Michigan Observations

[srams21]

- I will start by saying I really liked what I saw from Ahmad Wagner. He is really engaged defensively which can be rare from true freshman. He is very active and disciplined on both ends of the court. He also showed great patience on a nice offensive move. He is really progressing well.

- Speaking of progressing, Dom Uhl has exploded these past two months for the Hawks. Development of a player is one of my favorite things to watch as a fan, and Fran has done a remarkable job in this facet during his tenure here. Dom is the latest. He is shooting nearly 50% from the field and over that from three. He is also learning when to be aggressive at the right times. I'm loving his game right now.

- Everytime Michigan came back and tied it up, we responded by pushing the lead back out to 8-10 points. That is the difference between a senior laden squad and a young one. We have been the "Michigan" team a lot these past few years. It sure is nice to be on this end!

- Our defense does not get enough attention, but wow it seems to be a step up from the last couple years.

- Winning the Big Ten championship is now a realistic possibility. I am not saying it will happen but we are sitting in a really good position. If we can take care of Rutgers and then beat Purdue (I just hate them!) at home, then it just becomes a matter of taking care of business.

- How much fun is this season? Watching a great player in Uthoff? A great team that plays together? Young guys developing? Enjoy each game boys.

 

[hexumhawk]

Yes.

The more the season goes on the more I think they will need to use Wagner to keep others fresh. He is an offensive liability right now but he can work on that part of his game. He can hold his own on the glass and down low and we will need that.

 

[CanadaHawk]

After the job Iowa did @MSU on the boards, and hearing Jok say that the team focused on blocking out during the layoff, I'm surprised MI was able to beat us in rebounding. We need to regain that edge @Rutgers to get ready for PD. They're another team that has to be looking for payback after what we did to them @Mackey. If we lose @MD, at least it's an away game. Iowa needs to take care of business at home.

Wagner could give us a lift on the boards as he develops.

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

My metric for a good regular season is 12-6 and 20 overall. This team is far better than the squad that collapsed two years ago. If we only go 7-6 here out we hit the 12-6 and probably tie for 3rd.

The Michigan game showed that this squad will win most of the tight games down the stretch. The boys have a really good shot at 14-4 which just might be good enough to win or tie for regular season title. Wow.

 

[ichawks]

After the job Iowa did @MSU on the boards, and hearing Jok say that the team focused on blocking out during the layoff, I'm surprised MI was able to beat us in rebounding. We need to regain that edge @Rutgers to get ready for PD. They're another team that has to be looking for payback after what we did to them @Mackey. If we lose @MD, at least it's an away game. Iowa needs to take care of business at home.

Wagner could give us a lift on the boards as he develops.

Iowa will get "everybody's" best shot. Other than Rutgers, every game will be a battle. Getting to the top is one thing, staying there is quite another.

 

[CanadaHawk]

Iowa will get "everybody's" best shot. Other than Rutgers, every game will be a battle. Getting to the top is one thing, staying there is quite another.

True. But PD is the most dangerous home game I see left on the schedule. If we win out at home, we've got a real good shot at the title. If we stay with PD on the boards, we win. Coming from 17 down, our last game with them wasn't a walk in the park.

 

[nu2u]

Uhl's long jumpers do not look smooth but by God they go in most of the time.

 

[Drew003]

Our offensive efficiency is unreal. I think we are still vulnerable to high-end athleticism playing aggressive on-ball defense, but that is about it. We are too efficient and aggressive for half-court, slow down teams to beat us.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

True. But PD is the most dangerous home game I see left on the schedule. If we win out at home, we've got a real good shot at the title. If we stay with PD on the boards, we win. Coming from 17 down, our last game with them wasn't a walk in the park.

don't sleep on Northwestern, they are damn good.

 

[srams21]

don't sleep on Northwestern, they are damn good.

Agree. They are us from about two years ago. Lots of young guys on that team are starting to figure things out and gel as a team. They might be a year early but Northwestern will be a player in this conference in the years to come (if not this year).

 

[MarionHawk]

I fear that the team that stops us from winning the Big 10 (unless we can sweep them) is Indiana. They have a nice little Big 10 schedule this year.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

It's nice to have so many scoring options. Uthoff and Jok compliment each other, but it's nice to see other guys knock shots down at critical junctures. We will need this moving forward, as teams will throw the kitchen sink at Jok and / or Uthoff and dare others to beat them.

 

[buttermypancakes]

don't sleep on Northwestern, they are damn good.

They're not damn good, they're average to slightly above average. NW best win is an average Wisconsin team at home and they just lost to PSU at home.

 

[hawk-i bob]

They're not damn good, they're average to slightly above average. NW best win is an average Wisconsin team at home and they just lost to PSU at home.

the Penn State loss at home did take a little of the sparkles away. 0-17 from 3 point at one point..wow. I do like the roster that Collins has built..they are not a push over.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

They're not damn good, they're average to slightly above average. NW best win is an average Wisconsin team at home and they just lost to PSU at home.

Riveting analysis.....have you seen them play?

I once saw PSU beat Michigan the year Michigan went to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. Did that loss mean Michigan was no good?

 

[Hawkeyestate81]

LOL at NW, comeon. They have beaten no one, they are like 15-4 and just horrible metrics, please.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

LOL at NW, comeon. They have beaten no one, they are like 15-4 and just horrible metrics, please.

you wanna know how i know you dont know anything about basketball?

 

[hooper56]

are they going to get Olah back? If so then, yes, I think Northwestern will be pretty good.

 

[Hawkeyestate81]

Please do share, are they goign to make the dance? They are average. Beaten no one, paper tiger. They going to be within 20 of MD tonight?

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Indy has the b-ball equivalent of what the Hawks got in football this year. Playing more of the low end of the conference and limited exposure to the better teams(maryland, msu, pu once only). Hawks need at least a split in the two they get with them.

 

[hawklandish]

Iowa will get "everybody's" best shot. Other than Rutgers, every game will be a battle. Getting to the top is one thing, staying there is quite another.

I have never understood this theory. At the Div. 1 level, it should be only reasonable to think that every team you play will do the best they can.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

As for nw, I did watch psu dismantle them at home. They certainly didn't look impressive in that game.
nw's non-con schedule was putrid, can't tell anything about them from that.
They aren't without some talent, but I need to see more in B1G play when it counts before thinking they have a shot at the NCAA tourney.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

I have never understood this theory. At the Div. 1 level, it should be only reasonable to think that every team you play will do the best they can.

The way I take this is that these are young men, not professionals, and there is significance in the season that can be influenced by their emotions and other intangibles that come into play. Not many players can be "up" or at their peak for every game. Certain games are going to have more meaning, that guys are into. Knocking off a higher ranked team, getting a big upset, those are definitely games that teams/players can get more jacked up for.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

Please do share, are they goign to make the dance? They are average. Beaten no one, paper tiger. They going to be within 20 of MD tonight?

hmm i dunno, does OT count as within 20?

well at least now we can safely ignore everything you have to say about the game of basketball forever. so thanks.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

They're not damn good, they're average to slightly above average. NW best win is an average Wisconsin team at home and they just lost to PSU at home.

Hmm took Maryland, a consensus top 5 preseason team and conference favorite to win the league to OT at their place.

How would you like your crow served sir?

And what do you know about how good PSU is this year? have they improved from last year? Maybe they are a pretty good basketball team too possibly?

The Big 10 is a deep league.

 

[DanHawkPella]

Our offensive efficiency is unreal. I think we are still vulnerable to high-end athleticism playing aggressive on-ball defense, but that is about it. We are too efficient and aggressive for half-court, slow down teams to beat us.

Agree with this, in part because I thought the way Dayton played defense against us is what bothers our motion offense the most. If you can come out on us and not let us turn the corner on drives, our efficiency suffers. I do think we are playing better now than we did then though, and the emergence of Baer and Uhl might change that outcome if we played again.

 

[buttermypancakes]

Hmm took Maryland, a consensus top 5 preseason team and conference favorite to win the league to OT at their place.

How would you like your crow served sir?

And what do you know about how good PSU is this year? have they improved from last year? Maybe they are a pretty good basketball team too possibly?

The Big 10 is a deep league.

Lol NW must be damn good. That game was garbage, all they needed was 49 points in regulation but they couldn't even muster that. Are we talking about the same Penn St team that lost by 26 to Duquesne and 12 to Radford.

I actually like a few of Northwestern's pieces. Pardon could be really good, but as a team they are very average this year.

 

[Ronman]

Northwestern could easily lose their next three games and be 3-7 in the league standings.

Maryland has the look of a team that thinks they can just show up and win.

 

[buttermypancakes]

Hmm took Maryland, a consensus top 5 preseason team and conference favorite to win the league to OT at their place.

How would you like your crow served sir?

And what do you know about how good PSU is this year? have they improved from last year? Maybe they are a pretty good basketball team too possibly?

The Big 10 is a deep league.

Great effort today by a damn good team. I'm sure you'll be impressed as long as they keep it within 30 against Indiana.

 

[buttermypancakes]

Hmm took Maryland, a consensus top 5 preseason team and conference favorite to win the league to OT at their place.

How would you like your crow served sir?

And what do you know about how good PSU is this year? have they improved from last year? Maybe they are a pretty good basketball team too possibly?

The Big 10 is a deep league.

Would you like a redo?

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

Would you like a redo?

Northwestern took Maryland to OT at their place. Iowa couldn't even do that. Aside from Demps it sure looked like they had an off game today. You know, on the road against the #3 team in the country. It happens.

 

[buttermypancakes]

Northwestern took Maryland to OT at their place. Iowa couldn't even do that. Aside from Demps it sure looked like they had an off game today. You know, on the road against the #3 team in the country. It happens.

Lol they've been down 30 in their last three games. I might have over sold them when I said they were average. You're an idiot.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

Lol they've been down 30 in their last three games. I might have over sold them when I said they were average. You're an idiot.

they've played @ the top 3 teams in the league & against MSU the last 4 games. All four teams are in the top 20.

 

[bustahcap]

they've played @ the top 3 teams in the league & against MSU the last 4 games. All four teams are in the top 20.

They were treated like a bad team in 3 of those games and couldn't beat a team who could only put up 48 in regulation. Clearly a miss, on them being a "damn good" team.

 

[RocknRollface]

Nothwestern is obviously not good. Its not up for discussion.

 

[Suterman]

Northwestern has some talent but they are not yet an NCAA team. Collins is a good coach and he may be the guy to get them there, but they have a ways to go.

 

[OldTownPepe]

I expected more from Olah this year even after coming off an injury. He looked really tentative yesterday - kicked it out to someone else most of the time he had the ball. I have to agree with Suterman. Pretty good assessment.