Just finished watching the recording after a work commitment. Always easier to watch after we get off to a 17-3 start.
1. We had 20 actual assists, and we had least half, if not more of those, came from "hockey assists." We adjusted beautifully to the quick double team--Hunter Dickinson really moved the ball well and without hesitation, allowing us to swing it, and we adjusted to the overplay on Mike Smith early by having him initiate offense less and getting him to be a catch and shoot guy off of penetration from others. When he hit the shots, the romp was on. Kudos to Juwan and his staff for beating "the book" by changing things up. Of course, that's easier to do when you have the varied weapons we do, but part of coaching is using what you have available to counter what the other team tries to do, and can do effectively.
2. It also helps to have Eli Brooks back. Again, while the counting stats were not big, his influence on both ends was gigantic. One play which stood out in my mind, though after the game was decided, was when Maryland tried to press full court with about 5 or 6 minutes to go. Eli got it, moved it to the middle, ran down to the right spot over half court, made an athletic play to rescue a less than perfect pass from the middle to him, and immediately got the ball to an open man near the basket for a dunk. That's the way a press is supposed to be beat, and for Eli, it's instinctual.
3. Maryland is not the easiest team for us to guard, because the Terps have 5s who can shoot it from the perimeter, and really big, athletic wings who can get isolated on Mike Smith and get shots off over him near the rim. Mike battled, and Hunter , with his 3 first half blocks, and others took some things away near the rim, but Maryland was able to get in the paint more than recent previous opponents. It didn't help that the refs called the game extremely tightly--I can't remember the last time an opponent got 30 free throws against Michigan, especially when we weren't fouling at game's end and behind. What we did do though is run Maryland off the 3 point line early in possessions, and take away some of their better shooters. Sure, Maryland missed some open looks, but other than Scott, the guys taking those looks were guys you don't mind shooting, and they were mostly being taken late in the shot clock.
4. We, by contrast, shot lights out. That said, aside from a hoisted 3 by Zeb Jackson, awe did not take a single 3 before end of the game time that I wasn't thrilled to take. Very good shooters taking very good shots from a set position and uncontested because of great ball movement is usually going to be a winning formula.
5. That Brandon Johns elevates us a level--he was both efficient and energetic. I was also happy to see Juwan give him some minutes at the 5 late--we're going to need to have that look in our arsenal against certain teams moving forward.
6. We also trotted out some new wrinkles, like Franz posting up more than he has, and then taking turn arounds in the lane over guys with less size than he has. Just another thing fr opponents to have to defend.
7. Obviously, Isaiah Livers shot the ball beautifully today. I also thought he played pne of his best games aside from shooting, on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. He rebounded well on the defensive glass, he had some nice assists and no turnovers, and he and Franz did a number on Scott, who is a really good player, throughout the game.
8. Mike Smith was virtually flawless running the team and making open looks. He only made one 2 point shot, but that was the highlight film play where he put it into another gear, drove the lane, and finished through 3 Maryland defenders while falling down.
9. I was concerned at various points when we played a lineup with 4 bench guys and Eli, and I was worried that Austin Davis was playing too many minutes (he got 10, it seemed like 15). It didn't hurt is though, and while Austin is going to give up some things on the defensive end, when he scores at the rim like he did tonight, he fulfills the role a back-upbig needs to perform. One thing though--since they're working, apparently extremely successfully with Hunter on getting the ball quickly out of the double team, it would help if Austin learned to get the ball out as well. At his size, he soesn't have the passing angles or views that Hunter has, but that size also makes it more difficult to muscle through a double team featuring two guys guys with length. If Austin learns to just kick the ball back out when the double team comes, let alone hit a cutter, he'll get more room to maneuver.
10. At Purdue is going to be a tough game. Purdue is playing really well. So are we other than against Minnesota. Should be fun.
1. We had 20 actual assists, and we had least half, if not more of those, came from "hockey assists." We adjusted beautifully to the quick double team--Hunter Dickinson really moved the ball well and without hesitation, allowing us to swing it, and we adjusted to the overplay on Mike Smith early by having him initiate offense less and getting him to be a catch and shoot guy off of penetration from others. When he hit the shots, the romp was on. Kudos to Juwan and his staff for beating "the book" by changing things up. Of course, that's easier to do when you have the varied weapons we do, but part of coaching is using what you have available to counter what the other team tries to do, and can do effectively.
2. It also helps to have Eli Brooks back. Again, while the counting stats were not big, his influence on both ends was gigantic. One play which stood out in my mind, though after the game was decided, was when Maryland tried to press full court with about 5 or 6 minutes to go. Eli got it, moved it to the middle, ran down to the right spot over half court, made an athletic play to rescue a less than perfect pass from the middle to him, and immediately got the ball to an open man near the basket for a dunk. That's the way a press is supposed to be beat, and for Eli, it's instinctual.
3. Maryland is not the easiest team for us to guard, because the Terps have 5s who can shoot it from the perimeter, and really big, athletic wings who can get isolated on Mike Smith and get shots off over him near the rim. Mike battled, and Hunter , with his 3 first half blocks, and others took some things away near the rim, but Maryland was able to get in the paint more than recent previous opponents. It didn't help that the refs called the game extremely tightly--I can't remember the last time an opponent got 30 free throws against Michigan, especially when we weren't fouling at game's end and behind. What we did do though is run Maryland off the 3 point line early in possessions, and take away some of their better shooters. Sure, Maryland missed some open looks, but other than Scott, the guys taking those looks were guys you don't mind shooting, and they were mostly being taken late in the shot clock.
4. We, by contrast, shot lights out. That said, aside from a hoisted 3 by Zeb Jackson, awe did not take a single 3 before end of the game time that I wasn't thrilled to take. Very good shooters taking very good shots from a set position and uncontested because of great ball movement is usually going to be a winning formula.
5. That Brandon Johns elevates us a level--he was both efficient and energetic. I was also happy to see Juwan give him some minutes at the 5 late--we're going to need to have that look in our arsenal against certain teams moving forward.
6. We also trotted out some new wrinkles, like Franz posting up more than he has, and then taking turn arounds in the lane over guys with less size than he has. Just another thing fr opponents to have to defend.
7. Obviously, Isaiah Livers shot the ball beautifully today. I also thought he played pne of his best games aside from shooting, on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. He rebounded well on the defensive glass, he had some nice assists and no turnovers, and he and Franz did a number on Scott, who is a really good player, throughout the game.
8. Mike Smith was virtually flawless running the team and making open looks. He only made one 2 point shot, but that was the highlight film play where he put it into another gear, drove the lane, and finished through 3 Maryland defenders while falling down.
9. I was concerned at various points when we played a lineup with 4 bench guys and Eli, and I was worried that Austin Davis was playing too many minutes (he got 10, it seemed like 15). It didn't hurt is though, and while Austin is going to give up some things on the defensive end, when he scores at the rim like he did tonight, he fulfills the role a back-upbig needs to perform. One thing though--since they're working, apparently extremely successfully with Hunter on getting the ball quickly out of the double team, it would help if Austin learned to get the ball out as well. At his size, he soesn't have the passing angles or views that Hunter has, but that size also makes it more difficult to muscle through a double team featuring two guys guys with length. If Austin learns to just kick the ball back out when the double team comes, let alone hit a cutter, he'll get more room to maneuver.
10. At Purdue is going to be a tough game. Purdue is playing really well. So are we other than against Minnesota. Should be fun.
