2021 NCAA Tournament - Meta thread

[Napoleon 8689]

5 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

Tech, Baylor and Houston have made the Final Four in the last two tournaments.   It’s amazing how far basketball in Texas has come in the last 20 years.  

The number of teams in Texas who have won an NCAA game in the last 6 years is something else.

[WBT 20615]

9 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

Tech, Baylor and Houston have made the Final Four in the last two tournaments.   It’s amazing how far basketball in Texas has come in the last 20 years.  

 

2 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

The number of teams in Texas who have won an NCAA game in the last 6 years is something else.

[Guest Lobo]

7 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

The number of teams in Texas who have won an NCAA game in the last 6 years is something else.

Yeah, I’m afraid to ask but maybe it’ll prove a cathartic exercise as we move into the next chapter.  
 

I can name All the power conference teams but I’ll guessing there’s another half dozen smaller programs like ACU, et al 

[Trey3216 15347]

20 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Yeah, I’m afraid to ask but maybe it’ll prove a cathartic exercise as we move into the next chapter.  
 

I can name All the power conference teams but I’ll guessing there’s another half dozen smaller programs like ACU, et al 

SFA, UNT, UTA to name a few 

[Brothahorn 10087]

2 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

SFA, UNT, UTA to name a few 

TSUx2, if you count the play in games

[Napoleon 8689]

2 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

SFA, UNT, UTA to name a few 

Perhaps a UTSA or a UTEP as well.

Maybe a Tx State? Lamar? I don't know.

I just know that t pisses me off.

It's like US Men's Soccer Olympic Qualifying. It would be nice if the men could be more like the women UT Basketball & US Soccer.

[ztejas 43475]

35 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Yeah, I’m afraid to ask but maybe it’ll prove a cathartic exercise as we move into the next chapter.  
 

I can name All the power conference teams but I’ll guessing there’s another half dozen smaller programs like ACU, et al 

Next let's name all the heartbreaking tournament losses I've sat through as a fan of Texas and SMU in the past 6 years! 

[Longboard Horn 40333]

6 hours ago, Napoleon said:

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE BABY !!!!!!!

Reunite the Southwest Conference!

[Juicy 727]

@Sbbruin Today we are enemies. Juwan is coming for you again.

[El Diablo 4232]

Baylor in the Final Four; Duke, Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky nowhere in sight. Timing does help. I think the Bears have had 3 trips to the Elite Eight in the last 10 years and hope that experience by the coaches will have some impact vs a good Houston team. 

[Napoleon 8689]

1 hour ago, El Diablo said:

Baylor in the Final Four; Duke, Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky nowhere in sight. Timing does help. I think the Bears have had 3 trips to the Elite Eight in the last 10 years and hope that experience by the coaches will have some impact vs a good Houston team. 

Last year they may have made it as well. 

But they didn’t get selected.

[Js1 85409]

5 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

Last year they may have made it as well. 

Thank God, we missed a world where Baylor MBB might have won it all in 2020 (and potentially 2021, so back to back) and Baylor WBB might have gone back to back as well (2019 and 2020). 

COVID did one thing right. 

[Juicy 727]

 

[Jhawk 1075]

Confession time. I got in a Calcutta at the country club. If Baylor wins it all my team will win 28k off a 5k bet. Drew has become a better coach since dumping the zone defense. I still hate him. The team wasn’t my choice but here we are. We picked Baylor, Oregon state, creighton, and Syracuse. We were in the money once the sweet 16 hit and now I need Baylor to bring it home for me. 4 guys split the 5k bet evenly. 

[El Diablo 4232]

8 minutes ago, Jhawk said:

Confession time. I got in a Calcutta at the country club. If Baylor wins it all my team will win 28k off a 5k bet. Drew has become a better coach since dumping the zone defense. I still hate him. The team wasn’t my choice but here we are. We picked Baylor, Oregon state, creighton, and Syracuse. We were in the money once the sweet 16 hit and now I need Baylor to bring it home for me. 4 guys split the 5k bet evenly. 

I don't know that he went away from it as some philosophy change, I think it was most likely a matter of the type of players he's had more recently. Either way it shows some maturation as a coach. 

[Napoleon 8689]

15 minutes ago, Jhawk said:

Confession time. I got in a Calcutta at the country club. If Baylor wins it all my team will win 28k off a 5k bet. Drew has become a better coach since dumping the zone defense. I still hate him. The team wasn’t my choice but here we are. We picked Baylor, Oregon state, creighton, and Syracuse. We were in the money once the sweet 16 hit and now I need Baylor to bring it home for me. 4 guys split the 5k bet evenly. 

When you mentioned “country club”, I kind of realized that you didn’t need the money, so I’m still going to root against Baylor. 
 

👍

[Restinmybones 111]

41 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

When you mentioned “country club”, I kind of realized that you didn’t need the money, so I’m still going to root against Baylor. 
 

👍

Yeah. I can't pull for Baylor in anything against anyone. Might be nice to see Houston finally win one. I kind of like the way they play - intense, tough, gritty, and no flashy stars. However, I don't think they can beat Baylor. I think Gonzaga is the only team left that can beat Baylor. 

[Sbbruin 21861]

3 hours ago, Juicy said:

@Sbbruin Today we are enemies. Juwan is coming for you again.

Michy is clearly the more talented team.  But the Bruins are playing with a grit and tenaciousness I don't know that I've ever seen from them.  And I've been watching them since I was a toddler.  You can't measure the heart of a champion.

[SimonBolivar 10958]

Man I would love to see a UCLA/USC Final 4.

[Juicy 727]

3 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

 

Michy is clearly the more talented team.  But the Bruins are playing with a grit and tenaciousness I don't know that I've ever seen from them.  And I've been watching them since I was a toddler.  You can't measure the heart of a champion.

As I was watching the Bama/UCLA game I just kept flip flopping on who I would rather face. Jaquez is the epitome of a dude you hate playing against. I think it will be a good game tonight, and if UCLA can contain Dickenson (I guess their tallest dude is 6'9) I think it will be trouble for Michigan. 

[Jhawk 1075]

1 hour ago, El Diablo said:

I don't know that he went away from it as some philosophy change, I think it was most likely a matter of the type of players he's had more recently. Either way it shows some maturation as a coach. 

I never understood it. When you have length like he used to zone can be great. But when you face teams that shoot decently you risk getting run out of the gym which he would. Maybe it’s his offenses are getting better and he realizes it is a shooting game now and so he knows he can’t allow teams to shot over him anymore? I think of some of his old teams and think they could have been real contenders if they would’ve played man with a sprinkle of zone. Like you said, clearly he has shown some growth. It’ll be a tough steak to choke down if he wins it all. I’m still holding out that he isn’t even top 4 coaches in the conference but that fades quickly with Kruger retiring and drew actually performing (though he almost choked it away last night). Right now I’ve got it self, beard, huggy, drew. But had Kruger above drew and huggy. I think drew is very close to being tied with Huggy and could surpass him if this doesn’t prove to be a blip on the radar from a late season performance standpoint. 
 

TLDR: fuck Baylor. Win me some money you teammate murdering rape city sumbitches. 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Jhawk

[Sbbruin 21861]

31 minutes ago, Juicy said:

As I was watching the Bama/UCLA game I just kept flip flopping on who I would rather face. Jaquez is the epitome of a dude you hate playing against. I think it will be a good game tonight, and if UCLA can contain Dickenson (I guess their tallest dude is 6'9) I think it will be trouble for Michigan. 

Dickenson could end up ripping us a new one.  If Riley gets in foul trouble, we're cooked.  We can throw Nwaba and Ettienne at him to eat up some fouls, but at that point we're grasping at straws.  

Jaquez has been a straight baller.  He played all 45 mins in the last game.  I haven't checked, but I'll guess he has sat about 3 mins total in 4 games.

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Sbbruin 21861]

$9.95er preview:

Spoiler

The journey continues. The UCLA men’s basketball team took another step on its improbable travels through the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night when the 11th-seeded Bruins upset the 2nd-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime, 88-78. That put the Bruins into the Elite Eight with the opportunity to earn a berth in the program’s first Final Four since 2008.

Standing in the way are the Michigan Wolverines, the East Region’s top seed. The game will take place on Tuesday night (6:57 PDT; TBS, Streaming).

Once again, the Bruins will be decided underdogs and, based on some match-up issues, will be up against it. Once again, several factors will have to break in UCLA’s favor for the Bruins to advance. Once again, the Bruins have a chance.

Michigan is having a fantastic season, and significant platitudes should be given to the coaching job done by head coach Juwan Howard and his staff. He has gotten the most out of virtually every player in the rotation, so much so that Michigan hasn’t missed a beat in the Big Dance from its outstanding 2-4 regular-season despite losing arguably its best player, senior Isaiah Livers (6’7”, 230 lbs.) for the season with a stress fracture in his right foot. Much has been made about the staff that Howard has put together, including former long-time St. Joseph’s head coach, Phil Martelli, and its influence on the team’s tactics, but Howard is the one who put that staff together, and the offense, which has so many NBA-style elements to it, is clearly Howard’s.

And it is that offense that will cause the Bruins the biggest issues as they battle to reach another Final Four in the program’s rich history.

Now, for the match-ups:

FRONTCOURT:

We will start in the frontcourt because, with Livers out, Michigan’s best player is arguably true freshman post Hunter Dickinson (7’1”, 255 lbs.). The freshman of the year in the Big Ten has been dominant for much of the year. He leads the team in scoring at 14.2 PPG, leads the Wolverines in rebounding at 7.6 RPG, and he leads the team in blocks with 39. He is shooting over 60% from the floor and 76% from the free throw line. While those are very good statistics, what sets Dickinson apart is his high-level basketball IQ. He simply is always in the right spot on the floor, especially on offense. His footwork is outstanding and he has very good hands. He can play a finesse game inside and is quite comfortable being physical. About the only time he looked out of sorts this season because of an opposing player was when he faced Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, and unless your name is Krutwig, that was the case for virtually anyone who matched-up against the Illinois big man.

Dickinson is going to cause the Bruins some significant match-up issues, but he is far from the only threat. Senior Austin Davis (6’10”, 250 lbs.) is more than capable of coming in and spelling Dickinson for 3-4 minutes at a time with very little drop-off. Davis rarely plays more than 10 MPG, but his limited time is very effective at allowing Michigan to stay fresh throughout a game.

In terms of the other two forward starters, junior Brandon Johns (6’8”, 240 lbs.) and sophomore Franz Wagner (6’9”, 220 lbs.), UCLA will have its hands full. Johns is a “glue guy” who will do the dirty work required of a line-up where almost everyone else is a significant offensive threat. He doesn’t have great stats, but he does so many of the little things needed by a championship team. He will often defend the opposition’s best frontcourt player, and he will hist three-point shots if the defense leaves him alone. He is hitting almost 37% from distance on the season.

However, Wagner is the real threat. He is essentially a point-forward. He is probably the best passer on the team, and he has the ball handling skills of a guard. He has a reputation for bringing the ball up and going all the way to the basket without looking as if he is laboring or that he will lose the ball. he averages 12.8 PPG on almost 50% shooting, and is hitting 36% of his three-point shots. He also averages 6.5 RPG.

UCLA’s Cody Riley is at a disadvantage in the post with Dickinson who, while being more skilled than Riley, is also bigger. Dickinson has shown that he will get in foul trouble, but Howard can go to Davis off the bench.

The real question for UCLA head coach Mick Cronin is how he will match-up with Johns and Wagner. The guess is that Jaime Jaquez will draw the initial assignment of Wagner as he is a better defender than Johnny Juzang, and that Juzang will take Johns. However, if Michigan is getting too many easy looks at the basket, don’t be surprised if freshman Jaylen Clark sees significant minutes. He may be at a height disadvantage, but he is such a good natural defender and rebounder that the height difference may not matter. And, Clark is a stronger athlete than either Johns or Wagner.

This game may call for Cronin to choose to play Kenny Nwuba or Mac Etienne simply because of their size.

 

BACKCOURT

Wagner also fits here because of his abilities on the ball, but the starting backcourt is quite strong, with senior Mike Smith (5’11”, 185 lbs.), a Columbia transfer, and fellow senior Eli Brooks (6’1”, 185 lbs.). They average about 19 PPG between them, with the two getting about an equal number of points, and they both can pass the ball, but Smith is clearly the point guard with Brooks playing off the ball. Smith is a very smart basketball player, almost always making the right pass or making the right decision on whether to pass or drive. He is a 42% three-point shooter and an 82% free throw shooter. He is an adequate defender. His biggest contribution, though, is that he is unquestionably the team’s leader on the floor, especially in the absence of Livers. He is essentially Tyger Campbell with a three-point shot.

Brooks is a 40% three-point shooter and a 91% free throw shooter. Brooks doesn’t force things offensively, which makes him dangerous because teams tend to lose track of him trying to deal with Dickinson, Wagner and Smith. He is also the team’s best perimeter defender.

Depth is provided by senior wing Chaundee Brown (6’5”, 215 lbs.), who has come into his own in the NCAA Tournament. He provides another outside shooting presence that allows Michigan to spread the floor. He is shooting 41% from the three-point line.

The Michigan backcourt presents a whole different challenge than the Alabama backcourt. The Tide relied on elite athleticism, especially with Jahvon Quinerly, to attack the Bruins off the dribble. Michigan’s perimeter players are not nearly as athletic as Alabama’s, but they are so much more disciplined on offense. Certainly, the Bruin perimeter players will need to worry about dribble penetration, but that isn’t the focus of Michigan’s offensive game.

Tyger Campbell is going to be at a strength disadvantage against Smith, but he should be able to match-his quickness. Jules Bernard and David Singleton can match-up well with Brooks and Brown, and Bernard could and should be able to take advantage of his size and strength against either one. Having Clark in the backcourt would increase UCLA’s athleticism to the point of having an advantage on the perimeter. We cannot forget Jake Kyman who, if Michigan forgets him, could hit some big shots and, as he showed against Bama, Kyman is no slouch on defense.

TACTICS/COACHING:

This year’s version of the Elite Eight has teams whose coaches have done a wonderful job both preparing their teams and making in-game tactical adjustments. Yes, this includes USC’s Andy Enfield, at least up to this point, so the coaching battle is probably a bit of a wash. The one caveat to that is Michigan hasn’t really been forced to make significant offensive adjustments, but they also haven’t played a team that could force them and Howard to do so.

Michigan’s offense has been a thing of beauty for about the past two months. No one remembers that Michigan struggled early on in the season with teams like Oakland because the players were adjusting to what was being asked of them. But the Wolverines have become a well-oiled machine. What is exciting for basketball purists is that Michigan is not relying on what we will term AAU-ball, which is kind of Alabama’s offense -- the kind of offense that either shoots lay-ups of three-pointers. No, Michigan spreads the floor in the same manner as one might see in an NBA game, but there is so much movement going on away from the ball that Bobby Knight would be impressed.

That kind of spacing and passing/unselfishness is hard to guard, but Michigan does some very simple things that make it even more difficult to defend. There are two areas where the Wolverines excel that seem so simple, but most teams don’t do either. The first is the use of screens. Michigan players drive their defenders into screens, banging shoulders as they go by their screening teammates. it forces defenders to choose to either go over the screen or under, and Michigan’s players are good at recognizing when to curl (when being chased) or when to flair out (when a defender goes under a screen), and Michigan has three players hitting north of 40% from outside, with two more hitting at least 36% from distance.

The other area Michigan excels in in ball movement. It seems such a simple concept, but a passed ball moves faster than a defender can move his feet. Move the ball quickly and reverse the ball (in other words, be patient), and eventually the defense breaks down.

These two simple things make Michigan’s offense the most potent one that UCLA has yet faced in the tournament.

It is so potent in its efficiency that it puts pressure on the opposition’s offense to keep up.

Oddly, Dickinson is not the lynch-pin for this offense. Michigan has struggled when at least two of Smith, Wagner or Brooks has struggled. And that needs to be the focus of UCLA’s defense.

Michigan has lost only four games all season, but all four have some common factors, and they are factors that UCLA can copy. In all four losses, to Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois and Minnesota, Michigan shot the ball poorly, both overall and from the arc. But it isn’t as simple as that. All four opponents were very physical with the Maize and Blue, especially on the perimeter, and it really bothered the Wolverines.

UCLA’s defensive physicality clearly bothered Alabama, certainly by the end of the game when Bama looked gassed and many of the Tide’s shots were short (indicating tired legs). UCLA’s physicality bothered BYU. And it bothered Michigan State in the second half and overtime of that First Four game.

Dickinson may get his points, but if the Bruins play with the kind of toughness on defense on the perimeter they’ve shown the last 10 days, then this will be an interesting game.

Michigan is a solid defensive team, but not an outstanding one. It isn’t one that forces turnovers, in fact the Wolverines have committed more turnovers than they have forced, but again, the defense starts to become good because they opposition’s offense is pressured to keep up with the Michigan offense. And, Michigan was gifted in its first three NCAA games by playing teams that were not offensively disciplined enough to make Michigan work on defense.

Michigan is going to be a tough match-up for UCLA, but UCLA is a tough match-up for Michigan. Further, the Bruins have played two teams, in Michigan State and BYU, that were somewhat similar in style, etc., to the Wolverines. Michigan hasn’t faced a team like UCLA in terms of physicality and offensive discipline since it lost to Ohio State on March 13.

We wonder how much the “experts” on the various networks have actually broken this game down. Some, like Joe Lunardi, think this will be a Michigan cakewalk...that simply doesn’t fit what we see. Yes, we think ultimately Michigan wins, but only because we think the odds catch-up with the Bruins a bit. But it certainly won’t be a blowout...

And would anyone who has truly followed the Bruins this season bet against this team’s mental toughness in a close game or one that goes to overtime?

The winner of this game will already know its opponent in the Final Four, and wouldn’t it be poetic justice, if (and it’s a big ‘if’) the Bruins could claw by Michigan and get another shot at USC in the Final Four.

Michigan 68

UCLA 67

 

[Wally Pryor 5261]

I don't know how UCLA can do anything with Dickinson tonight.  That piece will be ugly. 

[Sbbruin 21861]

And I should point out that we are 18-4 in Elite 8 games all-time.  Now some of those teams may have been just a tad better than this one, but hey.

[Sbbruin 21861]

2 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

I don't know how UCLA can do anything with Dickinson tonight.  That piece will be ugly. 

Hopefully get him in foul trouble.  Big stage for a freshman.

[Wally Pryor 5261]

1 minute ago, Sbbruin said:

Hopefully get him in foul trouble.  Big stage for a freshman.

 

Yes.

[Braff Zacklin 13618]

1 hour ago, Sbbruin said:

You can't measure the heart of a champion.

But you can measure the heart of a baboon**.

 

 

** It's about a quarter pound.

[Juicy 727]

8 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

$9.95er preview:

  Hide contents

The journey continues. The UCLA men’s basketball team took another step on its improbable travels through the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night when the 11th-seeded Bruins upset the 2nd-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime, 88-78. That put the Bruins into the Elite Eight with the opportunity to earn a berth in the program’s first Final Four since 2008.

Standing in the way are the Michigan Wolverines, the East Region’s top seed. The game will take place on Tuesday night (6:57 PDT; TBS, Streaming).

Once again, the Bruins will be decided underdogs and, based on some match-up issues, will be up against it. Once again, several factors will have to break in UCLA’s favor for the Bruins to advance. Once again, the Bruins have a chance.

Michigan is having a fantastic season, and significant platitudes should be given to the coaching job done by head coach Juwan Howard and his staff. He has gotten the most out of virtually every player in the rotation, so much so that Michigan hasn’t missed a beat in the Big Dance from its outstanding 2-4 regular-season despite losing arguably its best player, senior Isaiah Livers (6’7”, 230 lbs.) for the season with a stress fracture in his right foot. Much has been made about the staff that Howard has put together, including former long-time St. Joseph’s head coach, Phil Martelli, and its influence on the team’s tactics, but Howard is the one who put that staff together, and the offense, which has so many NBA-style elements to it, is clearly Howard’s.

And it is that offense that will cause the Bruins the biggest issues as they battle to reach another Final Four in the program’s rich history.

Now, for the match-ups:

FRONTCOURT:

We will start in the frontcourt because, with Livers out, Michigan’s best player is arguably true freshman post Hunter Dickinson (7’1”, 255 lbs.). The freshman of the year in the Big Ten has been dominant for much of the year. He leads the team in scoring at 14.2 PPG, leads the Wolverines in rebounding at 7.6 RPG, and he leads the team in blocks with 39. He is shooting over 60% from the floor and 76% from the free throw line. While those are very good statistics, what sets Dickinson apart is his high-level basketball IQ. He simply is always in the right spot on the floor, especially on offense. His footwork is outstanding and he has very good hands. He can play a finesse game inside and is quite comfortable being physical. About the only time he looked out of sorts this season because of an opposing player was when he faced Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, and unless your name is Krutwig, that was the case for virtually anyone who matched-up against the Illinois big man.

Dickinson is going to cause the Bruins some significant match-up issues, but he is far from the only threat. Senior Austin Davis (6’10”, 250 lbs.) is more than capable of coming in and spelling Dickinson for 3-4 minutes at a time with very little drop-off. Davis rarely plays more than 10 MPG, but his limited time is very effective at allowing Michigan to stay fresh throughout a game.

In terms of the other two forward starters, junior Brandon Johns (6’8”, 240 lbs.) and sophomore Franz Wagner (6’9”, 220 lbs.), UCLA will have its hands full. Johns is a “glue guy” who will do the dirty work required of a line-up where almost everyone else is a significant offensive threat. He doesn’t have great stats, but he does so many of the little things needed by a championship team. He will often defend the opposition’s best frontcourt player, and he will hist three-point shots if the defense leaves him alone. He is hitting almost 37% from distance on the season.

However, Wagner is the real threat. He is essentially a point-forward. He is probably the best passer on the team, and he has the ball handling skills of a guard. He has a reputation for bringing the ball up and going all the way to the basket without looking as if he is laboring or that he will lose the ball. he averages 12.8 PPG on almost 50% shooting, and is hitting 36% of his three-point shots. He also averages 6.5 RPG.

UCLA’s Cody Riley is at a disadvantage in the post with Dickinson who, while being more skilled than Riley, is also bigger. Dickinson has shown that he will get in foul trouble, but Howard can go to Davis off the bench.

The real question for UCLA head coach Mick Cronin is how he will match-up with Johns and Wagner. The guess is that Jaime Jaquez will draw the initial assignment of Wagner as he is a better defender than Johnny Juzang, and that Juzang will take Johns. However, if Michigan is getting too many easy looks at the basket, don’t be surprised if freshman Jaylen Clark sees significant minutes. He may be at a height disadvantage, but he is such a good natural defender and rebounder that the height difference may not matter. And, Clark is a stronger athlete than either Johns or Wagner.

This game may call for Cronin to choose to play Kenny Nwuba or Mac Etienne simply because of their size.

 

BACKCOURT

 

Wagner also fits here because of his abilities on the ball, but the starting backcourt is quite strong, with senior Mike Smith (5’11”, 185 lbs.), a Columbia transfer, and fellow senior Eli Brooks (6’1”, 185 lbs.). They average about 19 PPG between them, with the two getting about an equal number of points, and they both can pass the ball, but Smith is clearly the point guard with Brooks playing off the ball. Smith is a very smart basketball player, almost always making the right pass or making the right decision on whether to pass or drive. He is a 42% three-point shooter and an 82% free throw shooter. He is an adequate defender. His biggest contribution, though, is that he is unquestionably the team’s leader on the floor, especially in the absence of Livers. He is essentially Tyger Campbell with a three-point shot.

Brooks is a 40% three-point shooter and a 91% free throw shooter. Brooks doesn’t force things offensively, which makes him dangerous because teams tend to lose track of him trying to deal with Dickinson, Wagner and Smith. He is also the team’s best perimeter defender.

Depth is provided by senior wing Chaundee Brown (6’5”, 215 lbs.), who has come into his own in the NCAA Tournament. He provides another outside shooting presence that allows Michigan to spread the floor. He is shooting 41% from the three-point line.

The Michigan backcourt presents a whole different challenge than the Alabama backcourt. The Tide relied on elite athleticism, especially with Jahvon Quinerly, to attack the Bruins off the dribble. Michigan’s perimeter players are not nearly as athletic as Alabama’s, but they are so much more disciplined on offense. Certainly, the Bruin perimeter players will need to worry about dribble penetration, but that isn’t the focus of Michigan’s offensive game.

Tyger Campbell is going to be at a strength disadvantage against Smith, but he should be able to match-his quickness. Jules Bernard and David Singleton can match-up well with Brooks and Brown, and Bernard could and should be able to take advantage of his size and strength against either one. Having Clark in the backcourt would increase UCLA’s athleticism to the point of having an advantage on the perimeter. We cannot forget Jake Kyman who, if Michigan forgets him, could hit some big shots and, as he showed against Bama, Kyman is no slouch on defense.

TACTICS/COACHING:

This year’s version of the Elite Eight has teams whose coaches have done a wonderful job both preparing their teams and making in-game tactical adjustments. Yes, this includes USC’s Andy Enfield, at least up to this point, so the coaching battle is probably a bit of a wash. The one caveat to that is Michigan hasn’t really been forced to make significant offensive adjustments, but they also haven’t played a team that could force them and Howard to do so.

Michigan’s offense has been a thing of beauty for about the past two months. No one remembers that Michigan struggled early on in the season with teams like Oakland because the players were adjusting to what was being asked of them. But the Wolverines have become a well-oiled machine. What is exciting for basketball purists is that Michigan is not relying on what we will term AAU-ball, which is kind of Alabama’s offense -- the kind of offense that either shoots lay-ups of three-pointers. No, Michigan spreads the floor in the same manner as one might see in an NBA game, but there is so much movement going on away from the ball that Bobby Knight would be impressed.

That kind of spacing and passing/unselfishness is hard to guard, but Michigan does some very simple things that make it even more difficult to defend. There are two areas where the Wolverines excel that seem so simple, but most teams don’t do either. The first is the use of screens. Michigan players drive their defenders into screens, banging shoulders as they go by their screening teammates. it forces defenders to choose to either go over the screen or under, and Michigan’s players are good at recognizing when to curl (when being chased) or when to flair out (when a defender goes under a screen), and Michigan has three players hitting north of 40% from outside, with two more hitting at least 36% from distance.

The other area Michigan excels in in ball movement. It seems such a simple concept, but a passed ball moves faster than a defender can move his feet. Move the ball quickly and reverse the ball (in other words, be patient), and eventually the defense breaks down.

These two simple things make Michigan’s offense the most potent one that UCLA has yet faced in the tournament.

It is so potent in its efficiency that it puts pressure on the opposition’s offense to keep up.

Oddly, Dickinson is not the lynch-pin for this offense. Michigan has struggled when at least two of Smith, Wagner or Brooks has struggled. And that needs to be the focus of UCLA’s defense.

Michigan has lost only four games all season, but all four have some common factors, and they are factors that UCLA can copy. In all four losses, to Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois and Minnesota, Michigan shot the ball poorly, both overall and from the arc. But it isn’t as simple as that. All four opponents were very physical with the Maize and Blue, especially on the perimeter, and it really bothered the Wolverines.

UCLA’s defensive physicality clearly bothered Alabama, certainly by the end of the game when Bama looked gassed and many of the Tide’s shots were short (indicating tired legs). UCLA’s physicality bothered BYU. And it bothered Michigan State in the second half and overtime of that First Four game.

Dickinson may get his points, but if the Bruins play with the kind of toughness on defense on the perimeter they’ve shown the last 10 days, then this will be an interesting game.

Michigan is a solid defensive team, but not an outstanding one. It isn’t one that forces turnovers, in fact the Wolverines have committed more turnovers than they have forced, but again, the defense starts to become good because they opposition’s offense is pressured to keep up with the Michigan offense. And, Michigan was gifted in its first three NCAA games by playing teams that were not offensively disciplined enough to make Michigan work on defense.

Michigan is going to be a tough match-up for UCLA, but UCLA is a tough match-up for Michigan. Further, the Bruins have played two teams, in Michigan State and BYU, that were somewhat similar in style, etc., to the Wolverines. Michigan hasn’t faced a team like UCLA in terms of physicality and offensive discipline since it lost to Ohio State on March 13.

We wonder how much the “experts” on the various networks have actually broken this game down. Some, like Joe Lunardi, think this will be a Michigan cakewalk...that simply doesn’t fit what we see. Yes, we think ultimately Michigan wins, but only because we think the odds catch-up with the Bruins a bit. But it certainly won’t be a blowout...

And would anyone who has truly followed the Bruins this season bet against this team’s mental toughness in a close game or one that goes to overtime?

The winner of this game will already know its opponent in the Final Four, and wouldn’t it be poetic justice, if (and it’s a big ‘if’) the Bruins could claw by Michigan and get another shot at USC in the Final Four.

Michigan 68

UCLA 67

 

Here is ours from the other side. 

 

https://mgoblog.com/content/hoops-preview-ucla-elite-eight

[Wally Pryor 5261]

26 minutes ago, Machinator said:

 

 

Good.  Having 4 games each on Saturday and Sunday with no overlap was fantastic.   Much like wildcard weekend in the NFL this past January.   

Paradise. 

[UTexasFight 9498]

21 minutes ago, Machinator said:

 

Figured that was coming. Although not sure how much is because of the revised schedule vs pent up demand/~720 days since we last had a tournament.

I don’t really mind it. Loving the primetime weeknight action.

[Juicy 727]

 

8 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

I don't know how UCLA can do anything with Dickinson tonight.  That piece will be ugly. 

 

6 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Hopefully get him in foul trouble.  Big stage for a freshman.

I think Juwan is going to run a ton of High/Low again tonight and try to bang Dickenson/Johns down low to put UCLA in foul trouble. Big Cuntry Davis will get his 10ish minutes and I am sure they will feed him as well. 

Michigan is again at the disadvantage with athleticism at the guard (Really miss Livers) so far Smith has been able to make the best of it but it seems every game is playing with fire. 

[Sbbruin 21861]

4 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

But you can measure the heart of a baboon**.

 

 

** It's about a quarter pound.

[ztejas 43475]

Michigan is beatable but they don't strike me as a good matchup for UCLA who is kind of undersized and rangy. Michigan's frontcourt is big - they have legit NBA size at the 5 through 3 - although their starting guards are a little undersized. UCLA is going to need to shoot out of the gym or turn Mich over a ton to have a shot at winning me thinks.

[Underdog 28711]

Michigan has 4 losses, so yea, they're beatable.  Tell me where I can send my $9.95 for your newsletter.  

[Sbbruin 21861]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Michigan is beatable but they don't strike me as a good matchup for UCLA who is kind of undersized and rangy. Michigan's frontcourt is big - they have legit NBA size at the 5 through 3 - although their starting guards are a little undersized. UCLA is going to need to shoot out of the gym or turn Mich over a ton to have a shot at winning me thinks.

Yeah, the size disadvantage really hurts.  Jalen Hill was a big loss for us.  We are super streaky from the outside, and we better be on or we are cooked.  We don't turn the ball over a lot- at least in the tourney so far- so if we can, as you say, win the TO battle, we have a chance.  It's a bad matchup, but that's why you play the games.

[Trey3216 15347]

2 hours ago, Jhawk said:

I never understood it. When you have length like he used to zone can be great. But when you face teams that shoot decently you risk getting run out of the gym which he would. Maybe it’s his offenses are getting better and he realizes it is a shooting game now and so he knows he can’t allow teams to shot over him anymore? I think of some of his old teams and think they could have been real contenders if they would’ve played man with a sprinkle of zone. Like you said, clearly he has shown some growth. It’ll be a tough steak to choke down if he wins it all. I’m still holding out that he isn’t even top 4 coaches in the conference but that fades quickly with Kruger retiring and drew actually performing (though he almost choked it away last night). Right now I’ve got it self, beard, huggy, drew. But had Kruger above drew and huggy. I think drew is very close to being tied with Huggy and could surpass him if this doesn’t prove to be a blip on the radar from a late season performance standpoint. 
 

TLDR: fuck Baylor. Win me some money you teammate murdering rape city sumbitches. 

A lot of those Baylor teams from years ago featured guards that weren't 6ft tall and weren't particularly good at on ball defending.  Length was all in the front court.  Almost necessitated playing a lot of zone defense.   

[Wally Pryor 5261]

1 hour ago, Juicy said:

 

Michigan is again at the disadvantage with athleticism at the guard (Really miss Livers) so far Smith has been able to make the best of it but it seems every game is playing with fire. 

Agree.

[Wally Pryor 5261]

First game should be fun. Timme has not any height and length like he will tonight.  That's but one facet that makes it a really interesting game. 

[Napoleon 8689]

3 hours ago, Juicy said:

As I was watching the Bama/UCLA game I just kept flip flopping on who I would rather face. Jaquez is the epitome of a dude you hate playing against. I think it will be a good game tonight, and if UCLA can contain Dickenson (I guess their tallest dude is 6'9) I think it will be trouble for Michigan. 

 

2 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

...Jaquez has been a straight baller.  He played all 45 mins in the last game.  I haven't checked, but I'll guess he has sat about 3 mins total in 4 games.

Jamie Jaquez Jr. is straight out of Central Casting* when the director needed the antagonists team from New York or LA to look all rough and tumble, but they didn't won't the antagonists to be all black.
 

ACTION: [Director is looking at Jamie Jaquez's headshot. Stares intently, flips it over to read his bio and sees "HS Basketball" & "Height: 6'5" "]

DIRECTOR: "What about this Jaquez kid? Can he grow some facial hair?"

CASTING DIRECTOR: "Yeah, we have a composite headshot where he has a mustache."

DIRECTOR: "Perfect! And maybe have wardrobe get him a headband... okay, that's the team."


I can see Jaquez in a pickup game on the courts at Venice Beach (seen in "White Men Can't Jump") or in Harlem or The Bronx. You're thinking "Is he Hispanic? American Indian? Maybe some Italian/Puerto Rican combo? 

Total baller.

* I have experience booking extra gigs through Central Casting many moons ago. That's how I landed "Blue Collar Guy w/ Blue Collar Car" in the Nicolas Cage remake of "Gone In 60 Seconds". I know these things.

[Sbbruin 21861]

1 hour ago, Napoleon said:

* I have experience booking extra gigs through Central Casting many moons ago. 

I bet you do.

[Js1 85409]

Impressive stat

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Js1

[Underdog 28711]

Dana Jacobsen...  Yay or Nay?  Mask optional. 

[Wulaw Horn 19098]

Well, this doesn’t look promising on the men’s or women’s side. 

[Brothahorn 10087]

3 hours ago, Napoleon said:

 

Jamie Jaquez Jr. is straight out of Central Casting* when the director needed the antagonists team from New York or LA to look all rough and tumble, but they didn't won't the antagonists to be all black.
 

ACTION: [Director is looking at Jamie Jaquez's headshot. Stares intently, flips it over to read his bio and sees "HS Basketball" & "Height: 6'5" "]

DIRECTOR: "What about this Jaquez kid? Can he grow some facial hair?"

CASTING DIRECTOR: "Yeah, we have a composite headshot where he has a mustache."

DIRECTOR: "Perfect! And maybe have wardrobe get him a headband... okay, that's the team."


I can see Jaquez in a pickup game on the courts at Venice Beach (seen in "White Men Can't Jump") or in Harlem or The Bronx. You're thinking "Is he Hispanic? American Indian? Maybe some Italian/Puerto Rican combo? 

Total baller.

* I have experience booking extra gigs through Central Casting many moons ago. That's how I landed "Blue Collar Guy w/ Blue Collar Car" in the Nicolas Cage remake of "Gone In 60 Seconds". I know these things.

My favorite part of the movie!

[Js1 85409]

Ref down. Uh oh

[pops 7003]

Holy shit

[4th&Five 41558]

That didn’t look good. 

[Wulaw Horn 19098]

That deal looked very bad on the ref

Edited March 30, 2021 by Wulaw Horn