Michigan is dangerous but not lethal. Let's take a look at why.
Moe Wagner is the best player. His defense has improved as has his rebounding and penchant for fouls. As a scorer he is capable and versatile around the basket and deadly from outside. He always comes to play and has accepted his role as a dominant big and team leader.
MAAR probably fits here at number two although it could be considered a three- or even four-man tie. He is superbly fit and quick, an excellent ball-handler, and he is capable at driving and hitting the three. But sometimes he disappears or cannot get open; other times he still flops.
Charles Matthews is beginning to look like the hard-luck guy. Drive after drive he looks great but just can't finish; or, he makes a great play plus draws a foul only to miss free throws. He is also a smart player and great athlete who always puts the team first. He is an asset and versatile player who is going to keep getting more reliable.
Z is as important to the team as he is detrimental. His height and release point makes 3-pointers difficult. And he cannot play at the end of close games if he cannot make free throws. Still, he is arguably the most important player on the team because of his on-the-ball defense, driving, and passing. He is a smart player in that he has learned to lead Beilein's offense.
Duncan Robinson could be number two or five on this list. Smart, experienced, and confident he is a key leader. "Athlete" or not he is a strong overall player--conditioning, length, and improved defense--and his shooting can dominate a game.
Isaiah Livers probably goes here because he cracked the starting lineup and he has provided spark and skill.
Jon Teske is 7' 1" and is not a disappointment. What does that mean? He is solid. His is not afraid at all to be solid while putting a body on someone. He is dependable around the basket for layups and rebounds. He showed an awful lot of hands and feet skills playing defense on the perimeter (with Wagner) too.
Jordan Poole has been playing more because 1) he can hit the 3-pointer and b) you can pass the ball to him at the end of games and he will make free throws if fouled. Good enough. But he apparently has skill and moxie too.
Others: Jaaron looks angry and I would be too. Eli Brooks plays and has looked good. Ibi Watson, no. Austin Davis, double no.
Earlier in the season I said to myself this is a really good team because they go 7-8 deep with really good players.
Then, as noted above, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman started disappearing and flopping; Mathews proved that the missed layups and free throws were not a fluke; ditto for Zavier Simpson in terms of jump shots and free throws. Teske, Livers, Brooks, and Poole were not proven or dependable enough to go to for defensive stops or offense. These same problems started showing-up game after game beginning with the first of two losses to Purdue.
Defend the perimeter--stop uncontested three's--and you can beat Michigan.
You could see that opposing teams had a formula for stopping Michigan. At this point it became pretty clear that, despite their sometimes explosive offense, they were hanging on to the Top 25 by a thread.
Ohio State earlier in the year, Nebraska, and Northwestern were bad losses. The win over Michigan State was great but M is probably lucky they only played State once (although MSU did not look good in that game). In the Big Ten Wisconsin and Maryland are/were not what they usually are this year.
A while back there were six games left and a chance to either finish the season near the top of the Big Ten or to concede there are better teams. Michigan is now 2-1 preceding the tournaments. Iowa is not good and that was too easy. 0-3 is possible; 1-2 is likely.
Better teams will solve them. At this point, it would be a surprise to Michigan basketball go beyond the first one or two rounds of both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
But they are fun to watch. They are almost never out of a game. And at the end of the season John Beilein is an advantage.
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