815...

[EL Jimbo]

The number of days since Michigan beat Michigan State in either football or men's basketball [[meaning the only sports people really care about). This is the longest streak by either side since the 1970s.

Just thought I'd mention that.

[jefferson78]

Not being an alumnus of either university, I admit I usually root for the school who either has the best shot at the title or who has the players I most admire.
As it stands now, State has the better football, basketball and even hockey teams than the school from Ann Arbor. I know this must be hard to swallow for U of M fans but it is reality.
It seems like UofM's problems are mostly self-inflicted but did they really expect to dominate the Big Ten forever? Their fans do seem a bit snobby, whereas State's fans seem a bit more grounded. Both schools are guilty of being obnoxious at times but that's what makes it fun.
With that said, I do hope U of M's sports teams return to greatness since that is what makes it so much fun in the first place. Heck, we could be living in Illinois and talking about U of Illinois and Northwestern...........yuck.

[kenp]

2 great plays at the end saved your streak. First Greens huge rebound and put back with about a minute left, then Lucas makes a pro type move and shot with under 10 secs left.
Oh well, great game, we almost had our own little streak going.
I thought 815 was the number of days since el jimbo posted on the sports threads

[EL Jimbo]

2 great plays at the end saved your streak. First Greens huge rebound and put back with about a minute left, then Lucas makes a pro type move and shot with under 10 secs left.
Oh well, great game, we almost had our own little streak going.
I thought 815 was the number of days since el jimbo posted on the sports threads

It's been a while.

It was a great game. Had me sweating. Michigan played more like the Top 20 team they were ranked at the beginning of the season than "hoping and praying for an NIT bid" team they've played like for most of the season. of course, that's what I rivalry does for you.

I will say this about Michigan, though. What is that program going to be like next year without Harris and Sims? Beyond them there appears to be NOBODY. They combined for 35 of Michigan's 56 points last night. With Sims gone you lose your only real post scoring threat [[plus an athletic guy who can stretch a defense with his range...great player) and Harris is your only genuine athletic perimeter player.

Next year they are going to have a hard time getting good looks from deep as nobody is going to fear their inside game or their ability to get dribble penetration.

Furthermore, when it comes to the football team, Michigan isn't going to be any better next year either [[they could be worse). That defense is going to be UGLY without Graham and Warren.

On offense losing the only two running backs opponents feared and the almost certain QB controversy between true freshman Devin Gardner and Tate "I would have won the MAC Heisman in September" Forcier. Gardner's great and all [[poor man's Pryor), but as a true freshman he won't be able to run the offense very well. Tate is a gritty player and all but his lack of size and speed really limits what he can do in that offense. Of course even if one of them becomes the second coming of Pat White it won't matter because they are going to have to score 40 pts a game to have chance because of their defense.

[firstandten]

It's been a while.

It was a great game. Had me sweating. Michigan played more like the Top 20 team they were ranked at the beginning of the season than "hoping and praying for an NIT bid" team they've played like for most of the season. of course, that's what I rivalry does for you.

I will say this about Michigan, though. What is that program going to be like next year without Harris and Sims? Beyond them there appears to be NOBODY. They combined for 35 of Michigan's 56 points last night. With Sims gone you lose your only real post scoring threat [[plus an athletic guy who can stretch a defense with his range...great player) and Harris is your only genuine athletic perimeter player.

Next year they are going to have a hard time getting good looks from deep as nobody is going to fear their inside game or their ability to get dribble penetration.

Furthermore, when it comes to the football team, Michigan isn't going to be any better next year either [[they could be worse). That defense is going to be UGLY without Graham and Warren.

On offense losing the only two running backs opponents feared and the almost certain QB controversy between true freshman Devin Gardner and Tate "I would have won the MAC Heisman in September" Forcier. Gardner's great and all [[poor man's Pryor), but as a true freshman he won't be able to run the offense very well. Tate is a gritty player and all but his lack of size and speed really limits what he can do in that offense. Of course even if one of them becomes the second coming of Pat White it won't matter because they are going to have to score 40 pts a game to have chance because of their defense.

Michigan is going to be in trouble in both B-ball and Football. Like the West coast offense in its day D-coordinators are now adjusting to the spread read-option offense that Mich is running. and RR isn't recruiting enough size to stop anyone or impose his will on offense when the option isn't working. The guy is recruiting like he is still in the Big East. His arrogance will do him in.

As for B-ball Michigan made a mistake givingBeilein an extension so soon. I look at his recruiting. How do ignore one of the most fertile recruiting grounds for D-1 talent in the COUNTRY!!!.

I'm talking about the Detroit-Flint-Saginaw corridor. Manny wasn't his recruit, Sims wasn't his recruit, the two best players on the team he didn't recruit and probably wouldn't have recruited if it was up to him.

You know there was a time Izzo could get all he wanted out of Saginaw and Flint but couldn't recruit Detroit. Not any more, now Izzo is all over Detroit as well. The kid he is getting from Pershing will eventually make you forget about Lucas.

Beilein is out here recruiting MAC talent or picking up players who couldn't hack it at there former schools, basically because they were recruited too high to begin with. If he doesn't upgrade his recruiting and I mean in a hurry folks will start calling for his neck beginning next year.

[EL Jimbo]

Michigan is going to be in trouble in both B-ball and Football. Like the West coast offense in its day D-coordinators are now adjusting to the spread read-option offense that Mich is running. and RR isn't recruiting enough size to stop anyone or impose his will on offense when the option isn't working. The guy is recruiting like he is still in the Big East. His arrogance will do him in.

As for B-ball Michigan made a mistake givingBeilein an extension so soon. I look at his recruiting. How do ignore one of the most fertile recruiting grounds for D-1 talent in the COUNTRY!!!.

I'm talking about the Detroit-Flint-Saginaw corridor. Manny wasn't his recruit, Sims wasn't his recruit, the two best players on the team he didn't recruit and probably wouldn't have recruited if it was up to him.

You know there was a time Izzo could get all he wanted out of Saginaw and Flint but couldn't recruit Detroit. Not any more, now Izzo is all over Detroit as well. The kid he is getting from Pershing will eventually make you forget about Lucas.

Beilein is out here recruiting MAC talent or picking up players who couldn't hack it at there former schools, basically because they were recruited too high to begin with. If he doesn't upgrade his recruiting and I mean in a hurry folks will start calling for his neck beginning next year.

Very true on all accounts.

Michigan fans still loyal to RichRod like to point out that Michigan will have so much speed whenever the fact that they will be fielding a team of smurfs is mentioned. However, what they don't want to admit is that Ohio State, Penn State, and now Michigan state is bringing in guys just as fast...and bigger. It's not going to be pretty in Ann Arbor...unless you don't like the Wolverines. Then it will be poetry in motion.

Going back to basketball, the inability to recruit Detroit stretches WELL beyond the Izzo years. Detroit was practically off limits to MSU for decades. That's why it was so upsetting to Jud Heathcote when he thought he had Chris Webber and Michigan stepped in at the last minute with..ahem...a better offer if you know what I mean.

But you are absolutely right about Izzo in Detroit now too. Summers, Lucas, and Nix are all from the area. Plus the kid you mentioned who is a senior at Pershing this year [[Keith Appling). That kid is going to be a STAR. And Izzo already has a Detroit kid locked up for the 2011 class already in Brandon Kearney from Detroit Southeastern.

Bottom line is that Michigan's current recruiting and coaching strategy is a recipe for disaster for them long term. Bee-line runs the program more like a mid-major than a program with the name and history that Michigan has. Michigan would have been better off keeping Tommy the Turtleneck than this guy.

Dark days seem almost certain for big revenue Michigan athletics. Good luck selling all those luxury boxes in this economy fielding teams like that.

[kenp]

I for one am thrilled we got John Beilein. And I will also be the first to admit MSU is way more talented then UM, in fact they are probably top 5 or better in the country in talent and have been for quite some time.
When UM had the Martin fiasco back in the 90's UM basically put the basketball team on the back burner. Notice this was the same time Izzo started having success, he had free reign over the area and he took advantage of it.
Amaker got into a situation which was tough, our facilities were 2nd rate, and there was still little internal support for basketball. Beilein comes in, pays 2 million of his own money to WVU while the new football coach has UM pay WVU something like 3.5M. All Beilein does is bring class and a tireless effort to upscale UM basketball. Soon we will finally have a Basketball practice facility and a renovated Basketball arena thanks to JB's effort.
Recruiting is getting better, we have 2 solid recruits for next year and if we can also get Horford and maybe Zeigler I would think our class is top 20 or maybe even top 10.
And We already have a top player the following year committed who is from the Detroit area.
Thank you John Beilein!
And Kudos to MSU for a great Basketball program

[EL Jimbo]

Beilein appears to be a good guy and a class act. However, that doesn't necessarily make him a good coach for the situation. I watched the game the other night and what I saw from Michigan was not that impressive. MSU let you guys stay in the game because we couldn't pass the ball accurately and were playing sloppy. 18 turnovers is atrocious.

The thing that is most shocking to me is the style of play that Michigan has. It doesn't work in the Big Ten. There is no way you are going to consistently win in such a defensively strong conference when you are constantly chucking up low percentage three point shots early in the shot clock. Sims is your only real inside scoring presence and even he spends a ton of time out beyond the arc. What happens when he's gone?

I just don't see a team that can consistently be competitive on a talent or strategic basis with the players Beilein is bringing in and the style of play he runs.

[firstandten]

Beilein appears to be a good guy and a class act. However, that doesn't necessarily make him a good coach for the situation. I watched the game the other night and what I saw from Michigan was not that impressive. MSU let you guys stay in the game because we couldn't pass the ball accurately and were playing sloppy. 18 turnovers is atrocious.

The thing that is most shocking to me is the style of play that Michigan has. It doesn't work in the Big Ten. There is no way you are going to consistently win in such a defensively strong conference when you are constantly chucking up low percentage three point shots early in the shot clock. Sims is your only real inside scoring presence and even he spends a ton of time out beyond the arc. What happens when he's gone?

I just don't see a team that can consistently be competitive on a talent or strategic basis with the players Beilein is bringing in and the style of play he runs.

I watched most of the Uof M , Wisconsin game and I am horrified that the school gave this guy an extension. Now granted Wisconsin is ranked and a very good team but Michigan couldn't compete with them clanking up shots and just letting the Badgers run a clinic on them. Felt bad that Gary Grant, the Judge, Frieder and the rest that were at the game had to see that poor play.

Beilein , I'm sure is a good guy and has a decent system in place, but man he needs players, he just doesn't have enough Big Ten level talent on the team. As the other schools in the conference understand and start to pick apart his 1-3-1 defense if he doesn't upgrade his talent he is going to have big problems.

[d.mcc]

EL, were you aware that the first time we were ever referred to as Little Brother was the last time we were ever beaten in Football or Basketball by the skunkbears?