The Mystery of Michigan

The final score was 79-69, merely a ten point loss for the Michigan Wolverines. Nothing to really panic about based off the score alone for a team that just ventured into the chaotic environment of Cameron Indoor on Duke University's campus. After all, the Blue Devils are a top ten team and have the best freshman in the country on their side. Jabari Parker and sophomore transfer Rodney Hood led the way for Duke in a game that Coach K's squad controlled from start to finish. The Blue Devils continue to play outstanding basketball and recovered nicely from their loss to Arizona this past week. Yet in the midst of Duke's seventh win, the performance by the Wolverines raised several questions that will need immediate answering if you're John Beilein.

Stauskas was ineffective against Duke's gritty defense

Will the players adjust to their new roles?

It's no secret that Michigan's style of play will take some getting used to for the players who are returning this season. After losing sharp-shooting Tim Hardaway, Jr. and do-it-all point guard Trey Burke to the NBA, the Wolverines offense certainly lacked the go-to scorers that last year's team presented. The role players from last year (specifically returning sophomores Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, and Nik Stauskas) must adjust to the fact that they now shoulder much more responsibility in every category. McGary had a very respectable game with fifteen points and fourteen rebounds while Stauskas was basically non-existent, scoring four points all of which were off of free throws. Robinson III added eight points and junior Jon Horford posted a goose egg in the scoring category while only playing six total minutes.

I will take nothing away from Duke, they deserved to win and clearly outplayed Michigan. However, Michigan did not have a veteran step up and take charge. The loss of Burke and Hardaway, Jr. showed in the lack of leadership and that's where the Wolverines will need to put in some work. In big games like last night, guys like Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III cannot afford to drop off. Both have big-game experience and have been stellar in the spotlight before. Yet the Wolverines appeared disjointed and immature under the pressure of the Cameron Crazies. John Beilein could have a long season ahead of him if no one emerges as an established leader on the floor.

Can Mitch McGary stay healthy/reach potential?

McGary has the potential to be the B1G's best center

Last night we got a little taste of what the 6'10, 250 pound sophomore is capable of. And while 15 points and 14 boards is nothing short of impressive, McGary didn't quite seem to play the type of game he could be capable of playing. Given his build, McGary can handle the ball and step out to fifteen feet with relative ease. However, last night's game consisted of the Michigan center settling for jump shots too often. With the quick feet and physicality that the All-American possesses, there was no reason McGary could not get down on the block and either A) score at will or B) get to the foul line.

That is a big part of how successful Michigan can be. Yes, McGary can hit jump shots and has proven his versatility in being able to do so. With that in mind, is McGary capable of going down to the block and exhibiting good post moves? The Big Ten this year doesn't possess more than a few great post defenders. If McGary develops a low post game as opposed to the high post/face up game he refers to now, Michigan could be deadly simply because their big man could be one of the hardest players in the conference to guard.

Will youth play a part in where Michigan finishes?

While Michigan's hopes of winning dwindled as the clock moved closer to zero, it became clear, as I said earlier, that Michigan did not have a veteran emerge in the late-game situation to give the team another breath of life. The Wolverines don't have many upperclassmen on hand with Jon Horford being the only junior and Jordan Morgan being the lone senior. Everyone else is a freshman or sophomore which will mean that the adjustment to the college game will have to come quickly for Beilein's young team.

Obviously success with youth is very possible. With the exception of Hardaway, Jr. who was a junior and Trey Burke who was a sophomore, the core of last year's National Championship team has returned. But with that in mind, players will have to adjust to life without the nation's best player and a first round draft pick. A loss to Duke in Durham is no reason to panic or even bat an eye if you take into account the fact that no team outside of the ACC has won at Cameron Indoor since 2000. Rather it's the way Michigan performed that could cause a little worry. Michigan is a good team and a contender for the Big Ten title once again. They have the necessary pieces, but can they all fall into place?

NBA Season Not Living Up To Expectations

We should have seen this coming after the historically weak draft class that made up this year's Rookie class. Based off of the talent, or lack thereof, that was present in the class, it was safe to say that no teams would be receiving a player that would be able to turn their organization around or at least begin the process. With the exception of Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo, the rookies have not provided much, if any, excitement up to this point. And while the rookies struggle to find their way, the majority of the league is doing the same exact thing.

Nets coach Jason Kidd has not had much to smile about

With all of the excitement surrounding the Return of Derrick Rose, the dismantling of the Boston Celtics, and the drama that Dwight Howard was once again surrounded by, the NBA season was looking to turn into one of the most exciting seasons in the past few years. Deals were being made left and right and players were moving teams almost on a daily basis. Even players like Monta Ellis and Jrue Holiday were drawing attention simply because they are above average players that were heading to new teams. The offseason, though sometimes hard to follow, was as exciting as any and the beginning of the season was highly anticipated.


Yet here we are, just over a month into the season, and the NBA season has already become, quite frankly, boring. Sure the Pacers, Blazers, Heat, and Spurs are off to roaring starts, but the majority of the league has been a major disappointment. Teams like the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks are struggling mightily and don't look to be figuring things out any time soon. With that in mind, the Nets also just received the bad news that Paul Pierce has suffered a broken hand and will be out at least two weeks. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Injuries have also been the story of the season so far. Prime time players such as Derrick Rose, Marc Gasol, James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, and Russell Westbrook have all missed extended periods of time due to injury or have not even stepped foot on the court yet this season. It's hard to get involved in the season when teams are not playing up to the off season hype they received or they have star players sitting on the bench in street clothes due to injury. Granted, Derrick Rose is the only player that's going to miss the rest of the season, but all the same, the league needs its stars in order to present good competition. Right now, competition is hard to come by, especially if you're in the Eastern Conference.

Jabari Parker leads an unbelievably talented freshman class

The NBA cannot take all the blame for the boring season up to this point, however. College sports have stolen the spotlight as of late because the excitement around NCAA football and basketball has been as high as I can remember. Between the unbelievable endings in Auburn's last two football games, the past weekend with a great slate of rivalry football games, and the astounding freshman class that is currently taking over the basketball world, college sports are presenting all the excitement and hype that the NBA is lacking. If the NBA has anything to look forward to, it's that the majority of this freshman basketball class will most likely be entering the NBA draft this coming summer. It wouldn't take much, but the upcoming class will be much better than this past year's and fresh, young talent is something that the NBA does not have this year.

I still watch the NBA and I obviously still cheer for the Bulls. However it's no secret that this season has been a bust so far. There is still plenty of season to be played and plenty of time for teams to figure out their identity, but up to this point it has been rough to watch. Things will get better and teams will improve, but right now the NCAA is the most exciting thing going.