I don't know, I think their bigs are going to be a real problem for us, after watching them last night. Goldin is very mobile and still strong so I don't think Ballo can bully him. And Wolf is extremely mobile and a threat on the perimeter. Reanu would've struggled with him pre-injury and I think won't be able to guard him at all. Probably a better likelihood that Goode or Mbako can guard him... maybe a chance for Hatton. But, Michigan can counter our inside "strength" and usual advantage so I think they'll be a big problem for us.
Michigan on Saturday
- Thread starter edub72
- Start date
You consider home vs PU and UCLA and road game at Oregon…soft? You’re more optimistic than I am.
There are home games vs PSU and OSU in there too, and a road game versus the U-dub Huskies.
I get your point though. While that 6 game stretch would look fairly light for many B10 teams, even teams like PSU have waxed us in recent years.
You don’t have to worry about finishing 5-1. This team cashed out a while back. Be lucky to finish 3-3.
A shame he never won an NCAA title, but the '79 NIT championship over Purdue was epic.
And he was a Freshman when we beat #1 Michigan.
I was sitting under the basket when we beat O$U for the Big Ten title. After Woody came back from back surgery.
Interesting that Butch Carter was the hero in the NIT and O$U wins.
I just can't bring myself to hate on the guy like many are here. I don't care for him as a coach, but I can't bring myself to boo him. He is what he is and he's not the micro-manager many coaches are today. I don't think he demands accountability enough, which I think is his main problem. His old coach would have no problem benching a star players for stupid turnovers or taking shots not in the offense or letting his man blow by him on defense.
The 1979-8 team was rated #1 preseason. I believe they would have won the NC had Woodson and Wittman not been hurt. Wittman was lost for the whole year.
Yes. Staying and booing still shows you care enough to actually stay and make your feelings known. Getting up and walking out silently means IDGAFF anymore.
I think he does plenty of benching. Pretty much every one of the current players have spent extended times on the bench this year, for reasons other than injuries.
I think the biggest problem is he doesn't put them in a position to be successful. However they get to what we see in the games, its not effectively preparing them, and putting them in the best position to be consistently good. I suspect its because he doesn't really focus on all the various details from August through the season, that are needed to be successful. And then his philosophies, and in game coaching abilities are lacking as well.
There are so many examples to pull from...but one recent one that I think illustrates all this... Was the game at NW. We got beat in that game because we couldn't effectively guard their perimeter shooters in the 2nd half. The announcer during the game picked up on it pretty quickly...and I went back and watched it more afterwards. A very, very basic and accepted defensive principle, that often is taught and learned at middle school levels, is that when a shooter appears to be getting hot, you start "chasing" him and/or "riding his hip" around the perimeter, and off of screens. The thought being, you're much less likely to get caught on screens or to just lose them throughout their motion and movement. So its much more reliable and likely you'll be there with them on the catch. Berry hit a couple 3's early in that game. I counted 1 time after that, that one of our defenders played him off his hip, and that was Luke Goode in the 2nd half. No one else did it. Despite him flaring off screens, getting lost in transition, various ways that he got open. Woodson yelled at the defenders, threw his hands in the air. But I'd bet my last dollar he never told them to chase them off screens, or to ride their hip. And I'd bet my first born son he's never worked on those things with them in practices.
He's an average NBA coach, that's using those principles, beliefs, and approaches. NBA players already know to do those things, they don't need to be told, let alone shown. College kids, that might not have ever been taught how to play defense...they do.
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