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Hello: Zach Gentry (Updated)
He added an 85-yarder two minutes later.
The headliner of a huge recruiting weekend is undoubtedly Jim Harbaugh reeling in four-star Albuquerque (NM) Eldorado QB Zach Gentry, who until recently had been a Texas commit. The Longhorns, who'd reportedly told Gentry he'd be the only QB in their class, brought in five-star Texas A&M QB commit Kyler Murray for a visit last weekend, and their new focus on dual-threat types made Gentry uncomfortable with the direction they were going with their offense, he told the Albuquerque Journal.
From that point on, Michigan put on the full-court press, sending Harbaugh and a couple assistants to visit him in New Mexico, then hosting him for his official visit this weekend, ultimately earning his commitment at halftime of the Wisconsin game:
“It’s been crazy,” Gentry said in a phone interview with the Journal late Saturday night. “I do feel settled right now. It feels good ultimately laying my head on the pillow tonight thinking I’ll be Jim Harbaugh’s first quarterback recruit at Michigan.”
Gentry took his official visit to the Ann Arbor campus on Friday and Saturday. The only other official visit he had made was to Texas.
Gentry attended the Michigan-Wisconsin men’s basketball game Saturday night. At halftime, he and some other recruits were led into a room for some food and drinks at Crisler Center. He saw some football coaches, and “decided to do it then. I had talked about it with my dad (Tom) and stuff, and he told me to follow my gut.”
Gentry became the eighth commitment in the 2015 class (Nolan Ulizio has since become the ninth), and the second at quarterback, joining early enrollee Alex Malzone.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
|
4*, #19 QB, #278 Ovr |
4*, #4 P-QB, #105 Ovr |
4*, 83, #9 P-QB, #118 Ovr |
3*, 88, #16 P-QB |
4*, #8 P-QB, #175 Ovr |
There's a bit of a spread here—Rivals and ESPN both consider Gentry a fringe top-100 prospect, Scout has him closer to 300th, and 247 places him as a three-star a few position ranks away from getting a fourth (Gentry is, incidentally, one spot behind Malzone in their pro-style QB rankings).
Gentry is a large dude. He's listed at either 6'6" or 6'7" and 230-237 pounds, and he might actually be even bigger than that. Here's a picture tweeted out by Nolan Ulizio from yesterday's visit—Gentry is #11 on the far right, standing next to Jake Pickard (6'6", 230) and down the line from Ulizio (#70, listed at ~6'5", 280):
Now just got to get these guys to join #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/XvVySKlFpo
— Nolan Ulizio (@NolanUlizio) January 25, 2015
He may be a legit 6'8".
SCOUTING
Since Texas is pretty into football, in case you hadn't heard, there's a ton of stuff out there on Gentry. To get a general sense, let's start with his free Scout eval:
Gentry is an intriguing quarterback with NFL size but surprising mobility for a big man. He has a downfield arm and can make every throw but also shows the ability, when flushed out of the pocket, to run for positive yards. He looks to have a good feel in the pocket and doesn't panic when the rush comes at him. He can keep his eyes down the field and throws an accurate ball whether in or outside of the pocket-Biggins
The only weakness listed is release point—Gentry often throws from a pretty low arm slot, though that's not a huge issue since he's so tall in the first place.
There are a few common threads among Gentry's scouting reports: impressive athleticism for his size, need for mechanical improvement, and great upside. All of those are present in the report from ESPN's Tom Luginbill after Gentry committed to Texas ($):
An impressive blend of raw physical tools and outstanding measurables. Very few players of his size possess the level of athleticism he brings to the game. This is a player with an extremely high ceiling and upside for development. He's got a big arm, can make all the throws and is a deceptively good runner who is strong and difficult to tackle. He has the look of a pocket passer, but can run the zone read if need be. There is still a lot of technical polish that needs to take place over the next couple of years but Gentry has the physical traits you cannot coach.
Luginbill compared Gentry to a young Ben Roethlisberger. Orangebloods, the Texas Rivals outlet, broke out a couple NFL comparisons, the second one quite tantalizing ($):
Gentry will remind evaluators of a sturdier version of Tampa Bay Bucs second-year QB Mike Glennon. Like Glennon, Gentry is confident in his arm and can display often sloppy mechanics. Gentry is, like Glennon was - in college at least - deceptively skilled with his feet. In Glennon, this was shown in his ability to climb the ladder and manipulate a pocket, while in Gentry it is seen in his ability to operate on the move.
So, having a established that Shawn Watson would rather have the "stiff" pro-style guy, what happens when that guy has a little bit of "athletic" to him?
Well, you can go watch some Teddy Bridgewater tape and see for yourself.
Barking Carnival broke down his junior film after his initial commitment and came away impressed with his athletic ability:
Gentry is a long strider who eats up ground once he gets going and he has a reasonable amount of niftiness despite his height. Some recruiting services claim a 4.7 40, which isn't unrealistic, but he's not going to be confused with Jamelle Holloway in small space.
While Gentry doesn't project to a traditional run threat in the college game, he'll be very capable of pulling the ball down and making a defense pay if they ignore containment - sometimes even big yardage if the sea parts properly.
BC noted that Gentry is an accomplished basketball player—a 20/10 guy his junior year—and that type of athleticism usually translates well to the gridiron.
SBNation's other Texas site, Burnt Orange Nation, threw together a ton of great info on him as well, which included a couple reasons why he may not have developed as much as some of the elite QB prospects in the class:
"The thing that sticks out about Zach is that he is probably going to be a better college player than he is in high school," Dodson said. "Being (so tall) he was a little bit of a late developer. His motor skills had to catch up with his body because he grew so fast. He's 230 pounds right now. He'll be 240 next year. He's an athlete, a very good basketball player. I don't think he's reached as far as where he's going to get as far as his arm strength."
Gentry actually had some injury issues due to growing so fast; he lost three months between his freshman and sophomore seasons after surgery to repair his kneecap, then had a ligament pull away from the growth plate in his right arm later in a 7-on-7 tournament. He's played full seasons each of the last three years as best I can tell, though, so now that he's (presumably) done growing there shouldn't be lingering injury concerns.
An in-person evaluation from Horns247 gave off a distinct Cardale Jones vibe ($):
He's one of the more unique quarterback prospects I've seen since I've been doing this because you don't see many guys at his size (legitimately 6-6, 230) who move as well as he does. The way his athleticism translates to the field functionally was the most surprising aspect of Gentry's game and at the end of the day he's more so a dual-threat quarterback trapped in the body of a prototypical pocket passer, but I can't peg him into either hole.
As a runner he's got a good feel for running the zone read and Eldorado uses it a ton in its offense. He's not afraid to use his body to keep the ball between the tackles and barrel over defenders, which with his size at the high school level makes him a nightmare to deal with.
They were also impressed by his arm strength and touch, with the areas of concern his mechanics and how he'll adapt from New Mexico high school ball—not the highest quality in the country—to the college game.
ESPN is one of a couple outlets that points out a specific flaw in Gentry's mechanics, a propensity for leaving his weight on his back foot, but they note his apparant potential ($):
Accuracy: At times very strong, but can be erratic due to mechanics. When feet are set and he is in rhythm he is consistent and hits the strike zone. Can be flat footed and deliberate in his methods almost as if his back foot is nailed to the ground which limits weight transfer. He can change ball speeds and can also drop the ball in between or over the top of coverage while throwing guys open. ...
Release/Arm Strength: Displays impressive arm talent. Reminds us of David Cornwell in this regard from the 2014 class. He can be inconsistent in his delivery methods and while he has a low elbow at times, he is so tall that it isn't much of a concern. Can whip the ball a bit, but also does not always control the ball very well with consistent velocity and RPMs. This prospect can get rid of the ball quickly and has a powerful motion. This kid has moments where he will do things with the ball that jump off the screen and get you excited.
Gentry made a late rise in the Rivals rankings, at one point sneaking into the top 100 before sliding back to #105, and here's how they justified the late bump in his rating ($):
Gentry doesn't get a chance to play much stiff competition. Still, at some point, consistency must be rewarded. Gentry had the type of season you would expect from an elite quarterback playing against sub-par defenses. So while he certainly still has a little left to prove on a big stage, it's hard to knock his talent. He has always had the build of a star passer and moves decently for his massive size. His presence in the pocket and his arm strength are what set him apart, though. While we would love to see Gentry play against better competition, it's hard to argue with the film. Finding a weak spot in his game is difficult.
Given Gentry's New Mexico competition, it would've been hard for him to rise much higher in the rankings without being a truly special athlete. A couple sites noted that his stats weren't as impressive as they could've been in large part because his receivers often had a tough time hanging onto some of his high-velocity throws.
Finally, the venerable Bruce Feldman tweeted this when Michigan flipped Gentry:
Heard many coaches rave abt Zach Gentry, the big QB who committed to Michigan. Will be interesting to see how he develops w Harbaugh & Fisch
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 25, 2015
Alabama took a hard run at Gentry earlier in his recruitment, before Texas started looking at other prospects, only to be rebuffed.
OFFERS
Gentry held offers from Alabama, Louisville, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, San Diego State, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, among a couple others. That list likely would've been longer if he hadn't made the early Texas commitment; until the last week, Gentry had been very firm in his pledge, and was quick to tell inquiring schools he wasn't looking around.
HIGH SCHOOL
Eldorado has only produced one other FBS player in the Rivals era, 2011 two-star Colorado signee Tyler McCullough. They do have a little history producing quality quarterbacks, however, as former NFL QB Jim Everett—most famous for doing what so many have wanted to do to Jim Rome—is an Eldorado grad.
STATS
Gentry was New Mexico's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014, throwing for 2978 yards and 26 TDs with a 60% completion rate and adding 1057 yards and 22 more scores on the ground, per 247. Late in the season, he had 21 pass TDs against just five picks, and his interception rate was very low in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
FAKE 40 TIME
247 lists a 40 time of 4.68, which gets four FAKEs out of five. Gentry can cover ground, but I don't think he's quite that fast.
VIDEO
Senior highlights:
Junior highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
While Gentry has considerable potential and looks like an ideal fit for what Harbaugh wants in a quarterback, it might be tough for him to work his way into the quarterback competition this fall. Shane Morris and Wilton Speight will be viable candidates who've been through college grind, while Alex Malzone will have the advantage of being on campus for spring ball. Add in the significant step up in competition from New Mexico, and Gentry may spend his first year redshirting while adjusting to the speed of the college game.
From there, all bets are off. Gentry may have the most physical potential of any Michigan quarterback, including Morris, and his size/athleticism combo could be remarkably effective at the collegiate level. His throwing ability looks good on tape even with the mechanical issues, some of which are pretty much negated by his height. He's an exciting prospect.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
It's safe to say Michigan is done at quarterback for the class.
Michigan now has nine members of a 2015 class that could reach 16 or 17 total. Current needs include wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, linebacker, and cornerback; if the numbers work out, M could also pursue running back and safety prospects, and they're pushing for a commitment from fullback/H-back Reagan Williams, a Stanford commit who took an official this weekend.
Hello: Nolan Ulizio
Proud to say that I have officially committed to the university of Michigan #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/7v2WS5HsDf
— Nolan Ulizio (@NolanUlizio) January 25, 2015
With that, West Chester (OH) Lakota West OL Nolan Ulizio became Michigan's third commitment in the last day, joining DE Reuben Jones and QB Zach Gentry. Ulizio had been a UConn commit heading into his official visit this weekend, but as expected the lure of joining M's class overcame what the Huskies could offer. Ulizio is the ninth commit in the 2015 class and the third on the offensive line.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
| 3*, #42 OT | 2*, NR OT | NR OT | 2*, 79, #187 OT |
2*, #222 OT, #2324 Ovr |
Ulizio hasn't received much attention from the recruiting services; only Scout gives him three stars while Rivals and ESPN don't even bother to rank him. His height is listed at anywhere between 6'4" and 6'6" with his weight in the 280-293 range. If he's on the higher end of that height range, he could end up as a tackle; given Michigan's needs that would be preferable.
SCOUTING
There's very little out there on Ulizio. Scout's profile features a free evaluation from Dave Berk:
One of the more improved prospects from junior to senior year. Ulizio is a strong drive blocker with above average feet and the strength to compete early. Must work on overall flexibility, but showed great improvement in past year. Plays tackle in high school but projects as a guard with the ability to pull or a power tackle. Must get lower to get more power out of his hips. Dave Berk - Ohio Recruiting Analyst
His strengths are listed as drive blocking, feet, and power/strength; body control/balance, flexibility, and pass protection are noted as his areas to improve.
247's Clint Brewster posted a quick scouting report just after Ulizio committed:
He shows fluid movement getting out of his stance and displays a natural lateral shuffle to stay in front of defenders. Ulizio has the tenacity and aggressiveness you like to see on the offensive line, driving defenders back and putting them on skates. He does a great job on his drive blocks, getting underneath opponents and pushing them back. Ulizio is good at blocking on the move when he gets out on pulls and screens, staying engaged with smaller and quicker defensive lineman.
Ulizio's ability to block in space should be a plus in Harbaugh's pull-heavy offense whether he ends up at tackle or guard.
That's about it as far as available scouting goes. Brian and I talked to 247's Steve Lorenz this morning for a podcast segment, and he mentioned that the coaches liked Ulizio's mean streak and feel for the game when breaking down his film. While Ulizio went largely unnoticed by both recruiting services and major college programs, M's coaches seem to be seeing something others aren't—they offered Ulizio over more heralded options Sam Madden and David Moorman, both of whom have displayed interest in Michigan.
OFFERS
Ulizio's offer sheet included UConn, Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Pitt.
HIGH SCHOOL
Lakota West has a couple other solid 2015 prospects in four-star LB CJ Stalker (Virginia commit) and three-star OT George Asafo-Adjei (Kentucky). They've produced a few Ohio State commits, most notably four-star 2007 DE Soloman Thomas, a couple four-stars who ended up at Kentucky, and 2010 five-star LB Jordan Hicks, who ended up at Texas. Current Alabama starting center Ryan Kelly is another Lakota West product.
STATS
No stats for O-linemen. Ulizio was named second-team AP All-Southwest District as a senior.
FAKE 40 TIME
None listed, FAKE or otherwise.
VIDEO
Senior highlights:
Junior highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
The evidence here is certainly flimsy, though you can see on Ulizio's film how he'd be a fit in Harbaugh's offense—he does well pulling into space, ID'ing his target, and locking on, and he finishes his blocks with authority. He looks like he could find a home at guard or right tackle.
Whether he ends up at tackle or guard, Ulizio will certainly take a redshirt this fall before trying to work his way up the depth chart. Based on the current roster, the earliest it's realistic for Ulizio to compete for a starting role would be when he's a redshirt sophomore, after Ben Braden and Erik Magnuson have graduated.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Ulizio fills a major need along the offensive line. Steve indicated that Michigan is likely done with offensive line recruiting for the class, though with the relative lack of linemen in the last couple classes—exascerbated by Mason Cole not taking a redshirt year—it wouldn't be a bad idea to take one more.
Michigan now has nine members of a 2015 class that could reach 16 or 17 total. Current needs include wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, linebacker, and cornerback; if the numbers work out, M could also pursue running back and safety prospects, and they're pushing for a commitment from fullback/H-back Reagan Williams, a Stanford commit who took an official this weekend.
Hello: Reuben Jones
Filed under:
Jim Harbaugh has pulled in his first commitment at Michigan's head coach tonight, as 247's Steve Lorenz is reporting three-star FL DE Reuben Jones decided to pledge while on his official visit. Jones had been committed to Nebraska until this week, when he received a visit from Harbaugh, scheduled his official, and promptly decommited from the Huskers. He's now the seventh commit in Michigan's class of 2015, and the only DE in the class.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
| 3*, #145 DE | 3*, #27 SDE | 3*, 78, #58 DE | 3*, 83, #64 SDE |
3*, #44 SDE, #786 Ovr |
Post now informatively updated.
The services are consistent in ranking Jones as a three-star well off the four-star radar. All but Rivals (6'4", 225) list him at 6'3", 223 pounds. While that's undersized for a traditional defensive end, Jones is likely ticketed for the hybrid WDE/OLB spot in DJ Durkin's defense, which will feature both three- and four-lineman alignments.
SCOUTING
Jones didn't garner much attention as a recruit until his high school hosted a Rivals camp in the spring after his sophomore season. He impressed in a crowded field, finishing as the #2 2015 defensive performer behind only five-star Byron Cowart ($):
Playing on his home field, Jones was one of the surprise performers of the day. With terrific speed and a slender but surprisingly strong frame, the 6-foot-3 Jones was nearly unstoppable in one-on-ones. Not only did he win his first three reps, but he continued to step up and challenge all comers from the offensive line position.
At the very same event last May, Jones again played on a level comparable to much higher-ranked prospects ($):
Jones is a slim, wiry defensive end, but his slight frame didn't stop him from being one of the best defensive linemen in attendance. He has long arms and he's surprisingly strong. His long reach, combined with his quick feet, helps him knock bigger, slower offensive linemen off balance. If it weren't for the pair of five-stars in attendance, Jones may have walked way with MVP honors for his efforts.
ESPN's evaluation could easily be confused for that of a five-star. They praise his size/athleticism combo, call him "a dominant pass-rusher" and a "no quit defensive end," and had this to say about his run defense ($):
Is quick to read and react when defending against the inside and outside run; can play with strength at the point of attack, shedding blockers, fighting pressure and working back to the football; this guy doesn't get stuck on blocks. Displays the initial quickness needed to beat blockers across the line and make plays opposite his alignment. Can neutralize the edge block, play through traffic and flatten to the sideline.
They even praise his pad level! Then they ranked him as the #58 defensive end in the country. I'm confused, too.
After Jones committed to Nebraska in November, Big Red Report had a very positive evaluation of his film ($):
Jones plays in an attacking style defensive line and is best suited for one at the next level. He lines up at a couple of different spots and has an impact at both spots. He has an impact running at him, he has an impact running away from him. He also has an impact in the passing game getting to the quarterback, batting down passes when he can’t get to the quarterback and even chases down the receiver 60 yards downfield.
247's Clint Brewster broke down Jones' film and pointed out why he isn't considered a blue chip recruit:
Jones’ effort and toughness on the field are special, which makes him a big time recruit. He doesn’t give up on plays and shows he can make tackles well down the field. Jones’ isn’t a very highly ranked player because of his lack of ideal size at the position and he’s still raw from a technical standpoint. Solid speed once he gets going but by no means does he have great speed.
Finally, Jones' coach weighed in on how he improved over the course of his high school career after he committed to Nebraska ($):
"Probably just in being patient," Coach DeMyer responded when asked where Jones has made the most progress over the past four years. "He's always played 100 miles per hour, but this year he has learned to be a little more patient where he used to run by stuff too fast and people would change direction on him.
"This year he is still playing with a lot of speed, but he's doing a lot better job in redirecting and knowing more about the offenses he is facing. He's been watching a lot more film and knowing which guys can do what."
Jones seems to have a lower ceiling than some other DE prospects because of his size—he'll probably top out around 6'3", 260—but he looks like a player who'll could make an impact as a situational pass-rusher who could develop into something more down the road.
OFFERS
Jones held offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Mizzou, Nebraska, Purdue, UCF, USF, Syracuse, Temple, Wake Forest, and West Virginia, among others.
HIGH SCHOOL
Lakeland (FL) Lake Gibson produced a recent Michigan starter in lineman Ricky Barnum. They've produced their fair share of FBS prospects over the years, most notable among them Bilal Powell, the former Louisville standout and current New York Jets running back.
STATS
Per Rivals, Jones recorded 71 tackles, 14 TFLs, and ten sacks as a senior.
FAKE 40 TIME
ESPN and 247 both list a 40 time of 4.89, which gets a mere two FAKEs out of five.
VIDEO
Senior highlights:
Single-game reels from his junior and senior seasons can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Jones could be in line for early playing time due to Michigan's scant depth chart at defensive end; at the moment, there are just four DEs—senior Mario Ojemudia, junior Taco Charlton, redshirt sophomore Henry Poggi, and redshirt freshman Lawrence Marshall—on the roster.
Ideally, Jones would get a redshirt year to bulk up, though we'll see if he's afforded that luxury given the lack of bodies at the position. While he may not develop into an NFL prospect due to his size, he's got the chance to be a quality player thanks to his quick first step, strength, and high motor.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Jones is the seventh commit in the 2015 class (since this first posted, Zach Gentry became the eighth), and he's unlikely to be the last defensive end commit—Wisconsin commit Jake Pickard is currently on campus and there are rumblings he's likely to join the class, and Michigan hosted Shelton Johnson last weekend. Given the depth chart, they could definitely use another DE.
It's reasonable to expect this class to finish with 16-17 prospects, leaving 8-9 spots left with Gentry also in the fold. Michigan is pursuing several cornerbacks; they could also use help at running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, linebacker, and safety.
Wisconsin 69, Michigan 64
They played their asses off.
Despite Derrick Walton's tying three-pointer in the waning moments of the second half, Michigan couldn't quite pull off a colossal upset against Wisconsin. The ovation from the Crisler Center crowd after the game said it all, though—the fight was well worth the price of admission.
As early as the opening five minutes—in which time Michigan had fallen behind 7-2, their only bucket an implausible Spike Albrecht floater—there were any number of opportunities for the team to pack it in. After all, Albrecht was occasionally defending Wisconsin's superstar seven-footer, Frank Kaminsky, as Michigan frequently switched on defense in a sometimes comical effort to slow him down.
When Wisconsin went on a quick 9-0 run to end the half up seven, it felt like the excitement was over. Ditto when Sam Dekker extended that lead to 11 with an uncontested dunk four minutes into the second, prompting a Michigan timeout. After the Wolverines fought back to tie on a run sparked by the unlikely trio of Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Mark Donnal, and Kameron Chatman, the Badgers landed another series of blows, going up by as much as seven and maintaining the edge until the final moments of regulation.
But Michigan never quit. Walton charged to the hoop time and again, absorbing hit after hit to get to the line; he'd finish with 17 points, going 7/8 from the line. Adbur-Rahkman turned in his finest performance in a Michigan uniform, scoring nine (3/4 FG), playing solid defense, and keeping a couple crucial loose balls alive.
Walton took full control at the end of the half. With M down four and 0:31 on the clock, Josh Gasser missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Walton quickly capitalized with a Euro-step layup through contact. After Bronson Koenig split a pair of free throws, Walton sunk two of his own. Koenig went back to the line, this time drilling both with ten seconds remaining.
At first it appeared Aubrey Dawkins would be forced into a heavily contested heave over two defenders; instead, he dropped a nifty pass to Walton as he found an opening and swished home the tying triple. Crisler got as loud as it's been all season.
Kaminsky dominated the overtime session, opening it with an and-one on Ricky Doyle; he'd score eight points in the decisive period. That Michigan made it that far at all, though, felt like a win in and of itself. They've been written off by just about everyone since Caris LeVert went down for the season, but tonight they showed that when they're on their game, they can hang with the very best in the conference.
Hello: Zach Gentry
He added an 85-yarder two minutes later.
Michigan just pulled in their second commit of the night, and it's a big one. Four-star NM QB Zach Gentry decided to flip from his prior Texas commitment at halftime of tonight's Wisconsin game, per multiple outlets. Gentry is the eighth commit in the class, joining Alex Malzone—who's already enrolled—among 2015 quarterbacks.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
|
4*, #19 QB, #278 Ovr |
4*, #4 P-QB, #105 Ovr |
4*, 83, #9 P-QB, #118 Ovr |
3*, 88, #16 P-QB |
4*, #8 P-QB, #175 Ovr |
Full, informative update coming later.
Fantasy Roll: LeVertless
Filed under:
Every time I see a redshirt sophomore just emerging for his team this year I think about Michigan's own class of 2012. For the end of the Northwestern game, with Spike sick and LeVert down one ankle, the Wolverines were without every single guy from one of the best recruiting classes in basketball history.
If this was the NBA Michigan could tank the rest of the season and add a lottery pick to the lineup next year. Since this is college ball, we ought to remind ourselves that every sophomore guard isn't going to be Trey Burke, every freshman center isn't going to be capable of replacing a frontcourt of McGary/Morgan/Horford, and luck swings.
Michigan will be back to not fearing the cheese things. At least now we know all about the other players in the league. Let's make some money with that.
CBB $6.5k Mini Storm the Court
Fantasy partner Draft Kings opened up another $2 contest to us this week (they're doing their $100 buy-in too right now).
Details:
-$6,500 prize pool.
- First place wins $600
- $2 entry fee (FREE with first deposit)
- Top 750 win cash
- First time depositors at DraftKings receive a 100% bonus up to $600
- Starts on Saturday, January 24th at 12:00 EST
- Salary Cap Style Drafting. $50,000 to select 8 spots
- Roster Format: 3 G, 3 F, 2 Utility
Preview: Wisconsin
THE ESSENTIALS
| WHAT |
Michigan (12-7, 5-2 B1G) vs Wisconsin (17-2, 5-1) |
|---|---|
| WHERE |
Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| WHEN | 7 pm ET, Saturday |
| LINE | Wisconsin -8 (KenPom) |
| TV |
ESPN PBP: Dan Shulman Analyst: Jay Bilas |
THE SCARILY ON-POINT EMAIL
From a reader, who attached the photo on the right:
Bo Ryan is some sort of evil immortal god, who took the identity, for a time of a masochistic German psychiatrist, Johann Christian Reil, who was into, among other things, pouring hot wax on mental patients, placing them in tubs of live eels, and playing the cat organ.
Yeah, this checks out.
THE STAKES
Beating Wisconsin would qualify as an upset, even at home. Should Michigan pull it off, they'd move ahead of the Badgers by virtue of having an extra win in hand, and could take first place in the Big Ten if Indiana falls at Ohio State on Sunday.
THE LINEUP CARD
Projected starters are in bold. Hover over headers for stat explanations. The "Should I Be Mad If He Hits A Three" methodology: we're mad if a guy who's not good at shooting somehow hits one. Yes, you're still allowed to be unhappy if a proven shooter is left open. It's a free country.
| Pos. | # | Name | Yr. | Ht./Wt. | %Min | %Poss | SIBMIHHAT | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 24 | Bronson Koenig | So. | 6'4, 190 | 55 | 14 | No | ||||||||||||
| Low usage, very efficient PG. Has been on fire in B1G play (70% eFG). | |||||||||||||||||||
| G | 21 | Josh Gasser | Sr. | 6'4, 192 | 74 | 12 | No | ||||||||||||
| DEATH TO BACKBOARDS | |||||||||||||||||||
| F | 15 | Sam Dekker | Jr. | 6'9, 230 | 69 | 23 | No | ||||||||||||
| Improved as shooter, now very efficient as #2 option. | |||||||||||||||||||
| F | 10 | Nigel Hayes | So. | 6'8, 235 | 79 | 20 | No | ||||||||||||
| Excellent rebounder, nice touch around hoop, now has 3-pt range. | |||||||||||||||||||
| C | 44 | Frank Kaminsky | Sr. | 7'0, 234 | 72 | 28 | No | ||||||||||||
| 1st in KenPom POY race. Nightmare matchup, can score in post or bomb threes. | |||||||||||||||||||
| F | 13 | Duje Dukan | Sr. | 6'10, 218 | 42 | 20 | No | ||||||||||||
| Solid inside/outside threat. Not nearly as good a rebounder as Kaminsky. | |||||||||||||||||||
| F | 30 | Vitto Brown | So. | 6'8, 237 | 21 | 20 | Very | ||||||||||||
| Good rebounder, not a huge offensive threat. | |||||||||||||||||||
| G | 3 | Zak Showalter | So. | 6'2, 185 | 14 | 21 | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Not much of a shooter or passer, but bizarrely good rebounder for small G. | |||||||||||||||||||
THE RESUME
Wisconsin has lost just two games this year, one at home to Duke on a night when the Blue Devils looks unbeatable, the other on the road to... Rutgers. In fairness, the latter occurred while Frank Kaminsky was briefly sidelined, but it's still one of the strangest results of this season.
The Badgers have tallied nine wins against top-100 KenPom squads, including a 13-point neutral court handling of #10 Oklahoma. Eight of their wins have come by 20 points or more, including Tuesday's 82-50 thrashing of #44 Iowa. They've ranked in between #4 and #6 on KenPom the entire season, and currently sit at #5.
In short, they're really good.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the preview.]
Lytle Would Play
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via Bentley
Kelly Lytle's book, To Dad, From Kelly, is a reflection on his relationship with his late father, former Michigan All-American Rob Lytle. The following is an introduction highlighting Rob Lytle's bond with Bo, followed after the jump by an excerpt from the book, titled "Lytle Would Play." You can visit the author at www.kellylytle.com.
Introduction by Kelly Lytle:
It was the day before the Game of the Century between #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan. I was 24 and working on Wall Street in lower Manhattan, and spent the morning with my attention fixed on my computer screen reading previews of the next day’s showdown. By late morning, I had read that Bo had collapsed and been rushed to the hospital, the prognosis grim. I searched for any detail I could find, ignoring the routine commotion of the trading floor. Then my phone rang.
"Kelly," Dad started, his voice soft and weak. "Kelly, I just lost a father." Silence.
"Kelly, I loved him," Dad finally said.
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| Lytle's playing career left him battling lifelong injuries, but true to form he wouldn't let that sideline him. [via http://kellylytle.com/] |
My father and Bo met in 1971 when Dad was a high school All-American for Fremont Ross in Fremont, Ohio. At the time, college coaches around the country were promising Dad the world. Bear Bryant apparently once said: "Rob, how 'bout you come visit Alabama so one of our belles can show you some southern hospitality." And Woody Hayes claimed that he would run the wishbone offense so Archie Griffin and Dad could share carries. Bo, though, took a different approach.
"Rob," he said, "You’ll never be as great again to these coaches as you are right now. At Michigan, we have six running backs. You’ll be number seven if you come here. Whatever happens after that is up to you."
Dad eventually narrowed his college choice to Michigan and Ohio State. When Dad phoned Woody to inform him of his decision to attend Michigan, Woody simply said, “We’ll see about that.” Not long after, Dad found himself in his living room face-to-face with the Buckeye leader. “If you’re committing to Michigan, you better say it to my face,” Woody demanded. So he said it to his face. Bo's honest challenge had made its impression.
The next four years cemented the relationship between Dad and Bo. In Bo, Dad had a mentor who preached the team over the individual, and a coach whose sermons about modesty and determination weren’t just words but gospel. In Dad, Bo had a talented runner who believed in self-sacrifice, a star who played through pain so often that for years after in the Michigan training room hurt players would have to hear the words “Lytle would play.”
Michigan won 28 games from 1974-1976 and played in the Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl. In 1976, they shut out Ohio State 22-0 at the Horseshoe to win the Big Ten Championship. Dad ended his career as Michigan’s all-time leader in career rushing yards with 3,307 (he’s now 8th), won Big Ten MVP his senior season, and finished third in balloting for the 1976 Heisman Trophy. Still, I believe these accomplishments were secondary for both Bo and Dad.
Every conversation I’ve ever had with Dad’s Michigan teammates settles on one topic: that when Bo asked Dad to play fullback to bolster the offense, he willingly sacrificed carries, yards, and his body to better the team. For this, Bo often called Dad the “greatest teammate” he ever coached.
While growing up, Dad never mentioned his touchdowns and records or wins and losses. Instead, he preached the values of Michigan football. “Every day you either get better or you get worse, you never stay the same,” Dad would often say, usually punctuating it with a reminder that “nobody is ever as important as the team.” I often laughed away his comments as trite.
Now I can see them as the hallmarks of a man dedicated to placing others above himself. Playing football, especially from 1973-1977 at Michigan, shaped my father. These years strengthened his resolve. They fortified his sincerity. They wrecked his body. The game left him physically beaten and emotionally broken when injuries forced him to retire. He shouldered this pain the rest of his life.
Dad died on November 20, 2010, eight days after his 56th birthday, and three years and three days after he'd lost Bo. I lost my best friend and the man who most influenced me. To Dad, From Kelly is my attempt to remember my father through the lessons he taught me and the questions that went unasked and unanswered between us.
[After the jump, an excerpt from Kelly's book. Fair warning: it's emotional]
Dear Diary Know It
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So that happened. This was a spoof off of Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp's "U Know It"—the U meaning what you think it means. Relevant information to recruits:
They also point out that Ohio State has never had a quarterback play in the Super Bowl. This got me wondering which schools produced the most SB starters. Results are in a Google Sheet.
The two tied at the top are Stanford (two Plunketts, five Elways) and Notre Dame (Montana's four, Theismann twice, and Daryle Lamonica). Brady now has Michigan at six, tied for second with "the Cradle of Quarterbacks" (Purdue, in that needs to be pointed out now). I didn't count schools that guys transferred from—if you do, Russell Wilson gives NC State two, Vince Ferragamo credits UCLA as well as Nebraska, Jeff Hostetler gives Penn State another, and Troy Aikman puts Oklahoma on the board—still no Bucks. All hail Touchdown Tom!
Filling the Class
This year's diary rock star alum96 kind of collated the knowns and unknowns and think we knowns and Sam Webb hinted at knowns regarding the 2015 class as Michigan races to fill at least six and maybe as many as 11 more spots. He's updated the diary so it's fresh, and also added a profile of Zach Gentry, who seems to be trending very blue.
Versus a Bivouac Wolverine? I've met a lot of different groups of Michigan fans, enough to start finding slight differences in what they like to talk about. Western Michigan fans have to deal with a greater number of Domers, East Coasters tend to care a lot more about Penn State, Southern transplants need constant ammunition against SEC der. Ohioans have a Bo-like loyalty that can only come from a fandom borne under siege. Ann Arborites don't need arguments for what's good about the program; they want to know what's wrong and how do we fix it right now!
In Metro Detroit we have to deal with Sparties. When I was growing up Michigan went to Rose Bowl after Rose Bowl, all the while going on about values and academics. From the perspective of the Perles-era Sparties, whose own program was basically a despicable version of Brady Hoke's, we were insufferable. The Spartan fanbase as a result got VERY sensitive to things like non-alum Michigan fans telling the old "they both got into Michigan State" joke and came up with "Walmart Wolverine."
No good Michigan fan uses that term. The whole concept is ridiculous: Across America, college football programs are the biggest sports team in the state and what outsiders identity it with. Nobody in Ohio would question if it's alright to root for the Bucks if you actually went to truck driving school. The Cornhuskers without the support of the entire state of Nebraska would be in the Mountain West. Notre Dame would have a national following of 150,000 lapse Catholics who came from money. The SEC would be in Division II. The only people who care if you went to the school whose colors you wear are either uber-pretentious, or more likely went to an "other" school that nobody would root for if they didn't have to.
Etc. National college hockey general update.
Best of the Board
CAN I GET A SHIRT IN HERE?
One of our constant complaints under Hoke was the number of redshirt opportunities he missed. Marley Nowell speculated whether Michigan might try to get some shirts on some guys (you don't have to be a freshman to redshirt). I think it's a good question, especially since Michigan could end up graduating more players than we can replace in a couple of years (the roster currently has 26 juniors).
Of course when you get into the candidates there's always reason not to. Gedeon, Canteen, Jenkins-Stone and Dymonte are already on the two-deep; Taco, Lewis and Cole, the running backs and Morris are already starting. That leaves Houma, DaMario, Ways, Watson, and Stribling. If the staff gets a late shirt on any of them it's at least a good sign that they value the future of the program. Doubt it happens.
WHO IS GOLDEN ARM?
A trip back through Bo's Lasting Lessons turned up Bo-bits on Brad Bates, Jim Hackett, Jerry Hanlon, and of course this about Jim Harbaugh:
Jim Harbaugh
"Jim ended up being twice as good, in my book, as the Golden Arm- Harbaugh was the Big Ten MVP his senior year, beating the other guy by a mile- and Jim's teammates liked him. Maybe Harbaugh didn't have half the arm of the Golden Boy, but he had twice the brains and ten times the heart. Give me those specs, anyday."
This sparked a long thread about who this "Golden Boy" was that Bo was talking about. Testaverde? Jeff George? A guy who was on that team said Jim Everitt.
ETC. Slate calls us nerdy. Gary Anderson was frustrated by core requirements. UNC players pushed into paper classes suing for the educations they were supposed to get. Jay Harbaugh asks Twitter if you can own a pet wolverine. Rosenberg gets fisked for inflating deflategate. Bubba Paris' heartfelt call to Michigan fans reposted from Facebook.
Your Moment of Zen:
I remember Charles.
Unverified Voracity Balls Balls Balls
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![150121234102-cnn-tonight-deflategate-nichols-brennan-robbins-00034401-tablet-large[1]](http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/6a36cb734702_CE69/150121234102-cnn-tonight-deflategate-nichols-brennan-robbins-00034401-tablet-large1.jpg "150121234102-cnn-tonight-deflategate-nichols-brennan-robbins-00034401-tablet-large[1]")
MAYBE
The dumbest thing in the world. We are all very fortunate that we experienced the overblown seriousness of NFL reporters for a solid month before ballghazi hit. Otherwise the sheer concentrated stupidity of it would be killing us all right now. People who have tested these things tell you that it's extremely hard to distinguish between 10 PSI and 12, and yet:
And that's from Peter King's site. King is the unofficial voice of the NFL, and even he's reduced to throwing a million different articles on his site about a nothing issue.
Elsewhere lunatic screechers have demanded the Pats' removal from the Super Bowl and the ejection of Bill Belichick from the Earth's gravity well. It's enough to turn yesterday's press conferences into bravura performance pieces by the Patriots even though they were the legal crap-speak version of "both teams played hard." I'm down with anyone expressing open contempt at the assembled NFL press corps.
When this happened in college football, the Pac-12 fined Lane Kiffin and we all rolled our eyes at him, then got on with our lives. The NFL has to be so damned serious about everything, though, so we get a solid week of questions like "what can you possibly say to the children about this travesty?"
And there but for the grace of Dave Brandon's uncontrollable urge to email go us.
Harbaugh in the Orange Bowl. I enjoy the bit where he tells Tyrod Taylor that he did indeed throw a spectacularly unlikely touchdown.
Interesting times in Knoxville. A day after Tennessee (and former Michigan DL coach Steve Stripling) cut loose defensive end Marques Ford for no reason whatsoever two weeks before signing day…
"It's an ugly business," LaRosa said. " … In the nasty business, they kept it sort of honest by at least saying that they had other commits and they were pulling his commitment."
…their offensive coordinator pulls up stakes and bolts for the NFL. Turnabout is fair play there. This would be going too far in penance, though:
Jones always has maintained a tight relationship with Mike DeBord, a longtime college and professional coaching veteran, whom NFL sources told VolQuest.com this week could depart an executive-level post in Michigan's athletics department for assistant coaching opportunities back in the NFL.
That would be bonkers. DeBord hasn't coached since 2012 and hasn't had a coordinator spot since 2007.
Ford immediately committed to Rutgers, FWIW.
Angelique on Drevno. Former players are fans:
"We were a team that was pretty beaten down," former Stanford offensive lineman Chris Marinelli said. "Their first order of business was getting us stronger and we pretty quickly became a pretty scary, forceful team. We mauled people. I think people (who follow Michigan) will see that pretty fast. He will get all those guys in tune very quickly. He's one of those people who gets people in line, especially the young guys in terms of breaking habits. It will be a pretty quick turnaround."
FO and SB Nation writer (and former All-Pac-12 OL) Ben Muth:
"Drevs is O-line through and through," Muth said. "He's going to impart toughness on that offensive line. Michigan's offensive line is going to be tough and play physical.
"The great thing about that staff -- they have an identity, and they're going to impart it on you. That's something we didn't have at Stanford, and when Harbaugh got there. He said, 'This is what we run, this is how run it, and other teams are going to have to adjust to us.'"
Having an identity is going to be a welcome change after years of turnover going back even to the Lloyd Carr days, when DeBord came in and went to an exclusively zone stretch system.
HAIR. Via Dr. Sap, here's Rick Leach and Kirk Gibson chatting with each other on a 1979 edition of Michigan Replay:
Another thing on Peppers to safety. Marcus Ray points out something I'd forgotten:
In fact, Ray got an early signal from Peppers in his true freshman season.
"During the season, he told me, 'Hey, I would have preferred to play safety, but I'm a team player,'" Ray recalled. "He said he made a lot of plays at safety in high school. He said he just feels more comfortable there. I think that's a great move.
He played the spot in high school. Ray also thinks he can be Michigan's best there since… 1997. But definitely no longer than that.
Etc.: Hockey scores a lot of goals. O'Bannon legal team now suing over UNC academic scandal. Dylan Larkin putting up a lot of points.
