GBMWolverine: Michigan Basketball -- Michigan at Arkansas -- Review -- Does Almost Count for Anything

4:00pm — 1/22/2012

GBMWolverine: Michigan Basketball — Michigan at Arkansas — Review — Does Almost Count for Anything

The title above can be answered many ways. First off the empirical score of yesterday’s game will always show a loss. Second, Michigan has yet to win a true road game notwithstanding Oakland. Third, this was no moral victory; the game had nothing to do about morals. But, and finally, one thing happened; even when getting pounded by an Arkansas team that started off 11-11 from the field, Michigan kept poise, kept to the plan, and steadily mounted a comeback.

Having discussed the philosophical elements above, now on to the game. Michigan continues to be really strange concerning the start of games. At home the team frequently shoots out to big leads, but then at other times, in other buildings, it is like an alarm clock must go off before the team plays defense with intensity and adjusts to the flow of a game.

Michigan played a good, but not great, SEC team yesterday on the road in a really tough place to win. Just like with Indiana, Michigan had a real opportunity to gain a win that could boost tournament seeding. If urgency is a pill, Michigan is on time release. The Hogs ran out of the gate and played with far more defensive intensity applying pressure to ball handlers and shooters. Again, Michigan got into a mode of just allowing good shooters to have the good open look, and the Hogs obliged with a big run of over 60% shooting in the first half.

It was probably a good thing that Michigan played a team that presses for most of the game. It is surprising more teams, with Michigan’s past history against the press, have not pressed. Michigan did all right against the press. There appeared to be no set strategy to combat the press. When necessary and possible, Burke broke the press with the dribble, and then at other times the ball was lobbed over the top into the middle. Both strategies had success, but when a team presses, the opportunity arrives for layups if the offense can stay one pass ahead of the press. Michigan was content to break and set up the offense. This strategy may have been sound, as two or three changing calls could have blitzed Michigan’s rotation.

Mental toughness came forward in the second half, led by Michigan’s best model of the aforementioned attribute, Zack Novak. This game was a poster for how an average guy can contribute. Zack was everywhere, doing everything, especially the dirty work. He shot, he rebounded, he defended, and he fought. This trait by Novak is self-inflicted and others on this team need to get the message that this is how teams play and win. If Michigan played with the defensive intensity and focus of the second half throughout the game, clearly the result could have been different.

Mental toughness became important as both teams became tired down the stretch because of the first half pace. The legs turned shots into misses for both teams before the stretch run. Michigan made good use of time outs to rest players and set up offensive options.

The offense revolved around two strategies: first was the fire away strategy, with Burke, Haradway, and Stu Douglass firing too many blanks. It needs to be noted that Hardaway was more selective and the shots just did not go in, but have faith that will change. Novak picked up the pace but his three’s were good open looks taken with true fire in the eye. Michigan again ended up well below the 38% success rate on three pointers teams use as a benchmark. The second strategy was dribble-drive the ball inside and break the defense down. This strategy started in the first half and helped Michigan make a little run. Then again in the second half Michigan again used this strategy and Morgan benefited greatly as the comeback became serious.

This starts the tough run for Michigan. Purdue looms with a similar situation, a good team and a tough place to play. But again, the mission is possible. The difference this time is a league game is at stake, and any win on the road is a good win, ugly, blowout, squeaker, whatever.

The last shot was indicative of the entire game. Michigan had a last chance after appearing to have lost. Trey Burke took the shot, the shot went in and out, and Burke clearly showed steam coming out of his ears. That is a good sign.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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