Unverified Voracity Talks Basketball(?)

Hello Blake. Michigan has picked up a commitment from 2009 PF Blake McLimans of New York. As per usual, UMHoops has the details:

The scouting report on McLimans is that he is a versatile 6-10 big man who can play on the perimeter. He’s skinny but he can run the floor and hit the face up jumper but also has nice moves in the post. Blake is also reportedly a solid ball handler who can hit the occasional three point shot. There isn’t a lot of scouting information on him because as was mentioned he didn’t play AAU ball.

Rivals shows offers from BC and Georgia Tech; UMHoops claims "interest" from those schools. I think we're probably talking about the latter here. McLimans didn't have a Rivals profile until a few days ago, and is unknown to Scout and ESPN. Unlike Tommy Amaker, though, Beilein has made a career out of unearthing big guys he can coach up.

McLimans finishes Michigan's 2009 recruiting class unless there's an unexpected departure. The results:

• 4* PG Darius Morris (approx #75)
• 3.5* SG Matt Vogrich (approx #150)
• 3* PF Jordan Morgan
• 3* PF Blake McLimans

Not exactly a North Carolina haul but a couple of pretty good recruits and a guy in Morgan that Beilein identified and acquired early. There are just two slots open in the class of 2010; the top priorities are a wing and a post.

Hold thine horses. Permit me a small blasphemy here. This makes no the sense:

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference announced its 2008-09 basketball preseason honors at the conference media day today (Sunday, Oct. 26), with University of Michigan sophomore guard Manny Harris (Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) being selected to the five-member men's All-Big Ten preseason squad.

I like Manny Harris, like his real name and his haircut and his decision to come to Michigan both before and after Tommy Amaker was fired. But if Harris is going to end the season one of the top five players in the Big Ten he's going to have to take a quantum leap forward.

Yes, Harris returns with some impressive numbers…

He started all 32 games as a freshman and led the Wolverines for the entire season in per-game scoring (16.1), assists (2.7), steals (1.4), minutes (33.0) and free throw percentage (81.7).

…but here are some mitigating ones:

• 30.4, Harris's massive usage rate last year, 34th in the country
• 22.0, Harris's massive TO rate last year, worse than anyone on the team other than… uh… the point guard
• 43.6, Harris's un-massive eFG% last year, worst on the team outside of walk-ons.

The raw numbers are nice; the tempo-free ones are Bracey Wright-esque. And then there's my personal observations. For some reason, I decided that last year would be a great year to go to around ten basketball games—a personal record—and while Harris was clearly the team's best player that's not a huge compliment when you win ten games. I have the distinct memory of a ton of turnovers committed when Harris was sitting at the top of the key, being sloppy with the ball. Those aren't on his general lack of teammates.

Of course, Harris is a guy named "Harris" playing for Michigan so he's cursed to spend at least one year surrounded by walk-ons thinking he has to score every damn basket; high usage and lots of turnovers and low eFG% go hand-in-hand.

Harris should be better this year. And Michigan returns everyone of any use save Epke Udoh, who wasn't much of a factor in the offense, and adds hawk-eyed Stu Douglass, potentially useful Zach Novak, and half of Arizona transfer Laval Lucas-Perry (eligible in January), so you'd assume the usage would go down and the efficiency up. I hope in March we're here looking at scoring average going down a little bit but those field goal numbers going up a lot; we'll see.

Contract. Rodriguez has signed it—guess he's not going to Clemson—and MVictors has posted it. Highlights:

• Contract is six years.
• Page 5 contains a convoluted clause that indicates the buyout money Michigan is paying West Virginia is indeed taxable income for Rodriguez; Michigan will compensate Rodriguez for that income "in order that Rodriguez not be unduly burdened or distracted in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder."
• The buyout is—surprise!—four million dollars until year four, when it drops to 2.5, but they'll roll it over before it hits that, I assume.
• Jebus: "The Men's Football Program will be provided with a salary fund of $1,950,000 to be reserved exclusively for the nine assistant coaches and the head football strength and conditioning coach."

Etc.: While we're on basketball; here's an interview with Cazzie Russell.

Michigan State printed up a shirt commemorating their victory over a 2-6 team. This is why you're Michigan State.