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Down goes Duke
 So, much unlike I predicted in my last blog, [but did HERE and HERE] Michigan did beat the Dukies 81-73. Michigan played really well-- Duke? Not so much.
People won't talk about it, but Michigan had ample opportunity to blow this game late. They'll look at the entire game, where Duke shot 7-33 from behind the three-point arc.
[StevenA]Howeva,[/StevenA] Duke made five of six three point attempts in the last five minutes of the game. During Duke's hottest stretch of the game, Michigan still outscored the Blue Devils 19 to 16.
While its pretty obvious that it was DeShawn Sims who deserved Player of the Game honors, the most important two plays of the basketball game included Kelvin Grady and Zack Novak.
In both, Grady pushed the baksetball with his speed and penetrated, kicking out to a wide open (and not really open at all) Zack Novak, who drained two big threes. The first three pointer tied the game and the second gave Michigan the 3 point lead.
Week ahead...
Michigan goes into crazy schedule spread out lockdown mode for the next two weeks because of final exams.
The only game in the next 7 days is Saturday, December 13th at 4 PM on the BTN against Eastern Michigan.
Obviously, this game should be an easy W. Eastern Michigan is technically winless on the season, but I'll give them credit for an exhibition 71 point win over the mighty Mustangs of Marygrove College.
LLP
We are now under two weeks until Laval Lucas-Perry become available to play (12/20, vs. Oakland). Tim McCormick went all crazy expectations riser by saying that LLP will be the best Michigan point guard since Rumeal Robinson.
From what I'm hearing, expect Coach B to play Laval significant amounts of time against Oakland. They may slowly bring him into the rotation in some tougher games, but they'll throw him into the fire against Oakland to try to burn off some rust. Hard to tell whose minutes he'll take, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Merritt and Lee's minutes drop.
I'll have more on LLP next week.
Big Dance Dreams?
Compared to a lot of other teams, Michigan has a pretty straightforward route into the tournament.
Beat the teams you are supposed to, be .500 (and preferably above) in conference play.
I'll have more on my conference play preview next week as well, but in my opinion the Big Ten is a pretty open league this year, which bodes well for Michigan finishing a game or two above .500 in conference.
In the next couple days I'll have a blog on some off-season football stuff. |
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