shelton johnson

This is not me. I wish it was.

Whoever sent me this POTATO!!!! Much appreciated.... pic.twitter.com/fVaqRvvgTn

— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) March 15, 2017

It turns out to be a wildly successful marketing stunt for a company that will send you image or message-emblazoned potatoes. This company is inexplicably not based in Ohio. The best thing to come out of this is the Wall Street Journal giving the headshot treatment to Dirk's tuber:

Twitter did not find this nearly as amazing as I did, but rest assured this is incredibly entertaining.

Oregon: good matchup? The WaPo's Neil Greenberg seems to think so. He's using extremely small sample sizes, but given Chris Boucher's absence that's less unfortunate than it usually is. Transition is a major Oregon focus and Michigan's stepped up their stinginess:

In transition, Michigan has allowed opponents to score 39.1 percent of the time in the tournament, an improvement over their regular-season performance (46.3 percent) and a potential stumbling block for Oregon, who has scored almost two-thirds of the time in transition (63.6 percent) against their first two opponents. No other remaining tournament team has had better results on the break. Take that element away from Oregon, and it’s a big blow.

This item won't surprise you but will shock your January self:

The Ducks also won’t get as many open looks as they have through the first two rounds. Oregon has taken 24 of 32 (75 percent) catch-and-shoot opportunities unguarded, per Synergy Sports, scoring 1.08 points per shot. Michigan, however, has allowed just six of 22 (27 percent) catch-and-shoot attempts without a defender close by.

Oregon is was already a bit three-heavy with Boucher in the lineup and figure to be more so without him even if that hasn't shown up in the three games since his departure, and Michigan is very good at preventing threes from being launched.

They're 5'9" with big hair and one of them doesn't have a work visa. Welp, they've been found. Both DJ Wilson and Mo Wagner are major risers on Chad Ford's NBA draft board:

Moritz Wagner, F/C, So., Michigan

No one did more to help his draft stock over the weekend than Wagner. His career-best performance against Louisville -- 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting -- showed why he was been quickly moving up our Top 100 over the past month. Wagner is a fluid athlete at 6-foot-11 who can score off the bounce and on the block. He also has 3-point range.

When he's engaged and not in foul trouble, he can take over a game. The fact that he did it against a bunch of NBA-caliber athletes on Louisville impressed scouts. He sat at No. 40 on our Top 100 before the tournament and moves up to No. 21 in our latest rankings. That's a huge leap for any player, but if you watched his draft stock all month, it isn't just based on one game. It's just scouts getting more and more comfortable with the idea that he has all the skills he needs to be a good NBA player someday.

D.J. Wilson, F, Jr., Michigan

Wilson showed off all the strengths of his game against both Oklahoma State and Louisville. He's a terrific and versatile athlete who can stretch the floor, finish at the rim and block shots. He can even handle the ball and bring it up the floor.

However, his lack of toughness continues to bother some scouts who want to see him initiate and handle contact better. He grabbed only two boards against Louisville and at times seemed bothered by the physicality. Still, athletic 6-foot-10 guys who can shoot 3s and protect the rim don't come along every day and Wilson has made a strong case to be a first-round pick after hovering in the 30s in our Top 100 all season.

FWIW, I was talking to Sam Webb a month or two ago and at the time his impression was that the NBA was interested in both guys but that they were both likely a year away. Let's hope that's still the case, because I'm guessing Teske and Davis are going to need another year of grooming before they're ready. Also I really want to see weaponized versions of Wilson and Wagner.

If one or both does end up going this will be another situation where Beilein's astounding player development—despite almost no access to one-and-done types Michigan was 12th in NBA players produced entering the season—outpaces his recruiting. Nobody was expecting Trey Burke or Nik Stauskas to be two-and-out, and I don't think anyone thought Wilson or Wagner would have any chance of going to the league this year after the pair averaged two points a game in 2015-16.

Remember when Bernard Robinson sticking at the end of a roster for a year or two was notable to Michigan basketball fans? Slightly different situation these days.

Part of that development. Congrats to friend-of-blog Andrew Kahn for landing a WSJ byline. It's a look into some player development tools Michigan (and others) are using. Wagner has a bad day against Ohio State and Beilein set to work on his shot:

...Beilein set out to fix Wagner’s problems using one of basketball’s hottest new diagnostic tools: a machine that measures the arc of a shot as it reaches the hoop. ... [tool vendor] Noah’s data says the ideal shot comes in at about 45 degrees.

Wagner’s practice session showed that he was shooting the ball far too high, coming in at around 53 degrees. Beilein knew they had no chance of going in and pressed Wagner to adjust by flattening his shot.

“By the time we were done, he was draining threes all over the place at 45 (degrees), 46, 47,” Beilein said. Wagner, a 41 percent three-point shooter for the season, shook his slump and nailed 8 of 17 (47%) from deep the next four games.

Beilein is still adapting and taking advantage of new tools being created even though he's "no spring chicken," which not every coaching in his 60s does. You can safely assume that Michigan is on the cutting edge with this stuff. The results are proof enough.

Two points. The Big Ten did pretty well in the first weekend of the tournament, sending three teams to the Sweet 16 and Shutting Up All The Haters, except not really. Mark Titus:

As soon as the buzzer sounded on no. 7 seed Michigan’s 73–69 victory over no. 2 seed Louisville on Sunday afternoon, the talk of the internet became whether the Big Ten, which was complete trash from November through early March, had been underrated all season. ... [The Big Ten got three S16 teams and the ACC was bad.] ... Clearly this had to mean something, right?

Of course not. You know what Michigan beating Louisville and Wisconsin beating Villanova proved? That Michigan outplayed Louisville and that Wisconsin outplayed Villanova. How come everyone who gets so wrapped up in conference-pride bullshit always seems to move the goalposts with these arguments?

Neither side of any conference superiority argument generally marshals anything resembling a coherent argument. It is talk-radio fodder.

While a few tournament games don't establish that the Big Ten was at the level it was a few years ago, neither was it "trash." They entered the NCAA tourney fifth out of six power conferences on Kenpom, all of two points behind the second-place ACC. That's roughly the difference between #20 Michigan and #24 Butler, or #37 Northwestern and #44 Illinois State—ie, barely any difference at all. The first two rounds should at least be sufficient to demonstrate that the Big Ten is in the same range as any other power conference (with the possible exception of the Big 12).

This weekend did matter in the computer rankings, sliding the Big Ten up to fourth, and it should influence our perception of the league this year. The real answer, though, is that the Big Ten was just slightly down. Titus seems to be projecting his feelings about Ohio State, which was so trash that many Michigan fans gave up on their season after losing to the Buckeyes*, to the wider league.

*[guilty]

Nice. 2017 PF Isaiah Livers won Mr. Basketball. He's a 6'8" stretch four with game and hair fairly reminiscent of DJ Wilson.

Wilson has a couple of inches of both height and hair on Livers, but hopefully he's able to step into the rotation next year.

Star-crossed Ricky Doyle. Remember how he was ill or injured seemingly perpetually? This has not abated, at all.

Ricky Doyle, a Bishop Verot Catholic High School alum, was forced to sit out this season after transferring from the University of Michigan due to NCAA rules, as well as a tumor.

“I just kept having these stomach pains for a long time and I just kind of pushed them off,” he said. “One day, I just had to go to the hospital and it turns out that my appendix has been burst for two months…they found a tumor about the size of a softball and they had to cut 6 inches of my colon out.”

The tumor was non cancerous, Doyle said, and his body formed it naturally around the burst appendix to prevent poison from seeping out and killing him.

Doctors believe the medicine Doyle is on for his sleep apnea dulled the pain to the point where he didn’t realize how severe the tumor was.

Poor kid.

Writing on the wall. There's a ton of football stuff that we'll get to in a week or two as part of a spring preview, but one roster note: Sam Webb replies to people asking about a lack of Shelton Johnson coverage that "he is not a part of [Scout's] defensive line preview." I would not expect him on the roster this spring.

Etc.: A lot of people say the tournament saps the importance of the college season. I don't buy that, because I like Big Ten championship banners. For an example of a season that truly doesn't matter, I give you the NBA.

Every Michigan 3 against Oklahoma State. Holdin' The Rope on the Louisville game. Five key plays from said game. We are #3 in Will Leitch's rootability rankings, because of "cattywampus." Leitch on the Brad Underwood hire. TTB talks to Kevin Koger. Jim Harbaugh promotes colon awareness.

How Michigan acquired Wagner. Salaries for newly hired staffers. Nigel Hayes vs the NCAA.

[Upchurch]

You mentioned at media day that year two makes things so much easier—or more familiar, I should say. How’s it feeling?

“No, not easier. But feeling good right now. Coming off of a very good practice today, so feel good about the way our guys are working. Feel really good about the way we practiced today. There was quite a bit of good scrimmaging. Feel like our team is building a callus now that bodes very well for us. I mean, it was not. It was a little more [purulent] than about a week ago, but now it’s starting to harden. Feel good about that.”

Your quarterbacks now compared to a year ago: do you feel like they’re about where they were or in the system for a year, does that help them?

“Definitely has helped them. Right now we’re—I hate to compare—but we’re better. We’re better at that position than we were eight, nine days into camp last year.”

Have you narrowed it down? Is it down to two guys? Have a rank order?

“Yeah, not just two. I mean, Shane Morris is doing good, having a good camp. Wilton Speight’s having an outstanding camp. John O’Korn’s having a very good camp. The quarterback play’s been really good in camp, right from the first day. Been very pleased with that. They’ve…they’re completing balls, they’re running the team, they know what they’re doing. They’re competing at a good, high level. It’s been good. Yeah.

“I’m trying to think through different camps. I’ve said it to myself: this group of quarterbacks is playing really well. Better than most camps that I’ve seen from the start. Sometimes they struggle with their accuracy and struggle with different things, communicating, fumbled snaps on the ground. We haven’t been seeing that. We’ve been seeing solid play that’s improving, too. It started good and it’s getting better every day. Hope we’ll be better tomorrow than we were today, but we had a good day today.”

Are there any other positions where you’re seeing as fierce a competitive battle as you are at quarterback?

“Uh, there’s…there’s some good play. Some good—young guys are playing very well. Devin Asiasi had a heck of a day today. Michael Onwenu is somebody I’m—you know, he’s one of my favorites. Doing a heck of a good job. Ben Bredeson is doing an outstanding job. Rashan Gary is a really good football player. The young linebackers are playing really well. The young receivers are doing a heck of a good job. Chris Evans is maybe one of the most outstanding of them all. Khaleke Hudson’s doing an outstanding job. Dylan Crawford’s doing a good job. So, yeah, it’s been good. Quinn Nordin’s doing an outstanding job. Those guys, some really good players in that class have heated some of the competitive waters at multiple positions. It’s a good thing.”

How many freshmen do you expect to play this year?

“Right now it’s competitive and I don’t see any of our older guys just giving their jobs away. Don’t see that happening. Not through the nine practices. Not saying that for one minute, so it’s still to be determined. There’s some competitive, heated-up waters. More than you see on really probably any team I’ve ever been on where a group of new guys…they’re showing that they’re on track to be either starters or backup players. It’s still to be determined.

“They’ve got to do it over the course of the next couple weeks, but it’ll be exciting to watch. Some of them will, some of them won’t. The best players are going to play, regardless of class year that they’re in. As I’ve said, we’ve got a lot of veteran players who like their starting jobs. It’ll be a battle.”

Last year you waited until the first snap at Utah to reveal the starting lineup. Do you imagine that’ll be the same this season, too, with the quarterbacks and rest of the roster?

“I haven’t decided yet.”

[After THE JUMP: I guess you could say this press conference was…[/puts on sunglasses] suspended.]

You can jump now Steve:

Michigan has finally posted their rosters with new weights and freshman numbers and such. I haven't included spring weights this year since they didn't update those on the roster; listed weights as recruits or early enrollees are in the 2015 column, with the recruits in parentheses. The exits of Canteen and Pallante have been covered.

Remember the rules:

• All weight gain is burly muscle that won't slow them down AT ALL
• All weight loss is a guy in the best shape of his life who's going to do crazy fast things as his new svelte self.

NEW RULE FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF HARBAUGH:

• Believe any of it at your own risk. Harbaugh wouldn't hesitate to list Nate Johnson 6'11"/375 pounds if he thought the confusion might gain a yard this year.

TO THE SPREADSHEETS:

Quarterbacks
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Shane Morris	201	204	209	208	213	+3	+4	+5
Wilton Speight		234	235	239	243		+5	+4
Alex Malzone			218	222	224			+2
John O'Korn				209	215			+6
Brandon Peters				205	216			+11
Running Backs
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Drake Johnson	213	211	207	210	201	-2	-1	-9
De'Veon Smith	224	220	228	228	228	-4	+8	-
Ty Isaac		225	240	228	230		+3	+2
Karan Higdon			190	189	189			-
Kareem Walker				210	207			-3
Chris Evans				(181)	200			(+19)
Kingston Davis				225	245			+20
Fullbacks
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Bobby Henderson	227	236	240	245	242	+9	+9	-3
Khalid Hill	258	252	252	263	263	-6	+11	-
Henry Poggi	260	270	273	266	257	+10	-4	-9
Receivers
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Amara Darboh	212	211	216	215	215	-1	+4	-
Jehu Chesson	196	197	207	200	203	+1	+3	+3
Drake Harris		176	174	181	188		+5	+7
Maurice Ways		195	205	210	217		+15	+7
Grant Perry			185	184	196			+12
Kekoa Crawford				(175)	195			(+20)
Ahmir Mitchell				205	205			-
Nate Johnson				(174)	185			(+11)
Eddie McDoom				(170)	180			(+10)
Tight Ends
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Jake Butt	237	249	248	250	250	+12	+1	-
Ian Bunting		227	243	252	252		+25	-
Tyrone Wheatley			260	291	276			-15
Zach Gentry			230	244	244			-
Nick Eubanks				(208)	236			(+28)
Devin Asiasi				(253)	287			(+34)
Sean McKeon				230	240			+10
Offensive Line
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Kyle Kalis	302	298	292	305	305	-4	+7	-
Erik Magnuson	285	294	296	305	305	+9	+11	-
Ben Braden	318	322	331	322	335	+4	-	+13
Patrick Kugler	287	299	297	302	303	+12	+3	+1
David Dawson	297	296	309	316	325	-1	+20	+9
Mason Cole		292	287	305	305		+13	-
J. Bushell-Beatty		319	319	325	311		+6	-14
Grant Newsome			280	300	318			+18
Jon Runyan Jr.			275	304	304			-
Nolan Ulizio			293	291	291			-
Michael Onwenu				(367)	350			(-17)
Stephen Spanellis				(330)	335			(+5)
Ben Bredeson				(280)	310			(+30)
Defensive Line
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Ryan Glasgow	300	296	297	300	299	-4	+4	-1
Chris Wormley	289	295	300	303	302	+6	+8	-1
Matthew Godin	280	286	287	288	294	+6	+2	+6
Taco Charlton	270	275	273	285	272	+5	+10	-13
Maurice Hurst	270	282	281	282	282	+12	-	-
Chase Winovich		220	227	235	245		+15	+10
Lawrence Marshall		241	238	250	268		+9	+18
Bryan Mone		312	325	320	310		+8	-10
Shelton Johnson			225	212	212			-
Reuben Jones			225	222	222			-
M. Dwumfour				(282)	300			(+18)
Rashan Gary				(290)	287			(-3)
Ron Johnson				(221)	245			(+24)
Linebackers
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Mike McCray	237	241	242	240	248	+4	-1	+8
Ben Gedeon	236	240	241	248	247	+4	+8	-1
Wyatt Shallman	237	239	244	245	242	+2	+6	-3
Jabrill Peppers		202	205	208	205		+6	-3
Noah Furbush		210	217	242	238		+32	-4
Jared Wangler		219	230	231	229		+12	-2
E. Mbem-Bosse				(228)	215			-13
Carlo Kemp				250	255			+5
Devin Gil				(204)	230			(+26)
Devin Bush Jr.				220	232			+12
Josh Uche				(217)	217			( – )
Safeties
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Delano Hill	205	205	204	212	215	-	+7	+3
Dymonte Thomas	190	193	191	195	199	+3	+2	+4
Tyree Kinnel			200	201	206			+5
Khaleke Hudson				(204)	205			(+1)
Josh Metellus				(187)	204			(+17)
Cornerbacks
Player	2013	Fall 2014	Spring 2015	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	13 to 14	14 to 15	15 to 16
Jourdan Lewis	170	175	176	175	186	+5	-	+11
Channing Stribling	171	178	178	181	175	+7	+3	-6
Jeremy Clark	205	205	205	210	206	-	+5	-4
Brandon Watson		188	189	191	203		+3	+12
Keith Washington			175	170	170			-
David Long				(170)	187			(+17)
Lavert Hill				(173)	168			(-5)

[Things of GREAT IMPORTANT after the JUMP OF GREAT IMPORTANCE thing.]