LivingstonNative said:
Anybody got anything on Michigan. How good are they?
Hi Grizzlies. A Michigan fan stopping by to check out your squad. Here's a 101-level overview of Michigan:
Got really hot late. Avenged losses to Nebraska and Ohio State. Beat Michigan State twice, once at MSU and again in the Big Ten tourney. Played Purdue to close regular season losses, and then turned around and beat them handily in the conference final. RPI at #12. KenPom at #10.
Difference from this team and Michigan teams of years' past is this team plays lights out defense. #8 in the nation or something in KenPom's adjusted def. efficiency. And then the hallmark of all John Beilein teams is a perimeter based offense that is as tough to prepare for as any, with shooters that make you pay for collapsing and helping.
Zavier Simpson is the Sophomore PG that changed the season. They were replacing a senior and they tried 3 different guys and took a while to figure it out. Simpson has become the guy. Considered a bulldog. Excellent on ball defender. He locked up the best guards in the conference in the Big Ten tourney with each posting numbers WELL below season averages. Great ball handler, wild ability to finish at the rim. Downside is he's not a good shooter from range.
Moritz Wagner (VOG'-ner) is the one to watch. He makes it go. He's 6'11" and is more than comfortable shooting 3s. You'll see tons of picks up top, with Wagner just as capable to pop as he is to roll to the basket.
Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman is the senior leader and the 2 guard who wears pink shoes. It's his team. Excellent decision maker, very hot shooter right now. Has always been one of the best drive and kick guys on the team.
Freshman Isaiah Livers is the starting PF. He'll start, but Senior Duncan Robinson will play most of the minutes. Robinson is a dead-eye 3-point shooter and responsible defender. Charles Matthews rounds out the starting lineup. A Kentucky transfer, his specialty is defense and just generally being the best pure athlete on the team - whether that's rebounding or dunking. Sketchy ball handler, streaky shooter.
Jaaron Simmons is the backup PG. He'll see brief stints. Jordan Poole is Michigan's "microwave". True Freshman with maximum confidence who won't be gun shy. Usually his entry into the game is good for an offensive spark. John Teske is the backup 5 - a more traditional look. Big 7'1" Sophomore who ate Purdue up off the bench.
Michigan is turnover adverse. They don't foul a ton. Major weakness is Free Throw shooting. Simpson and Matthews have been comical from the stripe at times.
Since Simpson grabbed the starting role, they really have two losses - @Nebraska and @Northwestern. Those teams gave Michigan trouble with their relatively small, athletic lineups that would switch every screen. Since then, teams have tried the same thing and Michigan has carved it up. If you have traditional, plodding centers/power forwards, Michigan will have them on the perimeter defending dribble drives all day which leads to wide open guys drilling 3s. Teams have broken out zones as a change up, but it's usually a temporary fix before Michigan starts finding open looks. John Beilein is 2nd to none as an offensive mind.
Other ugly losses - LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State were before they settled on their rotation and are hard to learn anything from.
You want Michigan to go ice cold, which may be realistic with the long layoff. We'll have to see. That's how they get in trouble. Michigan is pretty decent rebounding defensively. They don't generally pound the offensive glass, in order to prevent any kind of transition game. Again, no easy baskets on the defensive end. They will allow you to single up defenders on an island if Montana has anybody with a post game, generally because 3 is more than 2 and most people stink at traditional post offense. You can have it.
Montana has a shot if they can spring a new look for Michigan's offense to deal with but they've been adapting all season long and seem to have it figured out. And it will definitely help if they can get Wagner, Simpson or Abdur-Rahkman in foul trouble. That was the struggle against Iowa in first game of Big Ten Tourney. Major foul trouble and terrible free throw shooting down the stretch allowed Iowa to hit a bomb to force OT.
Anyway, thought it was worth a contribution. Best of luck to you guys (but not really). Any tidbits about your team (of which I know absolutely jack squat), would be appreciated.
