Michigan Basketball resurgence
So I saw this topic discussed on GBW and I thought I would bring it over here. When you think of Michigan Basketballs resurgence under Coach Belein, what player comes to mind?
Zak and Stu, to me, were the turning point in terms of player leadership and being the first scheme players to play. Those two...man, we would not be where we are today without them.
However, I also believe David Merritt and C.J. Lee were instrumental in making the NCAA Tournament that first year we made it - they really were steadying hands on a fairly young team, and I think were the first to buy into Beilein's system and really let it grow into its own.
Really, Zach and Stu? Are you fucking crazy. How could you possibly argue that they lead the resurgance!? What about Burke and Hardaway, Caris and Stauskas, or McGarry and GRIII. It wasn't until the last 3 season that Belein finally achieved consistent success, unless you are saying that 9-9, 7-11, and 9-9 BIG records are considered part of the resurgance.
re-sur-gence : a growth or increase that occurs after a period without growth or increase
Years before the three you mentioned: (BIG): 4-12, 8-8, 8-8, 5-13 with no NCAA appearances.
Years you mentioned: 2 NCAA Appearances with 2 wins.
I would say that constitutes a growth or increase in success.
I'll debate that. 3 out of the last 4 Amaker teams had records of 23-11, 22-11, and 22-13, compared to Beilein's 21-14 teams that got in the tournament. We know the selection process is often times suspect, and for some reason the NCAA selection committee just didn't pick Amaker's teams. You can hardly point to the Stu and Novak years as evidence of the resurgence, unless you are referring to their final year, with a freshman Burke and Sophmore Tim Hardaway Jr, who were much more influental than Stu and Novak on that team.
Just stop. Amaker's best teams were dreadful to watch with cupcake schedules. Belein has only missed the tourney twice since he's been here and Zak and Stu were huge parts of his early success.
I'm not debating whether or not Belien is a better coach than Amaker, or whether or not Zack and Stu contributed to Belein's success early on, I am challenging the assertion that they led the resurgence in Michigan basketball. This is simply not true, it wasn't until 2011, when Burke arrived and in Tim Hardaway Jr's second year, that the team finally experienced an actual resurgence, winning the BIG.
The op was arguing that Zach Novak is the player that comes to mind when he thinks of the Michigan resurgence under Belein. Burke is the player that comes to mind for me, and I explained why. I don't understand why this is a controversial issue.
Subs. Subs come to mind.
and no weird guys.
in my mind there are only three true candidates: zack novak, darius morris and trey burke. i'm going to go under the assumption that trey burke still would have arrived at michigan even if novak and morris hadn't lead their team as far as they did. so for me, it's burke.
As much as there are arguments for other players, like Novak, Trey Burke is the only correct answer.
Sims and Harris could have gone anywhere. They chose to play in Ann Arbor, which was not the "cool" place for elite recruits at the time. Both were ranked as four-stars by both Scout and Rivals.
DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris made it "cool" for elite recruits to take Michigan seriously again. They undid the ten years of shit that Chirs Webber and Ed Martin caused for the program.
As a Michigan fan, I feel indebeted to both Sims and Harris. They are as responsible as anyone for the "resurgence" of Michigan Wolverine basketball.
not in the sense that hes the only one I think of, just the first one, because I think of that 09 season, my senior year.
going into columbus. Motta passes on him, and look how the tables turned. . .OSU on the downslope with all that talent and we're on the rise. . .
Uh, Anthony Wright?
Everything changed after that shot!
Burke and Novak T2.
Trey Burke.
Longer answer - each class has been an evolution to help Michigan reestablish itself as a contender with each team more capable then the last. So each year their has been an important piece - Manny, Zack, Darius, Tim, Trey, Mitch.
But then again -----> TREY!!!!
...is epitomized by the staff's ability to find less heralded recruits and turn them into stars. Trey Burke goes from 3-star to Naismith and Wooden winner in 2 seasons. Love me some Novak/Stu, but Burke is the personification of "return to glory." (Sorry, Irish. [not really])
Kelvin Grady
You hafta remember where you've been to appreciate where you are.
Not a player, but I always think of Beilein himself. His ability to withstand of all of the guys on that list leaving the program, sometimes earlier than expected, and keep on winning is amazing.
If I had to choose an actual player, Blake McLimans
If I look at Beilein's time here as it has developed, I think early on the most prominent names to me are Manny Harris and David Merritt, which quickly seemed to herald the emergence of Stu Douglass and Zack Novak. After that, we pick up this guy named Tim Hardaway, Jr., then someone named Trey Burke. Jordan Morgan came on board as well, and he has been rewarded well for sticking around. It just seemed to get better from there, and it already seemed to be getting pretty good.
Jevohn Shepherd
surprisingly good topic.
gotta be trey. he was on another level, talent wise, above manny, darrius, and timmy. when darius went pro this team's future was bleak, and though people had eased off beilein, there was not the eurphoria surrounding hiim that there is today, despite having just won a share of the B1G title. instead of backsliding we didnt do too bad with trey, as i recall...
manny comes to mind as well, but far differemt. we certainly needed him, but i remember his fighting with beilein as much as anything. i remember one critical benching in OT where beilein really showed that the inmates would not run the assylum. not to trash manny, though.
Daniel Horton.
I always wonder 'what could have been?'
Zak Novak and Stu Douglass.
End of list.
Trey Burke marks the "return to greatness" and Jordan Morgan was there to see it all.
I think laid the ground work for Stu and Zak, showing what leadership was required to make a . I believe they were freshman that year with him when they first broke back into the tournament.
But I think we saw the true emergence under Zak and Stu showing the building over 4 years. I believe Trey leading the run last year was the glory, that we were returning to. I don't think he lead the return though, as huge freshman class that came in to support that run came before he broke out last year.
Yes. It feels like he has been around since the Ellerbe era.
I think Zack and Stu really.
Gavin Groninger
/s