How good is Michigan?

[NickLidstrom]

I'm a UMich alum, but my time at the school was marked with absolute irrelevance in basketball, so the team's current high rank kind of crept up on me. I'm wondering what you more knowledgeable folks think about this team. Is their no. 2 ranking just a product of being a big name school beating up on a cupcake early season schedule? Or do they have real championship hopes?

[jman3134]

Not at all. They have been beating up on legitimate opponents.

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basket ... le-by-team (#13)

They beat an underrated Pitt team, who is definitely top 20 in my mind. Then they beat NCAA tournament teams NC St. (who is ranked) and Kansas St. I love Glenn Robinson III and believe that he is going to become a special player by year's end. If Stauskas can continue shooting anywhere near the same rate, he will continue to be the best in college basketball. Then you have probably the best point guard in America in Trey Burke. Tim Hardaway Jr. is also much improved and is one of the deadliest jump shooters in college basketball. Their biggest weakness is on the interior. They are vulnerable there, and will struggle against teams like Indiana. But, they have one of if not the best backcourt in college basketball. Michigan is definitely a contender this year and I expect them to finish towards the top of the Big Ten.

[Lukeem]

Guard / perimeter play is best in the nation IMO. If they are going to knock off good teams in march they will need big guys to step up. I think mcgary can get get there with solid support from the Morgan. If horford and mcgary both step up they will be my favourites to win it all

[Johnlac1]

They have the athleticism and the shooters. They have size, but they'll need good development from McGary to do anything in the tournament. The first game against Indiana will be a real good indication.

[joseph mamah]

yeah, Mcgarys definitely the key. if he develops theyre at least Final Four, if not theyll probably be Sweet 16.

[Jake0890]

They have the best guard play in the NCAA imo, but they don't stand a chance against teams like Duke or Indiana if they don't have an inside presence.

[thomascos5g]

In last match Indiana81
Michigan73

this make the difference that to compare with Indiana. Indiana is now best performed team.



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[Whitty149]

Michigan is great but as everyone is saying their interior presence or lack there of is going to be their downfall. But who knows Trey Burke is a hell of a player and if Tim Hardaway Jr gets hot like he did the others night vs I'm my opinion and underrated Ohio state team anything is possible. This team is fun to watch and i think they could be a team to watch come tournament time.

[wiff]

It's going to be really interesting come March.

everyone is saying their interior presence or lack there of is going to be their downfall.

That's the knock, but people always talk about how you need great guard play too.

I'd love to see them matched up against Gonzaga whose front line is the best in the nation. But at times their guards have struggled against bigger back courts. It would be interesting to see who could impose their will on the other.

[Manocad]

Michigan has a lot of talent but they're a young team that often seems to show a lack of intensity when faced with adversity. When they get surprised out of the gate they struggle, which seems to happen in every Big 10 road game they play. Losing to Penn State last night, which was PSU's first Big 10 win, is certainly Michigan's low point of the season.

I expect that they'll hang on to get a #2 seed (no worse than #3) and lose in the second round. It's too bad they couldn't come together better than they did because Trey Burke is almost certainly gone after this season.

[ChronicKerr]

I expect that they'll hang on to get a #2 seed (no worse than #3) and lose in the second round.

Have some faith, my man. 2/3 seed losing in the second round? I reckon this will be the first time in 20 years they get back to the sweet 16, that is, unless they match up against the REAL Ohio U again.

[wiff]

I reckon this will be the first time in 20 years they get back to the sweet 16, that is, unless they match up against the REAL Ohio U again.

Or Penn State!

[Johnlac1]

I said earlier in the season that Michigan would have to develop their inside game better, especially McGary. While McGary has improved, their inside game in still substandard. When their outside shots aren't going, they struggle. And they gave up 84 pts to a Penn State team that hadn't won a conference game and lost their best player early in the season. While they might win a game or two in the opening rounds, I can't see Michigan in the Final Four.

[NetsFanFromNJ]

Indiana @ Michigan today, 4:00pm. This should be one hell of a game!

[Jake0890]

Indiana @ Michigan today, 4:00pm. This should be one hell of a game!

I don't see Michigan winning. Maybe I'm just being a homer, but they don't seem to have anyone able to consistently stop Zeller, while Oladipo is one of the best defenders in the nation and that just makes Burke's turnover problem worse. Not to mention the 3-point shooting of Indiana.

[discord]

Neither Indiana or Michigan is going far from what I saw in this game...

That choke job has to rank up there...

[machu46]

Indiana and Duke = only great teams in the country this year