Seth Davis on Michigan

[tcf15]

So I’ll begin this week’s column breaking down what I learned—good and bad—about the four teams I saw up close. I will be performing the same exercise next week for the eight teams participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis, which I will be covering for AXS TV for the fifth straight year. (Hey, someone’s gotta do it.) Thanksgiving week is here, which means there is lots of hearty hoops about to be served. Allow me to set the table:

The good: Though Friday was a tough night, Wolverines fans can take heart that this is not the team they will (hopefully) be seeing come January. Junior guard Zak Irvin (back) and senior point guard Spike Albrecht (hips) are both still working their way back from off-season surgery. Irvin is now available after sitting out the season opener, but because he was totally dormant for three months, it will be some time before his body is back to prime condition. Albrecht, likewise, is only averaging 12 minutes per game as he rebuilds his muscles. Michigan coach John Beilein told me that he is hoping those two will be at full strength by the time Big Ten play begins.

Meanwhile, 6’7” senior forward Caris Levert, who missed the final two months of last season because of a broken foot, is primed to have an All-Big Ten-caliber season. If anything, Levert looked even quicker and more athletic than he did when I saw him a year ago. He did everything but refill the water bucket against Xavier en route to a 29-point, seven-rebound, three-assist, two-steal performance. He singlehandedly kept Michigan within striking distance.

Though junior point guard Derrick Walton Jr., who also missed the last half of last season with a foot injury, played miserably on Friday, I still think he’s headed for a solid season, especially now that he is playing alongside Levert again. (Walton had a career-high 24 points againt Elon on Nov. 16.) The Wolverines also got flashes of promise from two newcomers—Duncan Robinson, the 6’8” transfer from D-III Williams College (7-for-10 from three this season) and 6’10” freshman forward Moritz Wagner, a native of Germany who has the potential to become the team’s best scoring option in the post. I’m not sure how high this team’s ceiling is, but I know there is a lot of room between there and where they are now.

The bad: At the 11:17 mark of the second half, Reynolds committed a hard foul on Levert as he attempted a breakaway layup. Beilein was incensed—not only because there was no flagrant foul called (the refs didn’t even check the monitor), but also because none of Levert’s teammates stuck up for him. Beilein recognizes that this is a potential long-term problem. “The good news is we’ve got a bunch of nice kids off the court,” he told me. “The bad news is we’ve got a bunch of nice kids on the court.”

All night long, Xavier was quicker to the ball and more ferocious on the glass. But they also had more athletic personnel in the frontcourt. Michigan’s two big men, 6’9” sophomores Mark Donnal and Ricky Doyle, were not agile enough to keep Reynolds and company off the glass. Robinson is a slender, perimeter-oriented forward, and Wagner is too green to be effective down low just yet. As a result, Xavier outscored Michigan 34–14 in the paint.

I’m sure Beilein will find ways to get his team to improve in these areas, but as the saying goes, you can’t get blood from a stone. Michigan is going to have to beat quality opponents from the outside-in this season. That way of playing can be effective, but it comes with much less margin for error

http://www.si.com/college-basketbal...ule-changes-indiana-creighton-michigan-xavier

 

[Jay-Bone]

Will Miller have to glove 6'-8" Robinson on the perimeter? Or can Hamilton extend enough for that and allow Miller to body down low? Will big Steve have to come in for Brimah getting pushed around by Michigan's plodders? I have faith in our speed rebounding. We will have to close out the perimeter much better than UNH and get around screens quickly from Michigan's sneaky plays. Hopefully I don't think Michigan's parts have gelled enough to run that crafty Beilein offense nearly to full effect. Should be a great game, of which I think we will be pumped up enough for and our number of options, versatility and depth will overwhelm them.

 

[intlzncster]

So I’ll begin this week’s column breaking down what I learned—good and bad—about the four teams I saw up close. I will be performing the same exercise next week for the eight teams participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis, which I will be covering for AXS TV for the fifth straight year. (Hey, someone’s gotta do it.) Thanksgiving week is here, which means there is lots of hearty hoops about to be served. Allow me to set the table:

The good: Though Friday was a tough night, Wolverines fans can take heart that this is not the team they will (hopefully) be seeing come January. Junior guard Zak Irvin (back) and senior point guard Spike Albrecht (hips) are both still working their way back from off-season surgery. Irvin is now available after sitting out the season opener, but because he was totally dormant for three months, it will be some time before his body is back to prime condition. Albrecht, likewise, is only averaging 12 minutes per game as he rebuilds his muscles. Michigan coach John Beilein told me that he is hoping those two will be at full strength by the time Big Ten play begins.

Meanwhile, 6’7” senior forward Caris Levert, who missed the final two months of last season because of a broken foot, is primed to have an All-Big Ten-caliber season. If anything, Levert looked even quicker and more athletic than he did when I saw him a year ago. He did everything but refill the water bucket against Xavier en route to a 29-point, seven-rebound, three-assist, two-steal performance. He singlehandedly kept Michigan within striking distance.

Though junior point guard Derrick Walton Jr., who also missed the last half of last season with a foot injury, played miserably on Friday, I still think he’s headed for a solid season, especially now that he is playing alongside Levert again. (Walton had a career-high 24 points againt Elon on Nov. 16.) The Wolverines also got flashes of promise from two newcomers—Duncan Robinson, the 6’8” transfer from D-III Williams College (7-for-10 from three this season) and 6’10” freshman forward Moritz Wagner, a native of Germany who has the potential to become the team’s best scoring option in the post. I’m not sure how high this team’s ceiling is, but I know there is a lot of room between there and where they are now.

The bad: At the 11:17 mark of the second half, Reynolds committed a hard foul on Levert as he attempted a breakaway layup. Beilein was incensed—not only because there was no flagrant foul called (the refs didn’t even check the monitor), but also because none of Levert’s teammates stuck up for him. Beilein recognizes that this is a potential long-term problem. “The good news is we’ve got a bunch of nice kids off the court,” he told me. “The bad news is we’ve got a bunch of nice kids on the court.”

All night long, Xavier was quicker to the ball and more ferocious on the glass. But they also had more athletic personnel in the frontcourt. Michigan’s two big men, 6’9” sophomores Mark Donnal and Ricky Doyle, were not agile enough to keep Reynolds and company off the glass. Robinson is a slender, perimeter-oriented forward, and Wagner is too green to be effective down low just yet. As a result, Xavier outscored Michigan 34–14 in the paint.

I’m sure Beilein will find ways to get his team to improve in these areas, but as the saying goes, you can’t get blood from a stone. Michigan is going to have to beat quality opponents from the outside-in this season. That way of playing can be effective, but it comes with much less margin for error

http://www.si.com/college-basketbal...ule-changes-indiana-creighton-michigan-xavier

I watched that game, and injuries aside, Michigan looked weak, and not all that mentally tough at this point. A couple of the big guys down low, especially the German, just didnt look that good. There was also this 3pt specialist white kid (name escapes me) who's a transfer I think. He doesn't play a lick of defense. Hamilton, Purvis or whoever will torch this kid whenever he's in the game.

If UCONN brings the energy, they should roll. UM wilted under pressure. Lot of bad shots.

 

[RipCity]

It'll be interesting to see Hamilton guard Levert. I have to say that as great as he's been in other facets, Hamilton has given up way too many open looks to his man so far this year. That won't go well when Levert is the guy shooting.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I saw parts of the Elon game. Levert looked like a pro. I didn't see the Xavier game, but it sounds like xavier spent a lot of time on the line. I would think gibbs, purvis, dham and adams can do the same.

 

[Matrim55]

It'll be interesting to see Hamilton guard Levert. I have to say that as great as he's been in other facets, Hamilton has given up way too many open looks to his man so far this year. That won't go well when Levert is the guy shooting.

Yeah, he's always drawn to the ball on defense. That'll be death against Lavert.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Michigan's guards still on the mend conditioning-wise can make this a huge advantage for UConn. Push the pace in transition and run the offense with a sense of urgency. Don't let them rest. Keep rotating Purvis, Gibbs, Adams, Cassell. A healthy SCJ is a better athlete than an 80% Albrecht who is coming off injury and gassed.