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The (#4) University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this past week in the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, IN, and they lost it.  On Tuesday (03/30/2021), they lost to the #11 seed (UCLA) 51-49.  The loss leaves Michigan with a record of 23-5.  Michigan’s season is over.

What Happened?

UCLA is a good team, but Michigan is much better, and should have won this game handily.  UM played one of their worst games of the season, and still had a chance to win the game in the final seconds.  Unfortunately, they picked the absolute worst time to go completely cold, and it cost them the game and the chance to move on to the Final Four.  It’s a real shame.

The game started out fairly well, but slowly, with Michigan getting a 7-point lead (11-4) with 10:47 to go in the 1^st half.  Michigan still led by 3 points (17-14) at the 6:12 mark, when the momentum shifted.  UCLA went ahead by 3 points (20-17) with 3:01 left, and led by 4 points at halftime (27-23).  They quickly pushed the lead up to 9 points (34-25) with 18:15 to go, then Michigan rattled off 8 points to pull within 1 (34-33).  Michigan actually got the lead back a couple times (43-42 with 7:06 left, and 47-46 at the 4:30 mark), but they missed their last 8 shot attempts, with only a pair of free throws in the last minute.  Several of those shots were wide open, and a couple were layups.  If any one of them had gone in, Michigan could have won the game, or at least forced overtime, but no.

Stats

The game stats are horrible.  Michigan shot terribly overall (20-for-51 = 39.2%), they shot 3-pointers terribly (3-for-11 = 27.3%), and they shot free throws terribly (6-for-11 = 54.5%).  They won the rebounding battle (38-28), but lost the turnover battle (14-8).  They lost this game with terrible shooting.

Who Started?

The starters were Eli Brooks, Hunter Dickinson, Brandon Johns, Jr., Mike Smith, and Franz Wagner.  Isaiah Livers missed his final game with a broken bone in his foot, so Johns started in his place.

Who Looked Good?

Dickinson was the only Michigan player in double figures, with 11 points.  He had more turnovers (4) than rebounds (2).

Brooks almost hit double figures, with 8 points.  He out-rebounded Dickinson, with 5.

Johns also almost hit double figures, with 8 points.  He was one of the few Michigan players to shoot a good percentage, 4-for-5.

Chaundee Brown, Jr. also scored 8 points, on decent shooting (3-for-5).  He led the team in rebounds (9), and hit 2 of Michigan’s 3 made 3-pointers.

Smith had a miserable day shooting (3 points, on 1-for-7 shooting), but he did a fine job running the offense.  His only basket was Michigan’s other made 3-pointer.  He did miss 2 important free throws right before halftime.

Austin Davis did a good job spelling Dickinson, with 7 points.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Wagner had a terrible day shooting (1-for-10 overall, 0-for-4 from deep), but he did have 8 rebounds.

Who Else Played?

No one else played.

Who Didn’t Play?

None of the non-mainstream scholarship players (Jace Howard, Zeb Jackson, Adrien Nuñez, and Terrance Williams II) played.

None of the scout team players (C.J. Baird, Jaron Faulds, Rico Ozuna-Harrison, Brandon Wade, and Luke Wilson) played.

What Does It Mean?

Michigan is done for the season.  It was a sad end to a very good season.  Michigan greatly exceeded pre-season expectations, they made it to the Elite Eight, but they lost a game they should have won.

On the other hand, if they had made it to the Final Four, they probably would have lost to (#1) Gonzaga in the semifinal game.

What’s Next?

Pack up the lockers, the season is over.

Check back next week for the Season Wrap-Up, Final Grades, and A Look Ahead.

Go Blue!

The (#4) University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this past week in the NCAA Tournament, and they won both of them.  Both games were in Indianapolis, IN.  On Monday (03/22/2021), they beat the #8 seed (LSU) 86-78, then on Sunday (03/28/2021), they beat the #4 seed ([#14] Florida State) 76-58.  The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 23-4.  Michigan is now in the Elite Eight.

What Happened?

These two wins are HUGE!  The first (LSU) put Michigan in the Sweet Sixteen for the 4^th tournament in a row, and the second (FSU) put Michigan in the Elite Eight for the 4^th tournament in the last 8 years.  Michigan played good, solid ball in both games, and didn’t let the pressure faze them.

The LSU game was close and tense for most of the game, with LSU leading most of the time, controlling the tempo, and having the momentum.  UM actually led early, 2-0, but LSU quickly went ahead and stayed ahead by 5-7 points for most of the 1^st half.  Michigan tied the game (40-40) with 1:02 to go in the half, and led by 1 point (43-42) at halftime.  The 2^nd half was more of the same: Michigan led early (45-44 at the 18:17 mark), then LSU went ahead.  The lead went back and forth, but the momentum was still lousy for Michigan.  LSU went up by 5 points (63-58) with 10:48 to go, and things looked grim.  Michigan called a timeout, regrouped, and started their final push.  They pulled back ahead for good (64-63) with 9:13 left, pushed the lead up into the 6-8 point range, and kept it there the rest of the game.  It was a big, important win.

The FSU game was not as close.  Michigan led for most of the game, except for the first 5 minutes.  The early going was close, with FSU leading 4-2 with 18:44 to go in the 1^st half.  Michigan tied it up (4-4), and went ahead for good (5-4) at the 15:13 mark.  They pushed the lead as high as 13 points in the 1^st half, keeping it in the 10-12 point range for most of the half.  Michigan led by 11 (32-21) at halftime.  Michigan kept the lead in the 9-11 point range in the early part of the 2^nd half, until FSU finally starting hitting their 3-pointers.  FSU missed their first 10 3-point attempts, then hit 3 in a row, to cut the Michigan lead to 5 points (41-36) with 14:51 to go.  Michigan kept their composure, and pushed the lead back into the 9-11 point range, then up to the 16-18 point range for the rest of the game.  With 1:35 left, both coaches emptied their benches and let the scrubs battle it out.  It was a dominant victory.

Stats

The stats for the LSU game are pretty good.  Michigan shot well overall (28-for-52 = 53.8%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (10-for-25 = 40.0%), and they shot free throws well (20-for-25 = 80.0%).  Michigan won the rebounding battle (37-30), but lost the turnover battle badly (12-3).  Michigan won this game with overall shooting, rebounding, and defense.

The stats for the FSU game are not very good.  Michigan shot pretty well overall (29-for-59 = 49.2%), they shot 3-pointers pretty poorly (3-for-11 = 27.3%), and they shot free throws pretty poorly (15-for-23 = 65.2%).  They won the rebounding battle (37-31) and the turnover battle (9-14).  They won this game with defense.  If you had told me before the game that Michigan would only make three 3-pointers, I would have predicted a double-digit loss.

Who Started?

The starters for both games were Eli Brooks, Hunter Dickinson, Brandon Johns, Jr., Mike Smith, and Franz Wagner.  Isaiah Livers is out “indefinitely” with a broken bone in his foot, so Johns started in his place.

Who Looked Good?

The hero for this week isn’t a starter, it’s Chaundee Brown, Jr.  He tied for high scorer in the LSU game, with 21 points (his season high), and scored another very important 12 points in the FSU game, including 2 of Michigan’s 3 made 3-pointers.  He really helped make up for the absence of Livers.

The other hero of the LSU game was Brooks, with 21 points, a career high.  However, he had a sub-par game vs. FSU, with only 6 points, on 3-for-9 shooting.

Wagner had two solid games, with 15 points vs. LSU and 13 points vs. FSU.  He also had 10 rebounds in the FSU game, for a double-double.

Dickinson also had two solid games, with 12 points vs LSU and a team-high (tied) 14 points vs. FSU.  He had 11 rebounds in the LSU game, for a double-double.

Smith was a warrior out there, especially in the FSU game.  FSU played an aggressive full-court press the whole game, and Smith was the guy who had to bring the ball up court, often against a double-team.  He wasn’t perfect (2 turnovers), but he did a very good job.  He also chipped in 5 points vs. LSU and 8 points vs. FSU.

Johns had a decent game vs. LSU (7 points), and a great game (tied for team-high 14 points) vs. FSU.  He did a very good job filling in for Livers.

Austin Davis did a good job spelling Dickinson, with 1 point vs. LSU and 6 points vs. FSU.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Terrance Williams II played in both games, scoring 4 and 0 points.  He still plays too fast, and makes too many unforced mistakes.  Of course, he is still a freshman…

Who Else Played?

Jaron Faulds played in the closing minutes of the FSU game, and didn’t attempt a shot.

Jace Howard played in the closing minutes of the FSU game, and scored 3 points on an “and-1”.

Zeb Jackson played in the closing minutes of the FSU game, and missed his only shot attempt.

Adrien Nuñez played in the closing minutes of the FSU game, and missed his only shot attempt.

Who Didn’t Play?

Most of the scout team players (C.J. Baird, Rico Ozuna-Harrison, Brandon Wade, and Luke Wilson) didn’t play in either game.

What Does It Mean?

Michigan is still alive in the Big Dance, which is all you can ask.  Survive and advance.  All of the other Big Ten teams in the field were eliminated in the first two rounds:

• Michigan State (11-seed) lost to UCLA (11-seed) in a “First Four” game on Thursday
• Ohio State (2-seed) lost to Oral Roberts (15-seed) in a 1^st round game on Friday
• Purdue (4-seed) lost to North Texas (13-seed) in a 1^st round game on Friday
• Illinois (1-seed) lost to Loyola-Chicago (8-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Sunday
• Wisconsin (9-seed) lost to Baylor (1-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Sunday
• Rutgers (10-seed) lost to Houston (2-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Sunday
• Iowa (2-seed) lost to Oregon (7-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Monday
• Maryland (10-seed) lost to Alabama (2-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Monday

Of those eight losses by the Big Ten teams, one of them was a “toss up” (MSU), three of them were expected (Wisconsin, Rutgers, and Maryland), and four of them were upsets (OSU, Purdue, Illinois, and Iowa).  The Big Ten hasn’t looked very good in this year’s tournament.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan is scheduled to continue play in the NCAA Tournament, in Indianapolis.  They play on Tuesday (03/30/2021, 10:00 p.m. EDT, TBS) vs. the #11 seed (UCLA).  If they win that game, they’ll move on to the Final Four, and play the winner of the West Region, either the #1 seed (Gonzaga) or the #6 seed (USC), on Saturday (04/03/2021).  The full bracket is here.

UCLA is currently 21-9.  So far in the NCAA Tournament, they beat 11-seed Michigan State in a “First Four” play-in game, beat 6-seed BYU in the 1^st round, beat 14-seed Abilene Christian in the 2^nd round, and beat 2-seed Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen.  During the regular season, they had impressive wins over Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon State, and less-than-impressive losses to San Diego State, Stanford, Washington State, and Oregon State.  They don’t have any superstars on the roster, and they don’t have much height: one 6’10” guy.  On paper, it looks like Michigan should be able to handle them, but they have played very well in the tournament so far.  This could be a tough, challenging game.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

The (#4) University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this past week in the NCAA Tournament, and they won it.  The game was in West Lafayette, IN.  On Saturday (03/20/2021), they beat the #16 seed, Texas Southern, 82-66.  The win raises Michigan’s record to 21-4.

What Happened?

Michigan is the #1 seed in the East Region, and they were heavily favored to beat the #16 seed in the first-round game, which they did.  These 1-16 games are almost always an easy win for the #1 seed, except for that one year when it wasn’t (sorry, Virginia).  Even the 2-15 games are usually pretty winnable for the #2 seed, except for this year (sorry, Ohio State).  This year’s tournament has lots of upsets, so the battle cry for the top seeds is “win and advance”.  That’s what Michigan did.  Sorry, Illinois.  And Texas.  And West Virginia.  And Purdue.  And Virginia (again).  And Oklahoma State.  Those are all top 4 seeds that didn’t make it to the Sweet Sixteen.

The Texas Southern game wasn’t a dominating win, but it was a comfortable win.  Michigan led the entire game, and kept the lead in the “comfortable” range the whole time.  They led 7-0 early, and kept the lead in the 8-10 point range for the first 10 minutes, then pushed it into the 13-15 point range for the rest of the 1^st half.  They led by 18 points (42-24) at halftime, and pushed the lead up into the 20-22 point range for the first 13 minutes of the 2^nd half.  They seemed to lose interest at that point, and they let TSU creep as close as 12 points (73-61) with 3:40 to go, before closing out a 16-point win.

Stats

The stats for the game are solid.  Michigan shot pretty well overall (26-for-54 = 48.1%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (9-for-26 = 34.6%), and they shot free throws well enough (21-for-26 = 80.8%).  They won the rebounding battle handily (38-28), but lost the turnover battle (14-10).  They won this game with solid shooting and rebounding.

Who Started?

The starters for the game were Eli Brooks, Hunter Dickinson, Brandon Johns, Jr., Mike Smith, and Franz Wagner.  Isaiah Livers is out “indefinitely” with a broken bone in his foot, so Johns started in his place.  Michigan didn’t miss Livers in this game, but they are likely to as the competition gets stronger.

Who Looked Good?

Smith was the high scorer for Michigan, with 18 points.  He also did a nice job running the offense, with 5 assists.

Dickinson had a good game, with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting.  On the down side, he only played 24 minutes, due to foul trouble, and he fouled out.

Brooks had 11 points, including 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range, along with 5 assists.

Johns also had 11 points.  He filled in nicely for Livers.

Wagner almost hit double figures, with 9 points.  He also had 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

Austin Davis did a good job spelling Dickinson, with 7 points.  However, he had foul trouble of his own, with 4 fouls in 10 minutes.  Yikes.

Zeb Jackson had his best game to date as a Wolverine, with 6 points in 8 quality minutes of action.  He hit his first two shot attempts, both 3-pointers.  He looked cool and confident out there.

Terrance Williams II looked pretty good out there, with 4 points and 3 rebounds.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Chaundee Brown, Jr. played 16 minutes, took one shot, and missed it.  Zero points.  He is one of the key players who needs to step up to help replace Livers, and he didn’t do it in this game.

Who Else Played?

No one else played.

Who Didn’t Play?

Two of the scholarship players who aren’t part of the main rotation (Jace Howard and Adrien Nuñez) didn’t play.

None of the scout team players (C.J. Baird, Jaron Faulds, Rico Ozuna-Harrison, Brandon Wade, and Luke Wilson) played.

What Does It Mean?

Michigan is still alive in the Big Dance, which is all you can ask.  Six of the nine Big Ten teams in the field have already been eliminated:

• Michigan State (11-seed) lost to UCLA (11-seed) in a “First Four” game on Thursday
• Ohio State (2-seed) lost to Oral Roberts (15-seed) in a 1^st round game on Friday
• Purdue (4-seed) lost to North Texas (13-seed) in a 1^st round game on Friday
• Illinois (1-seed) lost to Loyola-Chicago (8-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Sunday
• Wisconsin (9-seed) lost to Baylor (1-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Sunday
• Rutgers (10-seed) lost to Houston (2-seed) in a 2^nd round game on Sunday

That leaves only three teams from the Big Ten left alive: Michigan (1-seed), Iowa (2-seed), and Maryland (10-seed).  They all have 2^nd round games on Monday.

Of those six losses by the Big Ten teams, one of them was a “toss up” (MSU), two of them were expected (Wisconsin and Rutgers), and three of them were big upsets (OSU, Purdue, and Illinois).  The Big Ten hasn’t looked very good in this year’s tournament, but there’s still hope.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan is scheduled to continue play in the NCAA Tournament, in Indianapolis.  As mentioned above, they play on Monday (03/22/2021, 7:10 p.m. EDT, CBS) vs. the #8 seed (LSU).  If they win that game, they’ll move on to the Sweet Sixteen, and play the winner of the #4 seed (Florida State) vs. #5 seed (Colorado) game on either Saturday (03/27/2021) or Sunday.  The full bracket is here.

LSU won their 1^st round game vs. the #9 seed (St. Bonaventure) 76-61.  Their record is 19-9, with quality wins over Arkansas, (#16) Tennessee, Missouri, and (#8) Arkansas, and less-than-impressive losses to St. Louis, Kentucky, and Georgia.  They don’t have any superstars on their roster, but they do have decent height: a 6’10” guy and a 6’11” guy.  They play fast and they score a lot, but they don’t play much defense.  This will be a serious challenge for Michigan, especially in a Big Dance full of upsets.  All Michigan needs to do is win and advance.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!