kentucky

The locations. Five Fifth Factor Plots, Michigan's shot locations against the Badgers:

Now delete five of those midrange shots (one of them was the long Zeb Jackson make) because they came from the Kenpom Kids. Hot damn. UW entered this game forcing midrange shots at a top-20 rate and allowing just 52% at the rim. Michigan hit 70% at the rim and got to the rim 23 times.

As I've said before, the really exciting thing about this team is the sustainability of the things they're good at. They get to the rim against everyone and convert there; they force a ton of horrible shots. They are currently 8th at forcing long twos and eighth at defending them. Wisconsin: 6/12 at the rim, 5/25(!) on farther twos.

That's how you can have the best 2PT in the country and a top five FTA/FGA rate.

[After THE JUMP: charts of less auspicious character]

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An event. The photo's from the Bentley; they're having a lecture in re: that era on Thursday at 7:

“We must work off our surplus animal spirits”

19th-century Origins of Athletic Competition at the University of Michigan

Archivists Greg Kinney and Brian Williams -- experts in U-M history, particularly athletics -- will draw on holdings of the Bentley Historical library to present on athletics at the University in the 1800s -- the forms it took, the motivations behind it, the ways it evolved, the particular sports that came and went. The lecture is part of the new monthly series on U-M history sponsored by the Bentley.

We didn't want Bama, but here they are. As you've no doubt heard already, Michigan's bowl destination is the Citrus for the 11th time in the last ten years. There they get 10-2 Alabama, which failed to make the playoff for the first time in its history. Motivation will be a primary factor.

Michigan's two most recent Florida outings are demonstration enough. Year one of Harbaugh, everyone's pumped up, annihilate a disinterested Florida team. Last year Michigan's coming off the most dispiriting loss possible, a bunch of guys skip the game, and Florida in year one of Mullen comes in and wipes Michigan.

You'd think that Michigan will have a bounce-back in that department after last year. Meanwhile Saban's fully mechanized program is more metal than man and might regard the Citrus Bowl as a fine opportunity to test out the latest algorithms.

[After THE JUMP: doink]

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