UPDATE: Nebraska
Castleton and DeJulius looked good. Nunez took 3 shots but I don't remember seeing him. A lot of other fluff, some guy named C.J., and Harbaugh courtside put a major dampter on it (it is not like we don't see enough of him the rest of the year).
DeJulius is a kind of fast you don't teach or grow into. Castleton looks like the next John Teske, and that is saying a lot. Together they are the next Simpson and Teske, and that is saying a lot too. When they overlap the team will be really good. What can you say? Beilein has his system and they were not going to play until they made it through the ball handling and turnover protocol.
Charles Matthews is no fluff. What anyone will do with a giant framed jersey I don't know. Corny is as corny does, but still it is nothing but happy.
More about the team in a bit, but first Nebraska. I remember this game. They were a bunch of crybabies/underachievers last year and they are even worse this year. James Palmer, Jr. is kind of a joke. In this one they were undergoing a sort of psychological role-playing or initiation rite instead of playing an opponent in a basketball game. Palmer and Isaiah Roby sat while (still) coach Tim Miles emptied the bench early on.
The game was not close. It was a blowout at the 5-minute mark of the first half and it is not the first time this season an opponent has opened the game with a ridiculously-low number of points against Michigan. Minnesota was similar -- apparently decent team missing shot after shot only to go the other way and have Michigan run their offense. It takes a toll. And when teams turn the ball over or cannot stop obvious Michigan offensive plays, it is all but over.
Is Michigan Basketball 2018-19 Harbaugh-like or the anti Harbaugh? The remaining two games are more warm-ups. The two tournaments after that will tell.
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I'll have to look for the full State game. Until then, recollections are:
- The Jordan Poole freethrow line "swag" was not the first time and he lucked-out. It is confirmed that Brian Cook gets his columns from the central-purpose forum: Poole probably had his worst game as a Wolverine. As the expression goes, I have seen worse. He made shots only on the losing end seems appropriate.
- Charles wasn't doing it and Iggy is an explosive scorer cum freshman. Simpson made some 3's but the consensus is Cassius Winston won out. Teske always brings it but you have to feed him. I recall Isaiah Livers making some bonehead plays as well as some pretty 3's when open.
- Michigan was playing well and it was a close game. Matt McQuaid, Winston, and Xavier Tillman were good but the game was winnable. Apparently Tom Izzo did things that were successful relative to Beilein.
- Now I remember, Johns and DeJulius were in and didn't do a thing. It is a fun team to watch and they may win a few games in the postseason, but if anyone is expecting a B1G tournament champ and a deep NCAA run, that does not look likely given a) the bench and b) the tendency of someone among Iggy, Pool, Livers, and Matthews to flame-out.
Next is Nebraska at home with an 85% probability of winning. It is true that Michigan basketball has become a lot like Michigan football in that they win the easy ones and they are good at home.
It will be interesting to see Nebraska. Last year they had a run and everyone was thinking they were a national contender until they fizzled. They had some transfers and the one really good underclassman. This year again they were supposedly good until they just couldn't hack it when traveling east.
After that for Michigan it is two really tough road games before they settle-in for the Big Ten tournament. Where will they settle? If anyone thinks the first game against Maryland was too easy and State was a fluke, we will soon return to the mean of reality.
More to the point, if any of the starters fizzle we will find out if the freshman are up to it. Austin "A Step Slow" Davis is apparently out of the picture, or if we see him, it could be near the end.
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