WTKA Roundtable 2/13/2025: Punking Back

Things Discussed:

• Ohio State hires Matt Patricia:
  • Brian: He'll have a Wile E. Coyote year with Caleb Downs but he's not a good coach. He does have a weird beard though.
  • Seth if the idea is to capture what Michigan got in Wink Martindale they forgot the part where he invented the defense that Michigan runs.
  • Craig: Nothing in his resume shows he's a good coach.
• Purdue game: Michigan had to try at least four defenses against Braden Smith to wear that guy out, finally got Danny Wolf to work. Seth: the zone was the most effective because it was forcing him into even worse stepbacks.
• But Braden Smith, gotdang is that a good basketball player. Gives them a floor for every shot of 0.9 points per possession.
• Physicality: Caleb Furst and Trey Kaufman-Renn brought it, Vlad got chewed out but then he gave it back.
• Michigan: Massive effort, especially early from Tre Donaldson who led the first comeback by getting ball-dominant.
• Officiating? Craig takes the side of Szelc. Seth says it was bad; they let them play way too physically early on and then switched it up, which is how you get both of Purdue's forwards fouling out late after getting away with a ton early. Players hate inconsistency the most.
• Recognition for Roddy Gayle and Rubin Jones. Roddy filled the box score, can play the role of a secondary creator much better than the role of a fourth offensive option/spacer. You want him starting possessions not ending them.
• Shooting from either? Roddy's shot is broken—that high arc makes it travel further which means he's effectively shooting at a smaller target. That needs an offseason. Jones's shot looks fine; he's just got to keep taking them and playing as hard as he did.
• Dusty "inspiring" Vlad leads to two hard takes over TKR where he used his size advantage. Need that from Goldin.
• Dusty May's future: Brian thinks the pressure cooker in Bloomington with similar resources as Michigan makes Michigan the better job, but we all agree Michigan has to make an Indiana-level investment to keep him.
• At the outtro: congrats to Kim Barnes-Arico: the winningest basketball coach in the history of the University of Michigan.