Hoops vs McNeese State

[thewolverines24]

Michigan returns from the holiday break to host McNeese State in a dangerous spot on Friday night (7:00 p.m., BTN-Plus). The Cowboys have amassed an impressive amount of talent in Will Wade?s first season and are heavy favorites to win the Southland Conference.

KEYS

Adjust to zone & switching: Michigan?s zone offense has struggled this season. The Wolverines grade out in the 36th percentile against zones (compared to the 94th percentile against man), shooting 33.3% from three (down from 40.2% against man) and turning it over on 18.3% of possessions (up from 14.8% against man). Those numbers are ominous against a McNeese team that will sag into the paint, switch, zone, and muck the game up.

Hit jump shots: McNeese is content to lose the 3-point volume battle ? 323rd in offensive volume, 356th in defensive volume. That means that making open threes is crucial. Michigan has shot it well this year at 38.4% (21st), but perimeter shooting always has significant volatility. Juwan Howard emphasized on Thursday the importance of scoring inside and not falling in love with the three.

Contain Rashada Wells: Wells is emerging as one of the best mid-major guards in the country, and Michigan?s on-ball perimeter defense has left something to be desired this year. Wells will be a big-time test for Michigan?s on-ball and ball screen defense and a great tune-up ahead of Big Ten play.

Shake the vibes: Michigan has lost its last two BTN-Plus games (Long Beach State, Central Michigan) and its previous two post-Christmas games (Central Michigan, UCF). Those results have a lot of happenstance, but they speak to a program that has had a tough time dealing with sleepy spots over the last two years. Coming out sharp and executing early will go a long way to putting some of that voodoo in the past.

BOTTOM LINE

This is a holiday buy game in name only. KenPom says McNeese is not a team to be taken lightly, ranked just six spots behind Michigan?s first January Big Ten foe, and the spot makes things more difficult. Pomeroy?s metrics predict a 76-69 final, with a 74% chance of a Michigan win. How the Wolverines perform will tell us where this team stands heading into the Big Ten play.

The good news is that the win should age well if Michigan handles business. McNeese is ranked 54th in the NET, which means there?s a chance that this game ends up as a Q2 game (top 75 at home), and it will at least likely be a Q3 game (top 160 at home).

For context, Michigan played five Q4 games last year. This year?s team will only play two, with one of those games (UNC Asheville) having a reasonable chance of moving to Q3.

GO BLUE!

 

[thewolverines24]

Season over before NYE. So disappointing.

 

[Monster]

If Howard isn't fired before next season, I'll be very disappointed

 

[thewolverines24]

If Howard isn't fired before next season, I'll be very disappointed

Not sure who we could even hire as a replacement. Program isn't exactly attractive considering you have to build with two hands tied behind your back. NIL isn't competitive and the transfer portal is limited to freshman and grad transfers due to admissions.

Need an ace recruiter, but how do you pull that off with NIL being what it is at this program?

 

[rumseyhouse77]

Well, this is too bad. I had hopes for Howard.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Damn.

Is McNeese even actually located somewhere?

 

[biggunsbob]

I do not care if they were 11-2 now after beating Pooly coached Michigan. Howard has been a disaster. Was the game even close? 87-76 final ? Pathetic. Howard just isn?t a very good coach.

 

[Michchamp]

Not sure who we could even hire as a replacement. Program isn't exactly attractive considering you have to build with two hands tied behind your back. NIL isn't competitive and the transfer portal is limited to freshman and grad transfers due to admissions.

Need an ace recruiter, but how do you pull that off with NIL being what it is at this program?

Come on, it can't be THAT bad.

 

[Michchamp]

Damn.

Is McNeese even actually located somewhere?

I think it's a disputed area between Tennessee and Kentucky. The residents are known as McNeesians, and are famous for producing moonshine and incest porn.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I think it's a disputed area between Tennessee and Kentucky. The residents are known as McNeesians, and are famous for producing moonshine and incest porn.

Do they fight over land like God fearing gun owners?

Or do they just do continual cease fires with trans-state cousin on cousin porn makin? fuckin??

(trans-state cousin on cousin fuckin? ranks as the highest rated porn in the land. It?s a tradition that originated in Ireland, but technically that would have been trans-county).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1_glHa8F7fA&pp=ygUQc25sIGlyaXNoIGRhdGluZw==

EDIT: My bad.

If two cousins, one from the UK Northern Ireland and one from Ireland hooked up to do a cousin on cousin incestual sex porn scene, that would be transnational, cousin on cousin, incuestuous sex porn.

Assuming they were both cisgender of the opposite sex - or at least engaging in the activities of cisgender people - to do an incest porn scene.

If they were same gender let, alone not of the same race - that there, that would be a whole different house of cards.

Throw in a few more cousins?

Fugetttabout!

 

[Michchamp]

I think it's more like the Hatfields and McCoys...

 

[tinselwolverine]

I think it's more like the Hatfields and McCoys...

Wouldn?t that be more Texas Tech?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=evtmVZFeooA&pp=ygUgbHVja2VuYmFjaCB0ZXhhcyB3YXlsb24gamVubmluZ3M=

 

[thewolverines24]

Come on, it can't be THAT bad.

The portal is exactly as I stated. We have NIL, but it's nothing compelling. As annoying as he is, see Hunter's comment, saying he was getting 60-70K, about it after he transferred.

We're going to have to find a system guy considering those factors. We're not going out and getting any big name.