1 hour and 25 minutes
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1. The State of the Basketball Program (1)
starts at 1:00
This segment is usually about the latest basketball game but then Michigan scored one basket against Rutgers in 19 minutes so nope. Some people are calling to fire Juwan Howard and those people should probably tap the brakes. Everyone is disappointed but let's talk about it, there was 10 times less hydrogen at the 4 spot this year. It's tough to build a roster these days and one good player at the 4 probably would have put this team into the tournament, admissions really brought this team down. This team did improve defensively throughout the season, even Jett Howard (but That Rutgers Play did still happen). What does the roster even look like next year?
[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP]
2. The State of the Basketball Program (2)
starts at 35:14
Further roster discussion, this team really needs Kobe Bufkin back next year. What about Jace Howard? This team was extremely unlucky, does that revert to the mean next year? The last two minutes of a game aren't that different from the rest of the game. Is this team just young and nervous at the end of games?
3. Hockey vs Ohio State
starts at 58:05
Brian predicted Michigan would get cranked by Ohio State, they did not get cranked! David argues that, despite going 1-3 against Ohio State the rest of the season, Michigan's play improved throughout the four games. This team has the ability to go and dominate some very good teams but then also play some terrible hockey. Credit to Wisconsin last week for playing hard for their season against Michigan. Michigan didn't take a major!!
4. Hockey vs Ohio State and the NCAA Tournament
starts at 1:12:20
Ohio State was getting run out of Yost in just the first 11 minutes, they challenged a goal just to take a long timeout. The Minnesota vs Michigan State game, uhh... looked like a Minnesota vs Michigan State game. Michigan looks to be locked into a 1 seed. Let's talk potential matchups.
MUSIC:
- "Still Alive (From Portal)"—The 8-Bit Big Band
- "Hockey Monkey"—The Zambonis, James Kochalka
- "The Pot & Kettle"—The Rumjacks
- “Across 110th Street”
THE USUAL LINKS:
- Helpful iTunes subscribe link
- General podcast feed link
- Direct download link
- What's with the theme music
There's normal vacuum and then there's the super vacuum that we currently find ourselves in, both as a solar system and a basketball program.
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AC1997
March 13th, 2023 at 7:09 AM ^
I will probably bring myself to listen on my commute today....but not sure I want the negativity. I am concerned about the statement "what about Jace Howard?". Not sure what that context is. I really hope it isn't lobbying for him to play more because he's not a good player.
Joined: 09/19/2008
MGoPoints: 12840
MGJS SuperKick Party
March 13th, 2023 at 8:37 AM ^
I haven’t listened yet, but I assumed it meant Jett Howard.
Joined: 08/04/2010
MGoPoints: 14326
BlueFish
March 13th, 2023 at 2:04 PM ^
No, they specifically discussed Jace's role next year, after they spent time talking about how bad Jett was (at times).
Joined: 08/21/2009
MGoPoints: 4064
steviebrownfor…
March 13th, 2023 at 9:13 AM ^
so you decided to login & comment just to shit on a player before even listening to the podcast?
Joined: 02/01/2009
MGoPoints: 6776
AC1997
March 13th, 2023 at 9:31 AM ^
Fair point.....I should have been more direct with what I was saying. Frankly, I love Jace on this team. He has a great attitude and works his butt off. He's exactly the type of deep bench guy you want. What I was really shitting on was the hypothetical lobbying by the MGoCrew for MORE of Jace because he's not a high-major player.
I made it about 40 minutes into the pod so far and I turned it off when I got to work - right when I heard the guys crap on Jett Howard. Shocked that Dave went after so many non-basketball things with this team - off court, effort, attitude, etc. I'm always leery of attacking players for that stuff. Did we do it to Kobe last year when he was unplayably bad?
The team was too young and their "old" players besides Hunter were TWill and Jace. Jace is a bench-mob guy and TWill is stuck without a true position and is best as a 15 minute spark off the bench. Like they said, we needed one more B10 quality player and had 5 chances.
I REALLY liked Brian's point about the ball screen game going away because of young guards/wings. Hunter didn't get any easy baskets - that was why our offense tanked.
Joined: 09/19/2008
MGoPoints: 12840
maizedNblued
March 13th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
Idk - I seem to recall Livers, Duncan, Iggy, Matthews, GR3 all played the "4" and handled it just fine - none of them were at their "true position". TW3 is a talented player - develop him and use him properly.
Joined: 11/25/2009
MGoPoints: 1050
4th phase
March 13th, 2023 at 11:14 AM ^
Haven't listened, but was thinking to myself, would Michigan have been better off giving Tschetter's minutes to Jace? He would presumably at least know the sets on both sides of the floor better and have better awarness.
Joined: 12/12/2017
MGoPoints: 7229
rice4114
March 13th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
I think the key was to play Joey Baker and Tarris Reed the max minutes you can. Baker couldve changed our season with his 3 point shooting but not sitting for 30 minutes a game.
Joined: 08/26/2010
MGoPoints: 30643
4th phase
March 13th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
Yeah down the stretch, Tschetter was playing 16 mpg, Reed 18, Baker 16.5 and Jace 6.
Yeah you could give Reed and Baker more minutes. Just not sure what Tschetter is giving you that Jace couldnt. Neither are athletic, or provide offense, but you'd think Jace would understand the offense and defense better and that alone would help.
Joined: 12/12/2017
MGoPoints: 7229
Goblueman
March 13th, 2023 at 7:25 AM ^
What criteria do Analytic folks use to measure 'luck?" Beyond injuries,highly improbable shots made at end of shot or game clock,and skewed results in one possession games.
Joined: 11/09/2009
MGoPoints: 3827
AC1997
March 13th, 2023 at 7:51 AM ^
I think the analytics of "luck" are mostly just the close games should even out. I don't think anyone has a way to track lucky shots or scenarios in game. Michigan was definitely unlucky this year, but they were also not a good team because they played in too many close games. I also think the youth, especially 1-2-3, had a lot to do with it. Those are the guys making your late game decisions with the ball. Hunter took some late game shots but he's dependent on those guys to get him the ball.
Against IU the closing lineup was three freshman, the youngest player on the team, and Hunter. That's not a recipe for winning close games......yet. if they stick around? Watch out!
We needed more from TWill and Baker this year. Or we needed Diabate to stay. Or Shannon to come. Penn St played their way into the dance doen the stretch with the oldest team in basketball. We played ourselves out with the youngest.
Joined: 09/19/2008
MGoPoints: 12840
Goblueman
March 13th, 2023 at 8:01 AM ^
Agree..Watching BTT I noticed for the first time the Big 10 had quite a few Veteran squads,including a team that currently has only 2 more wins than Michigan..* Hint: East Landfill.
Joined: 11/09/2009
MGoPoints: 3827
1989 UM GRAD
March 13th, 2023 at 10:24 AM ^
I've been arguing this issue with some people in one of my Michigan sports text groups.
It is not excuse-making to say that this was one of the youngest teams in college basketball...and mostly at the critical guard and small forward positions. A player like Hunter relies on the guards and playmakers to get him the ball in advantageous positions; he can't do it all on his own.
I did a spot check of the top teams in the Big Ten and nationally. On most of the top teams, at least four of the top six players in terms of minutes played and/or points scored were juniors or seniors. Michigan? Not so much.
This Michigan team with Llew and Shannon would finish the Big Ten regular season in second place. Adding steady veteran leadership on the court around Dug, Jett and Kobe would make all the difference.
If somehow the entire team comes back (not likely), this is a top-ten team. The talent is there. The necessary experience is not.
Joined: 03/08/2012
MGoPoints: 1524345
maizedNblued
March 13th, 2023 at 10:34 AM ^
Duke seemed to do fairly well with 5 freshmen playing major minutes.
Joined: 11/25/2009
MGoPoints: 1050
1989 UM GRAD
March 13th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
Duke is the exception to the rule at this point regarding a young team...both in terms of the team's overall success...and the fact that the five freshman to whom you are referring were all ranked in the top 30 of their class. Three were ranked in the top five! Pretty much the equivalent of the Fab Five.
Joined: 03/08/2012
MGoPoints: 1524345
maizedNblued
March 13th, 2023 at 1:29 PM ^
Yes and I agree but the point was "freshmen cannot handle late game pressure"....bear in mind that both Michigan and Duke have the same amount of composite top 100 players on their rosters....seven....Duke is a #5 seed....Michigan is NIT bound......Purdue's starting backcourt are both freshmen, not in the top 100 mind you.......my argument is no way, with the talent that we have, freshmen included, should we not have been one of our eight B10 teams to make the tourney.....no one can argue that.
Joined: 11/25/2009
MGoPoints: 1050
1989 UM GRAD
March 13th, 2023 at 2:51 PM ^
If you can't see the difference between Duke's "top 100" players and Michigan's, I don't know what to tell you.
They've got three who were ranked in the top 5...and another two who were ranked in the top 30.
Joined: 03/08/2012
MGoPoints: 1524345
bronxblue
March 13th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
Sure, and 3 years ago both Duke and Kentucky missed the postseason while fielding some of the youngest teams in the country.
UNC was one of the most experienced and talented teams in the country, at least on paper, and missed the tourney while PSU, the most experienced team but not supremely talented, got in with room to spare. Basketball is weird and not always logical but in general more experienced teams do better than less experienced ones.
Joined: 11/22/2008
MGoPoints: 141937
maizedNblued
March 13th, 2023 at 1:30 PM