Michigan BBall Portal Targets
The reported targets, so far, are a 6'8 Power Forward, and a 6'6 small forward (Ivy League) who doesn't shoot the 3 very well (29%). For reference, Terrance Williams II is a career .284 shooter from behind the arc.
One would think that the team needed a tad more athleticism, a tad more shooting, and a tad more ball handling instead of another lane clogging power forward, and another Ivy who can't shoot. I'm certain, hopeful, that there are many more targets. But, the early reports do not inspire confidence that this staff has any idea how to build a cohesive, complementary team.
https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-basketball-reaches-top-five-145453941.html
How do you build a team in the portal you have to at least go to class.
Ask Kansas state ….
March 24th, 2023 at 10:00 PM ^
BJ Mack does fit the bill of shooter, so just because one doesn’t does not mean that the coaching staff does not know how to build a team. We also really sucked at rebounding this season and Ledlum is a good rebounder. HD and Diabate were also fine together on offense because Diabate had a semblance of a post game. HD struggled with Reed because the latter is not a threat offensively yet.
Still plenty of time and more targets will emerge. I would be surprised to see us go after a lot of guards until we know what Kobe will do. If Kobe comes back, hard to attract a guard that will be trying to compete with two guys that played almost 40 minutes a game down the stretch.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:23 PM ^
The more 3's that Mack shoots, the worse his percentage gets. His actual shooting percentage dropped by .040 points because he shot more 3's and at a much worse percentage (44-33).
Even if Kobe comes back, there needs to be a 4th guard on the team. As it stands, the team has the freshman recruit, Kobe, and Dug. Someone turn an ankle, and then you're left with 2 guys for all 40 minutes. Further, a young shooting guard, who maybe couldn't get minutes somewhere else, can be had in the portal. He can be sold on backing up Kobe at the 2, and taking over the starting spot after he goes pro next year.
Lastly, I disagree about Hunter. I don't think he struggled with Reed in the game. I think the offense struggles when Hunter has no one to pass to when the opposition collapses or denies the post. When Michigan ran Hunter at the high post and Reed in the low post, Hunter showed the ability to make the pass down low. The problem is not having any shooters and very little athleticism on the team.
March 25th, 2023 at 12:08 AM ^
Llewelyn is a potential 4th guard. The team also didn’t lack athleticism. Dugs problem is height but he’s extremely fast, Kobe is a good athlete which is part of why he’s a potential first round pick and Jett was also athletic. Dickinson is absolutely not an athlete but reed is which is the only reason they could play together. The team lacked a defensive wing stopper and any real bench, both problems Terrance Shannon would have dramatically impacted
Nelson Jr. Is my pick for a portal player. His dad played 9 years with him it mentioned and they are friends. He is smaller 6 foot 1 but can score like crazy and was the defensive player of the year in his conference. Even if Kobe comes back I still want him we could go 3 guards at some point but we do need a good small forward who is better then Baker because IMO Baker isn't a Big Ten starter. When we play MAC teams he does fine but upper tier teams he needs to come off the bench. The PF they are going after I would prefer other options such as an athletic guy who can play defense block shots and shoot the 3 ball and also cover 1-5. That is a big ask but there has to be one or two of those in the portal.
March 25th, 2023 at 12:33 AM ^
I don't know Mack's role on Wofford, but it's not like he'd be coming here to be the main guy. Most players' efficiency drops when they take on more usage. My guess is his usage is higher than it would be at Michigan.
A 34% shooter on high volume would still be valuable. We got nothing on low volume from the 4 position. We need shooting and a 4. Mack helps with both issues.
JL could be a fourth guard. If Kobe returns, going to be hard to convince a transfer to come here for what would likely be a reduced role from where they’re coming from. A young guard that is looking for minutes isn’t going to get them in a backcourt of Dug and Kobe. It’s going to be a 10 minute role. Probably better off finding a Chaundee Brown type that is a 2/3 rather than a 1/2. But it’s probably not going to add much ball handling.
Reed is not a shooter so that is part of the reason why the defense collapsed. Diabate had a semblance of an offensive game so it was able to work with two bigs. Reed did not have one this season. Our defense greatly improved with Reed because he is switchable and athletic. Our offense regressed because things got too clogged.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:07 PM ^
Lol, relax fella. A little premature here. We have no idea who they are really targeting or who will all be available yet. Breath young man, breath!!
March 24th, 2023 at 10:28 PM ^
Hence, the "so far" in the first sentence of the OP. And, the portal is open and information is out there. Don't we talk about that kind of shit here?
March 24th, 2023 at 10:56 PM ^
Your responses in this thread don't make it look like you wanna talk about it, you are just coming off like you wanted to complain about things.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:00 PM ^
Semantics?
Or breathe
March 24th, 2023 at 10:15 PM ^
The Ivy guy (Chris Ledlam) also had by far the highest usage and almost double the amount of 3s attempted than the next guy on the list. Let's at least look at context before we whine about percentages with no context
March 24th, 2023 at 10:30 PM ^
Oh wow, a high usage guy who's a mediocre shooter. I think that's just what the team needs.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:01 PM ^
Yeah, he's high usage because hes the most capable guy Harvard has at getting to the hoop and creating his own offense. You know, kinda like how Mike Smith was at Columbia. Then he fit into a role at UM and became more efficient.
If Ledlum came to UM, he would not be as high usage, likely have better shot selection due to not having to be the man, and fit roles as an energetic rebounder/slasher from the wing, which the team probably does need.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:11 PM ^
Yeah, that formula worked for Jones last year, and Llewellyn this year... NOT! It seems that Mike Smith was an outlier. It worked once, and failed twice!
March 24th, 2023 at 11:22 PM ^
lol, you cornball. Who over the age of 6 says, "NOT!"
And Jones was solid until he got hurt.
He really came on late. He averaged 13-6-6 in February as Michigan pushed towards the tournament.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:33 PM ^
Came on late?
Uhh, he shot 42% from the field over that stretch. He basically had 2 big games and was blah from there. You have a case of revisionist history.
March 25th, 2023 at 12:26 AM ^
What is it like to be so pessimistic? Do you ever have fun in life?
It's hard when you're there behind the computer screen, so far from the action, and no one will listen! Why o why don't they see these things like you do?
Cry more.
Oh and in that period he was...
- 18 points, 6 rebounds
- 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
- 11 points, 10 assists, 9 assists
- 11 points, 10 rebounds (also an 8 point, 8 assist, 10 rebound game)
- 11 points, 7 assists
- 14 points, 7 rebounds
- 25 points, 10 assists
Like I said, solid. Those are solid games for a PG in the B1G. I didn't say he was Trey Burke or Derrick Walton. I said he was solid, meaning you can win with that guy.
If he comes here he is going to expect to maintain high usage as a starter, not a bench guy. Thus, he will be expected to shoot 3s and not sit in the post because of the offense we run. Depends on who else leaves to get excited about another Ivy Leaguer with possibly overblown credentials.
BJ Mack has already transferred once and doesn’t look like the best option coming from small schools with high usage.
We only have a few spots and the portal isn’t like signing day where everyone decides on the same day.
I get the panic because JH hasn’t been so good at nailing transfers. I assume UM admissions hinder some of his would be targets, but I hope that isn’t true or changes, if so.
There are already 750 or more guys in the portal. I just hope he gets guys who can play and be here for two or three years.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:21 PM ^
Ledlum averaged 19 and 8.5 (led the Ivy league) this year and is by accounts a tenacious rebounder and high energy player who can make defensive plays and handle the ball a bit. He's a top-5 transfer. UM is losing Jett from the wing, and its not like Baker or Jace are exactly downhill threats offensively, nor do they add much rebounding.
Mack is a 16 and 6 guy who shot 34% from 3 this year, but was 45% two seasons ago. He's not exactly a "lane-clogger." UM has two bigs on the roster that fans want on the court (Hunter and Tarris), plus Kante coming in. Mack is better offensively than Reed and Kante and has Big10 size. If Hunter comes back, Mack gives UM a guy who can stretch the floor as a big and give offense if Hunter is on the bench, which Reed and Kante will likely not. If Hunter leaves, then UM has no offensive threats in their big man rotation.
These are just the two names that have been mentioned so far, you don't know that they are the only targets, and the portal has been open for like a week. Yes, you would like UM to be in on some ball-handling and shooting, but these guys could play roles on a team that needs to be re-shaped.
This post is overly negative for no reason when it could've just been informative.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:37 PM ^
Overly negative for no reason?
19-15, then 18-16, while looking poorly coached, poorly constructed, and playing even more poorly. An NCAA Tournament that is there for the taking... for those who made it. A program that has won 79 games over the last 4 seasons, but won 112 games the 4 seasons before that.
There are plenty of reasons to be negative.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:56 PM ^
You don't have to be negative, you could just come here and ask/talk about transfer targets instead of coming with the agenda of wanting to complain and be pissy.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:05 PM ^
I thought you wanted to "talk about this shit?"
March 24th, 2023 at 11:16 PM ^
I am talking about this shit. YOU are talking about ME. It's all good though. I'm bored, the games are marginally interesting. I don't have anything else requiring my attention.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:11 PM ^
There it is you let out the truth. You didn't want to be negative. Lol.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:29 PM ^
Yet he's the most successful postseason coach in the Big Ten over the last 3 years by a wide margin.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
6-5 in the postseason....really setting the world on fire
March 24th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
Yeah, that's a high bar to climb. How about he win a game in the Big Ten Tournament, maybe get over 20 wins, and maybe get to the NCAA's next year.
"A program that has won 79 games over the last 4 seasons"
1. We didn't even get to play the BTT or the NCAAT in 2019-20 because the pandemic hit.
2. We had fewer games in 2020-21 season because it was a COVID season.
So LOL. This isn't an apples to apples comparison.
Btw, did you notice how old most of the guards in this year's NCAAT are? Because of COVID eligibility, this is the oldest NCAAT ever by a considerable margin. Ken Pomeroy shared a post about it.
Meanwhile, our top 3 guards/wings were: PG true freshman, SG true sophomore, SF true freshman. Even our backup options were young (re: Tschetter is a redshirt freshman and Khayat is a true freshman). But people expected us to overcome that easily? Those people are delusional
-----
Given the lack of quality in your posts, I'm inclined to think you would've been one of those posters that would've been calling for Beilein to be fired midway through 2017.
For those that have forgotten:
2015 - missed NCAAT
2016 - barely made the NCAAT through play-in game which we won and then lost in round of 64 by blowing a double digit halftime lead to Notre Dame
2017 - Beilein made changes to his staff in the offseason. Michigan struggled a lot until the "Junkyard mentality" game vs Illinois in Crisler helped turn around our season. We were 12-7 before playing Illinois. Winning the 2017 Big Ten Tournament and getting to the Sweet 16 made people forget a lot of the ups and downs. There's a reason we entered the 2017 BTT as the 8 seed - the same seed as this year's Michigan team.
I haven't forgotten about how idiotic some posters here were about Beilein. And if I *really* wanted to, I could go back and check people's posting history in those threads. There were a lot of people that weren't happy with Beilein because his recruiting wasn't up to standard and the Wins/Losses weren't looking good either.
But nostalgia has made many forget Beilein's warts, missteps, and struggles. Under Beilein's leadership, Michigan nearly reached the mountain top, crashed back down to earth, and rose again.
I think these past 2 seasons have taught Juwan Howard the value of returning experience, not recruiting so many OADs, and fixing his roster construction by taking more shooters/scorers. Let's see if he makes the necessary changes and gets the program back on track.
Portal rankings are hit and miss and volatile due to how often new entrants come into play. Without knowing how many guys we will need from the portal, there may be many better guys in a few weeks.
Scoring alone mean nothing when comparing leagues. Tenacious rebounder is the only the skill description—okay.
Will scoring translate from Ivy to Big Ten, though? It hasn’t for past recruits here and elsewhere—thinking of Towns at OSU besides our very own Brick Llewelyn and Mike Smith, who weren’t the scorers they were expected to be. Smith was decent but his ppg tremendously fell here despite high usage.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:25 PM ^
User name checks out.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:26 PM ^
Watched a segment with Sam Webb and Tim McCormick yesterday.
McCormick said he doesn't think Mack will translate well in the Big Ten.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:30 PM ^
Wait, how is a 45% 3 point shooter a lane clogger?
Yeah, that was last season, but he shot 34% last season. This feels like more of a hit piece than actual analysis.
March 24th, 2023 at 10:57 PM ^
Doesn't feel like OP did more than a cursory look at some stats that fit their narrative and ignored what the players are actually like.
Looking at OP's responses in the thread, they just wanted to air their frustrations and/or complain
March 24th, 2023 at 10:50 PM ^
Is there a coach in the portal?
March 24th, 2023 at 10:58 PM ^
Pipe dream but throw cash at Larranaga, the guy wins everywhere he goes. Even if he only coaches a few years, he’ll win games and the team will be competent for a change
March 24th, 2023 at 11:54 PM ^
Recency bias much? Larranaga's teams finished under .500 3 of the last 5 seasons. 6 tourneys in 12 years at Miami. Would you be satisfied making the dance only 50% of the time?
He also loves Matt Campbell.
Actually, I never called for Jim to be fired, because even though he couldn’t beat OSU you could see improvement, it didn’t take long for Jim to win the games they should, even up the score with MSU and start chipping away at OSU.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:38 PM ^
That's what I'm saying! A lot of these guys think this thin resume coach that we have here is doing a good job. I don't know what the fuck they've been watching the last 2 seasons!
March 24th, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
Double post... for the doubly bad seasons we've had.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
Triple post... hoping that it's not THREE bad seasons in a row!
March 24th, 2023 at 11:05 PM ^
This team needs a guard. As of right now, next year our guards are Dug, Kobe (maybe), Lewellyn, and the freshman Washington. Our wings next year are Tschitter, Williams, Jace, Yossef, and Glenn. We need someone who could slot at 2-4 truth be told. We will have three big men (Hunter, Reed, and Papa) but the rest of the roster is littered with holes.
March 24th, 2023 at 11:20 PM ^
Yeah, the team sure needed a guard down the stretch versus Vanderbilt. Jett leaving is the loss of a shooter and a ball handler, but the early word coming out happens to be 2 forwards who aren't really shooters or ball handlers. Oh well. If it's a shit show again next season (3 in a row), I doubt there will be many defenders left.