Call it now...Good loss...if there is such a thing....Hayden Fry would disagree

[Husky28]

In my opinion Kriener and Pemsl were very bad for us tonight. I know Kriener threw in a couple shots, but even when we had the two big lineups we couldn’t get a defensive rebound and Michigan was just exposing mismatches with out footspeed.

It’s pretty obvious that Pemsl’s back is still an issue. He didn’t play much after the MI player came down on his back. He was wincing afterwards.

 

[Husky28]

Notice in my first post that I said developing a player big time. If Garza keeps playing this way, he could spend worthwhile time in the NBA......not just a couple of weeks then playing in the D-League or Overseas. So, not moving the goalposts. Not that Fran has seen growth out of his players, but this looks considerable in Garza.

I’d say Marble would qualify as a vast improvement under Fran...

 

[Husky28]

I’m a little mad right now, but I think overall it’s not a bad loss. We showed we can compete on the road with a really good team. Fredrick was nowhere near 100%, Iowa didn’t get a good whistle at all from the zebras, and Michigan shot really well.

Our defense was still terrible though so a long way to go there.

I hope Fran learned a few things.. but I doubt he did. Those things would be, Pemsl isn’t bringing us much at all, scrap that stupid matchup zone, and regardless of the occasional mistake we need more Toussaint for defense at the very least.

With our guard line-up the D will struggle against big teams like MI.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Both teams shot roughly the same number of threes. We were 3/15 vs their 9/16. I'm no mathematician, but if we hit the same percentage of our threes as they did, we win the game.

I have a feeling that will be our season. Hit our threes we win. Go cold from 3 we lose.

Michigan was 10/24 on 3s

 

[NEIChawk]

Overall, great effort. Defense will always win games. That, and rebounding will need to vastly improve if we're to remain competitive. Offensively, we still have to make shots. Our 3's will start falling. Obviously, we can score, but our defense us lazy and slow getting back and rotating. Fran has a book on it, doesn't he?

 

[NikeHawk21]

With our guard line-up the D will struggle against big teams like MI.

I don’t think Michigan is a big team honestly. Their power forward Livers is 6’7. Wieskamp is 6’6.

I personally think our smaller lineups are our best defensive lineups. Last night it was just a lot tougher because CJF whose probably our second best perimeter defender behind Toussaint was playing at like 70% from his injury.

When we go with the bigger lineups Kriener and Pemsl just get exposed with their lack of footspeed in my opinion. I like playing smaller, even if it means the giving up a little size.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Overall, great effort. Defense will always win games. That, and rebounding will need to vastly improve if we're to remain competitive. Offensively, we still have to make shots. Our 3's will start falling. Obviously, we can score, but our defense us lazy and slow getting back and rotating. Fran has a book on it, doesn't he?

I thought we did look maybe a little lazy or a step slower than even we typically are. We were a little banged up, and this team has been to Vegas, New York, and Ann Arbor in like a 10 day span playing 4 games. That’s not easy on a college team, especially one that is a little short handed with injury.

Need a big bounce back game against Minnesota. That is a extremely important game for a number of reasons.

 

[Zstatman]

We played hard but that's not enough. If we are going to make any kind of post season tourney we need to beat teams with better athletes.

I was once again amazed at how much better athleticism Michigan had than us. How many times did our guy have their guy boxed out and their guy just elevated over our guy to snatch a rebound? Other than pounding the ball inside to Luka we struggled to get good shots most of the game. Our guys aren't athletic enough to create their own shots and we didn't do a very good job of moving the ball to get them. Michigan seemed to have an easy time, most of the game, of getting good shots on a consistent basis. Their guys were able to elevate enough to get a good shot, something we can't do.

Yes, we played hard on the road. Most of the second half we seemed just a run away from making it a close game. Let's see how we do in that next B1G game in Iowa City.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I'm not upset about the loss. Team played hard and hung in there, especially considering a road game against a top 5 opponent, but it's basically the same script: Offense was good but zero D. Not the first time we've seen this and it won't be the last.

I think it "just is" as far as Fran's teams go. Waiting for his teams to play great D is like waiting for KF's football teams to become an offensive juggernaut. Not gonna happen.

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Michigan was 10/24 on 3s

I told you I was no mathematician! Read the numbers in an article... Must have misread it. Regardless, normally can't win with 3/15 on threes.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

I’d say Marble would qualify as a vast improvement under Fran...

If Marble could only hit a shot when we needed it.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I didn't expect a win at Michigan by any means. But I sure expected that we'd play a modicum of defense. We didn't. JW got absolutely destroyed on the weak side by staring at the ball and forgetting about the guy cutting behind his back for an uncontested back door dunk. Garza looked clueless about defending the pick and roll. I sure hope that was confusion on his part and not the way Fran actually wants it defended.

When JBo shuts it down, and I wish he didn't have to, this team will struggle big time. If Fran is smart, he will give Joe T more playing time to develop. My fear is, he will go big and give Kriener and Pemsl more time. Nothing against them, but Joe T is the defender that this team lacks against B1G pg's.

I predict bubble team at best this year, NIT most likely. But man, next year could be really special!