Other People's NCAA Hoops - 2019-2020

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Yes indeed. They are big, thick guys. Slow but powerful.

I need to get my mind out of the gutter...

[devildeac]

I don't understand ...

220px-Crazy_Project.jpg

[OldPhiKap]

220px-Crazy_Project.jpg

winner. (Can't spork)

[devildeac]

winner. (Can't spork)

But I'll take:

Bojangles.png

...with seasoned fries, slaw and half and half iced tea, please.

[JasonEvans]

Baylor looks physical and athletic, exactly the type of team that gives us trouble.

It is fairly unlikely that Duke and Baylor will meet outside of a Final Four. I guess a regional final is possible, but somewhat unlikely. If we face them, it will be at a point where all the teams are really, really good.

[OldPhiKap]

But I'll take:

Bojangles.png

...with seasoned fries, slaw and half and half iced tea, please.

Don't we need to have like three field goals in a game or something to get that?

And they are taking opinions on whether fries should have ketchup or not on the LTE.

[devildeac]

Don't we need to have like three field goals in a game or something to get that?

And they are taking opinions on whether fries should have ketchup or not on the LTE.

1. My vague memory is three touchdowns does the trick for free food but it might be for fries only and exclusively at McDonald's.

2. Ymm, Beer and fries would be a much better discussion.

[OldPhiKap]

Ymm, Beer and fries would be a much better discussion.

Well, my comments were based on a trip to Belgium. Pretty sure beer, fries, waffles and chocolate were all involved. Probably in that order.

No ketchup though.

[Stray Gator]

Well, my comments were based on a trip to Belgium. Pretty sure beer, fries, waffles and chocolate were all involved. Probably in that order.

No ketchup though.

Don't forget the mussels, which I believe are customarily slotted between beer and fries.

[BD80]

Don't forget the mussels, which I believe are customarily slotted between beer and fries.

Mussels? This isn't the fitness thread!

[OldPhiKap]

Don't forget the mussels, which I believe are customarily slotted between beer and fries.

Yes they were, and very tasty.

Bruges was great, and probably would have missed it but for some helpful folks on DBR (Stray probably amongst them, I think he's given me some good ideas for an upcoming Budapest trip too IIRC). DBR is a great collection of folks with very wide interests and experiences.

Oh, and on topic -- 9F.

[Stray Gator]

. . . Bruges was great. . . .

Indeed. For those of us who dwell on this side of the pond, and who find Europe attractive largely because the rich historic character of the "old town" architecture, along with the museums and castles/fortresses and churches/cathedrals/abbeys/temples, afford an opportunity to "step back in time" and feel as though we've entered a portal to a "storybook reality" not available here, there may be no more immersive experience than visiting Bruges. Inside the egg-shaped area that comprises traditional Bruges is a near-perfect preservation of a small medieval city that was the product of so many influences that it could almost be regarded as a model of "European culture," if there were such a thing. If you go, be prepared to take lots of photos.

Fortunately for us -- or unfortunately if you happen to be there when the streets and canals are teeming with tourists -- it is also a welcome destination for visitors from the New World who are spoiled by creature comforts, with ample accommodations ranging from 5-star hotels to quaint B&Bs offering all the modern amenities. And to top it off, the beer, and the mussels with fries, and the waffles, and the chocolates, and the warm hospitality of the residents are beyond praiseworthy.

OPK, let us know if you enjoy your visit to Budapest. And for your next adventure, let me recommend the 17-day excursion we took this past summer: A few days in St. Petersburg, followed by a Viking River Cruise along the "Waterways of the Tsars," culminating with a few days in Moscow. There's no other way to say it: Russia is magnificent and fascinating. And with reasonable planning and preparation, it's now a surprisingly easy and comfortable trip for English-speaking tourists.

[OldPhiKap]

Indeed. For those of us who dwell on this side of the pond, and who find Europe attractive largely because the rich historic character of the "old town" architecture, along with the museums and castles/fortresses and churches/cathedrals/abbeys/temples, afford an opportunity to "step back in time" and feel as though we've entered a portal to a "storybook reality" not available here, there may be no more immersive experience than visiting Bruges. Inside the egg-shaped area that comprises traditional Bruges is a near-perfect preservation of a small medieval city that was the product of so many influences that it could almost be regarded as a model of "European culture," if there were such a thing. If you go, be prepared to take lots of photos.

Fortunately for us -- or unfortunately if you happen to be there when the streets and canals are teeming with tourists -- it is also a welcome destination for visitors from the New World who are spoiled by creature comforts, with ample accommodations ranging from 5-star hotels to quaint B&Bs offering all the modern amenities. And to top it off, the beer, and the mussels with fries, and the waffles, and the chocolates, and the warm hospitality of the residents are beyond praiseworthy.

OPK, let us know if you enjoy your visit to Budapest. And for your next adventure, let me recommend the 17-day excursion we took this past summer: A few days in St. Petersburg, followed by a Viking River Cruise along the "Waterways of the Tsars," culminating with a few days in Moscow. There's no other way to say it: Russia is magnificent and fascinating. And with reasonable planning and preparation, it's now a surprisingly easy and comfortable trip for English-speaking tourists.

Your description of Bruges is perfect.

Would love to retrace your steps in Russia, that is certainly a dream trip!

[DUKIE V(A)]

It is fairly unlikely that Duke and Baylor will meet outside of a Final Four. I guess a regional final is possible, but somewhat unlikely. If we face them, it will be at a point where all the teams are really, really good.

I may be the only one but I have not been overly impressed by Baylor in the two times I watched them (including the second half last night). I still have yet to see a team that has more upside than Duke. Go Duke! 😀

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

A lot of talk about the Laettner love tap on Timberlake from the UK game in 92 today after an Illinois player did something similar.

https://sports.yahoo.com/illinois-al...020715036.html

Once again, I’d like to bring up that Laettner’s move was in retaliation for Farmer’s cheap shot shove to the back that sent Christian to the floor several plays earlier. To paraphrase Chris Rock, I’m not saying he should have stepped on him... but I understand.

[scottdude8]

I like to think I'm one who can admit when he was mistaken. While I'm nowhere near giving up on Juwan Howard, I have to tip my hat to those on the board who tried to temper my unfettered optimism on Howard's upside. Indeed, Michigan's latest stretch (including the current three game losing streak) has shown he still has a long way to go before cementing himself as a legitimate college head coach.

Now, Michigan's struggles over the past month must be taken with a HUGE grain of salt, because the injured Isaiah Livers is easily Michigan's best scorer, and perhaps their most talented player (senior PG Zavier Simpson and senior C Jon Teske are probably more important, and "better" at this stage in their careers, but certainly not as talented). Without Livers there's no one on the team who can truly create their own offense consistently (Simpson and Teske can, but only in the right matchups, and the lack of Livers' shooting on the floor means opponents can key on them and minimize their particular skillsets). But it was disheartening to see the lack of life in my Wolverines in their loss to Penn State last night.

What's more concerning is that Howard's post-game quotes sound suspiciously like those from someone eight miles away from Durham:

"It's very challenging to come up here and have to talk about a lack of communication," Howard said. "I don't understand why (it's a problem). It's too late in the season for (me) to have to beg our guys to communicate on defense. … It's a lost art in the game. We have to bring it back. … It's surprising that some of our guys don't like talking on defense or assume a player knows exactly what the opponent will do. There's a lot of guessing going on and I just don't understand it."

I'm hoping that quotes like that are going to be the exception and not the norm from Juwan. I still think Michigan is a second-weekend caliber team with Livers as well. But right now the Wolverines are trending in the wrong direction, and if they can't get things on track at home on Saturday against a ranked Illinois team, they may find themselves squarely on the bubble.

[MChambers]

I like to think I'm one who can admit when he was mistaken. While I'm nowhere near giving up on Juwan Howard, I have to tip my hat to those on the board who tried to temper my unfettered optimism on Howard's upside. Indeed, Michigan's latest stretch (including the current three game losing streak) has shown he still has a long way to go before cementing himself as a legitimate college head coach.

Now, Michigan's struggles over the past month must be taken with a HUGE grain of salt, because the injured Isaiah Livers is easily Michigan's best scorer, and perhaps their most talented player (senior PG Zavier Simpson and senior C Jon Teske are probably more important, and "better" at this stage in their careers, but certainly not as talented). Without Livers there's no one on the team who can truly create their own offense consistently (Simpson and Teske can, but only in the right matchups, and the lack of Livers' shooting on the floor means opponents can key on them and minimize their particular skillsets). But it was disheartening to see the lack of life in my Wolverines in their loss to Penn State last night.

What's more concerning is that Howard's post-game quotes sound suspiciously like those from someone eight miles away from Durham:


I'm hoping that quotes like that are going to be the exception and not the norm from Juwan. I still think Michigan is a second-weekend caliber team with Livers as well. But right now the Wolverines are trending in the wrong direction, and if they can't get things on track at home on Saturday against a ranked Illinois team, they may find themselves squarely on the bubble.

Takes a big person to admit he/she might be wrong! What kind of bus do the Wolverines use? Sounds Howard is ready to roll.

[scottdude8]

Takes a big person to admit he/she might be wrong! What kind of bus do the Wolverines use? Sounds Howard is ready to roll.

That was exactly my concern. Change the color of blue and those quotes could've easily been attributed to Ol' Roy. Now, there are important differences between Howard and Roy: when a guy who's been around for 30 years says something like that, he knows he's throwing his guys under the bus. I'm inclined to give Howard the slightest benefit of the doubt considering last night was probably his most frustrating loss of his young career. He's also shown a tendency to let things slip in interviews (he's been reprimanded a couple times already by the NCAA for accidentally referring to recruits by name). All that said, I would rather my coach say, "We weren't communicating well, which is frustrating, but we're going to emphasize that in practice all week in preparation for a tough game Saturday"... not "I just don't get it!".

Still a long way to go before we can deem Howard's first season a success or failure, and an even longer way before we can fully judge his coaching potential (I'd argue we won't be able to truly judge that until he gets his own recruiting class or two under his belt). But last night was clearly a step back.

[tommy]

That was exactly my concern. Change the color of blue and those quotes could've easily been attributed to Ol' Roy. Now, there are important differences between Howard and Roy: when a guy who's been around for 30 years says something like that, he knows he's throwing his guys under the bus. I'm inclined to give Howard the slightest benefit of the doubt considering last night was probably his most frustrating loss of his young career. He's also shown a tendency to let things slip in interviews (he's been reprimanded a couple times already by the NCAA for accidentally referring to recruits by name). All that said, I would rather my coach say, "We weren't communicating well, which is frustrating, but we're going to emphasize that in practice all week in preparation for a tough game Saturday"... not "I just don't get it!".

Still a long way to go before we can deem Howard's first season a success or failure, and an even longer way before we can fully judge his coaching potential (I'd argue we won't be able to truly judge that until he gets his own recruiting class or two under his belt). But last night was clearly a step back.

Scottdude I think you and I are the only ones on here who care much about Michigan basketball, but I look forward to your posts on it. This team obviously needs to get Livers back pronto, as this season is hanging in the balance. Hard to believe after where they were after Atlantis, but the Big 10 season has been brutal so far.

Here's the thing: I don't get what's going on with this team. Last night Zavier Simpson took 23 shots. That can't happen. His overall percentage for the season isn't terrible, but he makes a lot of layups and his little hook, so what's his percentage on everything else? It can't be good. You can't have such a poor shooter taking that many shots. He now has taken the most shots of anyone on the team over the whole season. Ridiculous. I know some of it is due to the inconsistency of Brooks (43% overall but 39% on 3's) and Wagner is worse, but come on. I think this team should be running the offense through Jon Teske. He should be getting the most shots. He will get buckets and get the other team's bigs in foul trouble, as he is huge and has moves. You'd think that Juwan Howard, supposedly a big-man oriented coach, would run it through Teske, especially with Livers out, but he's not. I think that's a strategic error that's really hurting the team.

And then what about Wagner? He almost went pro in Europe and was recently discussed in terms of being an NBA player, but sorry I just don't see it with this guy. I see him kind of like Alex O'Connell. Long, good athlete, but just doesn't hit nearly enough of his shots, and doesn't do anything else out there to contribute to make up for it. Dude was 1 for 8 from 3 point land last night and is shooting 30% from 3 for the year, and 41% overall. I think Michigan should use him like O'Connell. Off the bench. If he comes in and hits a couple of shots, fine. Keep him in. Ride him if he's hot, and he can give you 15 or even 20 points. If he's doinks his first couple of shots, sit him on the bench and put in someone who can be more productive. I happen to like David DeJulius. He has good athleticism and pretty good handle, and has some shake to his game. None of which Wagner has. Juwan needs to make some adjustments, with or without Livers, or this season will be a lost one.

[scottdude8]

Scottdude I think you and I are the only ones on here who care much about Michigan basketball, but I look forward to your posts on it. This team obviously needs to get Livers back pronto, as this season is hanging in the balance. Hard to believe after where they were after Atlantis, but the Big 10 season has been brutal so far.

Here's the thing: I don't get what's going on with this team. Last night Zavier Simpson took 23 shots. That can't happen. His overall percentage for the season isn't terrible, but he makes a lot of layups and his little hook, so what's his percentage on everything else? It can't be good. You can't have such a poor shooter taking that many shots. He now has taken the most shots of anyone on the team over the whole season. Ridiculous. I know some of it is due to the inconsistency of Brooks (43% overall but 39% on 3's) and Wagner is worse, but come on. I think this team should be running the offense through Jon Teske. He should be getting the most shots. He will get buckets and get the other team's bigs in foul trouble, as he is huge and has moves. You'd think that Juwan Howard, supposedly a big-man oriented coach, would run it through Teske, especially with Livers out, but he's not. I think that's a strategic error that's really hurting the team.

And then what about Wagner? He almost went pro in Europe and was recently discussed in terms of being an NBA player, but sorry I just don't see it with this guy. I see him kind of like Alex O'Connell. Long, good athlete, but just doesn't hit nearly enough of his shots, and doesn't do anything else out there to contribute to make up for it. Dude was 1 for 8 from 3 point land last night and is shooting 30% from 3 for the year, and 41% overall. I think Michigan should use him like O'Connell. Off the bench. If he comes in and hits a couple of shots, fine. Keep him in. Ride him if he's hot, and he can give you 15 or even 20 points. If he's doinks his first couple of shots, sit him on the bench and put in someone who can be more productive. I happen to like David DeJulius. He has good athleticism and pretty good handle, and has some shake to his game. None of which Wagner has. Juwan needs to make some adjustments, with or without Livers, or this season will be a lost one.

Glad to hear someone enjoys my Michigan tangents!

You're actually echoing a lot of thoughts I had when I was chatting with my Dad (a Michigan alum and season ticket holder... if you watch Michigan games you've 100% seen him on TV as his seats are center court two rows behind the students, haha). My frustration after Penn State was less that we lost, but more how we looked losing, and specifically the fact that it seems like we've had the same offensive problems game after game without adjustment. If a player is only going to be out a couple games I understand a coach not wanting to change his system too much and ruin continuity, but Livers has now been our long enough that adjustments should've been made.

I agree that Teske should be the focal point of this offense, but I think that there may have been a conscious effort to throttle down his usage a bit. Why? Well, last year he was statistically one of the best defensive big men not just in the B1G, but in the country. This season he's been historically bad during Big Ten play, and the only logical explanation is fatigue: now that he's the first or second offensive option, and not the fifth, he's exerting a lot of energy on the offensive end and can't go full bore on defense. The fact that Colin Castleton hasn't quite developed enough to give him a real 10 minutes on the bench has meant we've had to go with Austin Davis, who while improved is so limited that he can't play more than 5 minutes or so and give Michigan a real chance to win. So while feeding Teske may be an answer on offense, I'm not sure it's an answer for Michigan to win more games.

I think the more likely scenario is using some different lineups, which we have the personnel to do. The "small-ball" lineup worked quite well in the win against Purdue, but we haven't gone back to it for more than a couple minutes a time since. I'd love to see more of a "four around 1" offense with DeJulius in instead of Johns. I love Johns, but he's a complimentary player, especially offensively, while DeJulius has shown an ability to generate his own shot. There are also benefits to having Zavier try to get open off the ball occasionally.

I'd also love to see a "true" small ball lineup with Johns at the 5: I think this is our best option to get Teske some real rest. That lineup would need some creativity on defense to help Johns in the post, but having Johns man the high-post offensively and do some pick and rolls has potential.

Regarding Wagner specifically, I'm not so down on him. I just think it's clear he's adjusting to the style of American basketball, including the physicality. Remember, when Mo came to Ann Arbor he had similar hype, but similar struggles in his freshman year before blossoming. I think the expectations were just a tad high for Franz as a freshman, although I think he has to be a key cog in this team for it to be a second weekend caliber team in March. I also like DeJulius, but he and Wagner fill very different roles. I'm not sure he and Franz are quite interchangeable, but I'd like to see him seeing more of the floor as well. Early in the season he was playing great as a "microwave" sixth man, but Howard seems to have lost the confidence in him. Keep the starting lineup as is, but get DeJulius in 4-5 minutes in after he's seen the flow of the game, in my opinion.

Honestly, at this point I'd just like to see Howard try SOMETHING new to fix the offensive issues if Livers is going to be out any longer. The time has long past to keep trying the same ideas over and over. All this may be for moot if Livers is close to returning, which it sounds like it is, but I want to see Coach Howard earn his job with some X's and O's.