Game Thoughts -- Michigan

[RichZ]

1. Hamilton. Might just have been his best game yet. Nothing flashy, but he did what he needed to, when it needed to be done.
2. Brimah. Pretty much a non-factor tonight.
3. Purvis. Played outstanding D. Hell our entire perimeter played great D. But Purvis also mixed in a very good offensive game. Very timely buckets.
4. SamC. Yes! The 2 consecutive 3s was really 3 of them, but one didn't count because of an imaginary moving screen. He even played decent D. Last year, I cringed when he came in. Different story this year.
5. Levert is damned good.
6. Facey is a breath of fresh air. He's the guy we saw early last year, but better. He just plays so hard when he gets the opportunity. I hope he doesn't flame out this year like he did last.
7. This might have been the worst officiating team ever. Seemed like every time we tried to start a pick & roll, they called a moving screen. And in the first half, Mich attempted like 22 threes, and pretty much didn't go inside, yet we were called for 11 fouls to like 3 for them.
8. The foul call on Miller's clean block late in the game was particularly atrocious. Yes, it was a little weird looking, because he anticipated the guy's move and went up too soon, then had to reach out and swing a bit on his way down to block it cleanly without creating body contact. But that's incredible ability to recognize and adjust in midair, not a foul. The ref anticipated the same way Shonn did. But Shonn recovered, and he didn't.
9. When Ollie called that early time out and tore into them for their rebounding (lack thereof, actually) everything changed.
10. Please, don't ever let Ken Rice call a game of ours again. By halftime, I was missing Tim Welsh. First, he sounds too damned much like Mike Patrick. He also took it upon himself to give Levert the full Ben Simmons treatment, hyping him non-stop. Early in the 1st half, Dham had 2 consecutive bad plays (a TO and a dumb foul, ISTR) and he started talking about how Daniel had been "a little out of sorts" all night. Huh? He had owned the first half. then of course when he was nearing a triple double, all of that out of sorts crap had long been forgotten.
11. Hello, Syracuse! I am so loving the opportunity to crush some oranges tomorrow.

 

[Walker11]

Rice was forgettable but I wasn't as annoyed as you. Levert is that good. I was more taken aback by how complimentary Davis was - not used to that. He is extremely high on us, and I believe rightfully so.

The game was poorly officiated for sure. Poor Miller. I feel like half the bad calls against us this year are invisible Miller fouls.

I am mostly happy that I don't need to spend 15 waking hours in anticipation of the game tomorrow. The early game, and the likely hangover means I only have to endure about 5 hours of nervous excitement.

 

[J-dog]

1. Hamilton. Might just have been his best game yet. Nothing flashy, but he did what he needed to, when it needed to be done.
2. Brimah. Pretty much a non-factor t

Great summary…

Team played great after the sluggish start…

Thought the Offense got very stagnant mid second half

Levert looked like the best player on the floor (or at least tied for it) & while the D on him was great on him at times, he showed a great handle & we had trouble staying in front of him.

Hamilton looks like he can do whatever needs to be done. - grabbed boards when they were having trouble rebounding. - got teammates involved, as usual. - Hit clutch shots late whenever a bucket was needed.

All in all, another solid effort. Found some things to work on/shore-up while cruising to a win. Nice!

 

[J-dog]

1. Hamilton. Might just have been his best game yet. Nothing flashy, but he did what he needed to, when it needed to be done.
2. Brimah. Pretty much a non-factor t

Great summary…

Team played great after the sluggish start…

Thought the Offense got very stagnant mid second half

Levert looked like the best player on the floor (or at least tied for it) & while the D was great on him at times, he showed a great handle & we had trouble staying in front of him.

Hamilton looks like he can do whatever needs to be done. - grabbed boards when they were having trouble rebounding. - got teammates involved, as usual. - Hit clutch shots late whenever a bucket was needed.

All in all, another solid effort. Found some things to work on/shore-up while cruising to a win. Nice!

 

[RichZ]

In point 10, it should say early in the 2nd half, not the 1st. That's what I get for typing that up at that time of night after getting up at 5am.

 

[mauconnfan]

1. Hamilton. Might just have been his best game yet. Nothing flashy, but he did what he needed to, when it needed to be done.
2. Brimah. Pretty much a non-factor tonight.
3. Purvis. Played outstanding D. Hell our entire perimeter played great D. But Purvis also mixed in a very good offensive game. Very timely buckets.
4. SamC. Yes! The 2 consecutive 3s was really 3 of them, but one didn't count because of an imaginary moving screen. He even played decent D. Last year, I cringed when he came in. Different story this year.
5. Levert is damned good.
6. Facey is a breath of fresh air. He's the guy we saw early last year, but better. He just plays so hard when he gets the opportunity. I hope he doesn't flame out this year like he did last.
7. This might have been the worst officiating team ever. Seemed like every time we tried to start a pick & roll, they called a moving screen. And in the first half, Mich attempted like 22 threes, and pretty much didn't go inside, yet we were called for 11 fouls to like 3 for them.
8. The foul call on Miller's clean block late in the game was particularly atrocious. Yes, it was a little weird looking, because he anticipated the guy's move and went up too soon, then had to reach out and swing a bit on his way down to block it cleanly without creating body contact. But that's incredible ability to recognize and adjust in midair, not a foul. The ref anticipated the same way Shonn did. But Shonn recovered, and he didn't.
9. When Ollie called that early time out and tore into them for their rebounding (lack thereof, actually) everything changed.
10. Please, don't ever let Ken Rice call a game of ours again. By halftime, I was missing Tim Welsh. First, he sounds too damned much like Mike Patrick. He also took it upon himself to give Levert the full Ben Simmons treatment, hyping him non-stop. Early in the 1st half, Dham had 2 consecutive bad plays (a TO and a dumb foul, ISTR) and he started talking about how Daniel had been "a little out of sorts" all night. Huh? He had owned the first half. then of course when he was nearing a triple double, all of that out of sorts crap had long been forgotten.
11. Hello, Syracuse! I am so loving the opportunity to crush some oranges tomorrow.

1) He was really good. Could have been a little better with the ball on occasion but he does so much who's to complain?
2) Yep
3) Rodney, minus a couple unforced TO's, has become a huge factor on D, rebounds it better and is just a leader now. Solid game
4) 2 didn't count from 3 because of screens - he looks good shooting the ball and is playing himself into the rotation. What a nice "4th" guard huh?
5) Levert is a load - took over all by his lonesome and kept them hanging around. Solid NBA future for this kid.
6) Facey was super on the offensive end, the boards and the loose balls - excellent. He was not very good on the defensive end, wanders way too much and really still not understanding f hedge and retreat. Needs to get better there for sure.
7) I was in a loud Chicago Sams with no voice (except the one guy singing and playing loud fn music) and couldn't rewind the calls, no idea but there was a lopsided feel for the foul situation. Strange
8) Yes, seems Shonn gets called for more fouls he doesn't commit for whatever reason. The block was atrocious, he's a really nice player down that end.
9) They were rebounding the ball in a horrible way, many guys running "away" from it. Brim did't get near one for the first 4-5 minutes and KO hammered him on the way into the huddle. Bazz and Boat would have had 4-5 each first 5 minutes our guards need to stay home more often. Need to rebound better overall still. Facey and Brimah both run to the rim when the ball goes up rather than keeping the body, too many caroms going over their heads that should be theirs, Miller too on occasion.
10) Couldn't hear it and according to Rich Z that's a good thing
11) Interested to see how we react against a spread out 2-3, if anyone besides DHam finds the seams and if we get more alley oops as they chase. Will need to shoot it decent, good news is the Orange shot it as well as they can against the 49ers. We got the game we wanted, let's see how good our guys are.

12) Happy Thanksgiving to the Boneyard and Go Huskies

 

[David 76]

A great effort overall.
Against better competition, we were not able to dribble penetrate at will like we did against the cupcakes, Shonn looked like a good player instead of a god, AB's question marks looked more substantial.
Our guards looked great, we kept the ball moving, DHam looked like the superstar we know he is. I was impressed by moments of Facet but SC really shined off the bench.
It is only one competitive game and we will learn more today. But I am thankful for KO and this team!

 

[80shusky]

All the good and bad things everybody already mentioned plus:
=too many turnovers.
=great scoring balance.

 

[Danzz]

1) He was really good. Could have been a little better with the ball on occasion but he does so much who's to complain?
2) Yep
3) Rodney, minus a couple unforced TO's, has become a huge factor on D, rebounds it better and is just a leader now. Solid game
4) 2 didn't count from 3 because of screens - he looks good shooting the ball and is playing himself into the rotation. What a nice "4th" guard huh?
5) Levert is a load - took over all by his lonesome and kept them hanging around. Solid NBA future for this kid.
6) Facey was super on the offensive end, the boards and the loose balls - excellent. He was not very good on the defensive end, wanders way too much and really still not understanding f hedge and retreat. Needs to get better there for sure.
7) I was in a loud Chicago Sams with no voice (except the one guy singing and playing loud fn music) and couldn't rewind the calls, no idea but there was a lopsided feel for the foul situation. Strange
8) Yes, seems Shonn gets called for more fouls he doesn't commit for whatever reason. The block was atrocious, he's a really nice player down that end.
9) They were rebounding the ball in a horrible way, many guys running "away" from it. Brim did't get near one for the first 4-5 minutes and KO hammered him on the way into the huddle. Bazz and Boat would have had 4-5 each first 5 minutes our guards need to stay home more often. Need to rebound better overall still. Facey and Brimah both run to the rim when the ball goes up rather than keeping the body, too many caroms going over their heads that should be theirs, Miller too on occasion.
10) Couldn't hear it and according to Rich Z that's a good thing
11) Interested to see how we react against a spread out 2-3, if anyone besides DHam finds the seams and if we get more alley oops as they chase. Will need to shoot it decent, good news is the Orange shot it as well as they can against the 49ers. We got the game we wanted, let's see how good our guys are.

12) Happy Thanksgiving to the Boneyard and Go Huskies

11) Interested to see how we react against a spread out 2-3, if anyone besides DHam finds the seams and if we get more alley oops as they chase. Will need to shoot it decent, good news is the Orange shot it as well as they can against the 49ers. We got the game we wanted, let's see how good our guys are
Can see Hamilton and Purvis getting to that area just inside the foul line
and putting up a soft shot or kicking it or a perimeter shot if Cuse collapses. We are not a good matchup for Cuse and would love to see us blow them out.

 

[djct1999]

Another solid performance. Remarkable balance. A ton of energy. Not much to complain about except our front court help side defense. A few times our guards allowed LeVert to drive towards the rim that led to layups because there was no help from our bigs to be had! Easy adjustment. Overall, there is simply so much to like about this squad. As bad as the announcers were, they had 1 great point. Most teams are forced to bring youth off the bench. Uconn brings experience. To have guys like Nolan, Facey, Calhoun, and even Cassell be our 7,8,9,10th guys in our rotation is such a luxury. Come March, this team can be scary good. We already know what we have in Purvis, Miller, and Gibbs. Obviously, Adams is scratching the surface. In some ways, as great as DHam has been, I feel that this is just the beginning for him. As good as DHam has been, this is his floor and his upside is unlimited. I love hearing that he is being more vocal. It seems that as good as he is, he is now finding some confidence. When he realizes his ability, he is simply unguardable.

 

[mauconnfan]

Jalen was noticeably hard on himself for missing a couple open looks, not a bad thing if he expects more of himself. He will be needed to find the creases today and utilize his skills vs the zone - look for a solid outing for Jalen today.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Jalen was noticeably hard on himself for missing a couple open looks, not a bad thing if he expects more of himself. He will be needed to find the creases today and utilize his skills vs the zone - look for a solid outing for Jalen today.

Yes, I hope he is patient and aggressive when the time is right. Too many 3's taken by Jalen yesterday....would like to see him try to get to the basket against man-to-man teams. Our guards need to keep their composure against SU and I expect they will.

 

[mauconnfan]

I did forget about the kid Moritz Wagner from Germany and now know which one he was. He's going to be a very nice player, missed a few open looks but man he's a big kid huh? Like his game and know he considered UConn at least for a second, would've liked him in our uni too. Will turn out to be a player if he sticks around, and probably a very good one.

 

[pnow15]

Purvis missed two free throws late, Gibbs missed front end off one and one late,
Facey missed two free throws late and Miller missed one. This allowed Michigan to hang around to the last minutes. It doesn't matter what else you do if you brick free throws late. They had this problem last year. I am sure Ollie will point this out. This team has a legit shot but they have to make free throws late.

 

[Rico444]

I don't want to make it seem like I'm throwing cold water on this win, because we played really well...but man, Michigan just isn't very good outside of Lavert, are they? I know that one kid (Robinson I think) is supposed to be a very good 3 point shooter and he was ice cold tonight, but they just have nothing else on offense. Once Lavert went to the bench in the 1st half, they couldn't do anything to score the basket.

Good win though. This team is very good, and we're so balanced offensively 1-5. We're going to have a field day all year picking on the opposition's weak defenders.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

1. Hamilton. Might just have been his best game yet. Nothing flashy, but he did what he needed to, when it needed to be done.
2. Brimah. Pretty much a non-factor tonight.
3. Purvis. Played outstanding D. Hell our entire perimeter played great D. But Purvis also mixed in a very good offensive game. Very timely buckets.
4. SamC. Yes! The 2 consecutive 3s was really 3 of them, but one didn't count because of an imaginary moving screen. He even played decent D. Last year, I cringed when he came in. Different story this year.
5. Levert is damned good.
6. Facey is a breath of fresh air. He's the guy we saw early last year, but better. He just plays so hard when he gets the opportunity. I hope he doesn't flame out this year like he did last.
7. This might have been the worst officiating team ever. Seemed like every time we tried to start a pick & roll, they called a moving screen. And in the first half, Mich attempted like 22 threes, and pretty much didn't go inside, yet we were called for 11 fouls to like 3 for them.
8. The foul call on Miller's clean block late in the game was particularly atrocious. Yes, it was a little weird looking, because he anticipated the guy's move and went up too soon, then had to reach out and swing a bit on his way down to block it cleanly without creating body contact. But that's incredible ability to recognize and adjust in midair, not a foul. The ref anticipated the same way Shonn did. But Shonn recovered, and he didn't.
9. When Ollie called that early time out and tore into them for their rebounding (lack thereof, actually) everything changed.
10. Please, don't ever let Ken Rice call a game of ours again. By halftime, I was missing Tim Welsh. First, he sounds too damned much like Mike Patrick. He also took it upon himself to give Levert the full Ben Simmons treatment, hyping him non-stop. Early in the 1st half, Dham had 2 consecutive bad plays (a TO and a dumb foul, ISTR) and he started talking about how Daniel had been "a little out of sorts" all night. Huh? He had owned the first half. then of course when he was nearing a triple double, all of that out of sorts crap had long been forgotten.
11. Hello, Syracuse! I am so loving the opportunity to crush some oranges tomorrow.

[/QUOTE]

Totally agree with your assessment. The refs were the only reason we didn't win by 20+ last night. Levert is the real deal. That comment about D-ham "being out of sorts all night" while he was over halfway to a Triple-Double (or a Big O as i like to call them) was comical.

 

[David 76]

Totally agree with your assessment. The refs were the only reason we didn't win by 20+ last night. Levert is the real deal. That comment about D-ham "being out of sorts all night" while he was over halfway to a Triple-Double (or a Big O as i like to call them) was comical.

The "out of sorts" might have bothered me if they weren't gushing about DHam and UConn all night.

 

[Gurleyman]

The other comment that was odd - I think from Seth Davis - was observing that UConn hadn't gotten out on a fast break in a long time and that Michigan was really doing a great job getting back. Meanwhile, 30 seconds prior (of game time), we fast breaked them on a made Michigan basket and got an uncontested layup, forcing them to call a TO. It was like a clip on '95 UConn - other team scores, we score four seconds later.

 

[tzznandrew]

The other comment that was odd - I think from Seth Davis - was observing that UConn hadn't gotten out on a fast break in a long time and that Michigan was really doing a great job getting back. Meanwhile, 30 seconds prior (of game time), we fast breaked them on a made Michigan basket and got an uncontested layup, forcing them to call a TO. It was like a clip on '95 UConn - other team scores, we score four seconds later.

That was strange...and breaking on a made basket just really brought me back. Brought a smile to my face.