MSU Red Cedar Message Board

This just shows how little you understand about the game of basketball. Novak, Douglass and Smotrycz were critical to Trey Burke's success last year, primarily because of their ability to spread the floor at non-traditional shooter positions. With certain lineups, UM could bring outside shooting to five positions, making it difficult to help in the paint and stop Burke in the pick-and-roll. Beyond the fact that they represent half your playing group and years of experience, they bring much more than simple production to the offense. The threat of their ability to shoot was as important as their actual scoring averages. That is to say, teams had to guard them to 20+ feet, opening the floor up for Burke to drive.

Next year, UM will have trouble finding similar versatility, which could severely impact Burke's ability to get into the paint. In an four/five out offense, you need shooters or else your outside shooting dries up as well as your ability to penetrate. While UM is adding "new" skills with players like Robinson and McGary, they don't bring the most important skill, outside shooting. It'll certainly be interesting to watch UM next year to see if Beilein adjusts his offense, as it stands though, I am not sure next year's talent has the experience or fit to execute efficiently.

I agree. I think he will regress statistically next year a bit and much to Michigan fans' delight, he will be forced to stay at least 3 years.

Who cares about post depth? UM posted Morgan roughly two times a game. Now you have three Morgan's on your roster, for what Beilein has typically allocated 30 minutes of playing time. Not to mention, Morgan/Horford/McGary haven't proven they can score consistently in the post against college defenders.

And I know UM fans are thinking UM will play two posts together. Good luck with that. Without a threat to shoot, opponents will clog the paint, really making it hard for Burke to penetrate. Again, the roster doesn't fit Beilein's offensive system at all.

Look, UM doesn't need to a big step backward to regress. Last year, UM benefited from winning close games and having some schedule breaks, yet they still finished with ten losses. Take away their luck and half their contributors and UM could easily finish with a worse record without getting significantly worse. UM fans see the B10 title and think it signifies their team's ability, but that is fools gold. All other objective criteria suggest UM was a borderline Top 25 team last year.

It's more worn out than the ex-Mrs. A.M. Wood

The B1G tournament was very telling last year. The comparison between the games OSU had against UM and MSU revealed much. 1 was against a 100% paper tiger and the other featured two titans slugging it out in awesome fashion.

Unfortunately, much like their football team, they lived a very charmed season. Things seemed to really fall into place and just like them getting bent over a barrel + every incredibly lucky break in their BCS bowl win, their basketball team some how fell ass first onto the same platform as MSU and OSU at the end of the regular season. It sucks but it all gives the public appearance that they've arrived.

UM was good last year because they played some really good defense and didn't turn the ball over. They are losing their two of their three best defenders and two reliable ball handlers and good passers. They'll need their new guys to buy in defensively and need them to value the ball and make plays. I don't see them being much better next year. Top-25 team? For sure. FF contender? No way. Still too many holes.

Honest assessment, they will be a top 25 team, but no way will they be capable of making a run in the tourney nor compete for the B1G title.

Any shot at depth left the building and don't care whose team and what player, when you see public soap opera's like the one Burke is in, coming back doesn't have many happy endings.

Now saying you hope Horford's foot heals AND he progresses plus 4 freshmen plus Hardeway who flat out ran out of gas just like Novak did.

Big M just forgets how gassed Burke looked in his last 2 games
OSU 1-11 0-7 /3pt 8 TO's 5 points in 30 minutes
Ohio 5-15 2-9/3 pt 2 TO 16 points in 40 minutes

Good luck Burke. For those concerned about his classes... Finals should be around corner. Incompletes???

No kidding. They aren't going to be jacking three's against poor athletes who are 4 inches shorter in the B1G. You'll be covered tight with athletes who have speed and can jump out of the gym. It's a whole new ballgame.

Highlight videos? Really? Are those the guys he will be playing against next season?

Sure thing nucky.

Again, UM fan demonstrating he doesn't understand basketball. It isn't just the production that should be evaluated; it is the threat that is equally important. The fact that Novak and Smotrycz could shoot the three while playing the four or five really affected the way teams could defend UM. In the pick-and-roll, defenders were drawn further from the basket opening the paint for Burke this year and Morris last year. And when you put Novak and Smotrycz in the pick-and-pop, the defense had to respect the pop player, forcing defenses to X-Out, Switch, Feather, etc. This also helped draw defenders away from the basket opening driving lanes.

See, it didn't matter whether he ht five threes or one three. It matters that he could hit threes. If you really want to evaluate their value, you also have to look at Morgan's and Burke's production, as they benefited the most from the outside shooting threats.