Post-Game Notebook: Penn State - Derrick Walton Comes Up Big

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Important win for Michigan's season. Read link below:

Post-Game Notebook: Penn State

Preview: Michigan vs. Penn State - Wolverines Look To Stay Unbeaten

Photo Credit: Laura Pratt

Check out the preview:

Preview: Michigan vs. Penn State

What If Trey Burke Had Gone To Penn State

Trey Burke was committed to Penn State for almost a year.  Yes, Michigan's outstanding point guard, All-American, and Player of the Year at one time pledged to be a Nittany Lion.  Of course, he eventually switched to the Wolverines, but what would have happened if Burke had remained with Penn State?  Recruiting battles occur almost everyday and recruits change their minds constantly, but how would things look for both teams if Burke had not changed his mind.  This discussion of course changes nothing and Michigan fans are surely happy to have Burke, but it is an interesting concept.

Penn State
The Nittany Lions took two guards in the 2011 recruiting class, but have received mixed at best results from both.  These two guards were Matt Glover and Trey Lewis (Lewis has been described as the player recruited to replace Burke).  This is largely due to the timetable from when Burke decommitted and when Lewis committed.  Unfortunately for Penn State, both players ended up transferring from the program.  To say this is a downgrade is an understatement.  There is no proof that Burke would have worked out with Penn State, but going from Player of the Year to two transfers is a pretty big loss for any program.

So undoubtedly, the addition of Burke would have made an impact.  It would have been particularly interesting to see the impact last season, when Penn State had Tim Frazier.  Frazier was one of the top point guards in the conference and actually made 1st team All-Big Ten.  The instinctual decision would be to put both players on the floor at the same time, which would make things really interesting.  Who goes at the 1 and who goes at the 2?  As great as Burke has been this season, it seems likely that Burke would have been forced to slide over the 2 to get both players on the court.  They are both great scorers and passers, but Burke is probably a better 3 pt shooter than Frazier.  Penn State would not have been dominant in 2011-2012, but they certainly wouldn't have finished in last place in the Big Ten.  At least not with that backcourt.  It seems probable that they might have been able to sneak into the NIT Tournament, but going from last place in the Big Ten to a NCAA Tournament berth would still have probably been too much, especially with Burke as a freshman and not as a sophomore.

This year, Burke's services would have been much more valuable, considering that the Nittany Lions lost Tim Frazier at the beginning of the year.  Burke would have filled a much needed role and boosted a team struggling for leadership.  Penn State won 2 games in conference play.  Could Burke have changed that?  Almost certainly.  Now, it's not like he could have turned Penn State into a championship team, but they definitely would have been better.  NCAA Tournament bid?  Probably not without Frazier and Burke, but NIT bid?  That would have certainly been possible.

Michigan
This section can be a lot shorter.  Unless the Wolverines would have been able to land another point guard recruit in the 2011 recruiting class, they would have been in for a very rough season.  Darius Morris left for the NBA and the main players that could be used at that point were Eso Akunne and Stu Douglass.  Douglass would have been able to do alright, but he's much better suited to the 2 than he is to the point.  Along with this, Akunne is not a point guard that can take a team to that next level.  He's been a solid player for Michigan, but he's just limited in his abilities.  Instead of a Big Ten title, Michigan would have struggled just to make the NCAA Tournament without Burke.  This would have been a huge hit for the team and the program.

This season, the Wolverines would have definitely been able to find somebody to fill that point guard spot if they weren't able to grab Burke.  They had Spike in this recruiting class, but if there was a serious problem with the position in the season prior, they would have recruited it much harder and probably would have a bigger name recruit to show for it.  Spike has been a good surprise for Michigan fans this year, but a bigger name would have certainly been in the 2012 recruiting class if Burke never arrived in Ann Arbor.  However, this is still a true freshman or a true sophomore replacing a Player of the Year candidate.  No way Michigan enters the season so highly rated and makes it to the title game without Burke.  They probably could have made the NCAA Tournament, but the Wolverines would have looked a lot different in this scenario.

Overall
Burke staying committed to Penn State wouldn't have changed the world, but it would have put a serious dent in Michigan's long-term success.  Along with this, it would have probably boosted Penn State up quite a bit.  Not to the point of domination for the Nittany Lions, but certainly better than last place in the Big Ten.  This discussion may not change the scenario for either team, but it is interesting to see the impact of a player like Trey Burke on an upward trending Michigan and a bottom program like Penn State.

Postgame Thoughts: Penn State vs. Michigan

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Was a good win for Michigan.  Read below:

POSTGAME THOUGHTS: PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN

B1G Tournament Preview: Penn State

The Big Ten tourney is upon us.  Read about it below:

B1G Tournament Preview: Penn State

Michigan at Penn State: Recap & Postgame Thoughts

Horrible loss and horrible game.

Michigan at Penn State: Recap & Postgame Thoughts

Preview: Michigan at Penn State

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

The Wolverines now control their own destiny and will get the chance to convert on this against the Nittany Lions on the road:

Preview: Michigan at Penn State

Postgame Thoughts: Penn State at Michigan

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

This wasn't the most exciting or the prettiest game of the season, but Michigan picks up its 9th conference win of the season:

Postgame Thoughts: Penn State at Michigan

Week 3 Big Ten Update

I'm going to be starting a new recurring post on the blog updating the Big Ten on a regular basis.  Most fans are able to keep up with Michigan and maybe a couple of the other top teams like Indiana, Ohio State, and MSU, but a lot can get lost in between.  As a result, I'm going to post on a weekly basis (hopefully) to keep everyone updated on what's going on around the Big Ten.  Mainly, I'm going to address some of the main events, where the teams stand, and analyze what that means for the conference and Michigan.

I will start with the obvious, the rankings.  Not a lot changed in the most recent set of rankings.  The Big Ten currently has three teams in the Top 5, four in the Top 25, and two teams that are currently receiving votes (#26 & #27).  That is extremely impressive for one conference, especially at the top end.  So far, none of the ranked Big Ten teams has lost since the new set of rankings and only one of the teams receiving votes lost (Minnesota to Duke).  This basically means that the ranking position of the Big Ten teams will largely remain the same.  MSU and Wisconsin might be able to move up with some help, but most of the things will be the same, for now.

Compiled 2012-2013 Big Ten Predictions

Every season comes with a flurry of predictions and rankings and this year is no different.  Right now, the best conference in college basketball is the Big Ten and they have received their fair share of preseason rankings and hype.  Well, everybody wants to know the team that will reign victorious at the end of the season.  It's a difficult challenge, but I'm going to be attempting to predict the Big Ten.  I will undoubtedly be wrong by the end of the season, but here's my best guess:

 Nebraska Cornhuskers--(12th in B1G) This team is going to be horrible.  I'm sorry I have to say it, but it's going to be true.  Will they be horrible by national standards?  No, but they are going to be pummeled by the Big Ten.  The Cornhuskers finished in last place at the end of last year and they've taken significant steps backward from that team.  They not only lost their best players, but they also fired their head coach.  I wouldn't call this a trainwreck because Nebraska is still adjusting to the major challenge of Big Ten basketball, but this is not going to be a pretty year for Nebraska.

 Penn State Nittany Lions--(11th in B1G) This is a team that I think has a chance to develop into a semi decent squad in the coming years.  They are a long way from vying for a Big Ten title, but they have a few pieces to help them get back to respectability.  Point guard Tim Frazier will lead the way again and he should have another big year.  They have a few decent pieces and recruits that should help him out and I definitely like the coaching that has occurred with the Nittany Lions.  They are a team that keeps fighting until the finish and I think they might have a chance at being the Iowa of last season.  Still a doormat to most of the big teams, but they might get an upset here or there.

Week 6 Big Ten/AP Rankings

Yesterday was a day of upsets, beatdowns, and quirkiness. Florida State, LSU, and Georgia all lost. Michigan is back into the Top 25 after a dominating performance by Denard Robinson over Purdue. Nebraska has fallen out of the poll for the second time this year after a humiliating, blowout loss to Ohio State . Northwestern took a huge fall after losing to Penn State, showing us that their 5-0 record was really just hype.

A few things stood out to me for the Big Ten games yesterday--1. Never count Denard out. Yes, he had a poor performance against Notre Dame  . Yet, after a bye week and knowing he had to take control, he did. Breaking the rushing record for a Big Ten QB was great, but winning  Michigan's first Big Ten game, and doing it on the road was even greater. 2. I think most people are aware that Ohio State is still undefeated, and is still not going to the postseason. The Buckeyes seem to be using this season as a statement, and it's a loud one by Urban Meyer. 3. Michigan State's win over Indiana could be construed as 2 things--they're not as good as anyone thought or, 2. Indiana is getting better. I'm tending to lean more towards the former point. Now onto the poll:

Week 5 AP/Big Ten Rankings

Week 5 AP rankings are out, and it shows that yesterday was a big one in college football. Geno Smith and West Virginia survived a shootout against Baylor, racking up over 1,500 yards between the two teams. Smith passed for almost 700 yards and 8 TDs, practically vaulting himself into the front spot of the Heisman trophy race. Louisville survived in a torrential downpour against Southern Mississippi. LSU looked to be quite mortal against the Towson Tigers in a game that the score was a lot closer than just 38-22.

Ohio State shut down Michigan State's vaunted running game, and following the loss against Ohio State, State's defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi, made complaints concerning "doctored" game tape from Meyer. Northwestern improved to 5-0, while Minnesota came in undefeated and were exposed against Iowa. Purdue gave up a lot of points against Marshall while Illinois was blown out again versus Penn State, probably giving them the title of worst in the Big Ten next to Indiana. Nebraska had their biggest comeback ever against Wisconsin, setting Wisconsin back to 3-2 on the season. Here's the poll:

Week 5 Notes And Predictions

This Saturday marks the bye week for Michigan. Michigan will be the only Big Ten school on a bye this week as the rest open up the conference game schedule. College Gameday is making their stop this Saturday in East Lansing, where the Buckeyes are going to take on the Spartans at home. Obviously, that makes it the premiere Big Ten matchup of the week. That being said, don't overlook the Wisconsin-Nebraska game, which should be a close game between two teams, one on the way up in Nebraska, and the other one on the way down in Wisconsin. Both teams are currently 3-1 and looking for a signature win in conference play. Here's a taste of each game:

The Top 3 Trap Games For Michigan Basketball In 2012-2013

Every year, there are some tough opponents on the schedule for Michigan and its basketball team.  Typically, they come in games against teams like Indiana, Michigan State, and Ohio State.  However, there are also some tough games that are not easily predicted.  Michigan's game against Iowa last year comes to mind.  Michigan was easily favored and frankly, was a better team than Iowa.  Despite this, Iowa dominated Michigan at home and gave the Wolverines one of their worst losses of the season.

Typically, most refer to these as "trap" games because they are unexpected challenges along the way.  I do admit that it is virtually impossible to predict a true trap game (I mean, you shouldn't know when a trap is coming, right?), but I'm going to give it my best shot to select the teams and games that are most likely to fill the trap game role for Michigan basketball this year.  Just to specify, this does not mean I am predicting any of these teams to beat the Wolverines.  Michigan should and will most likely be favored against every one of these teams.  What I'm simply trying to do is select a few games that could present the most unexpected challenge.  Let's look at the top traps games for 2012-2013:

Week 4 Rankings--The Fall of the B1G Ten?

College football is an amazing sport. Where else can you find all these men playing a violent game on scholarships? Or even those players without free rides trying to make the team? They don't get paid for the millions of dollars of revenue they produce for their schools. They don't get paid money for merchandise that carries their name on it. Sure, the usual argument is that the scholarship alone is worth enough money for that player and the players say they can't hold jobs or have time for a job, much less order a pizza.

Yesterday showed us that even among scholarship players, blue chippers and huge programs alike....that even the mightiest can fall. It was widely joked about yesterday as to the state of the Big Ten, and rightfully so. Ohio State was sluggish against UAB and nearly completely overlooked them. It wasn't until the end of the 2nd half that the Buckeyes put some touchdowns on the board, and even then didn't score in the 3rd. The scary part is that while the Buckeyes are still undefeated, UAB came into the contest winless, and never backed down. Michigan State struggled mightily against Eastern until the 4th quarter where it appeared as though the Eagles threw in the towel on some assignments (also bad 3rd down playcalling sunk the offense) and Bell ended up having a career day with 253 rushing yards. Iowa lost to Central Michigan 32-31 with 3 seconds to go...on the leg of a non-scholarship walk-on 3rd string kicker. Kinnick Stadium won't be the same for a while. Louisiana Tech completely blew out Illinois on a turnover filled night.

Week 3 Notes With Analysis Of The Irish

Are we into Week 3 already? Michigan fans--we have this game against UMass and then Notre Dame, and then we have our conference opponents. Here's just a few thoughts I had coming into this week's slate of games:

1. I'm sure most people have heard of the Notre Dame/ACC decision by now. While Notre Dame is not a Big Ten school, and now probably never will be, this still does affect some teams. Michigan currently has a contract with ND to play them up until the contract expires in 2020, with years 2018 and 2019 not being played. Okay, so Michigan will be playing ND up through 2017, which amounts to 5 more games. Michigan State has a contract with ND that is valid through 2031, so within the next 5 years neither school will be booted from the schedule. By signing this agreement with the ACC, ND will have to schedule 5 ACC games per season in football. ND is not leaving any conference in football, therefore I'm not sure when the agreement goes into effect. For other sports it's a 5 million buyout and they must wait two years...for football that might start as of next year. So think of it...for 5 years ND has to schedule 5 ACC games, Michigan, MSU, probably Purdue; and traditional games against Navy, USC, and Stanford. That's 11 games right there folks.

Week 1 Notes With Updates on Fitz Toussaint And Frank Clark

I have waited as long as I could to post this column, waiting to find out the final decision on Fitzgerald Toussaint and Frank Clark.
Now I have learned that Toussaint and Clark are both continuing their respective suspensions thru the Alabama game. "The decision was not easy, but I feel it is in the best interest of this program and for these kids, and those always will be my priorities," Hoke said in a statement. "We have choices every day, and you have to be accountable to this program, your teammates, your family and the University of Michigan." I don't like Hoke's decision. I think Fitz gives Michigan a better chance of winning. Yet, while I don't like his decision, I do respect it. Hoke has rarely made a decision so far that I don't like, and he absolutely has not made one decision that has been detrimental towards the team. I applaud Hoke for making what is one of the toughest decisions so far this early in the season.


The eighth-ranked Wolverines will likely use running backs Thomas Rawls, Vincent Smith, Justice Hayes perhaps along with newcomers Dennis Norfleet and Drake Johnson against the defending national champion Crimson Tide.

Previewing Big Ten Football: Penn State

It wasn't a coincidence that I'm doing the preview for PSU this week. I know in light of recent events things have been difficult in Happy Valley, but there will be football. I've heard a lot of media coverage involving Freeh Report, and many analysts give their opinions. I'm not going to go into that here. I will say though, that for those who think Penn St deserves a football ban, they are way off base.   Let's concentrate solely on football.

2011 Record: 9-4 (6-2 Big Ten)

Head Coach: Bill O’Brien, first season

Projected Returning Starters: 12

Previewing Big Ten Basketball: Penn State

Over the next few weeks, I will be doing some early breakdowns on Michigan's Big Ten competition next year.  Who they're returning, any major staff changes, and their incoming recruits.  I did a massive four part series about Michigan's position for the Big Ten championship, but this series will be focusing specifically on other Big Ten teams.  Every year there is at least one surprise team, so looking at the pre-season favorites is not always the best method for analyzing the Big Ten.  So, let's get down to business.

Penn State was one of the weakest teams in the conference and showed that by finishing dead last in conference play.  They were a complete non-factor in the Big Ten race and were probably the team with the least impact on the race as well.  Teams like Iowa and Illinois were pretty weak as well, but at least they pulled off a few upsets during the year.  Looking back, the most significant win on Penn State's schedule was their victory over Purdue in early January.  Their struggles are also clearly seen in their poor finish in many statistical categories.

	Record	Big Ten	PPG	PPG Rank	Points Allowed	Points Allowed Rk	3pt%	3pt% Rk
MSU	29-8	13-5	72.3	3	59.3	2	36.2	6
OSU	31-8	13-5	75.1	2	59.8	3	33.3	9
Michigan	24-10	13-5	66.5	8	61.5	4	35.0	8
Wisconsin	26-10	12-6	63.9	10	53.2	1	36.8	5
Indiana	27-9	11-7	77.3	1	66.4	10	43.1	1
Purdue	22-13	10-8	72.2	4	66.0	9	37.7	3
NU	19-14	8-10	69.5	6	68.2	11	38.6	2
Iowa	18-17	8-10	71.9	5	72.5	12	37.3	4
Minnesota	23-15	6-12	67.4	7	64.8	6	35.6	7
Illinois	17-15	6-12	65.6	9	64.2	5	30.4	12
Nebraska	12-18	4-14	60.9	12	65.6	7	32.4	10
Penn St	12-20	4-14	61.8	11	65.8	8	31.1	11

*Stats from: DonBest


Penn State did struggle statistically, but they did have some exceptional players and could have very likely pulled off some upsets in close games that would have made them more of a factor.  They played Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana close over the season and all three teams were in the Big Ten race.  Along with this, if they would have been able to win one or two of these games the entire direction of their season could have changed.  They probably wouldn't have been in the Big Ten race, but they might have finished better with momentum from a win over a solid Big Ten team.

The best thing Penn State has going for them is youth.  Last season, four of their five starters were sophmores or younger.  That's pretty amazing youth for a Big Ten team.  Tim Frazier was their best player, but he will be back.  Obviously, this youth showed in their poor performance last season, but that's something that should improve for next year.  When you have numerous freshmen in your starting lineup, they should be better and more consistent for next season as a team.

Along with this, their team plays with fire and seems to be pretty well coached.  I think Michigan fans remember the near upset in Michigan's final regular season game last year.  Penn State is a team that will play hard whether they have the lead or not and that's a reason I think they will be in good shape for the long run.  Improving age, experience, and coaching is something that should pay dividends.  They may not be set-up for next season, but 2013 or 2014 might be seasons where they're a relatively big factor and make a NCAA Tournament run.

However, Penn State's major challenge is changing what has become a losing tradition with little talent.  Penn State doesn't bring in a lot of top talent and that can be seen from their latest recruiting class.  They have a couple guys that could turn out decent from this class, most notably 6'9" power forward Donovan Jack, but they aren't exactly bringing in the blue chip athletes.  They will have to largely rely on Frazier to carry them at times.  I'm predicting a slight improvement, but I think they're going to end up near the bottom of the Big Ten again.

Penn State Predictions:
Big Ten Finish: 11th
Ability To Compete With Top Teams: Very Low
Upset Status: 1 Major Upset
NCAA Tournament Status: No NCAA or NIT bid

Michigan Basketball Finishes The Regular Season

Well, Michigan has now wrapped up its regular season basketball schedule in what went from a blowout to a pretty close game with Big Ten bottom-dweller Penn State.  As I talked about in my preview, this wasn't exactly a trap game like Michigan has seen in the past this season, but it was certainly a team that had a chance to scare the Wolverines.  Penn State may have not been in the Big Ten championship hunt, but they certainly had a lot to play for in their final home game of the season.

Regardless, Michigan was able to beat the Nittany Lions 71-65 following a great performance by Evan Smotrycz.  Honestly, I was starting to worry that Smotrycz was going to fade into obscurity on this Michigan team.  He started the season off red hot and appeared ready to have a monster season, but his production faded as the year went on.  He has not played horribly this year and has had significant playing time in a lot of games, but he lost his starting spot to Stu Douglass and really has been non-existent since December.

Despite these struggles, he came out red hot against Penn State and finished with 17 points including a 86% shooting percentage.  Considering he had only been above 80% shooting in three games this season before this game with Penn State shows the significance of these numbers.  He had a great game, plain and simple.  I highly doubt he'll be able to keep up these insane numbers going, especially against better defenses, but it's still great news for a guy who had only made more than 50% of his shots in 3 of his last 18 games.

Along with this, Hardaway played pretty well and seems to finally be coming around in his shooting.  He may not be lighting up the place like he did last season, but he was very active at points and was not making the insane shot attempts he made during parts of the season.  The important thing is getting Smotrycz and Hardaway going and making good shot attempts when Michigan gets ready for its tournament run.

By now, I'm sure you've realized I skipped over the hot topic of the day and that's the Big Ten title race.  Michigan is currently 1 game behind Michigan State for the lead and if the Spartans lose, Michigan, OSU, and MSU will share the title in a three-way tie.  This may not be how most Michigan fans would want to win the title, but in my opinion, there's not really any other option than to root against Michigan State in this game.

I won't be throwing on a Sullinger jersey or grabbing one of those horrid buckeye necklaces, but there's no doubt it would be better for Michigan to split in this scenario than have Michigan State win.  Will it help Michigan's seeding?  Not really.  Our tournament seeding is pretty much locked up, but there's still a chance for a Big Ten title.  That hasn't happened since the 1980s and Michigan fans shouldn't hold ridiculous principles to prevent them from desiring that outcome.

Will I root for Ohio State to beat Michigan State today?  I'm certainly not going to be actively cheering, but I will say that I will be pleased if they beat the Spartans.  Frankly, splitting a championship is better than watching East Lansing celebrate.  In fact, you could even make an argument that if the Spartans lose today, Michigan and Michigan State are essentially even teams.  Granted, the Spartans will get a better seed and ranking regardless of today's outcome, but one can certainly make the argument.

So, don't start any Ohio State chants or start singing their fight song, but make sure you follow the outcome of the game taking place in East Lansing because it could have an enormous impact on Michigan's basketball program's growth.  Hanging a new championship banner is something to be proud of, whether it's a split title or not.  If Michigan splits, nobody can say we "backed" into this title.  We beat MSU and OSU earlier this season, just like both of those teams beat us.  Every team will be deserving.

I'm excited for the outcome, whether positive or negative, because this team is in a great position for a big finish and tournament run.  Michigan improved its record from last year, faced tougher teams, and appears to have finally crossed into that "top" Big Ten status.  They certainly aren't the best program in the Big Ten, but winning a title would help a lot towards that and Michigan's play has certainly put them in position.

Photo Credit: Angela Cesere