Live Game Blog: UW @ Michigan

The BT opener on the road against a ranked opponent.

19:42: Michigan wins tipoff and scores on easy layup.

19:24: Landry follows with contested layup and converts the three-point play. Bucky 3-2. Leuer enters game early.

Michigan in a zone press.

18:32: Leuer carves it up with a jumper from the elbow. 5-2.

17:29: Landry books it on a long three. 8-2.

17:05: Michigan answers. 8-5.

Badgers look sloppy on the perimeter as Michigan is pressing the ball and the passing lane. No TO's yet, though.

16:23: Another layup for Michigan. Leuer answers with a quick J. 11-7.

First timeout: Michigan's size underneath will be an issue. Looks like a recurring them for this season. Bo really needs to develop his current bigs and make this a recruting priority moving forward. Who would think the team would miss Brian Butch this desperately?

Landry off to a great start. UW 29-1 when he scores in double figures.

15:47: Simms converts 2 FT's. 11-9.

15:20: Landry with 8 after beautiful inside feed from Leuer. 13-9.

14:38: J-Bo with clearout layup. 15-9.

14:18: Gullickson, Jarmutz, and Wilson in the game.

13:58: Leuer creates a shot from the elbow over Simms. Leuer and Landry perfect from the field. 17-9.

13:26: Rob Wilson gets in the action with a mismatch in the post. Converts 3-point play. 20-9. Taylor enters the game. The future is before us.

12:58: Novak hits second 3. 20-12.

12:43: Jarmutz answers with a layup. 22-12. Bucky has missed only once from the field.

12:07: Wilson draws foul with dribble drive. Hits both. 24-12. I really like his aggressiveness.

11:46: Gully called for blocking foul. Timeout. Bucky looks crisp after 8-day layoff and disappointing loss at home to Texas. Michigan seems clueless as how to defend the swing. This game will inevitably tighten, but solid start nonetheless. Michigan hits one at the line. 24-13.

First UW turnover as Wilson travels. Questionable call.

9:43: Landry still perfect from field. Turnaround J. Lucas answers for MI. 26-15.

8:53: Michigan's Lee for 3. 26-18. Nankivil slow to close out.

8:36: J-Bo called for charge. Questionable call once more.

8:24: Landry called for second foul. This is where Bucky was hurt last week.

8:13: Perry drills three. 26-21.

7:42: Krabby takes it to the hole to stop bleeding. 28-21. Michigan has tightened up defense and Bucky has lost fluidity on offense. The defense needs to do a better job of chasing on screens and closing out perimeter shooters. 3's have helped Michigan back into game.

7:23: Timeout.

6:57: Hughes from long distance. 31-21.

Bucky playing too fast for my liking on offense.

5:06: Leuer good on baseline drive after missing from 3 on last possession. Leuer simply looks to score every time he has the ball in his hands. He is a true triple threat. 33-21. Michigan timeout. Leuer the leading bench scorer in the BT.

4:52: Michigan in the bonus after Lucas drives and draws second foul on Leuer. Badger offense on the bench in foul trouble. Lucas hits one from the line.

3:42: Novak hits wide open three. 33-25.

3:13: Krabby with solid drive to hoop to stop bleeding once more. Timeout. He'll shoot two when we come back.

I used this analogy last week when the team suffered from foul trouble. This is a penalty killing unit for the rest of the half. Milk the clock, get solid looks at the basket and FT's, and play solid on D without compounding the foul problem and we go into the half with a lead.

Krabby hits both. 35-25.

2:08: Krabby sinks three from left corner. The shotput is ugly, but hey, we'll take it. Mcihigan answers with Harris layup. 38-29.

1:34: Hughes hits two FT's after drawing perimeter foul.

1:20: Foul on Gullickson, his 2nd. Lucas-Perry hits 2. 40-31.

33.6: Bo calls timeout to draw up one last look at the basket. Bucky still hitting 2/3 of shots. Should be up by more, but fouls have hurt.

05: Jordan Taylor converts. Badgers head into half with 11 point lead. 42-31.

HALFTIME

Novak has 11 for MI, 3-4 behind the arc. 9 for Lucas-Perry. Badgers have contained Harrris and Simms so far.

19:11: J-Bo with a jumper from the right elbow. Novak answers with 3. 44-34.

18:28: Novak scores bunny on reboud of Lucas-Perry miss. Nankivil answers with elbow jumper off of Krabby's dribble-pen.

17:36: Simms from 3. 46-39.

17:10: Landry whistled for 3rd foul, this one backing in. Stays in game.

16:46: Nice dribble dribve to basket by Hughes, followed by a steal and a layup by #3. 50-39.

15:51: Simms from short corner. Hughes answers from 3. 7 straight for junior PG. 53-41.

14:32: Hughes draws permiter foul. Timeout. Novak is single-handedly keeping MI in game with 16 points. He's a froshie, and that's already a career-high. I'd shift Krabby over to him. The looks are coming way too easy.

14:00: Hughes en fuego, hits another 3. Largest lead of game, 56-41.

13:44: Harris draws foul on Krabby, his 1st. Harris hits 1-2.

13:30: Landry hits underneath on spin move. 58-42.

12:28: Simms scores transition layup. 58-44. Timeout. I would sit Landry here for a few minutes and ask Leuer to shoulder his scoring load. Hughes needs to touch the ball each time down anyway given that he scored 10 straight this half. Bucky still looks crisp on offense. Still hitting 66% of shots last I saw.

12:15: Novak fouls Landry on post entry.

12:03: J-Bo on curl. 60-44.

11:26: Jordan Taylor in the game and looks great on perimeter D. Dives on floor for loose ball, too. TV timeout. I predict that UW is 10 points away from a huge road win to begin conference play. 70 takes it.

11:15: Landry dunks as Bucky breaks the press. Still playing with 3 fouls.

10:16: I spoke too soon as Landry is whistled for his 4th on drive to basket.

9:30: Novak from corner as Jarmutz late to close. 62-47.

9:01: Krabby called for illegal screen. 4 fouls on team. This feels like a critical juncture as MI must make a run now.

8:10: Leuer turns the ball over and Michigan scores in transition. Gibson misses 3-point chance. 62-49.

Bucky struggling offensively as MI has tightened pressure.

7:03: Hughes draws perimeter foul. Timeout. Bo should come back with the starters minus Landry and Nankivil, adding Leuer and Wilson. Need a bucket here.

6:25: Poor clock management by Bucky. Hughes launches desperation 3 and fouls Harris on rebound.

6:09: Krabby fouls Harris once more. MI in bonus. Harris hits both. 62-51.

5:52: Great cross-court pass by Jamutz for air-em bunny by Wilson. 64-51.

4:53: Simms corrals 1st RB of day and draws foul on Hughes. Makes 1-2. 64-52.

Timeout: Great helpside D by Bucky as Michigan fails to covert. Poor play on offense offset by cushion and hard work on other end of the court. MI has not lost at home this season, but this record is in severe jeopardy.

3:57: Novaks hits one, misses bonus. 64-53.

3:15: Harris should have been called for a charge, hits lay-in. Landry answers with open bunny.

2:43: Offensive foul on Harris. make-up call.

2:40: Hughes breaks press all by himself, draws foul. Great PG play today, Taylor in his limited minutes included. Timeout.

2:27: Leuer with dunk on excellent feed by J-Bo.

2:04: Lucas-Perry draws foul on drive. Hits 2. Landry fouls out. 16 points for the senior F. 68-57.

Jarmutz shows ability to handle the ball under pressure. He is a quiet contributor each and every game.

1:37: J-Bo at the line, misses front end of bonus.

1:14: J-Bo fouled once more, hits one, 69-57.

0:59: MI's Merritt scores easily on dribble-drive. Timeout. Bucky up 10.

0:53.8: MI shows FC press. Krabby fouled as he is trapped. The bulldog hits 2 to seal the win. Warm up the bus.

0:43.1: Krabby forces TO, Hughes fouled in process. Double bonus. Hughes misses first, drills second. 72-59.

029.7: Simms scores easily on layup with limited contest from Jarmutz. 72-61.

0:23.6: Leuer fouled in backcourt, hits front end.

GAME OVER: Bucky wins 73-61.

Analysis: Solid win and great play on both ends of floor. UW showing it may indeed possess the offense necessary to compete with the top tier of the BT. Looks like Michigan and Minnesota are both overrated and likely .500 teams in the league. Both are ranked and lost at home today. Purdue looked shaky last evening, and Illinois showed moxie and perhaps will knock on the door of the upper echelon of the league once more. MSU is the clear favorite, with Bucky and the Boilers battling for #2. The January 11th match-up in W. Lafayette will be an early indication of the league's pecking order. First, Bucky must take care of business at the Kohl against perennial bottom feeders Penn St. and Northwestern.