Michigan basketball # 23 in coaches poll
http://btn.com/2014/10/16/six-big-ten-mens-hoops-teams-ranked-in-the-preseason-coaches-poll/ No respect to Beilein. Wisconsin # 4, MSU # 18, Ohio # 20, Nebraska # 21
October 16th, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^
It's not the biggest travisty. It does undermine what Beilein has been able to do... but they are incredibly young and inexperienced. kids forced in roles much sooner.
again, they've done it before.. but I can understand being cautious. I myself am worried- but in Beilein I trust.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
spotlight on them. Much easier to manage those guys when they do not have the weight of expectations.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
Agreed. Perfect spot to be... Especially when Tommy Amaker isn't our coach.
HAIL
October 16th, 2014 at 10:17 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 7:24 PM ^
Is that the reason why Kentucky is ranked preseason number 1? A program where being a sophomore is considered an old man.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:10 PM ^
I just do not allow myself to worry about Beilein and his teams. He will coach em up no doubt. We are in good hands. Besides don't we have enough to worry about with the football team?
October 16th, 2014 at 4:10 PM ^
Someone explain to me why a dogshit Ohio State team is ranked 20th?
October 16th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
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October 16th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
that they're gritty?
October 16th, 2014 at 7:50 PM ^
Depends on how many white guys are in there...
October 16th, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^
They have Izzo. That puts them about 10 spots higher then they should be in the media's eyes.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
Honestly, I think the reason Izzo's been successful is because he's had lots of talent, but very rarely gets these guys quite to the level of NBA prospects. Most of his players then end up staying at MSU all four years. So at the end of the day, his teams are typically decent, with the experience factor being a big advantage in March.
It's like Izzo has figured out how to benefit from his lack of ability to coach guys up to their potential.
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October 16th, 2014 at 6:23 PM ^
A lot of players have seemingly regressed offensively under Izzo. Durrell Summers, Morgan, Chris Hill, Lucas(maybe more due to injury) all come to mind.
October 16th, 2014 at 6:43 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 6:53 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 5:26 PM ^
This is the coaches poll.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^
an SMU team that lost Mudiay to China doesn't really make sense to me.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
Larry Brown can't coach up a team. I saw that with the Pistons, he's a damn good coach. Also, I think Michigan is probably appropriately ranked. My confusion is more about SMU losing two starters and not bringing in a single recruit because Mudiay attended a glorified summer camp moonlighting as a high school. They're the same team that missed the tournament last year, minus two starters (Yes, I'm aware they finished 30th in KenPom; still have to justify a 7 spot jump if that's a barometer you prefer).
October 16th, 2014 at 7:24 PM ^
Nor does yours. How do you come to that conclusion? It's odd a team who lost it's one, big time player, is ranked ahead of us, a team who's also lost a few players but has proven they have the players to step into said vacated roles and also reload, to an extent.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
even without Mudiay. They have a stellar recruiting class. SMU returns just about everybody from a team that is rated at top 30 in KenPom rankings. They're really good but has potential to get much better.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:08 PM ^
http://smu.247sports.com/Season/2014-Basketball/Commits
If you can't/don't want to click the link, they're bringing in a zero man recruiting class. They have three transfers coming in, but only one is confirmed to be eligible this year, and none of the three have been gamebreakers at previous stops.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:11 PM ^
I was thinking of 2013 class where they had 1 5*, 1 4* and 2 3* recruits.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:14 PM ^
and obviously the book's nowhere near closed yet, but that 5* (Keith Frazier) struggled a bit last year on and off the court.
October 16th, 2014 at 6:19 PM ^
experienced front line in the country. A lot of other teams would say that we are overrated. A lot of these ratings are just blind faith at this point.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^
OSU can't score points until proven otherwise, and outside of Dawson, who does MSU really have? There's a lot of talent that's not on that team anymore.
Beilein will put our team in position to win games every time it steps onto the court. In Beilein I Trust.
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October 16th, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^
It really looks like Anthony Lee, Keita Bates-Diop and D'Angelo Russell will be immediate contributors. With Scott, Williams and Thompson back, there's probably enough leadership to carry the team throught he B1G gauntlet if the freshmen contribute. MSU makes less sense because they lost the leaders on a team that underachieved last year until the tournament and don't add much other than a transfer who may or may not contribute.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:05 PM ^
You ask "who does MSU really have?". The answer is easy.
A bunch of weird guys.
October 17th, 2014 at 12:14 AM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^
I'm glad. I hope the polls and "analysts" keep doubting Michigan.
They just keep winning when people do doubt them or disrespect them.
What's that now? Three straight years of banners being raised?
This isn't the poll I care about anyway. The AP poll is of more significance. Not much more, but more. And they'll still probably doubt Michigan.
October 16th, 2014 at 6:03 PM ^
We were preseason #7 (AP) and #9 (Coaches) last year after losing the College National Player of the Year.
We finished in the Elite 8.
I'm pretty sure they were spot on. No one was doubting us last year. They were just slurping Sparty in the preseason.
2 years ago...
We were preseason #5 (AP) and #5 (Coaches) and we made it to the Final Four and lost in the championship game.
They were almost spot on there as well. I'm not sure you could've expected that team, going into the year, based on previous years to go to a national championship game. I personally said Final 4 and they did one round better. Regarless, it was pretty doggone close.
...again, no one has been doubting us. They've been pretty damn accurate.
This year's team is a Round of 32/Sweet 16 team...at least at this point, in the preseason. Somewhere #18-#23 is probably accurate.
Again, my issue is having MSU and Nebraska over us. Not being necessarily being #23.
October 16th, 2014 at 6:33 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^
Find me all these people that didn't think we'd make the tournament. I want to make a million selling them oceanfront property in Idaho.
No one was saying that...
Two reasons.
Because it was never true - people didn't think we'd be as good as we were, but no one was saying we'd now miss the tournament.
Second reason - McGary was supposed to return by December! Which he did, before reinjuring himself.
So why would anyone write us off for the postseason if McGary was coming back? What, people thought we were going to lose to Houston Baptist without McGary?
Come on. Let's be serious.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:26 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^
No respect? I'd say losing 3 draft picks and still being ranked at all is votes saying, "eh, Beilein will make this work somehow."
October 16th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
has Levert who is projected anywhere from lottery pick to mid 1st round. Walton and Irvin made a significant contribution as a freshman. Throw in Spike who will be a reliable contributor off the bench. Chatman was a top 25 recruit. Michigan centers will be much better offensively with diverse skills from Doyle, Donnal and possibly Wilson. They all actually can score on their own unlike Morgan or Horford.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 11:27 PM ^
I think it's an omen. Caris is going to have a phenomenal year.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
Ok with me.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
Caris Levert is fine with it
October 16th, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^
I actually think this is about right. The Big Ten is Wisconsin followed by three teams with questions to be answered, in my opinion. I'm confident OSU and Michigan will find answers to those questions and I think it's possible that MSU will as well.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
Nebraska, Ohio State and Tiny Tom ahead of us?!!!
LMAO time to steamroll through the B1G by 3 games again I suppose. Izzo is still living off of accomplishments from 20 years ago.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:52 PM ^
We would be #1 in Italy
October 16th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
We should be ranked in the bottom of the top 25...
The issue is that we should NOT be ranked below MSU or Nebraska.