Rivals has Michigan in Preseason Top 25 for MBB
We're snekaing in at 24th but a good sign for the season nonetheless
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-king_revised_colle…
August 1st, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
Love it, but last time they were ranked preseason it didnt work out very well.
Not the AP or coaches poll. It's also early August. They'll be three more of these before the end of September.
Good point. Also, cbb rankings are nowhere near as important as cfb rankings.
Exactly what I thought of. I'd rather have M be under the radar with no pressure on them. Now, in a couple years, I fully expect them to be in the top 25 preseason rankings because they are expected to be good. We're not expected to be a great team this year, so I want as little pressure on them as possible.
August 1st, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
but I would actually rather not be ranked preseason and have to prove ourselves worthy of being in the top 25. Remember what happened last time we were given a preseason ranking? We missed the NIT. Not saying we don't have talent and shouldn't be ranked in the top 25, but a team that isn't ranked and believes they should be usually have a chip on their shoulder and play with a purpose. Plus, I love upsetting a high-profile team when we're under the radar.
August 1st, 2011 at 11:59 AM ^
i dont see Mich. St.? :)
They're too busy hanging around the three point line and not playing defense.
Maybe the national press are starting to wonder if Izzo didn't build his reputation because he took advantage of the Ed Martin Fiasco to have the state to himself for ten years. His record will get him into the Hall of Fame, but Izzo just looks like Jud Heathcote v.2 when he is coaching the same level of talent that everyone else is.
This would imply that Michigan is probably the #1 basketball state. While I don't know one way or the other, I'd have trouble believing that. Izzo is a good coach. No two ways about it. All good coaches have lulls. Bo had a 6-6 season.
I don't know if we're the #1 basketball state, but we're up there. Michigan and MSU have been to a combined 14 (!) Final Fours since 1957 - and nine since 1989. Basically, at any given time, the program that has the upper hand in the state is a national-title contender.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
By that poll, it picks us to finish third in the big ten behind osu and wisconsin.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
Congrats coach B and staff
August 1st, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
be interesting to see how the team responds without Darius Morris. It seemed to me that he was one of the main reasons that the team overachieved last year. Hopefully Hardaway and Morgan continue to develop and one of the incoming freshman can step into the starting PG role
August 1st, 2011 at 12:31 PM ^
Has supposedly been the most impressive player out of all the players, even the returning ones, in summer ball this year. Definitely a good sign for the PG position.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
I have to admit that I've been most excited about Trey Burk due to the need/and his highlight films which looked pretty amazing. If he even apporaches Morris' effectiveness (which seems impossible for a freshman) I think we don't lose a step, may be better...but that seems unlikley
August 1st, 2011 at 12:43 PM ^
I got that from Rivals a couple days ago. They had an article about the improvements the players were making and how the recruits were doing.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
Thanks. Much appreciated
Totally agree that Trey will have big shoes to fill but he does bring a much better shot to the table then Morris. I'm not saying he is our savior this year but we were one shot away from tying Duke a little better shooter might have hit it? Having a scoring PG could be what we need!
August 1st, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
Burke will be a completely different PG than Morris. I'm really excited about a PG who can stretch the "D" with his 3-pt shooting ability...something Burke should be able to do on a regular basis. Morris was a special talent in his own right, but I think Burke will accomplish some amazing things.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^
Dear Rivals,
Please take MIIIIIIIIIIIIICH out of your preseason Top 25. While I and many other posters on this here message board think that MIIIIIIIIIIICH is a Top 25 team, we don't need you retards jinxing it for us. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Dark Blue.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
right, guys, it was the pre-season ranking that ruined the 2009/2010 season, not the fact that we weren't very good.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
Also, we were never a preseason top 25 team under Ellerbe/Amaker (except Ellerbe's interim year), and that really didn't work out either.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
I think the logic is pretty obvious...Kidding aside, I understand the point made above about being able to sneak up on people.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:45 PM ^
Based upon all the long time time traditions U of M has, it's clear we're overly superstitious. That being said, since there was no reason for Michigan to be as bad as they were that season, I have absolutely no problem with using that pre-season ranking as a scapegoat. Ignorance is bliss...
August 1st, 2011 at 12:47 PM ^
I'd say "not having a point guard" was ample reason to not be good.
There were lots of reasons for Michigan to be mediocre in '09-'10:
-Semi-gimpy star (Manny had ankle problems all year)
-Severe lack of size (Sims and Gibson were the only healthy guys on the roster taller than 6'5" or so)
-Severe lack of shooting
-Severe lack of ballhandling
-Chemistry problems
If anything, that team underscored just how much the previous year's team overachieved. It was a badly flawed roster. Last season was the first time we had anything resembling roster balance.
Sorry, sarcasm over the internet never gets interpreted properly. But yeah, there were a ton of flaws that team had and there was no reason for them to do as well as they did the season before. It still was such a huge dissapointment that they couldn't duplicate they're overachievements, especially when everyone thought they're chemistry would only improve.
August 1st, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
Double awesomeness.
Explain to me, downvoter, how the combination of Chris Mack and Tu Holloway as his pointguard doesn't equal greatness?
Interesting to see where the team would have been ranked with DMO.
Personally, I don't think we're a top 25 team right now. I think we have the potential if Burke plays well. But Morris struggled with the system as a freshman, so we'll see. Potential to be a good team though.
But can you name 25 teams that are better?
All of college basketball is like this. There's constant roster turnover. Most of the preseason top 25 teams have a bunch of question marks.
Vanderbilt at 6 is crazy. Especially ahead of Florida, Baylor, and Louisville.