sportstalent
Well-Known Member
Took in the Illinois/Michigan game today. My wife is a huge UM fan, so we go to 5 or 6 games a year.
Illinois:
Bruce Weber is changing my mind that it is clear cut who the biggest whiner of coaches is....it is still Izzo, but he mad a spectacle of himself today. Since when is it okay for coaches to be on the floor and impede player movement? Weber did nothing, but complain even when there were six minutes left in the game and the foul advantage for Illinois was 7-0, he wanted call after call and should have been T'd up a couple times.
Leonard has a long way to go still at this point. He is improved, but against Michigan's smaller defenders he let himself get taken off the block...Trey Burke pushed him off the block multiple times. Leonard rebounded well, but struggled with anything else today.
Illinois is very handsy on defense, they were mugging guys off the ball. Abrams was the worst and it was amazing how he was dumbfounded when he got called for a foul. Bertrand was talking and pushing Hardaway until TH hit some shots...didn't see him jawing much or on the floor a lot after that. If they are allowed to be grabby and pushy they will, Michigan adjusted and at one point off the ball Hardaway put either Bertrand or Paul on the ground with no call.
Illinois is the most atheletic team I have seen in person, even more than Kansas whom I saw last year, but they just runaround with no purpose a lot of the times on both sides of the floor. Weber has little control over his team and if they continue to play they way they have, he will be out of a job if he isn't already.
Michigan:
They play with the demeanor of their coach; Hardaway has been frustrated all season for some reason, mainly because his shot has not been that good at any point this season. Novak/Douglass don't panic and just understand their roles more than anything.
Trey Burke is the most impactful freshman in the conference. Zeller may be the better player, but Burke came in with little balleyhoo and has emerged as Michigan's best player right now. The other thing is, if it matters, he has his team in a position to win the conference. There is one thing about the FOY award that can come into play, where that player's team finishes in comparison to others. Burke draws the other teams best defender, not something I think even Michigan expected.
Michigan understands how to play team defense. Jordan Morgan is one of the best single post defenders, but he struggled today and Michigan made up for it in many ways. They just put in a monumental effort and understand positioning. Michigan is not the best defensive team in the BIG, but they take big men out of the game. Sullinger got the better of them earlier this year, it will be interesting to see what Michigan does against him Saturday...I will be at that game as well.
Illinois has more individual talent than Michigan, but Michigan believes in their team a lot more than Illinois does.
Illinois:
Bruce Weber is changing my mind that it is clear cut who the biggest whiner of coaches is....it is still Izzo, but he mad a spectacle of himself today. Since when is it okay for coaches to be on the floor and impede player movement? Weber did nothing, but complain even when there were six minutes left in the game and the foul advantage for Illinois was 7-0, he wanted call after call and should have been T'd up a couple times.
Leonard has a long way to go still at this point. He is improved, but against Michigan's smaller defenders he let himself get taken off the block...Trey Burke pushed him off the block multiple times. Leonard rebounded well, but struggled with anything else today.
Illinois is very handsy on defense, they were mugging guys off the ball. Abrams was the worst and it was amazing how he was dumbfounded when he got called for a foul. Bertrand was talking and pushing Hardaway until TH hit some shots...didn't see him jawing much or on the floor a lot after that. If they are allowed to be grabby and pushy they will, Michigan adjusted and at one point off the ball Hardaway put either Bertrand or Paul on the ground with no call.
Illinois is the most atheletic team I have seen in person, even more than Kansas whom I saw last year, but they just runaround with no purpose a lot of the times on both sides of the floor. Weber has little control over his team and if they continue to play they way they have, he will be out of a job if he isn't already.
Michigan:
They play with the demeanor of their coach; Hardaway has been frustrated all season for some reason, mainly because his shot has not been that good at any point this season. Novak/Douglass don't panic and just understand their roles more than anything.
Trey Burke is the most impactful freshman in the conference. Zeller may be the better player, but Burke came in with little balleyhoo and has emerged as Michigan's best player right now. The other thing is, if it matters, he has his team in a position to win the conference. There is one thing about the FOY award that can come into play, where that player's team finishes in comparison to others. Burke draws the other teams best defender, not something I think even Michigan expected.
Michigan understands how to play team defense. Jordan Morgan is one of the best single post defenders, but he struggled today and Michigan made up for it in many ways. They just put in a monumental effort and understand positioning. Michigan is not the best defensive team in the BIG, but they take big men out of the game. Sullinger got the better of them earlier this year, it will be interesting to see what Michigan does against him Saturday...I will be at that game as well.
Illinois has more individual talent than Michigan, but Michigan believes in their team a lot more than Illinois does.
Wow!!
