Derrick and Zak to stay in Ann Arbor for the summer
Best news in a while.
Per @BFQuinn (Michigan basketball beat writer for MLive) on Twitter: "Per Nik Stauskas, Derrick Walton Jr. & Zak Irvin are spending the summer at U-M to undergo same program he and Caris Levert did last summer."
https://twitter.com/BFQuinn/status/463481969569828864
Yes, please.
Other good quotes:
"Nik Staukas delivered tonight's opening pitch relatively over the plate. Says off the field, "I live for the lights." Actual quote."
"Stauskas on Irvin & Walton: "If they can make those same types of improvements, then I think the sky is the limit for this team coming back""
"Nik Stauskas prediction for 2014-15: "Caris (LeVert) is ready to blow up a little bit. I think Caris is ready to make that jump to a star.""
"Stauskas: "When (Walton Jr) gets really comfortable, I think he can be one of the best point guards in the Big Ten, maybe even the country.""
Awesome news! Is Levert staying too? As long as we have a halfway decent frontcourt, this can be a great team.
heard about the rest of his summer plans, but it sounds like LeVert is going to the Kevin Durant Skills Academy in late June.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/04/caris_levert_says_hes_100_perc.html
camps. He knows he's a step away from being an NBA lottery pick. It would be pretty foolish to take a break now.
I don't know how anyone wouldn't look at the success this off season program has had and decide to stay. I would have to question the work ethic of those who don't. For the top recruits, who are going to come for the fast tract to the NBA, you would have to stay. Even the bench players know their playing time would be limited if they don't work all year.
be staying thru the summer to work out? He has the best bench "game" in college basketball, but could you imagine him stepping it up a couple notches higher?
how big will his calves get over the summer?
I truly believed the summer in AA helped Nik and Caris so much. Just being around each other, working out with some type of supervision (what's allowed? no clue). But as the season went on I kept hoping Walton and Irvin would do the same thing, especially after seeing (partially secondhand) the improvement from the other guys. I hope this becomes a "thing" for our guys.
I'm also staying, in case anyone was interested.
If they're in town and want to consider themselves starters, they're at the building working out. Failure to do so would raise serious questions amongst the coaching staff.
It's that whole leadership thing.
Irvin already is 6'6 210sh so not like he needs the regimen Nik and Caris needed when you could not see a guy like Caris if he turned sideways as a freshman. Not that Irvin doesn't need to get stronger but he had a very well built frame coming in.
Anyone know if GR3 was on campus last summer? Just curious - not trolling.
Obviously it is better to be on campus, focused, eating right, and being in Sanderson's vicinity than not but I don't think the casual "stay for 3 months in the summer ----> take quantum Caris leap" is that linear. Almost every kid on the planet is going to get better between a freshman and sophomore year in a program, especially those of BCS type talent.
NO! NO, NO, NO.
Ok.
I continue to expect Irvin to follow Nik's path exactly
Freshman year - lethal 3 pt shooter. "Not just a shooter" moment happens once every few games
Sophmore year - suddenly get muscles and badass haircut. Drive lane a lot. Score much points. Make girls swoon.
This is great to hear as it fufills - to some extent - the hope that I think a lot of people on this site had in that Irvin would indeed follow a similar path to Stauskas. I know also that Beilein has been on record as saying that he could envision running the offense through him at some point, so to hear that they are both taking steps to make the expected sophomore jump, if you will, that much better makes my expectations that much higher.
If Irvin can get more agressive and attack the basket along with that 3 point shot he has, he will be DANGEROUS! Walton could be a dark horse for B10 player of the year along with the out right leaderin my opinion Mr Levert.
Thank the maker this is happening. I was really hoping that those two would do what Nik and Glenn did.
Isn't the team going to Europe this summer to play in some overseas games? That's always good for development as well.
And those extra practices, with coaches present, couldn't come at a better time. I hope Irvin is working on his pump fake, step back jumper and moves to the cup.
Irvin will be good.
DetNews article has the full quotes from Stauskas, including this one:
“Every year, we’ve been young and people have been doubting us. Coach (John) Beilein and the rest of the coaching staff do a great job of putting our players in a position to succeed,” Stauskas said. “With the system we have and the kind of players he recruits, we have good kids who are always going to work hard and are willing to listen so the sky’s the limit for this team coming back.”
In today's D1 NCAA Basketball, most guys (and the girls too) stay all summer for summer 1 and summer 2 sessions.
They're even doing it now at the middest of mid-major schools.
It's just a good investment...you get to catch up or get ahead with classes. It allows you to take an easier course load over the school year. You don't allow the guys (or girls) to go home and do nothing. You don't allow the guys (or girls) to go home and play pickup ball which isn't structured. You can avoid APR issues. You keep most (or all) of the team together to build chemistry. You keep your team in a D1 college level Strength & Conditioning program.
I've been at BCS level schools and my two most recent jobs have been in athletics at the mid-major level. We all are just starting to catch up, but just about everyone at this level pays for summer school for men's and women's basketball. At least for 7-8 players on each team.
At the last school I was at when we decided to pay for summer 1 and summer 2, it was also because of recruiting. Parents like to hear that you can do this, especially when other schools are offering it.
More importantly, watching those guys have an entire summer to lift and train, they were what seemed like 3 times as big as they were when the summer began. It was incredible and showed on the court as well. We were SO much better and had pretty much the same team.
For the big schools, they've been doing this for awhile now...because they could afford it.