Well that would make two out of the three 2010 final four representatives potentially on our schedule next year....Where you at WV ???
If this needs to be moved to a scheduling thread or whatever please do so...
http://freep.com/article/20100506/SP...Duke-this-fall
If this is the case, I am ECSTATIC. Being a Michigan Wolverine fan nothing would please me more than sitting front row in Cameron to watch Kyrie Irving school Kalen Lucas, and watch the Plumlees dominate whichever throwaway big man the Sparties put out there. Plus, they should be a top 5 team next year, at least in the early going before their annual collapse...
I hate Michigan State, if you can't tell.
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Well that would make two out of the three 2010 final four representatives potentially on our schedule next year....Where you at WV ???
Awesome news! I think this year's squad needs the toughest schedule we can put together, and I think an Izzo coached team is the kind of experience we need.
As for being a UM fan, you gotta kinda admit that UM brought this all down on themselves. Firing Tommy, great move - how's that been working out?
Does MSU really collapse annually? It seems like they go to a lot of Final Fours.
I love Tommy, he's one of the nicest guys in the business (my Dad and I actually met him at a hotel in Princeton, NJ while Harvard was there to play the next day, talked to us for a half hour). But he was an AWFUL coach at Michigan. For however many years he was there, Michigan's offense was essentially passing the ball around the outside for 30 seconds, then realizing they were screwed, and throwing up an awful shot or drive... again, I love the guy, but he isn't a great coach. Sorry
And remember, UM never went to the Tourney with Tommy, but we've already made it once with Belein (or however you spell his name).
Last edited by scottdude8; 05-06-2010 at 04:17 PM.
Scott Rich on the front page
Trinity BS 2012; University of Michigan PhD 2018
Duke Chronicle, Sports Online Editor: 2010-2012
K-Ville Blue Tenting 2009-2012
Unofficial Brian Zoubek Biographer
If you have questions about Michigan Basketball/Football, I'm your man!
Here's the thing about MSU... every year they will either A) Overachieve in the Tournament after a disappointing regular season and reach the Final Four, or B) Tremendously underachieve for the whole year, and then get upset in the first couple of rounds. MSU rarely just makes it as far as you expect them too... they either make the Final Four or get upset early. And regardless, they do have a habit of underachieving in the regular season... remember, they were ranked NO. 2 in the polls preseason last year and barely got a 5 seed in the Tourney.
Scott Rich on the front page
Trinity BS 2012; University of Michigan PhD 2018
Duke Chronicle, Sports Online Editor: 2010-2012
K-Ville Blue Tenting 2009-2012
Unofficial Brian Zoubek Biographer
If you have questions about Michigan Basketball/Football, I'm your man!
It should seem what he's talking about is the 'regular season collapse' of which they seem to go through every year before getting themselves ready for an end of the season run. Losing some conference games that they probably should win, there's a reason it appears to the casual basketball fan that they 'collapse' year after year. This next year MSU will be really solid, and a matchup with two out of the four other members of the 2010 final four will be awesome prep for an awesome season for Duke
Scottdude beat me to it, but that's what their annual 'collapse' is.
Last edited by whirlieduke4; 05-06-2010 at 04:34 PM.
How many non-conference home games have we won in a row now? This would be a serious test to keep that streak alive!
"The future ain't what it used to be."
I really hope we get to play them next year.that wuld be an awesome matchup
Looks like they'll be a little depleted next year as well.
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebaske...-gaining-steam
I'm sure people will say we got an easy bracket in the ACC/BT Challenge too. Wonder if Kalin's achilles will be healed by then?
Since Michigan went on probation about 5 minutes after the ink dried on his contract, I can't blame Tommy - it's very hard to recruit under such a cloud. He recruited and coached well at Seton Hall, and seems to be building the Harvard program well. He was also a Duke assistant - eventually the top one - during some very, very good years: 1988-1997. I believe that period included 2 championships, 2 runner-up finishes, and 2 other Final Fours. Granted, the last 3 tailed off, ... but given the handcuffed recruiting situation at Michigan, which I understand was in effect for 4 of his 6 years, he'd have needed a cult-like following to get players.
Did he not win the NIT in his 3rd year, despite the ranks being depleted of top recruits?
Sorry, but I see Tommy's UM experience as the exception, not the rule, in his career.
Michigan went into last season ranked #15 with returning players like Mannie Harris and Deshawn Sims. They finished up 15-17; major disappointment. Sounds like Rodriquez will not be the only Michigan coach with something to prove this coming year.
To the MSU game, glad to hear it. Should be a good test for the Plumlees inside and some good individual matchups.
MSU has had one season in the last 10 that could be considered a Tremendous Underachievement-2005-2006. That team was considered a Final Four favorite and was derailed all season.
To say that MSU is an underachieving program is simply inaccurate. And to hear it from a UM fan is hilarious.
dukemsu
Now that I've stopped laughing...
A Duke-MSU game would be a great early-season matchup. It appears the Spartans will be losing one more player-likely Chris Allen. Even without him, they'll be very good.
It may be another season similar to this one where the best time to play MSU is early, with Lucas recovering from an Achilles injury and two impact freshman, including Adriean Payne, into the rotation.
But that may also be the same story with the Devils, the champs retooling on the fly with Kyrie, Seth, and the other newcomers meshing with the returnees.
Great matchup and I hope it happens.
dukemsu
With regards to Tommy, I do not doubt he is a solid coach overall, and yes he didn't have the most talent at U of M. But the fact is, the things the coach can control, like the offensive sets, weren't very good... and we had a couple seasons we should've made the tourney but late season collapses doomed us.
And with regards to the recent stuff, I completely agree this year was a complete bust for Michigan... a lot of that was having only one or two seniors on the team, both of which were role players at best (they'll have ZERO seniors next season) and the fact that Manny Harris all but gave up on the team halfway through the year. I have faith in Belein, though... he's got his second straight solid recruiting class coming in this year too.
Scott Rich on the front page
Trinity BS 2012; University of Michigan PhD 2018
Duke Chronicle, Sports Online Editor: 2010-2012
K-Ville Blue Tenting 2009-2012
Unofficial Brian Zoubek Biographer
If you have questions about Michigan Basketball/Football, I'm your man!
I didn't quite say they were underachieving... just that they are choke artists. Hopefully that cleared things up, haha.
In all seriousness, though, the Final Four streak is amazing, but they still only have 1 championship in that streak, not to mention the plethora of other years that were early exits. But who are we kidding, I'm incredibly biased...
Scott Rich on the front page
Trinity BS 2012; University of Michigan PhD 2018
Duke Chronicle, Sports Online Editor: 2010-2012
K-Ville Blue Tenting 2009-2012
Unofficial Brian Zoubek Biographer
If you have questions about Michigan Basketball/Football, I'm your man!
I'm really excited about a MSU matchup.
By the time the tourny (NCAA) gets here, this Duke team will really be battle tested, which has to be a great thing. If they get a 1 seed going into the tournament, there can't be any argument as to if they deserve it (though I'm sure criticism will come from somewhere regardless). Unlike this past year when many teams were down a bit, next year will present some improved teams on Duke's schedule. UNC (twice), N.C. State, a healthy(possibly) MSU team. Even a rematch with Butler. We're really going to see where Duke sits on the totum pole.
By the time Duke gets to the tourny, they may have really made a case that it is their tournament to lose. The BIG target on Duke's back (for being Duke and the defending NC's) may only get bigger come tourny time, if that's even possible. I hope so!