyone. Chill. It's the 1st quarter. yowza.
Yeah, I meant inside the 20s. Too tired to get stuff correct today.
That whole idea of "not putting stuff on tape" is so overblown, especially at this point in the season. I think we know what Michigan's offense is.
If you told me before the game, "Yeah, it's cool if Michigan gets into the red zone a bunch and kicks FGs," I'd be pretty bummed out. Red zone offense is a HUGE concern for this team going forward. They will not beat OSU by kicking FGs. They did not just settle for FGs because they were "working out a few wrinkles;" they do not have much creativity down between the 20s.
Gus has not said a word about the officiating- Klatt's been weird this game.
The F is Klatt talking about? He mugged Bell.
Well, there goes that game for State.
I legit worry about Mel Tucker and that sweating. That's not natural.
I'd say in football history by the team kicking off- I mean there's no faster way unless it is a fumble score on the kickoff.
That has to be the single quickest TD scored in the history of football by the team kicking off.
I dunno man- Laver Cup is always a really cool event and the place was PACKED. Yes, this was not Wimbledon, but it wasn't some challenger event.
If you didn't get tears in your eyes, you are not a human being.
The discipline thing is the most notable of your list. He was always rather unstable on the court as a youth and seemed to be privy to some serious emotional swings. He looks like he has calmed that WAY down.
For me, it's about the American's getting a W in men's tennis. That's all I really care about. I want the easiest path available.
Root hard for Cilic tonight against Alcaraz. If he can somehow defeat the youngster, Tiafoe could get to the finals. Alcaraz is such a tough out.
Personally, I wouldn't put any stock into the captain thing.
There was an entire month discussion about how Connor Cook wasn't named a team captain and how horrible it was. Dude led them to the playoff.
I think it's a huge stretch to compare the Henson situation to Cade/JJ. Brady has an IMMACULATE deep ball, Cade doesn't.
I think we are making this WAY too complicated (which is fine for you stat dorks lol).
JJ was sharp, fast, and energetic. His passes have some serious zip and they were all on the mark. He gives an added dimension.
Cade is solid. No more, no less. I know we put a lot of points into the whole "leader" concept, but there is some narrative that seems to illustrate he's a superior leader to JJ. I'm very appreciative of Cade, and always will be. But let's not get it twisted- my man benefited from one of the greatest defenses in school history and a nearly unstoppable running game. In the Georgia game, we all saw what he could do against a superior defense, which wasn't much. At the VERY LEAST, JJ made some things happen against Georgia.
Someone said it best- every season is a totally different animal. I just get the feeling this group of guys is better suited to JJ.
Mark Jones is usually pretty solid- he was not good today. He was stumbling all over the place.
BG up 17-7 at UCLA. Very weird score there.
If you said Iowa was up 7-3, I'd assume a TD.
Nope. Two safeties and an FG. Ridiculous.
Petras is awful. He had a guy wide open and he just sent it 90 feet over his head.
Alright, time for Brooksby v Alcaraz. I think we got this one.
Lol Iowa got to the 5 yard line and fumbled. Could be one of the worst games of all time.
I can't be an orgy guy! I have to buy lotions and robes! I have to get orgy friends!
"I'm gonna leave the puns alone for that last name."
hahahahahahahhaa
Honest question- was that the first time they got past midfield? Have they even got to the 30??
Cade has been surprisingly inaccurate. The one thing everyone says about him is that he's steady and very accurate. That has not been the case against an inferior opponent- quite disappointing.
The first thing I thought when JJ made that run was, "Man, that's hotter than fish grease."
The F?
Um... WTF highlights were those from the Iowa game?????
I disagree with that. I think Nakashima is on a great upwards trajectory; dude plays incredibly solid, has great depth, and doesn't seem to get rattled.
I'm worried about Korda. He just seems to be so incosistent.
I agree with Fritz. He should never have lost that match to Holt.
Tommy Paul absolutely should have taken out Ruud. In the 3rd set, he was serving 40-0 with set point on his racket, and could not close it out. He lost in a tiebreak and I think lost any chance of winning the match.
We are down to:
Nakashima vs Sinner (#11)- I actually like Brandon's chances here- Sinner is not great on hard court and Nakashima is playing some very good tennis. If he can win today, he has a very good chance of getting to the QF.
Brooksby vs Alcaraz (#3)- I don't think Brooksby has a shot here, but I've been wrong about him before.
Tiafoe (#22) vs Schwartzman (#12)- Diego has no weapons and hard court is his least-favorite surface. Tiafoe should be able to win this going away. After that, likely Nadal.
Tommy Paul takes out Seb Korda in 5- he's looking potentially like the best hope for the men this year. Still have a lot of American's left- JJ Wolf making a nice run as well.
I was so excited seeing this question that I actually got out of bed, turned on my comp, and responded lol.
I like his game a ton. Big serving lefty that moves pretty well. I think he can win a game or two in the US Open.
I think the hopes of the country rest squarely with Fritz. He's playing pretty well and the hard court is his surface. I worry about his fitness, as he has struggled a lot with the heat in the previous tournaments.
Cressy is someone to watch out for. He keeps getting better.
Who knows with Tiafoe. He's like a different version of Kyrgios; if he's interested and keeps his head, he can beat almost anyone. But he seems to hit this moment in every match where the wheels fall off and he cannot recover.
I'm ready to break down the US Open, but I don't think I'd get a ton of response lol