Reed to portal
I feel for your son, but hopefully there will be a new player on this squad next season that he likes and has as much affection for them just as much as Dug/Tarris. Kids are resilient and a cool new dynamic player may have him forgetting about these 2.
Thanks for the optimistic outlook, good point. I'm still going to wait until the middle of baseball season to break the news about Dug, and for the record, I would like him to admire a more pure PG because my son is obsessed with basketball and has some decent game for his age. I wish he could have watched Burke and the Beilein era, beautiful basketball!!! Here's hoping!
And, with any luck/planning, this hire will be with a CBB team currently in the tournament. I'm hoping that this process doesn't snatch up whatever unemployed guy is out there just to get it done quickly.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:00 PM ^
Going to be rough sledding next year, basically an entirely new team. But as the MGoPodcast has pointed out several times over the last few months, is there anyone on this year's team that you would even want back, or fight to get back?
Nothing personal against Reed, Dug, or anyone who's bowing out. I bet a lot of them simply want a fresh start, but the team went 8-24 this year. Last place by four whole games. I'm not sure how next year could really be any worse, with or without them.
At this point I'm okay with blowing the whole thing up and starting over. Let whoever is coming in bring in their own guys, establish their own culture, and if it takes them 3-4 years to do it, then so be it.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:06 PM ^
I was hoping that they would at least wait until we hire a new coach, then make a decision. But perhaps that is so far off now, that its not even worth waiting.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:16 PM ^
Have you seen the team this year? Why wait. What gems are out there who Howard didn't play. Best player was a portal who got hurt. Next best player was Reed. Third best couldn't play road games. 4th best would be top class in intramural. That's the team. TWIII would not touch the court aside garbage time for peak Coach B teams.
This team lacked talent everywhere.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
At the end of the day, who cares. But I think it would be nice for the new coach to have something to work with. I think a backbone of Dug and Reed is decent, but not great, but something to work with. Additionally, if you have nothing to work with, it's going to be tougher to attract a decent coach. By the looks of it, it may take a few years of pain before we make it back to the tournament. Do you think a decent coach would want to come into that situation?
March 19th, 2024 at 12:57 PM ^
If Michigan offers him enough money and enough runway to build his program, then yes, a decent coach will come here.
Bill O'Brien went to Penn State after.....all that happened. We all thought no one in their right mind would touch that job.
Where one person sees an insurmountable obstacle, another person might see the challenge and opportunity of a lifetime. To build something up from nothing and truly make it their's. And make a crap-ton of money in the process.
So yes, if Michigan sweetens the pot enough, they will get a decent coach. Michigan basketball history shows that this program can be successful on a national level, if the right coach is afforded the opportunity and time to do so.
Conceptually, I agree with you. However, I think there is a big difference. BoB did enter into a horrible situation, but he stayed only 2 years. And it could be argued that they haven't quite gotten back to pre-scandal performance.
Our bball program is in such disarray no doubt. We have almost no one that the next coach can work with. But that's not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is that we have no support for him to dig ourselves out of this mess.
NIL? What's that?!
Transfers? [insert Anchorman_we_are_laughing.gif]
Michigan is going to have to do A LOT more than just sweetening the pot.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
I think, at least for Dug, that ship sailed the minute he was handed his academic suspension. And besides, with how bad the team was this year and how very likely it is that it will just as bad next year whether they are here or not, what's the point in waiting around? Especially for Dug. I mean, its not like the academic side of things is going to just make things easier for him now.
I'd bet he just wants a fresh start. And who could blame him? Go somewhere where he might be able to play for a winner, and somewhere that takes its academics a little less seriously.
As for Reed, it probably just goes back to "why stick around next year for a team that clearly will be going nowhere in the time I have left?"
I see it very differently. There isn't a player in our 8-9 man rotation last year that isn't a fit on a power 5 team. Some may have pretty small roles, certainly smaller than they had this year, but most of them would be in the rotation for almost any team.
The problems on this team were lack of high end talent, and an uncomfortable mix of players.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
After today I won't beat this particular horse again:
I think Reed is in the wrong sport. Putting aside the long-term health risks, I think he'd make an awesome WDE / SDE / OT depending on his optimal football weight. His hands of stone wouldn't matter on the gridiron. I think he's shown plenty of athleticism that would transfer well.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:13 PM ^
I cant imagine what that 6'10" bambi would be like when a 320# lineman got into him with a very low pad level. Yeesh.
I'm pretty sure this is a joke comment. I hope so, anyway.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
Serious question. Has a major program ever self-imploded like this before? There is a smoking crater where a near-Final Four team sat just a couple years ago. This is wild.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:11 PM ^
Without help from the NCAA's selective enforcement committee? That's a good question, and off the top of my head, I can't think of any.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:14 PM ^
I have images in my head of Tractor Traylor and Mateen Cleeves in a rollover and what couldve been going forward.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:17 PM ^
Loyola Maramount... UNLV... something like that.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:25 PM ^
Louisville recently?? but I think ncaa violations/sanctions had a big role in that.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
The fact that we have a tough time bringing people in through the portal, its gonna be a brutal few years. I hope it was worth it.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
And the alternative would have MOAR JH?? There was no alternative. Guy destroyed the program.
With the university insisting on tying one of the coach's arm behind their back you are correct. We are not allowed on the same playing field (court) as others who could portal in 6 sophomores and juniors. It's HS players and grad transfers. And I don't know what grad transfer looks at this playing with a bunch of nobodies next year as someone they would want to utilize their last year on winning 4 games. So it's going to be HS players and guys most programs have no interest in just to fill minutes.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:43 PM ^
I think JH, WM and the athletic department as a whole destroyed the program, not just JH. Until you fix the systemic issues, I wouldn't expect things to get much better on the court any time soon. Its gonna be tough to attract at least a decent coach.
And let me be clear, I support the firing of JH. My post was not meant to advocate for him.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:57 PM ^
That was not clear because you seemed to be making a sarcastic comment about the decision that you apparently support.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:21 PM ^
Hear me out on this one. All this time you, me and everyone else on team Michigan just assumed Warde was a useless, fat, lazy chode incapable of decisive action.
But what if, and stay with me here, what if Warde was actually playing the long game with admissions? Let the team suck so bad he can fire JH knowing that every remaining player would transfer? That way admissions HAS to relent a bit, just to get five guys on the court next year. Right? RIGHT?
We've all been playing checkers while zen-master Manual is clearly playing 4D Chess.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^
The process of healing can’t begin until the change was made. So yes, it’s worth it. Prospects for next year are roughly the same now as they would have been. Last place is last place.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:15 PM ^
Good thing we have solid NIL foundation and reasonable transfer credit system for the next coach, presumably jay wright or steve Kerr, to build a contender from the ground up
March 19th, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
Con: we have no players
Pro: we can sell prospective coaches on literally bringing in all of their current roster plus whatever portal add-ons they want
March 19th, 2024 at 12:22 PM ^
literally bringing in all of their current roster plus whatever portal add-ons they want
Apparently some people were not around last off season.
No we cannot sell them on that.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:24 PM ^
….assuming Admissions doesn't screw them left, right, and center.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:34 PM ^
Portal players like Caleb Love and Terrance Shannon Jr.?
March 19th, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
Obviously portal players like Jackson, Nkamhoua, and Burnett.
Not sure if we can find ten ambulatory grad transfers. Maybe 5.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:19 PM ^
This is neither a surprise or bad news. And I don’t mean that as a shot to Reed at all. The program is basically starting fresh. It’s almost like we are starting a team at a school that didn’t have one. Horrible that we went from Beilein’s success to . . . This . . . So quickly, but it’s the reality. Fortunately, basketball isn’t football. It only takes 7-8 good players, playing hard and in a system, to turn around a program quickly. I just read that as of yesterday, over 250 players have entered the portal. Many more will. If you are a decent player playing for a smaller, less known school, I have to imagine the opportunity to come play D1 b-ball at the greatest university in the world, wear the block M, possibly even start for Michigan, and be a Michigan alum (remember, most of these guys don’t end up in the NBA, so it’s not just about the b-ball team’s success) would be a huge draw. Point being that with a solid coach who can recruit, we can field a very solid team next year. We will be lower half of the big ten or worse, but the portal, which we all complain about, should allow us to mitigate the damage somewhat.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:23 PM ^
We are an expansion first year program next year.
It's crazy. We have no subs. (figurately and literally)
March 19th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
With our admissions , we are going to be screwed trying to get who we want in portal
March 19th, 2024 at 12:39 PM ^
No if ands or buts about it Juwan’s left a huge mess!
March 19th, 2024 at 12:55 PM ^
This “mess” is more indicative of the systemic issues with michigan basketball right now. I don’t think anyone would be sweating if they knew that we could effectively rebuild with a brand new roster of all-Americans.
look at what osu did with football. They went gangbusters in free agency and locked up Caleb Downs and Quinshon Judkins. They used the transfer portal and NIL to do something about getting put in their rightful place.
We don’t have that luxury. I guess a few MGoBloggers can crowdfund $10M+ change some McDonald all-American’s minds. Other than that, we’re stuck with grad transfer rentals like Joey baker
Don’t adjust with the times you end up with a mess this applies to anything in life.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:43 PM ^
Firing Juwan was a huge mistake and I don't understand why people don't realize that.
How do you figure?
It feels like a trap. Not sure I would engage.
I think when and how is the problem. Fans didn't want to wait a year. But I think if they restructured Juwan’s contract the way they did with Harbaugh in 2020 and spent the next few months working on a succession plan and fixing NIL we would’ve been in a better position with or without Juwan in 25-26.
Warde has a penchant for caving. I think he caved to fan pressure without the foresight of actually having an infrastructure set up for the next coach to succeed.
Firing Juwan was a huge mistake and I don't understand why people don't realize that.
Agreed. We couldve delayed the inevitable firing and rebuild one more year in the hopes of squeezing out 1-2 more wins next year and finishing 6-26
March 19th, 2024 at 12:43 PM ^
for those worried, this isn't football where you need 22 starters, you need 5. If we watch what goes on in CFB since the portal, every coach that gets an upgrade in jobs, takes a bunch of his best players with him. If UM hires a coach from a mid-major (which is, for some reason, where people seem to think we are going to go) I can see him bringing a bunch of his players with him, perhaps his whole starting line-up. Will that be good for UM? I'm not sure it could be any worse than this year.
March 19th, 2024 at 12:46 PM ^
Just how will these players make it through admissions?
Why do we keep going over this? There is only one rule that transfers have to meet: They only get to carry with them 60 credit hours (Myles Hinton). This allows any first and second year functioning student basketball player (Duncan Robinson, Charles Matthews) and all grads (Olivier Nkamhuoa) to be recruited from the portal. Yikes
March 19th, 2024 at 12:52 PM ^
Are you a men's basketball warm body that's an underclassman or grad student? Are you looking for more playing time? Do you go to class and maintain your eligibility? Do you think that a rap sheet is a page of lyrics? Well, the University of Michigan has a scholarship for you!
its going to be a rebuild from the ground up.
Honestly, it is what it is... Coach that recruited you is gone (which I agree with), and you don't know who is going to be replacing him... good time to test the waters.
I think admissions needs to evolve into the 21st Century, however, it was never an issue during Beilien and it wasn't an issue for the football program either...So I am not going to attribute all of the blame for the worst season in 60 years solely on them.
It wasn't an issue during the Beilien years because the ncaa transfer rules were different.
it wasn't an issue because Beilein didn't take many transfers...outside of Charles Matthews and Duncan (who was going to ace admissions) there wasn't much of a need.
Regardless of what Beilein did or didn't do in the portal, the guy developed lightly recruited players and had them playing as a well oiled machine.
What BBall program relies solely on the portal? Grabbing a couple of guys seems to make sense, but the majority of your roster has to be built through recruiting.
It is more likely that Michigan admissions remains as it is than it opening the door to anyone... so you are left with a pretty limited choice here. Anyone recruited from the portal needs to be pre-vetted by Admissions...
Not saying I agree with that, but that's the system in place at Michigan
OK, I'm available...I can shoot, though I am woefully short. If we could switch conference games to HORSE, I can be an asset.