Schwartz Sunday Notes: How Did Men’s Hoops Nearly Knock Off A Final Four Team?

[lightning1]

.....should have given Lickliter more time.

 

[tweeterhawk]

Are we mad again?

 

[BryceC]

In 2015 #4 Wisconsin lost to Rutgers at home. Stuff like this happens all the time. It's basketball. I mean people are properly mocking this article but in an era of hot takes this is just ridiculous.

 

[BryceC]

Some of his stuff is in the same boat of what Schwartz wrote. Btw, I think people are being overly critical. I understand what Schwartz was trying to get at.

Me too. Quote from the article:

Michigan sits two wins from a national championship. With 2:20 to play in overtime, they trailed Iowa. It means something, although it’s hard to figure out what.

Actually it's almost meaningless in a macro sense, and that's what everyone is criticizing.

 

[PCHawk]

Me too. Quote from the article:

Michigan sits two wins from a national championship. With 2:20 to play in overtime, they trailed Iowa. It means something, although it’s hard to figure out what.

Actually it's almost meaningless in a macro sense, and that's what everyone is criticizing.

It's even dumber where you consider they needed a miracle shot to advance, and they never even had to play the 1 or 2 seed. Iowa played an ok game against a pretty good team that ended up having an unlikely run to the final 4. I'm still trying to figure out what that means too.

 

[BryceC]

That stuff happens too though. I don't think that's anything to get bent out of shape about. You beat who is in front of you.

ISU played KU pretty dang well too. They crushed Tech and WVU who made the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 respectively. Then they promptly went on a tremendous losing streak to end the year.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

One game is meaningless. As Fran himself would say... "body of work"

 

[PCHawk]

That stuff happens too though. I don't think that's anything to get bent out of shape about. You beat who is in front of you.

ISU played KU pretty dang well too. They crushed Tech and WVU who made the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 respectively. Then they promptly went on a tremendous losing streak to end the year.

Is that meant for me? Bent out of shape?

 

[SteveGarvey1]

In 2015 #4 Wisconsin lost to Rutgers at home. Stuff like this happens all the time. It's basketball. I mean people are properly mocking this article but in an era of hot takes this is just ridiculous.

Each team has a wide range of performance it will perform each game, depending on various factors. Michigan's was at their poorer range when they played Iowa, Iowa's was towards its higher level. Thus the close game. It's not rocket science.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Iowa was only in that game because Michigan's 2 best players were in constant foul trouble and Michigan shot like 0 for 13 from 3 point land to start. Michigan handed Iowa that game and Iowa still couldn't take it.

IMO this is Michigan every game. When they hit the 3 they are tough. When they don't the game goes down to the wire.

 

[revkev73]

How did they win 14 games?

No defense

Poor coaching

Weak guards

No PG

Soft up and down the lineup and coaching staff

Is that enough?

 

[WindsorHawk]

Fact. Michigan is in the Final 4. Is Michigan one of the top 4 teams in the country? Are they one of the top 10 teams in the country? I don't think they are but that's just my opinion. I think West Virginia and multiple other teams are in the Final 4 playing the teams below...allowing for 1 almost certain loss that becomes a win (like Michigan's on 2 missed FTs and a miracle shot).

14 - Montana
6 - Houston
7 - Texas A&M
9 - Florida State

So the only team Michigan played that is higher than a 7 seed had them beat and let it get away. Now they get an 11 seed in the Final 4. And I suspect many would agree the team they play next is the best team they have played thus far in the tournament.

Edit - The point I am trying to make is we almost beat a team in the Final 4. But Michigan is not one of the top 4 teams in the country IMO.

 

[Kennyfromminne]

Fact. Michigan is in the Final 4. Is Michigan one of the top 4 teams in the country? Are they one of the top 10 teams in the country? I don't think they are but that's just my opinion. I think West Virginia and multiple other teams are in the Final 4 playing the teams below...allowing for 1 almost certain loss that becomes a win (like Michigan's on 2 missed FTs and a miracle shot).

14 - Montana
6 - Houston
7 - Texas A&M
9 - Florida State

So the only team Michigan played that is higher than a 7 seed had them beat and let it get away. Now they get an 11 seed in the Final 4. And I suspect many would agree the team they play next is the best team they have played thus far in the tournament.

Edit - The point I am trying to make is we almost beat a team in the Final 4. But Michigan is not one of the top 4 teams in the country IMO.

Good post. Youre spot on imo

 

[PCHawk]

Each team has a wide range of performance it will perform each game, depending on various factors. Michigan's was at their poorer range when they played Iowa, Iowa's was towards its higher level. Thus the close game. It's not rocket science.

I don't even think Iowa played all that good, even for their standards. They gave up a bunch of wide open layups and wide open 3 attempts on defense, then they didn't shoot all that great on offense. I would say we played average and Michigan shot poorly from 3.

 

[HawkGold]

I don't even think Iowa played all that good, even for their standards. They gave up a bunch of wide open layups and wide open 3 attempts on defense, then they didn't shoot all that great on offense. I would say we played average and Michigan shot poorly from 3.

Ummm wide open layups and wide open 3's are a product of

 

[ssckelley]

Jeez, if every article isn't doom and gloom then it's embarrassing! Come on guys, Michigan is in the F4 and Iowa did in fact gave them a battle in the B10 tournament. In a season where there has not been very much positive to write about this one is justified. Iowa had the talent to do much better this season but, unfortunately, Fran failed to address the biggest weakness on the team and I doubt he addresses it before next season either.

 

[thedukeofearl]

This is how I see it. It was one of the few highlights in a dismal season.....

Would it have been better if Michigan had beaten us by 20 points.....

Perhaps not

 

[PCHawk]

The one thing I took from the Michigan game was how we were kinda unlucky with how much every other team this year lit us up from 3. Michigan is a good team that had wide open shots all night and kept missing them. Games like that normally happen all the time in college. It happened one tike against Iowa. I know people love to say "if a college player is open, they're going to make it". But that just isn't true. We played terrible defense and deserved what we got. But it was still ridiculous that it took until the very last game of the year for a team to miss.

 

[N8theGr8]

Me too. Quote from the article:

Michigan sits two wins from a national championship. With 2:20 to play in overtime, they trailed Iowa. It means something, although it’s hard to figure out what.

Actually it's almost meaningless in a macro sense, and that's what everyone is criticizing.

The implication that is hoped for here is that Iowa is *ALMOST* a final 4 team since we *ALMOST* beat them. However, there are two fundamental truths when comparing teams:
1. The transitive property doesn't apply in sports.
2. Better teams find ways to win.

 

[Hawk5656]

The one thing I took from the Michigan game was how we were kinda unlucky with how much every other team this year lit us up from 3. Michigan is a good team that had wide open shots all night and kept missing them. Games like that normally happen all the time in college. It happened one tike against Iowa. I know people love to say "if a college player is open, they're going to make it". But that just isn't true. We played terrible defense and deserved what we got. But it was still ridiculous that it took until the very last game of the year for a team to miss.

I know Wisconsin missed a lot of open 3's against us. If I remember right I think Colorado and Minnesota at Carver did too.