Michigan Arrives Back In Ann Arbor

Photo Credit: Laura Pratt

A pretty cool moment as the team gets off the bus from Dallas to return to Crisler:

Michigan Arrives Back In Ann Arbor

Getting Into The Big Ten Race: Michigan vs. Illinois Preview

Well, things finally seem to be going the Wolverines' way as of late.  Not only did they just beat Nebraska for their second true road win of the season, but Michigan State's victory over Ohio State tonight has essentially opened up the Big Ten race once again.  Michigan State is leading the Big Ten by tiebreak over Ohio State, but Michigan and Wisconsin are just one game back with a great opportunity to close the gap.

So, what does that mean for this game against Illinois?  It's a MUST win.  If this team wants any chance of winning the Big Ten, or at least sharing the title, they have to win just about every remaining game.  They have the easiest remaining schedule of the four title contenders and capitalizing on that is vital, especially at home.  With a match-up against the Buckeyes next Saturday, winning this is essential.

So, let's compare these two teams:

Offense
Illinois is averaging more points that the Wolverines right now, but almost everything goes through their point guard Brandon Paul.  He's currently averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds, and over 3 assists per game.  The other true play-maker for the Illini is Meyers Leynard.  He's a great inside man and will probably cause some problems for the Wolverines, especially if Morgan gets in foul trouble.

However, Michigan's offense has become pretty diverse, especially with the increased use of Morgan.  Morgan's role will likely be diminished with Leynard's presence, but he's going to be vital if Michigan is going to win.  I expect a big day from some role players (I'm looking at you Novak, Douglass and Vogrich).  Along with this, if Hardaway has a big day I find it doubtful the Illini can slow down the Michigan offense.  Frankly, I just believe Michigan has more weapons

Advantage: Slight Edge Michigan

Defense
Unlike on offense, this is an area where Michigan has a size-able advantage.  Not only do the Wolverines allow fewer points that Illinois, but also do a good job of defending places like the perimeter.  This is one thing that I think will be key if the Wolverines are to beat Illinois.  Sure, Illinois has a great inside attack with Leynard, but it was the 3-PT shooting that vaulted them to their best wins like against Ohio State.  If Michigan slows this down, the upset potential should be reduced pretty significantly.

Michigan's 1-3-1 scheme is also pretty unusual, as you're probably tired of hearing by now, which could cause Paul a problem.  He's an outstanding point guard, but he's going to have Burke or Douglass guarding him, which should slow him down.  Plus, with the lowered potential for outside shooting they are going to have to go inside.  Sure, Leynard has an advantage over Morgan, but the Wolverines didn't do too bad against Zeller, who is pretty good himself.  Considering this I think Michigan has the defensive advantage.

Advantage: Michigan


Intangibles/Crowd
Michigan will certainly be coming in a lot hotter than the Illini.  Not only has Illinois lost five of their last six games, but they've also lost to Penn State, Minnesota, and Northwestern, not exactly the pride of the Big Ten.  Along with this, Illinois lost to Michigan when they met last season.  Certainly it was last year, but I'm sure some of that will be on their minds.  Finally, Michigan will be playing at home for the first time in what seems like forever, which will have the crowd pumped up.

Advantage: Significant Michigan


Overall
I certainly don't expect a blow-out from either side, but I'd be shocked if Illinois upset or made it extremely close at the end.  The Wolverines have given up huge leads in Crisler this season to make them close games, but I don't see it in this game.  The two teams are headed in opposite directions and I think most people thought Michigan was better even before Illinois began their downturn.

Without an insane performance from Paul I can't see Illinois coming into Crisler and winning.  The Wolverines have played outstanding defense all season in Ann Arbor and will likely continue that on Sunday.  Along with this, Michigan is simply the better team.  That means that Illinois will have to play better than their average and Michigan will have to play pretty bad.  This will be a competitive game, but I think Michigan will take control of the tempo from the start.


My Magic Pick Is...


Michigan 65-59


Photo Credit: AP

Inside A Michigan Basketball Practice

On the Wednesday before Michigan's home opener (an exhibition game against Wayne State University), I was able to attend an open practice for Michigan student season ticket holders. Although most people will likely come to the same conclusions in the coming days and weeks, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about what I witnessed during the two hours.

#1 - The Crisler renovations truly are as great as the team, university, and reporters have described. When I first walked through the doors I almost couldn't recognize the facility that had often been ridiculed as one of the Big Ten's weakest basketball facilities.

Things to note:

• Maize Rage (student section) bleachers have alternated sides. The Maize Rage will now be behind the visiting bench.
• What I'm assuming to be the press area looked very nice with the all blue seats.
• The seats look fantastic and are well organized, but it is a TIGHT fit. Try to avoid coming to games with a heavy coat, you WILL regret it.
• The stands are now almost on the court instead of having a significant gap. Hopefully this will add to the noise level, etc.

#2 - Tim Hardaway Jr. HAS taken the next step towards being a superstar. His play was very impressive during the practice. Not only is he clearly the best player on the court, his attitude embraces this role, but not in the usual fashion. Instead of simply being cocky and arrogant, Hardaway simply appears more focused this season than in his last. Hardaway had some dominant periods last year, but he will be taking over games this year, and not just against teams like Ferris State, I'm talking in legitimate Big Ten games. Anticipate a big year.

#3 - Be prepared for a shock when you see the team run out. The size of some of the players has changed dramatically since the end of last year.

Things to Note:

• Tim Hardaway - body has filled out, looks like he's gained weight
• Jordan Morgan - has definitely trimmed down, looks in great shape
• Evan Smotrycz - has put on a lot of weight, especially in his lower body
• Jon Horford - looks a little bigger

#4 - Freshmen:

Trey Burke seems to be a very talented player. He can shoot the ball well and plays fantastic defense, but his understanding of the game is still not up to speed yet. For those of you expecting a huge start for Burke, don't hold your breath. He will be fine, especially after he's played in a few games, but I would predict there's a good chance he doesn't start on Friday. Even if he does start, he will be rotated a lot. He will be a great player, but he needs experience. Also, this kid seems very small compared to the other guys. Not saying it's going to hurt him, but just an observation.

Max Bielfeldt had some great defensive moments during practice. He didnt' seem to be a player that could take over a game, or at least not yet, but his play implied that he will have a bright future here at Michigan.

#5 - Beilein and Bacari run some intense practices and really made it enjoyable for the students. The drills seem to be quite effective and looked as if the team could get some real improvement. Also, Beilein repeatedly came over to the students and explained aspects of practice and voiced his appreciation for the Maize Rage (plus the free pizza and pop wasn't bad either).

In an overall sense, the team looked pretty solid. There was great rotation (which I expect for the entire season) and there didn't seem to be a drop-off for any of the players. The team's shooting and rebounding looked great, but there were points when their play looked downright sloppy. Although this still remains a slight concern to me, I think a lot of this was due to the significant rotation (I think there were only a handful of time that I saw what I believed to be the starting lineup, play together) and some significant freshmen play.

Look for Michigan to play solid, at least defensively, but have significant improvement over the course of the season. I do not see a drop like the team had in the 2009-2010 season, but the team taking the floor in the coming weeks will not be as good as the one that lost a nail-biter to Duke last March, but after a month of play, it could be darn close.

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit