Before Diggersdad arrives....

[Reality Man]

A few thoughts.

I give IU and MSU credit for basically taking Robinson out of the game and making UM beat them inside (can't).

Now to JB. He isn't going anywhere...maybe the fans will be vocal and critical but he isn't going anywhere. I do believe JB has recognized that he needs better big men and hopefully Teske and Davis can get the job done.

Lastly, a UM poster said something that is very true. If you have a guard oriented system but your guards can't beat their man off the dribble then you have problems unless they are shooting well. I think UM is a solid team but is just way outclassed when playing the top tier because all of these teams can beat UM down low and all they have to do is overplay the perimeter (see Robinson).

LeVert would help but the bigger problem/flaw with UM/JB is he is getting killed down low. If you are going to chose the perimeter system which is fine (I don't have a problem with 4 guys who can shoot from the perimeter) but you need a big man to play defense and keep opposing defenses honest otherwise everybody just overplays your system.

I think JB made some recruiting mistakes (Donnal, Doyle, Wilson) who are either small or not at the top tier level. Not criticizing those guys but more JB. He has got bottom tier Big Ten guys at the 5&4 and that makes his perimeter guys less effective. Robinson, Walton, LeVert aren't the problem.

UM will get through this but this program needs Teske/Davis to clearly be better players. Simpson and these other guys look to be fine. JB has a DAVID vs. Goliath operation. Has JB adapted to the Big Ten?



RM

 

[Reality Man]

I won't pull any punches right here. These last 2 games were humiliating losses. You can throw out the LeVert excuse but would he have really changed the outcome of the game after 'we' watched them play Xavier and SMU? Probably not.

JB is going to get a lot of flack and deservedly so. I think the JB tenure is going to hinge not on Simpson and Poole but on Teske/Davis. As bflo17 said...who as a big man really wants to play in the JB system. This is the downside of running the perimeter system. It's great for guys like Robinson. Sure...JB may find a #4 who can score consistently going forward but if you go back to the Burke/THJ days...those guys carried UM and when they were off...it wasn't pretty.

JB may have to get out his checkbook to pay a big man to play in his system . Gotta be a tough sell.



RM

 

[maelfan]

I won't pull any punches right here. These last 2 games were humiliating losses. You can throw out the LeVert excuse but would he have really changed the outcome of the game after 'we' watched them play Xavier and SMU? Probably not.

JB is going to get a lot of flack and deservedly so. I think the JB tenure is going to hinge not on Simpson and Poole but on Teske/Davis. As bflo17 said...who as a big man really wants to play in the JB system. This is the downside of running the perimeter system. It's great for guys like Robinson. Sure...JB may find a #4 who can score consistently going forward but if you go back to the Burke/THJ days...those guys carried UM and when they were off...it wasn't pretty.

JB may have to get out his checkbook to pay a big man to play in his system . Gotta be a tough sell.



RM

I generally agree with most of both of your posts. This staff needs to be held accountable for too many recruiting misses. And while losing Levert and Albrecht this year are huge (imagine what the lineup and minutes/rest would look like if both were 100% healthy...they are 17-7 without them and 7-4, same as almighty Purdue and MSU), this team/program has much bigger problems than that as of this exact date.

However, I have said for years and will continue to say, as great of a run as we have had, as great as our facilities are, we absolutely have one of the greatest divides in America between being a football school compared to a basketball school. The fan support is awful. The student seating policy is a joke, especially when you are competing for a home court advantage and recruiting with MSU. Screw the blue seat holders who are either no shows or sell everything on Stubhub. Wrap the lower bowl with students and move some people. That many students should not be in the upper bowl. It's ridiculous.