Michigan Player Development Center Progress
Rivals has a nice photo feature on the progress of the Basketball Player Development Center. It is great to see the work progressing so nicely, and this will be a wonderful addition to the physical plant.
Thanks for the link. The pics look impressive. I can't wait until the day I can see the campus and facilities in person...(fingers crossed it might be this year with any luck!).
On a related note, Brandon will be presenting to the regents on Thursday plans for the $52 million, second phase of the Crisler renovation. This second phase would be finished by the winter of 2014. From an annarbor.com article:
Part of this plan will include a new entrance to the arena and an atrium along with more concessions and a club level.
The project will also create wider concourses, more restrooms and other improvements.
“As part of the current plan, we have points of sale for merchandise, a significant increase in the number of points of sale for food and the concept of kind of a club area where certain patrons can go for a little bit different experience,” Brandon said. “Much like we did for football and (people) can have seats and an area to retire to that will have certain amenities that will make it special.
“Not really suites, more of a club type concept.”
...for the Regents meeting includes the letter outlining the Crisler Arena Expansion phase 2 project. The purpose of the agenda item is for the Regents to approve the schematic designs, so here's hoping that post-meeting, those designs will be released to the public.
At first, I thought your signature was part of the post, so I was thinking, "Oh this basketball thing is really cool, and Hoke's doing a great job so far, but I don't think we can attribute this to Hoke.."
I've noticed that with other signature lines, and thought I had already fixed it. Thank you.
Although, Hoke does seem to get it, and everything he does is golden. I wonder if Hoke and Mattison have the pull to recruit Mitch McGary to the Basketball team. Now that would be a tremendous accomplishment.
Does Mitch Gary want to be this guy?
Oh I wasn't saying that you had to fix it, I just found it pretty funny. Give Mitch an hour with Hoke, Mattison, and Funk, and he'll be dying to come here.
Personally, I think Hoke may have had something to do with the Player Development Center. I mean, come on, he's Brady freaking Hoke!
Hoke, Mattison, and Funk have done such a great job recruiting that someday there will have to be some building named after all three of them at the same time for their greatness.
I am thinking something along the lines of the Honktison Center of Excellence....or some similar juxtaposition of their names.
This wont be popular, but I love me some David Brandon. The administration had largely ignored Michigan basketball for 40 years before Brandon took over. Guy is like Showandasee bringing the spring.
You're not being entirely fair to Bill Martin. Both the practice facility and at least the first phase of the Crisler renovation were approved under Martin's watch. The basketball facilities overhaul did not begin under Brandon.
But you'll have to understand my reluctance to credit Martin with anything but the Beilein hire. A practice facility was actually promised in Amaker's contract years ago. And I'm still holding a grudge from the years old interview in rivals magazine "The Wolverine" in which Martin said something to the effect that he knew what side his bread was buttered on, and referring to basketball recruits, "If they care about facilities, they wont come to Michigan". I was understandably done with him at that point.
I'm really glad they are improving it, but I hope they keep in mind that it is a college arena and do some new things to improve the fan environment (make it better home-court). But basic infrastructure and the player development center, they both look like they're going to be sweet.
Looks nice. About time UM started putting some more resources toward updating the bball facilities to keep up with the other major programs in the country. I'm not a big fan of MSU, but the Breslin center and associated facilities are near-pro quality.
The pics look good. And thanks for keeping them Safe For Work/Home pics.
Elite facilities? Check.
Respected coach? Check.
NBA draft picks under said coach? Check
Call me crazy, but we're not too far away from meeting Sparty toward the top of college basketball. We're recruiting at a higher level, and we have something that they can't offer: elite academics. If Hoke does his part we could be right back to being plain awesome at... everything.
This is gonna be sick when it's done. Is there any progress on the new lacrosse facility or was that just a publicity thing?