Michigan Basketball Season Review

Last weekend The Michigan basketball team got knocked out in the second round of the NCAA tournament by the Duke Blue Devils, but this was by no means a bad season.  They started the season and were predicted by many people to finish last in the Big Ten Conference.  It looked like it was going to be a long Big Ten season when they started Big Ten play with a 1-6 record with bad loses to Northwestern and Indiana.  They also showed some promise early in the season by playing teams like Syracuse, Kansas and Ohio State very tough but always come up a little short in the end.  They also had some nice early wins against Clemson and Oakland University who both made the NCAA tournament this season.  The highlight of the season was Michigan beating Michigan State twice this season.  This was the first time that Michigan won in East Lansing since 1997.  This was also the first time that Michigan swept the season series between the two schools since 1997.  After beating Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan began to play a lot better and ended up finishing 9-9 in the Big Ten and won one game in the Big Ten tournament.  In the NCAA Tournament they beat Tennessee before losing to Duke in the second round 73-71.  

Freshman Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of the
brightest young stars
when it comes to Michigan Basketball

This was also a season where most people didn't know many of the players on the team.  We learned that Michigan basketball should have a very bright future as long as the players continue to develop.  Sophomore Darius Morris is a very good point guard who was second in the Big Ten this season in assist.  He also carried the team at times this season and is very capable of hitting the big shot.  Another player who was very strong this season was Freshman Tim Hardaway Jr.  He  played great during the second half of the season and into the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.  He is a very good three point shooter and is someone who can create his own shot if he has to.  Two other freshman that played great during the second half of the season were Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz.  Another freshman who didn't play much in the second half of the season was Jon Horford.  He has a lot of potential in my opinion, but over the off season he needs to bulk up so he can play on the inside and help the team with rebounding.  Once he bulks up and matures his game a little bit so he doesn't commit too many bad fouls I think that he can be a real difference maker on this team and help them a lot for years to come.  With so much good young talent on this team we could see Michigan Basketball in the tournament for many more years to come.
I think that for Michigan to make it to the next level they first need the kids they have to stay in school and not leave early.  This would help the team, but would also help the kids develop their skills more before they go to the NBA.  I also think that they need to add some more big men because they need to be a better rebounding team.   If Michigan continues to improve like they have been doing they will soon be contending for Big Ten titles on a yearly basis.