Our annual bye week hoops & hockey preview episode!

1 hours, 52 minutes

[Marc-Gregor Campredon]

We recorded this podcast once again at the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown. Please don't actually count the conference rooms because they probably only have six: one for each member of the Big Ten East.

We Couldn’t Have One Without the Other

We can do this because people support us. You should support them too so they’ll want to do it again next year! The show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan we’d be talking to ourselves.

Our other sponsors are also key to all of this: Peak Wealth Management, Homesure Lending, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Michigan Law Grad,, Human Element, DEO Bookkeeping, and Lantana Hummus

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1. Hoops Preview: The Team

starts at 1:00

Unfair comparisons for Moe Wagner—this year they’ve got the guys to feature Moe’s stretch game. They might’ve picked the wrong backup center to rip the redshirt off: Teske should be a ready rim protector, Austin Davis (PN: “Ol’ Pterodactyl Hands”) should be unevidentially good. PF is Duncan Robinson’s limitations vs. Duncan Robinson’s lethality, plus Livers’ upside. Charles Matthews has five-star defensive athleticism but can Beilein teach him to shoot? SG: MAAR=RAHK=what he is. Ibi can jump, Poole is a shooter. PG: Goodbye impact rebounding. Simmons is the man to run the pick and roll, certainly knows how to create his own shot since he was most of Ohio’s offense. Zavier ain’t a bad defender, has to fix that shot this year. Eli Brooks was a Nova battle after an extremely productive HS career; could make things interesting.

2. Hoops Preview: The Big Ten, and Feelingsball

starts at 36:09

Michigan State somehow got Bridges to stick around not getting paid to play basketball when going to the NBA he would be getting paid to play basketball, which he’s not getting paid to play basketball at Michigan State. No clear #2 in the league: Purdue lost Swanigan, Maryland lost Trimble is gone but Justin Jackson is back and Melo might have held them back. Wisconsin lost everybody. Northwestern is getting hype because they bring back their core. Will Ohio State be worse than Rutgers?

Feelingsball: Michigan is gonna shruggie , hopefully a good enough defensive team to be a 5-8 seed. Don’t put baby Wagner in the corner. Can Charles Matthews shoot?

C-ya Pitino!

3. Ace’s Hockey Podcast

starts at 49:33

[JD Scott]

Special guest/friend of the blog Anthony Ciatti sits in to preview Mel’s first year, which we think will be like a Mason at MSU year plus a good powerplay. By lines:

• Forwards:  Slaker-Norris-Lockwood: Lucky to have Slaker to pair with the talent. Dancs-Marody-Calderone: Caldy can snipe. Warren-Winborg-Rabbe: Warren has to drive it, Winborg has puck skills but not skating, Rabbe is the reverse. Sanchez-Becker-Roos, and Porikos-Nick Pastujov: Disappointing the Pastujovs aren’t higher. Mel’s gonna let the bottom nine shake out into something.
• Blueline: Luke Martin-Hughes: That’s what a 5’9” NHL defenseman looks like. Luke’s a steady defensive blueliner and that’s what you want paired with Hughes. Roos-Cecconi: May see Piazza displace Roos. Cutler Martin-Boka: A really good third pairing. Strength of the team is they can go six deep with D.
• Goalie: Lafontaine and Lavigne: Both good, Lafontaine has good mobility. Lavigne is steady.

One game vs a fuggy bad team takes: more structured, deliberate, not trying to do as many long passes. A year behind Wisconsin, in a much tougher conference than Wisconsin had.

4. Around the Big Ten with Jamie Mac

starts at 1:14:08

Illinois once again has young players and an atrocious team. Not much to say about Nebraska for beating them, or Ohio State for beating up on Rutgers. IU dug itself a 28-0 hole to Penn State, treaded water the rest of the game. Wisconsin has unlimited linebackers. Maryland making it work with Bortenschlager (I’m not spell-checking that), PJ Fleck doesn’t have great QBs either. Whoever’s checking Felton Davis this week probably should do a better job than Ojemudia’s little brother (or Brady Quinn’s heroic attempts to pronounce Ojemudia). Penn State’s defense worries us.

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MUSIC:

• “The W.A.N.D.”—The Flaming Lips
• “Loran’s Dance”—Idris Muhammad
• “Good to Be Back Home”—Charles Bradley
• “Across 110th Street”

THE USUAL LINKS

• Helpful iTunes subscribe link
• General podcast feed link
• Direct download link
• What's with the theme music?