LeVert on his decision to stay.
Nothing groundbreaking here, but LeVert talks about what went on in his decision to stay.
I just love this quote: "We have to be hungry to win those games," said LeVert. "We were extremely close, and that's good and everyone wants to give us moral victories. But we're not about that. We want to win those games next year. We want to be the best team.
I'm so excited for Michigan athletics next year!
Link:http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042115aag.html
April 22nd, 2015 at 12:56 PM ^
Preseason top-15 if Jaylen Brown comes here?
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He really has until the first day of classes as long as a scholarship is available at a school he wants to attend. He's one of the top 2-3 players in the country. Deadlines don't really apply when you're that good. He doesn't need to sign a letter of intent if he doesn't want.
That said, if he chooses to sign an NLI, he has until May 20th.
There is no deadline. They can decide whenever. It's the same for football, incidentally.
Even without Brown.
Some highly overreactive national writers had us top ten after Caris' announcement.
I think at this point, sans Brown, we should be ranked around #18-22. There's plenty this team will have to prove, particularly the bigs. However, we could move up 5-10 spots pretty quickly if we win the Battle for Atlantis.
That still seems low to me. Perhaps this is too rosy, but if we got Brown, I think that could be the best starting 1-4 in the country, or at least very close to it, with outstanding depth to boot. All comes down to consistent production at the 5. I think that's a Final Four-level squad.
This is a top 15 team without Brown. If Brown comes were the clear Big Ten favorite and a top 5-7 team to start year.
I wouldn't say B1G favorites. MSU has Eron Harris and Caleb Swanigan so they could be tough. And Maryland brings back a strong team. Michigan would be right up there though.
But we're still a front runner. Here's hoping.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2015/04/jaylen_brown_refutes_…
This is an underratedly big coup. LeVert is a PLAYER and could become an all-american calliber player if he's 100% next seasion.
If Jaylen Brown comes we'll be top 10 for sure.
lol...gosh, it's crazy how unrealistic some of us have become.
When we returned Stauskas, GRIII, J-Mo, LeVert, Spike, with Walton and Irvin...we were going to be top 10 for sure. We return a bunch of solid young contributors for a National Runner Up team.
As close as we were last year, we didn't even make the NIT!!!
I get that we're adding Levert and Walton, but we lost to EMU and NJIT WITH both of those guys.
Adding Brown is going to make us REALLY good, but we're not all of a sudden elite.
For us to be saying it is even crazier IMO, because it was literally just us that returned our best two players and brought in 5 REALLY good freshman, none of which ever became a 1st or 2nd option as freshman. That was an elite team.
We may finish the year as elite, but jeez, give Beilein some time to sprinkle his development fairy dust like he does every year.
With Brown, yes, you're talking about a REALLY good team to start the season. But you're not elite, not yet. But Beilein has proven that if next year's team with Brown stays healthy throughout the year...we are not to be fucked with come March. Period.
A healthy March 2016 Michigan Basketballl would beat the team we role out on day 1 by 15+...no question.
The only way we're top 10 for sure is if we were bring back guys to the level of sophomore Spike, LeVert, Stauskas, GRIII and McGary. We're not. Nor are we adding that type of talent in this recruiting class.
With Brown, you're probably talking about a team ranked in the low teens, maybe top 10, but definitely not "for sure." By the end of the year you should be looking at a solid 2-seed.
That year was before Stauskas and Levert were sure fire NBA prospects. They had done well in the NCAA tournament run but nothing more. Walton and Irvin were incoming freshmen. GRIII was proven so he's your Levert for this year. Jaylen Brown is a first rounder already and doesn't really correspond to anyone from that team. 2015's version of Stauskas and Levert would probably be Dawkins and Walton. Spike is Jordan Morgan. Probably won't be in the NBA but is a pretty good player.
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Too low of a ranking. They'll be in the low teams without Brown, in the top-15 with.
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I'm not sure this team is top 25 with what's coming back. Look at the results early with everyone. I know the freshmen improved, but I'm not sold on any of the 5s we have and the defense needs to improve from some of the younger guys. Yeah the players we have will get better, especially the freshmen, but Michigan will need production from this year's recruiting class (Brown or Williams) to be in the top 25 IMO.
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I think we'll be much improved and potentially have a great year. We'll be near the top of the B1G and I think should easily make the tourny as a top 10 seed. Where, however, is the notion that this team can be top 15 coming from? We have one elite player on the roster in Levert. Walton is an above average point guard. Irvin has elite pedigree but played at a good, not great level last year, and we have no one proven at the 4 and 5. Yes Dawkins showed great potential, but we can't expect a superstar leap. I think it's fair to say this team has tons of upside given it's depth and returning players. Getting back to top 10 or 15 status would require (aside from landing Brown) Irvin making the LEAP, Walton being healthy and effective and having the year we all through he'd have this year, plus big time sophmore leaps from Chatman, Dawkins, Doyle and/or unexpected contributions from Robinson and Wagner. A lot of thing have to come together. Offense should be great, but I don't know how we'll improve defensively unless Doyle becomes Jordan Morgan next year. Here's hoping Beilien works his magic and it all comes together, but it's not pre-ordained.