Mitch McGary To Return
This is the kind of week when bad news cannot possibly live for long on the front page, so naturally Jacob Trouba's departure news is immediately followed by this, from MLive's Kyle Meinke:
"I haven’t even thought about (leaving),” [Mitch McGary] told MLive.com after practice Tuesday at the Crisler Center. “I don’t have a decision to make -- I’m coming back.”
Is he 100 percent sure?
“Yeah,” he said with a laugh. “I’m coming back.”
McGary wasn't thought to be a huge flight risk until his recent tournament success, and thankfully he's put those fears to rest. Feel free to break out your go-to dance move to celebrate.
EDIT: Thanks Ace for these great gifs.
I truly enjoyed hearing Lundquist and Raftery's enthusiasm watching Mitch play.
mesmerizing.
the crazy guy laughing out loud alone in my office right now.
Some of you guys are funny as hell.
Cabbage patch it is!
/does a very white cabbage patch
With another year or two to work on strength, speed and technique in Michigan's brand new Bill Davidson Player Development Center, the sky is the limit for McGary.
I remember the strength transition Chris Webber made after his Freshman season at Michigan? It was significant. Here is hoping McGary is a beast that continues to grow in Ann Arbor, so that when he goes pro, he is fully prepared from day one.
I actually don't remember Webber being that much different of a player as a sophomore. He was pretty much always a beast.
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/chris-webber-1.html
I do remember Robert Traylor making big strides from his freshman to junior seasons. I could see McGary following this trajectory:
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/robert-traylor-1.html
I don't think you can expect the same type of physical transformation between 18-19 and 20-21. Not saying he won't improve physically, but being 20 isn't favorable.
Our frontcourt will be outstanding for once next year.
A) McGary coming back = woo hoo!
B) Kyle Meinke has done a really nice job over at MLive ... so kudos to him.
....are roommates and supposedly pretty tight, I'm just going to assume that Robinson is feeling similarly.
No, one thing doesn't mean the other but I prefer that scenerio as opposed to the alternate.
In fact, I think I'm going to assume that everyone, including Burke, is planning to return for next season.
So while looking ahead, what's a good playing weight for him next year? He lost a significant amount through the season, but after a full year of weight training, where do we expect/want him to be next year?
Probably 250-260 pounds. I think you want to see him improve his springiness and endurance and get back to the backboard-breaking tornado he was before he went to prep school. I think he can do that at his current weight which i think is plenty sufficient to be effective in boxing out and establishing/ holding paint position. Next question
I never felt worried that McGary might leave but it is always nice to be reassured!
He's kind of excited right now, but he's already a junior age wise and his stock is rising.
Given how hard it is for big guys to go through their careers without ankle or knee injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if he changes his mind after the dust settles. Selfishly I want him back, but you gotta do what you gotta do, and i wouldn't blame him.
I think today's insurance premiums for projected draft picks are pretty fantastic and negate many of the concerns associated with career threatening injuries sustained in college.
So many one and dones flail in the NBA and end up in Belarus or something. So, if you get a draft projection, get the insurance, and continue to develop in college, all should be good in the long run.
He may be the best big in the B1G next year.
I didn't realize people were particularly worried about him leaving, but his enthusiasm about staying is nice to hear. Hopefully GRIII and Tim stay too. All caveats about enjoying the present success aside, if those two were to stay as well we could have just as lethal (dare I so more lethal?)a team as we do this year.
Burke is leaving, that's pretty much a given. I think UM can weather the storm losing one more starter, either THJ or GRIII, but not both of them, IMO. I think GRIII stays one more year with some input from good ol' Dad, but we'll have to wait and see. Such a definitive statement by McGary I think will help.
I don't see Hardaway leaving yet. He probably wants to, but he's been too inconsistent to be a sure first round pick. I doubt he leaves voluntarily without that assurance. The pressure to succeed is too much, he isn't dumb and probably realizes he still has a few things to work on.
if we could get Taylor Lewan to have a sit-down with him...
This good news calls for some subs! Let's get crazy!
If THJ goes the team will really lack leadership next year. I still think he can use an extra year to polish his sub par handle, and inconsistent shooting. I hope he realizes that he is not NBA ready.
I thought the same thing about his handle but he has actually shown a lot of improvement in the tourney, particularly against the VCU press. While I agree he (and pretty much any college player) could use more polishing there isn't anything in his game that he couldn't learn in the NBA.
I thought hardaway said he loves college and wants to come back.
expected but good news.
Makes me want to rock.
Do you guys think it is at all possible that if Michigan loses in the title (assuming we beat cuse), Burke comes back for a junior year with revenge. Because If so there is no bad result to the title game. This may be a bit unrealistic.
There's more incentive for him to go. Basically his draft stock can't be higher and being a lottery pick really is a big deal for financial reasons. Even if he plays as well, given the general regard of next year's class he might not be one because he's short. And you always risk injury. Much rather already have the million dollar contract if I'm taking that risk.
I don't think it's unrealistic. Florida's starters came back for a repeat title and the fab 5 came back for revenge.
Kentucky's players didn't come back this year, and I don't think the fab-5 could have left due to draft eligability rules back then (I believe you had to be a rising-junior at the time).
It would be great to have them all back, and based off Burke's comments it isn't unrealistic; I merely want to show the other side of this equation.
But the Fab Five didn't come back for revenge. They came back because the idea of drafting a freshman was unheard of back then. A sophomore was a pretty radical and rare concept at the time.
Great game coming... many more to come.
contrast this with Staee contriving a Payne/Harris to to-go-not-to-go saga out of nowhere to convince themselves of their worth and the difference is striking. Nice Mitch. Go Blue.
Hopefully over the summer the team works something out to be able to get Mitch and another big on the floor together more often. Beilein has done it more during the tourney than he did during the regular season, and I would like to think it will continue.
I want to see this for a few reasons.
First, I want to see Morgan get back to playing with full confidence and bringing to the table what he can. When he's on he's terribly underrated and with all he's done to help this program he deserves to go out strong.
Second, it certainly would be nice to play against teams that rebound well and not get destroyed by them on the boards. That 2nd Indiana game simply destroyed me. Yes, free throws. But out-rebounded 47-26 just won't work. I also realize that foul trouble had a lot to do with limiting McGary's minutes especially, but the team needed a minute each from McLimans and Beilfeldt just to get to 40 total from bigs. To see Mitch, Morgan, Horford, and even some Donnal in there together consistently should be a huge help on the boards.
Finally, Donnal. I just mentioned him, but I think a year with Mitch could be huge for Donnal. Sure, he already has a skill set and work with the other bigs would do plenty for him, but Mitch brings that drive that every player could stand to have rub off on him.
"Feel free to break out your go-to dance move to celebrate."
I'm totally doing the "cabbage patch" right now.
This helps with THJ right?
Comments