MBB as many as 6 NBA players

Submitted by Alumnus93 on

This is quite remarkable...  18 months ago, many M fans were calling for Beilein's head... before you scoff at that statement, go look back. It is true. 

Now, the remarkable part is that 18 months later, we're ranked #1, and Beilein may have as many as SIX  NBA players on the roster.

Burke

Robinson  

Hardaway

McGary

Stauskas  .....    don't scoff at this one... he is a true freshman that is showing some elite skills... if he has an above-average trajectory in his overall game the remaining three years, then he should/will make it.

Horford    .....   he is still not fully matured...still looks like a kid... the metamorphosis may come this offseason....    it is in his genes with his father and brother in the NBA, so Im putting this at 50/50     

Beilein is showing astounding talent evaluation, especially now with the uptick in the program, which bodes incredibly well for incomers like Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton.

Hoooooo---wweeeeeeee........ is the future bright for mens' basketball.

 

 

State Street

January 29th, 2013 at 10:22 AM ^

I'd be more surprised at this point if Stauskas didn't make it as a professional.  Anyone who can shoot 50% from 3 or better can probably carve out a role in the league, and that's not even touching upon the other skills he's flashed at times.

SotoWolverine

January 29th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^

JJ Reddick is a 10X the player that Stauskas is. Don't get me wrong, Stauskas is a great player and I do think he will play in the NBA. But JJ is a better shooter, had better handles, more of a leader and just a winner. The guy was the all time leading scorer in the ACC and is the all time leading scorer in a season and a career at Duke. 

Stauskas is has been great for us and I love that he is on our team. But let's ease up on the expectiations. 

readyourguard

January 29th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^

I remember after the 1-6 conference start a couple years ago, someone made a post about "Time for Beilein to go?"



I don't think anybody should be faulted for thinking that. Who in their right mind would have guessed we'd achieve a 19-1 start?



Amazing what Coach B has been able to build.



chatster

January 29th, 2013 at 11:11 AM ^

Having been among those who was a skeptic a couple of years ago about whether John Beilein's system could work at Michigan, and having had further doubts after watching the Wolverines lose two games in Atlantic City, NJ in a Thanksgiving weekend tournament with Syracuse, Georgia Tech and UTEP in 2010, I'm ready to admit now that I was among the many who were wrong , , , and as The Beatles sang:

 

wresler120

January 29th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^

I think Bielfeldt has more of a chance than Horford does. Horford is a good player, but I don't think NBA caliber, and he can't stay healthy. I have been very impressed with Bielfeldt in limited minutes, and he has plenty of time to improve.

Alumnus93

January 29th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^

Having both a father, and a brother, in the NBA.... bodes well for his genes...  and it appears he got them... now, Horford is still young and immature... I'm predicting a change this offseason.  Yes, it is a leap, but a calculated one.

On Beilfeldt, I disagree.

bacon1431

January 29th, 2013 at 11:42 AM ^

Who would he guard? How would he score? He's not a Jason Maxiell type that has crazy athleticism. Unless he becomes a phenomenal shooter or develops an amazing post game, he will not get a sniff b/c of his limited physical attributes.

That said, I've loved him when he's got on the floor. He will be a contributor throughout his career.

Space Coyote

January 29th, 2013 at 10:36 AM ^

Don't get me wrong, he's been a solid player for Michigan so far. But he's also more developed physically than your average freshman and hasn't shown that he is a sure-fire NBA player. He's a solid hustle player, and does a lot of things well, but still really needs to develop many of the finer parts of his game.

He's not physically gifted enough to simply be a raw athlete that NBA teams crave, and he really needs to work on shooting, post offense, and post defense. He's probably not growing much more.  In my opinion right now he's looking like a very solid college player with a chance at the NBA.

Again, he may be an NBA prospect in the future, but at this point I'm a bit confused why so many are just assuming he is. Stauskas has just as good if not better shot than McGary IMO.

Space Coyote

January 29th, 2013 at 10:47 AM ^

He probably isn't growing taller. He's grown into his body (aka he's matured physically, so there won't be that jump where suddenly he becomes comfortable with the way his limbs move). He may get stronger, but his trajectory will not be like most freshman. He's much closer to peaking physically than most at this stage in their college career.

Also, the finer things he needs to work on are some of the more difficult things to develop. I'm sure he'll get better at all of them, but there is a solid chance it isn't enough to become an NBA player. I think he will be a pro player, but the odds are just as high that he will be a Euro pro than an NBA pro at this point.

redhousewolverine

January 29th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^

You said it yourself: prospect. Yes he is a year older than all his classmates but as another poster mentioned he has never stepped foot in a weight room and it shows. He plays hard but isn't in great shape. He has the athletic potential and size to be an NBA player and that is more of what the NBA is looking for in the draft than anything else. He isn't crazy athletically gifted but he shows good vision, good passing skills (when not trying to reverse court when he is triple-teamed), and is a good defender. He needs a mother year or two to polish his game for sure and he might not get there but that's why he is a prospect. Only Robinson, Burke, and hardaway are the surefire NBA players. Even stauskas needs to develop, particularly his defensive game. Byrd was lighting it up-luckily with some of those shots-but there are far better players in the NBA that stauskas is going I have to guard. I think he will get there, but prospect is the key term. Plus, there is probably a latent desire by all Michigan fans for mcgary to live up to that 2 ranking that he feel from.

Space Coyote

January 29th, 2013 at 10:43 AM ^

It's nice to see Horford start to become a solid player, but he is the third big on a college team. Maybe something amazing happens and he becomes a great player, but he's had over two years with this level of coaching, most likely he won't become an NBA level talent.

He might, I'm not giving certainty that he won't, but putting the odds at 50/50 is crazy. I would say it's a very outside chance he gets drafted or sticks in the NBA (whatever your criteria is for becoming an NBA player). I think it's much more likely that he becomes a solid big man that comes off the bench for Michigan and maybe starts toward the end of his senior year then goes to play in Europe (where his skill set should give him a solid career over there).

Alumnus93

January 29th, 2013 at 11:06 AM ^

You're probably right... however think that not many were on Robinson or Hardaway,  and they bloomed late, into stardom, and Beilein both predicted this and is now rewarded for it.  I have to figure the same goes for Horford, who to me, still looks mentally and physically immature, and I think when he fully matures, he'll be another Beilein's exceptional finds.   50/50 is unrealistic barring the Beilein track record....with it, especially having to do with NBA legacies,  it becomes far more reasonable.

WolvinLA2

January 29th, 2013 at 12:25 PM ^

Seriously - get these non-alumni out of here, right? I mean, I went to Michigan so I can post here, but my brother who didn't - he has no business being a fan! And my dad too! And my cousins who aren't even old enough to go to college! None of them are real fans like me!!!

Or maybe people are negging you for being a little bit of an asshole.

UMgradMSUdad

January 29th, 2013 at 12:52 PM ^

For me it was the statement

"before you scoff at that statement, go look back. It is true."  It sounded like a statement a kid being bullied on the playground would make, like maybe you think you're addressing "assholes on mgoblog." You would have been better off just leaving that out, or in its place, providing a link to a post 18 months ago.