Is Brandon Jennings good for Michigan basketball?

Submitted by Dan Man on

Perhaps many of you already know where I'm going with this. Jennings, high school PG phenom, jilts college b-ball for Italy. Makes some cash money, plays against old Italian dudes, then gets drafted first round by the Bucks. Proceeds to get off to a fast start in the NBA (see 55 pt. game), starting premature rookie of the year talkin'.

Anyway, I think that if this is the beginning of a trend - high school phenoms going to EU as opposed to college - it helps Michigan. Beilein's system doesn't attract these types who might otherwise go to the OSU's of the world (see Greg Oden). Thus, Michigan dominates all of college b-ball with slow white kids. Discuss amongst yourselves.

SFBlue

November 19th, 2009 at 2:58 PM ^

rarely win championships, anyway. (Syracuse is the only team that comes to mind, and Carmello Anthony had a lot of experience and depth to support him.) The vast majority of championship teams are built on guys who stay 3-4 years. Those guys leaving for Europe can't hurt, but we'll still have to beat talented, deep teams such as UNC, MSU, Duke (stocked with McDonald's' All-Americans) to win a title.

Raback Omaba

November 19th, 2009 at 2:59 PM ^

I don't think that there's going to be a huge wave of good HS seniors playing overseas. Might have a few more because of this Jennings thing, but I highly doubt it's going to become a trend.

I think the thing that will help Michigan Basketball is Bielien's ability to win more games this year and go deeper in the tournament. Michigan is always a household name, and with winning and getting into the NCAA's happening yearly, recruiting will surely get a boost. Additionally, Bielien's stock as a great coach is rising in the media and nationally. This will definitely help recruiting as well. Also, I think the whole "Bielien only recruits white kids that can shoot" thing is wearing off. The fact that Manny and DeShawn are thriving in his system will definitely help Johnny B compete with Izzo in-state. It's already shown, with him pulling down Brundidge...hopefully Prather and a few more locals will follow. Unlike football, I think we have one of the best recruiting grounds in basketball here in Michigan. Not that our football recruiting is bad, but I really think that our state is a lot stronger in the basketball players we produce.

I don't think Europe will make this program - I think Bielien will. He's definitely the guy for the job.

VectorVictor05

November 19th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^

Bielien showing that "athletes" and not just "shooters" can thrive in his system simply because he teaches great basketball is a big plus for us. I laughed when Bielien was hired and "experts" thought he would waste the UofM brand on Indiana farm boys because he didn't want the top notch athletes. It just took him a year or so to prove it was the place to be.

Minor correction...Prather isn't a local kid and he's headed to Florida. I think you meant Trey Ziegler.

lexgoblue

November 19th, 2009 at 3:00 PM ^

It takes a very special person/player to be able to leave the country like that to try and follow their dream. I feel like he is the exception not the rule, and kids are not going to be lining up to play overseas.

notetoself

November 19th, 2009 at 3:02 PM ^

i thought they were revisiting the "one and done" rule for basketball with the intent of making it more like football... this would probably do more than a europe trend...

lilpenny1316

November 19th, 2009 at 3:30 PM ^

Beilien wants kids who can learn his system, which wouldn't be easy for a one and done player. Eventually those loopholes would close anyway if the NBA and Euroleague want to do business in the future.

VectorVictor05

November 19th, 2009 at 4:45 PM ^

I will guarantee that Bielien does want "those" kids. He would be an idiot, which he has proved is not the case, to completely dismiss a possible one-and-done player.

What he doesn't want are players with absolutely zero interest in being a part of a system (if even for one year) while they bide their time until they can head to the NBA. Further, he doesn't want a knucklehead that will be in talks with agents and disregard classes for the entire time he is at UofM (OJ Mayo, Beasely, etc.)

Greg Oden was a one and done talent, but he was committed to to being a student-athlete at OSU even though it was a short lived thing. Bielien would gladly take that type of player.

mattbern

November 19th, 2009 at 4:26 PM ^

Any talk about Brandon Jennings just makes me terribly depressed. I am a big NY Knicks fan (as much as it hurts) and they can never do anything right. I cant remember the Knicks having a good draft since they got Ewing. You could argue that the David Lee/KryptoNate draft was good but neither of those guys are superstars and probably neither will ever be. This past draft, the Knicks were 8th in the draft order. They chose Jordan Hill over Brandon Jennings. Jordan Hill does nothing and is terrible, while Brandon jennings is already being called ROY. Dammit Knicks do something right for once. At least when we come in last place this season we will have a really high lottery pick....oh wait, no we wont because we traded all of our 1st round draft picks forever. We better get LeBron.

VectorVictor05

November 19th, 2009 at 4:49 PM ^

It should be noted that a very big reason Jennings ended up going the route he did was because he lacked the grades for a top notch program. He was committed to Arizona at first, but couldn't qualify.

In cases like Jennings, Europe could definitely become a better option than JUCO or prep school for kids on the fringe academically.

I will agree that a few kids will make this move just because it's the "thing to do" now. I can't remember the kids name, but there is one top recruit that left high school this past summer before his senior year to head to Europe.

A2MIKE

November 19th, 2009 at 6:18 PM ^

you beat me to it. He also said something to the effect of it being very hard and he wanted to come home a month into it. He probably would have come home if he could've played in college, but obviously that ship sailed. Bottom line - kids going to Europe is extremely risky, Jennings hit a homerun. That doesn't mean everyone will have the same success he did, or that a rash of players will take off for Europe. One thing I do think is a huge drawback to going to Europe, is the loss of endorsement deals. These guys don't get paid in college, but look at Greg Oden, Mello and Tyreke Evans. These guys got major endorsement deals, because they were huge draws in college here in the U.S. The casual basketball fan doesn't even know who Brandon Jennings is until he drops 55.

A Case of Blue

November 19th, 2009 at 11:32 PM ^

and Jennings is freaking awesome. I don't get to watch much because I don't live up north anymore, but I hope he can sustain it for the whole season (and then some, we haven't been really good for years now).

k06em01

November 19th, 2009 at 11:55 PM ^

well...the one and dones going to europe instead of north carolina and kentucky certainly helps our chances of reaching a final four. any time the top level talent decreases...its going to positively impact a real x's and o's coach like beilein.

but what will really help us is when deshawn sims starts tearing up the nba because beilein taught him how to shoot...as opposed to running up and down the court dunking like roy williams would've had him.