Michigan’s 87-70 loss in Mackey Arena Thursday night isn’t determinant of anything, long term, regarding the 2015-16 season for John Beilein’s crew. But elements of that loss could determine everything down the road.
Let’s get a couple of items out of the way first. Anyone casually glancing at the 17-point margin and thinking blowout from start to finish needs to check the DVR. The Wolverines led most of the first half, and trailed by just six, 66-60, with 5:20 remaining.
Second, Michigan wasn’t simply overwhelmed by Purdue’s size. Certainly, 7-2, 7-0, 6-9 altered some shots on Michigan’s offensive end, but it wasn’t like the Boilermakers repeatedly clanged shots off the backboard then mauled their way to put-back points.
Purdue managed six offensive rebounds in the game. Six. That’s fewer than the Michigan’s comparative munchkins managed (nine). The problem was, the Boilermakers didn’t require many second shots.
Which leads to uh-oh element one. Namely, defense.
The Boilermakers enjoyed a veritable conga line to the paint, out-scoring Michigan there, 42-18. Now, with A.J. Hammons, Caleb Swanigan, Isaac Haas, etc., the Boilermakers are going to get their lay-ups and dunks.
But it doesn’t have to be THAT easy.
Some of Michigan’s younger defenders were simply lost at times, and that’s going to happen. Overall, though, this loss will provide all kinds of film fodder for U-M coaches to point out what SHOULD have happened, but didn’t, on the defensive end.
Beilein noted, perhaps presciently, before the game that some of Michigan’s best learning experiences emerge through losses. This needs to be one, especially when it comes to challenging on the perimeter and in the paint, impeding, taking charges and not conceding easy buckets, even with a don’t-foul dictum in place.
Uh-oh element No. 2 – no Caris LeVert on the floor.
For a game, or two, or three, no big deal. The Wolverines actually could have beaten the Boilermakers without him, given a little more of their first-half grit.
But they can’t go another Big Ten season without him and reasonably expect to finish among the conference’s top five teams. It is encouraging that Beilein is talking about pain level determining whether or not the senior captain and national player-of-the-year candidate will go.
It’s a little scary for Michigan fans (and probably for LeVert himself) that the “lower-leg injury” involves the same lower leg that kept him out of action for the important part of last season. All isn’t lost without him … it’s just wandering around a little more.
Uh-oh element No. 3: Michigan needs more of an edge, attitudinally speaking.
You can say Beilein recruits nice guys, they’re never going to have forearm shiver-to-cutters types of players, and there’s some truth to that. At the same time, Mitch McGary was tough. Trey Burke was tough. Michigan enjoyed enough other performers with some grit to them that the Wolverines made the national championship game on more than three-goggles and shining shooting moments.
That’s why sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman’s performance at Purdue stood out, well beyond a career-high 25 points. Abdur-Rahkman became the single-most fearless performer at Mackey for the Wolverines, earning himself a longer look regardless of whether or not LeVert comes back into the lineup.
The sophomore penetrated repeatedly, despite Purdue’s size. He used four fouls in his 39 minutes of action, in part because he wasn’t going to step out of the way for yet another slam dunk on breakaways.
Abdur-Rahkman pulled down four rebounds, two fewer than all of Michigan’s big men combined. He defended, he challenged, and he didn’t look the least big cowed by the situation, which wasn’t the case across the board.
Here’s one vote toward more minutes for the hyphenated one, and his attitude becoming contagious.
In the big picture, dropping one at Purdue to fall to 2-1 in the Big Ten doesn’t mean much. Correcting some of the issues in the loss (and getting LeVert back) means plenty.
•••
One quick bonus thought: those easily shrugging off the loss of U-M special teams coach John Baxter are wrong, with a little bit of right on the side.
They’re wrong because Michigan’s special teams were better this year than they’ve been in the last 30. The ability to catch and down punts near the opponents’ goal line proved a huge upgrade and difference maker.
The Wolverines returned a kickoff for a touchdown, they were very good on covering punts and kickoffs, and they obviously didn’t make the egregious mistakes of special teams groups in recent seasons – with one glaring exception.
Baxter can’t catch the ball for the punter. To be fair, he CAN order a tighter blocking formation and have it drilled into the punter’s head that in a crisis, fall on the football in that situation.
Overall, though, it’s a significant coaching loss, given his track record over the years.
So why are those shrugging it off justified, to an extent? Simple – Jim Harbaugh’s still in charge.
The boss lost his defensive coordinator, and went out and got the best one in the nation as a replacement. He loses his special teams coach, and he’ll make sure he has someone in place that will have those units operating at a high level.
It’s how he works. It’s how he wins.
Let’s get a couple of items out of the way first. Anyone casually glancing at the 17-point margin and thinking blowout from start to finish needs to check the DVR. The Wolverines led most of the first half, and trailed by just six, 66-60, with 5:20 remaining.
Second, Michigan wasn’t simply overwhelmed by Purdue’s size. Certainly, 7-2, 7-0, 6-9 altered some shots on Michigan’s offensive end, but it wasn’t like the Boilermakers repeatedly clanged shots off the backboard then mauled their way to put-back points.
Purdue managed six offensive rebounds in the game. Six. That’s fewer than the Michigan’s comparative munchkins managed (nine). The problem was, the Boilermakers didn’t require many second shots.
Which leads to uh-oh element one. Namely, defense.
The Boilermakers enjoyed a veritable conga line to the paint, out-scoring Michigan there, 42-18. Now, with A.J. Hammons, Caleb Swanigan, Isaac Haas, etc., the Boilermakers are going to get their lay-ups and dunks.
But it doesn’t have to be THAT easy.
Some of Michigan’s younger defenders were simply lost at times, and that’s going to happen. Overall, though, this loss will provide all kinds of film fodder for U-M coaches to point out what SHOULD have happened, but didn’t, on the defensive end.
Beilein noted, perhaps presciently, before the game that some of Michigan’s best learning experiences emerge through losses. This needs to be one, especially when it comes to challenging on the perimeter and in the paint, impeding, taking charges and not conceding easy buckets, even with a don’t-foul dictum in place.
Uh-oh element No. 2 – no Caris LeVert on the floor.
For a game, or two, or three, no big deal. The Wolverines actually could have beaten the Boilermakers without him, given a little more of their first-half grit.
But they can’t go another Big Ten season without him and reasonably expect to finish among the conference’s top five teams. It is encouraging that Beilein is talking about pain level determining whether or not the senior captain and national player-of-the-year candidate will go.
It’s a little scary for Michigan fans (and probably for LeVert himself) that the “lower-leg injury” involves the same lower leg that kept him out of action for the important part of last season. All isn’t lost without him … it’s just wandering around a little more.
Uh-oh element No. 3: Michigan needs more of an edge, attitudinally speaking.
You can say Beilein recruits nice guys, they’re never going to have forearm shiver-to-cutters types of players, and there’s some truth to that. At the same time, Mitch McGary was tough. Trey Burke was tough. Michigan enjoyed enough other performers with some grit to them that the Wolverines made the national championship game on more than three-goggles and shining shooting moments.
That’s why sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman’s performance at Purdue stood out, well beyond a career-high 25 points. Abdur-Rahkman became the single-most fearless performer at Mackey for the Wolverines, earning himself a longer look regardless of whether or not LeVert comes back into the lineup.
The sophomore penetrated repeatedly, despite Purdue’s size. He used four fouls in his 39 minutes of action, in part because he wasn’t going to step out of the way for yet another slam dunk on breakaways.
Abdur-Rahkman pulled down four rebounds, two fewer than all of Michigan’s big men combined. He defended, he challenged, and he didn’t look the least big cowed by the situation, which wasn’t the case across the board.
Here’s one vote toward more minutes for the hyphenated one, and his attitude becoming contagious.
In the big picture, dropping one at Purdue to fall to 2-1 in the Big Ten doesn’t mean much. Correcting some of the issues in the loss (and getting LeVert back) means plenty.
•••
One quick bonus thought: those easily shrugging off the loss of U-M special teams coach John Baxter are wrong, with a little bit of right on the side.
They’re wrong because Michigan’s special teams were better this year than they’ve been in the last 30. The ability to catch and down punts near the opponents’ goal line proved a huge upgrade and difference maker.
The Wolverines returned a kickoff for a touchdown, they were very good on covering punts and kickoffs, and they obviously didn’t make the egregious mistakes of special teams groups in recent seasons – with one glaring exception.
Baxter can’t catch the ball for the punter. To be fair, he CAN order a tighter blocking formation and have it drilled into the punter’s head that in a crisis, fall on the football in that situation.
Overall, though, it’s a significant coaching loss, given his track record over the years.
So why are those shrugging it off justified, to an extent? Simple – Jim Harbaugh’s still in charge.
The boss lost his defensive coordinator, and went out and got the best one in the nation as a replacement. He loses his special teams coach, and he’ll make sure he has someone in place that will have those units operating at a high level.
It’s how he works. It’s how he wins.
