Mich BB Thoughts
I know it's early but I saw 2 things today on Mich Bball that I thought were interesting.
Tim Hardway is nowhere to be found in the 2012 Mock Drafts. I know it's early, but I'll say right now that this is going to be proven wrong. I think he is gone next year and he'll be a top 20 guy.
The 2nd was a story on the easiest non conference schedules. It was interersting when they showed a graph of the hardest schedules. Michigan is in the top 10 hardest schedules close behind MSU which I think most people would find surprising given that all the media does for 3 months is stroke Izzo and make excuses for their lack of out of conference success.
Nonconference SOS
School 4 year '10 '09 '08 '07
| Tennessee |
19.50
|
3 | 71 | 1 | 3 |
| Georgetown |
33.50
|
2 | 4 | 7 | 121 |
| Arizona |
36.75
|
46 | 20 | 77 | 4 |
| Duke |
44.50
|
47 | 42 | 50 | 39 |
| Michigan State |
47.50
|
17 | 105 | 22 | 46 |
| Connecticut |
52.00
|
38 | 6 | 105 | 59 |
| Syracuse |
52.00
|
126 | 34 | 28 | 20 |
| Michigan |
55.75
|
52 | 103 | 53 | 15 |
| Wisconsin |
59.00
|
111 | 29 | 42 | 54 |
| Pitt (T-10th) |
61.50
|
94 | 47 | 15 | 90 |
| West Virginia |
61.50
|
4 | 26 | 60 | 156 |
Mod Edit: Formatting still sucks, but not as rough to look at. For what it's worth, the original post looked fine in the edit mode. [zl]
Resize it and the header of chart is full of programming texts.
I was eating near West Quad today and saw Vogrich and THJ eating.
Doubt you saw THJ, since he is in Europe.
a joke in there, but isn't Hardaway Jr. in Europe right now with Team USA U20s? Maybe you saw THJ's doppleganger?
EDIT: slow on the save. Brick was on it.
Or maybe it was difficult to see through squinty red eyes while drooling in line at Blimpys (at least that's how I was half the time I went there when I lived in WQ many years ago)
because I could swear THJ was in Lithuania right now.
EDIT: Stupid word verifications slowed me down!
I'm not sure your theory about THJ leaving this year is very likely for two reasons unrelated to his skill.
First, the most coveted positions in the draft are point guards and big men. Only five of the first twenty selections were wing players, and only one in the top ten. Since THJ is a two guard he has to be really exceptional to leave early.
Second, this year many of the premier underclassmen opted to remain in school for one more year because of the potential lockout. So, while the 2011 draft class was considered thin the 2012 class may be one of the deepest in years.
I agree in regards to the loaded class that will come out next year. Maybe seeing Morris slip to the second round will make him more cautious as well.
Do you think the fact that THJ's father player in the NBA makes him more or less likely to leave early?
I could see him leaving after his junior year, but I don't see "family pressure" being a result of him going to the NBA early. I think with THJ, when the time is right and when he is ready, he will go. It won't be a matter of let's get that paycheck, but rather being physically and mentally ready as well as potentially getting the degree (or at least close). That's just my take. Would love to hear someone else's insight.
I tend to agree. I feel like that one of the bigger motivations for a lot guys-- to be able to take care of their family-- is (I presume) not really a big factor for THJ, assuming (and I may be incorrect) that his father managed his money wisely. It also seems like he really enjoys U of M, at least from the "Journey" episode last year featuring THJ and his father.
Hardaway Sr. was actually in pretty serious financial trouble recently, and the Heat had to buy his house to help him resolve his issues with the IRS. Whether this will affect his son is unclear.
THJ drives a Range Rover around campus from what I remember last season, so I assume his family isn't hurting for money.
who finds it a bit unsettling that a scholarship athlete is driving a car that retails between $60-70K *new*? I lived in the building next to Sims and Harris when they were here and one of them traded up from a Dodge Magnum to a Range Rover. Is there a RR dealer in Ann Arbor or something? I found this one in Farmington Hlls: http://www.landroverfarmingtonhills.com/index.htm.
Edit: Not wanting to be a concern troll as I'm sure the Hardaway family is capable of securing their financing but the topic of nice cars for top athletes is ... well, it's obvious.
I find it not at all unsettling when his dad was a huge NBA star.
A kid from a more working class background? Maybe, but when your compliance department doesn't have its head up its ass these things are pretty easy to track.
I don't know how much you follow cars, but IIRC Range Rovers tend to lose their value very quickly. Used ones (even just a few years old) are easy to come by on the cheap, especially considering gas prices driving down SUV resale value.
I agree - they're a stupid investment. Unfortunately, based on the article linked above, it sounds like they weren't the only shaky investment TH Sr. made with his money.
The assertion that Hardaway will be a top 20 pick next year doesn't take into respect how loaded the 2012 draft might be. Just looking at the possibilities now, there are probably a dozen guys who would have had a great crack at being a top five pick in this past draft.
Let's hope THJ is considered a top 20 pick, that would mean he had a great year, which would lead me to believe Michigan had a successfull season. I think if Smot, Horford, and McLimans can show that freshman to sophmore season improvement then we can expect big things. Not to mention we will have senior leaders with Novak and Douglass. Also, Vogrich's defense last year was a bright spot. I think there a ton of positives and alot fewer question marks than in previous years.
I gotta feeling Vogrich is going to have a breakout year. He seems like too good of an overall basketball player to have another year of low PT.
That being said, I think the team is going to compete well next year. The incoming class is talented and I have heard from here and Rivals (both from Bacari Alexander I believe) that some kids are putting on some good weight. Specifically, Horford was mentioned being at 250 of good weight now. He is also working out with his brother. Smot...or however his name is spelled it supposed to be bulking up too.
I doubt Hardaway ever becomes a top 20 pick just because he doesn't seem to have elite quickness, agility, or athleticism for a SG or wing forward. Looking at the first round of the draft usually entails most of the top 15 or so from Rivals 5 stars, a dozenish foreign picks, and the remainder being juniors and seniors that stayed at school and developed. With basketball it seems if you want to be a top overall pick you have to have it from the get-go. It doesn't seem one finds the 3 star Sam Bradfords developing and getting drafted number 1 overall. Maybe it was just because it was his first year and that will improve and he will become a top 20 junior or senior player. Not next year though since the draft will be loaded.
Best of both worlds is that he has a good enough season to put in paperwork like Morris but learns that because the draft is so stacked with all the guys who stayed this year, that it would be best for him to wait another year.