MICHIGAN MEN'S BASKETBALL- '23 -'24 Season.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I remember the season everyone thought that Harbaugh was going to end OSU's streak and stomp the Buckeyes. How did that turn out?

[hack]

Jesus. Put football in the football threads please. We don't have to be miserable all the time.

Agreed, Geezer -- enough of that with the FTs. The one area in which Michigan hasn't been as sharp as mid-February is at the line. Save for Johns, who is shooting them just fine. But Eli, HD, Smith and Franz need to stop missing FTs. It's that time of year.

[hack]

I'm hoping Michigan's "raining 3s" game comes against Gonzaga.

Would be so nice. This is where the Sparty loss really stings -- without that awful performance Michigan might have avoided Gonzaga until the final. Is what it is at this point.

[Hannibal]

I said a little over a month or so that this year will be a disappointment without a banner, and I was thinking specifically of the BTT or the Final Four. I know that we got the regular season banner, but it's a bit hazy with our schedule and the blowout loss to Illinois, and then the Big Ten doing a gigantic face plant in the post season. A Final Four banner forever cements it with 2018 and 1993 as an all time great year. Especially with Livers out.

It might be house money, but we need that house money. We're going to have Kentucky-like turnover for next year and there's no guarantee that the next crop of dudes will develop into a mixture of stars and program guys like what we have now.

[Hannibal]

Fun fact from yesterday's broadcast (per Jim Nantz, I think) -- Juwan Howard is the first coach to play and coach as a 1 seed.

Has anyone played and then coached in a Final Four for their alma mater?

[Da Geezer]

UCLA & Michigan are the only real "name" basketball programs left...this gives them a primetime audience for this game on both coasts.

I'm not sure how 10:00 pm is prime time on the coasts. Late for me. Seems more logical to me to put the two west coast teams in the late game. USC v Gonzaga @ 10:00.

[Mike]

Michigan is the only team left from the Eastern time zone. 3 of the 4 teams playing tomorrow are on the West coast. I still don't understand why everything shifted to the right a couple days.

[Hannibal]

Pay Juwan NOW.
.

I hope that we can keep him for a few more years. Ideally, until Jett matriculates through at least. The NBA is going to come calling sooner rather than later though.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I'm not sure how 10:00 pm is prime time on the coasts. Late for me. Seems more logical to me to put the two west coast teams in the late game. USC v Gonzaga @ 10:00.

Prime time is 8-11PM. So I think the later slot is considered the better national ratings opportunity by the networks, although a 9:30 EST start would arguably be better.

The game played in the early slot will be over before prime time even starts on the west coast. And Gonzaga, however good a program they are, isn't as big a national draw as Michigan or UCLA.

I imagine this EE is close to a nightmare for TV. 4 west coast teams and 3 old Southwest Conference teams

[lineygoblue]

We're going to have Kentucky-like turnover for next year and there's no guarantee that the next crop of dudes will develop into a mixture of stars and program guys like what we have now.

I don't think that's a given.

I think its highly likely that Franz and Hunter stay another year. Both can play themselves into the lottery if they do. If they go this year they're no better than late first round or top of 2nd round. If that's what they want, then I guess they'd be gone. I thought Livers was gone after last season too.

[Hannibal]

I keep hearing that Franz is gone for sure and Hunter will be back. I don't understand why it's not the other way around, but that's how it is.

I wonder if there's any chance that we'll get to keep one of our seniors. Mike Smith especially.

[lineygoblue]

Unless Smith has a Covid year to use, he's gone. I believe he's a true senior.

Seems like Franz would see what happened to his brother and stay another year. Mo still hasn't cracked a starting lineup, and he's in what, .. year 3? He's been bouncing around the league as "trade compensation".

[Hannibal]

Doesn't everyone in the country get the "Covid year?"

[hack]

Franz is as high as six in some mock drafts. He just went head-to-head with another potential lottery pick in Scotty Barnes and largely shut him down.

The NBA wants guys with quick feet and lateral agility at whatever size. It also wants three-point shooters, and it wants guys who can play multiple positions. Franz is all of that. He would be risking a lot to stay another year. it seems incredibly unlikely that he comes back. Let's just hope there's a secret third Wagner brother we don't know of yet. What's happened to Moe in the pros is a lot more instructive for Dickinson than it is for Franz.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Is Mike Smith a midget or a dwarf...asking for a friend...