Iggy gone
Bummer. Would have loved to see him for another year but best of luck
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26480272/michigan-freshman-brazdeikis-entering-nba-draft
“Go get that money king”
this is so cringy. Yikes.
Pretty shocking to see it upvoted. Demographics on this site have definitely changed, a lot.
I wish you well Iggy..... but another year or two would have significantly increased your odds in the bigs.
ugh. why is msu news always good in this regard, and um news always bad?
welp.
Just a guess based on outside evidence, but it seems Izzo actively recruits kids to stay, and Beilein encourages kids to leave if possible. Really wish Beilein would put the team above the player, but at the same time that part of what makes Beilein great.
It is kind of hard to tell if that was the case here. This statement reads like Brazdekis was kind of a "rental" the entire time.
Really wish Beilein would put the team above the player,
I don't think that's the way to phrase it.
I think Beilein is just a very honest guy, who doesn't want to lie to his players about their pro chances.
Beilein, unlike Izzo, hasn't been in the public for years with comments about his desperation for a(nother) title in order to validate his own legacy.
I agree Beilein is trying to be honest. But it wouldn’t be dishonest to tell Iggy he would improve his draft stock if he came back, and then actively recruit him to stay.
We saw Jim Harbaugh actively recruit Mo Hurst to stay for his senior year for example in football.
It seems Izzo gets guys with high college potential, but lower NBA potential. Which you can't really knock, because he's a college coach, and those guys have to play somewhere.
Beilein has gotten a ton of lower ranked guys who fit the new NBA mold. So even if they're lower ranked recruits or worse college players, they're still more highly regarded by NBA scouts. I think Poole vs McQuaid would be a good comparison. McQuaid was definitely better than Poole the last two months of the year, but Poole is a much better prospect. And Winston also has almost no shot at getting drafted
Below is Rocket Watts profile. It even says he isn't the NBA mold.
Reminder: new rules allow you to hire an agent and still come back. That being said, his statement reads like he's gone.
Shitballs...at least GoT starts Sunday! :-D
Wish the best for him. But fuck me!
Hope all the best for the kid.
Jalen Wilson - come on down.
Franz Wagner... COME ON DOWN
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i hope he becomes a huge star.
Go forward and prosper, young man. It would've been great to see Iggy wearing maize and blue for another year (or two), but NBA dreams are sometimes difficult competition.
Time to dust off the recruiting target list to fill this roster spot. Roster management can be a thankless task in the modern NCAA hoops landscape.
This is terrible for next year's team.
But good luck iggy.
SHIT!
It's not great but also not a death kneel.
Returning your starting PG and C, which may be the hardest positions to teach and therefore replace, is a good start. I will say with Iggy being so good early on, we didn't really get the chance to see anyone else from that class and what they can do. Also let's go sign a lights-out 3 point sniper...
So, Franz Wagner?
Bummer, but wish him the best of luck. What a great season
Bad move but cant fault the kid for wanting money.
I guess that little voice in my head that said he'd come back was an agent just messing with me. Sucks for us, but good luck to a guy who gave us outstanding effort every night and a really good year.
Good thing we have other scores in the hopper....oh wait
Hes not a top tier prospect, but I definitely could see this coming. He's already considered "old" for the NBA draft at 20 where the top picks are all drafted off of 18 year old hype
His game would have improved with another year, but his stock may be better right now. The draft is very weak this year, he's coming off B1G FotY, plus he's already 20 years old. Probably a smart move to enter now.
I get it, it's the "dream" but does anybody here or any articles been read that thinks he shouldn't be returning? IMO if he were to return, lead the team in scoring (likely) be 1st team All B1G, and make another tourney run that would solidify a 1st round grade, a ton more money with the GUARANTEED contract.
I see a ton of 1st round draft picks over the years who dont even play. Kid made the road a little tougher on him than he had to.
This displeases me. Good luck, sir!
Best of luck Iggy. Have to do what’s best for you even though I personally think you could have had a monster year next year and get drafted much higher.
Have a long and successful career.
He must really not want to be in school, but I wish him the best in the NBA or, much more likely, Europe, China or somewhere other than the NBA unless/until he develops his talents significantly. He doesn't seem near ready for the NBA.
Regardless, I really enjoyed watching him as a Wolverine and was hoping for more!
Well.....shit. Absolutely wish him the best of luck, and it’s his choice, his life, but man that sucks.
Meanwhile, over in EL, Winston and Tillman will both come back when they probably have no business doing so. Not sure how Izzo does that with his players year in and year out. Must be an expert guilt-tripper.
I'm really not sure that Izzo is a "guilt-tripper". All indications are that he honestly questioned Bridges about why the heck he wanted to come back. It's also not like Izzo can keep kids around. It's their call ultimately.
I'm guessing it's more of a peer pressure deal with other MSU players and alums of the program. There seems to be a huge push about family/legacy. Wouldn't be surprised if some former players encourage current players to stick around an extra year.
Winston makes no sense in the NBA right now. I'm not surprised he came back. Tillman feels like a future NBA first-rounder with his defensive flexibility and growing offensive game but I don't blame him for wanting to come back.
MSU is going to be good next year; Michigan will have a ton of unknowns. But I've got enough faith in Beilein that he'll field a competitive team and, who knows, nobody thought MSU was going to be as good this year as they turned out to be.
Right, Winston wants to come back and get stronger so he doesn't wear down as much, and also improve his athleticism as much as he can. He'll never be a good athlete by the NBA's standards, but a little improvement wouldn't hurt. As for Tillman, he does look like a potential future first round pick, but not this year. He showed a bit of a 3-point shot toward the end of the year, so if he comes back and demonstrates that he can hit it consistently, he'll improve his draft stock a ton. He could also get a bit stronger finishing around the rim. He missed quite a few bunnies this year.
Yeah, Cassius also went to a terrific high school and got into Ivy league schools including Harvard. Kid values academics. Could see he and his family really wanting a degree. Plus, seems like the type of kid that really enjoys college and wants to cement a legacy.
I don't understand why our fanbase all of a sudden demands we be an early entrant basketball factor, and we're now a fanbase that judges other kids for staying in school 4 years. It's a polar opposite of how we used to be.
A kid wanting to stay 4 years, cement a legacy, get a degree, etc should be lauded. So should going early to the NBA.
It's weird how all of a sudden the former is frowned upon by us
Get your money, Iggy. The NBA league minimum is still pretty good pay.
Second rounders do not receive guaranteed contracts do they? What percentage of late second- rounders make NBA teams for more than a cup of coffee?
How's that post season top 10 ranking for next year holding up again? Meanwhile in East Lansing, MSU will retain 95% of its players. Our team nor its recruiting is built to be a one or two and done factory. We are Duke and UK without the five star players.
We are Duke and UK without the five star players.
Rewind. So essentially you're saying weren't not Duke or UK? Cause those teams are typically all five star players. I can't fathom what else that statement could've meant.
Just spouting off because I'm pissed...not at Iggy...just at the fact that I'd love to see what Beilein could do consistently with teams that stay 3-4 years together. Watching Virginia really got me to thinking the "what ifs".
lol imagine wishing them the best...
some of y'all just don't give a shit
Good for him. I’m trying to think of a player from UM that left early and it was not a good idea. Most of them seemed to do just fine. Remember when Jamal Crawford wasn’t ready and we all thought it was a huge mistake? I think he’s still in the league. Darius Morris got drafted by his hometown Lakers when they were still good. I’m sure touring the nation with a rock star basketball team and making money were better than going to classes in cold Michigan and not getting paid. Belein prepares them well.
Sean Higgins, for those who can remember that far back. Him leaving early was a major reason we went to the NIT in 1991.
He's already 20, probably had less of a leap to make to his game but boy is this team fucked offensively next year
Not a surprising move. How many 21 year old freshmen with realistic NBA dreams come back to school? If he plays another season, he'll be a 22 year old sophomore in a draft pool with a bunch of 18-20 year old kids. Unless he became a 20-10 guy next year, he probably won't improve his draft stock much.
Iggy needs more tattoos so it makes total sense he joins the NBA.