2019-20 oregon

[Marc-Gregor Campredon]

Brian • December 17, 2019 • 1:25pm

Sponsor Note. If you need a lawyer to write up some contracts, establish your business, and do lawyerly stuff in general, Richard Hoeg is the finest option known to man or beast.

hoeglaw_thumb[1] Now would be a good time to call him because I'm sure he'll have some THOUGHTS on the latest Star Wars movie, which I have not seen but predict is a shot for shot remake of Return of the Jedi. This time when you take Vader's helmet off there's a guy trying to sell you a mortgage.

Where was I? Right: Richard left a big law firm to hang out his own shingle so he knows what being in business for yourself is like. Hit him up.

Not feeling great, folks. I've got bronchitis. I'm going to have to miss tomorrow's early signing day podcast unless you want it to go like this

SETH: So, what do you think of Matthew Hibner?

BRIAN: *cough cough COUGH cough COUGH COUGH* ugh

SETH: Real riser on 24/7 over the course of the cycle.

BRIAN:

If you've never had your core muscles cramp up because you've been coughing incessantly… you are doing a good job and should continue.

Anyway.

[After THE JUMP: can we talk about the Miami Heat's house style]

was this the right combination? [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

The Center Conundrum: Juwan Howard's Choice vs. Oregon

Ace • December 17, 2019 • 12:46pm

I started fielding hoops mailbag questions for this week—feel free to submit yours by email, tweet, or in the comments—and it became clear I needed to devote a post to the end of the Oregon game.

Juwan Howard made the bold choice to sit Jon Teske for the final 3:48 of regulation and all of overtime in favor of playing Brandon Johns, in the midst of a breakout game, at center, where he hadn't played any significant time this year. This was a risk, and one that didn't appear to pay off if you're just looking at Oregon guard Peyton Pritchard's production over those final minutes of regulation and OT—he went 6-for-7 from the field and 1-for-3 from the line in that stretch with all 13 of his points coming on drives at Zavier Simpson. Up to that point, Pritchard had shot 5/12 from the field.

The two questions at hand:

Don’t know if you’ve discussed this already, but I’m curious for your thoughts about Teske vs Johns late against Oregon, especially where Pritchard kept getting by X. Did we need Teske’s rim protection back in? Is the answer help from Johns?
— SGR (@sgeorgetter) December 17, 2019

It seemed like we always thought of Z as our best on ball defender. Do we think that's true anymore? Should we have switched someone else onto Pritchard at the end of the Oregon game?

Whose usage this year would you like to see higher? Whose should be lower? #mgomailbag
— Alex Garbarino (@DrGarbs) December 17, 2019

Whether you call him X or Z, Zavier Simpson is still Michigan's best option to defend opposing guards, full stop. We have over three years of evidence that he's an elite defender. I'm not going to question the choice to put him on Pritchard. The results weren't good, and Simpson's defense played a role in that, but that doesn't mean the decision was bad. Pritchard is a hell of a player who's stepped up his game this year; he's averaging 19 points and six assists while making 60% of his twos and 39% of his threes, remarkable efficiency for a player with high usage, much of which comes in difficult late-clock situations.

The big issue, then, is whether putting Johns on the court in place of Teske down the stretch made sense. After going through the end of the game again, I found the choice defensible, and given the way the two had played over the course of the game entirely understandable. I also don't think it burned Michigan on defense as much as it first appeared.

[Hit THE JUMP for moving picture evidence.]

MGoPodcast 11.15: Throwback

Seth • December 16, 2019 • 7:10am

Brian is out so Craig Ross is sitting in for him.

2 hours

The Sponsors

We can do this because people support us. You should support them! The show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan we’d be all be very sad ex-Vox employees with “real” jobs.

Our associate sponsors are also key to all of this: HomeSure Lending, Peak Wealth Management, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, The Phil Klein Insurance Group, FuegoBox and The Athletic

1. Football

starts at 1:00

On Michigan's side only Nico seems like any shot at a 1st rounder, guys who declared and seniors are expected to play. On Bama's side, Jerry Jeudy said he'll play, and they have three projected first round receivers and eight guys projected in the 1st round who have a choice to make. Tarik Black leaving could mean Nico and DPJ are leaning toward staying? Receivers of the future: we'll see but Michigan can use their slots more.

Don Brown interviewed for BC job, went to OSU's DC (not Matty) so what happens with Mattison?

2. Louisville, Iowa, and Illinois

starts at 26:52

UL was a schedule loss: forced Teske to make threes or long two's with high hedges. Counterintuitive to blitz X because he's not a great shooter. Someone else with athletes will try this. Iowa: highest-scoring Big Ten regulation game since 2002. Michigan is balanced; Iowa is not because Michigan and Iowa both had the same gameplan. 44 points by Garza: an arena record? You coach to the game. Illinois: Michigan doesn't hit their threes, Kofi Cockburn is a problem. Lewis Garrison literally knocked out of this one; other two refs clearly capable of doing a better job with him off the court.

3. Hot Takes and Oregon

starts at 59:42

David's hot take voice is extremely British. Craig thought the Oregon game was one of the loudest ever. Craig advocates for a huge lineup with Johns & Franz with Livers at the 2. Impressed by Pritchard, who's the first guy to run X off the line. Two insanely long reviews.

4. Expectations

starts at 1:36:32

Johns could be a season-changer. Brooks's floater game isn't so efficient that you can discount DDJ taking more of his minutes down the line. Castleton is falling out of rotation as they find something they want in Johns. Trip around the Big Ten: Minnesota and Penn State are going to be tough to beat on the road, Ohio State looks like a real #1 thanks to Wesson.