Some good basketball news today (Jaylen Brown)
Good news on the Jaylen Brown front. Definitely do not want to copy and paste straight from Scout, but to paraphrase a little bit, two separate sources (Sam Webb and Brian Snow) have heard that not only is Michigan in the running for Brown's services next year, but that we are in the top TWO. Both insiders are unsure who the other team in the top two would be. Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA are possibilities.
For those who have a Scout membership, the information can be found here:
http://michigan.scout.com/forums/1088-the-victors-club/13768960-jaylen-…
Trying not to get my hopes up too high here, but I think if we somehow scored Brown, and Caris came back, we would be a top five team next year.
Great news. Hopefully this leads to a welcome post soon enough.
I don't think recruiting is his weakness. I think it's just a fact of college basketball that Michigan will rarely beat out Kentucky, Kansas, or Duke on the recruiting front. It's just the way it works. Good thing we have good enough coaching to overcome that.
March 29th, 2015 at 11:23 PM ^
What they need to hear? Beilein could pretty much give them the same pitch Calipari does except change 1 year then onto the NBA to 2 years and you're onto the NBA.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:08 PM ^
I don't expect to beat out KY, KS, and Duke. We're not going to get guys like Okafor. But I'd like to beat out schools like ND for players like Auguste. We should be able to do that.
Hell, we should be able to get a Kaminsky or Dekker once in a while. We did it before with McGary, but it's been a while.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:38 PM ^
Kaminsky was a Caris Levert-esque under the radar recruit.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:02 AM ^
Auguste was the 97th ranked player in Rivals. We get those guys plenty - Nik was that level, DJ Wilson is that level, Doyle is just around there, Teske is headed there. Chatman and Irvin and McGary are way ahead of that level (top 20-30).
Can't just pick guys who blossom and say I wish we got them.
Guy like Diamond Stone was a guy Beilein wanted. 6th in nation, 6'10 center. Just committed to Maryland. No excuse for us not getting a guy like that or not even being serious contenders. Speaking of.... Maryland pulled down a great class last year. Hmm. Also OSU recruits better than us - we just develop better so the programs have sort of been on equal footing the past 5-6 years in different ways.
You just wish Beilein had some better clay to work with -- basically Mitch, Irvin, GR3, and Chatman have been his only four top 30 players and 2 of those guys he was in on very early when nobody was looking at them and just was able to hold onto them. So really it was 2 guys in the past 5 years he really went after who were thought of pretty highly early in their career in HS.
MSU is a good example and someone you'd think we could recruit similar to - last year's team had 3 McDonald's All American (Appling, Dawson, Harris) on it and a 5 star center (Payne). That's not UK, KAnsas, Duke but it's the next level down. I am not sure if we've had a McDonald's All American since the Fab 5?
Was Jamal Crawford not a McDonald's All American?
Irvin and Walton were Mr. basketball in their states.
I don't think recruiting is a weakness of JB's. He seems pretty good at finding kids who can develop into good to great players while fitting his system.
MAAR seems like he could be the next example or Dawkins.
Still would love to see us get Brown however.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
UK, KU and Duke get 5 star players b/c they are UK, KU and Duke. What coach (who doesn't work at a traditional basketball powerhouse) actually recuits 5 star players better than anyone else?
March 29th, 2015 at 10:45 PM ^
Well Thad Matta for one. Tom Crean for another (yes I know, Indiana and all that, but still he's Tom freakin' Crean and Indiana hasn't been a power in decades). Billy Donovan, Jim Boeheim, Sean Miller, Rick Barnes, etc.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:07 PM ^
...which tells us even more so how awesome he is.
Awesome - we are moving up in the world as we are going to be bridesmaids for Kansas! All that is left to do is be a bridesmaid for a player for Duke and we are at the top of the summit.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:11 PM ^
Last year, I didn't go to Myyrtle Beach on vacation. But this year, I'm not going to Maui. I am definitely moving up in the world.
you can't be happy can you...We have a great formula for winning. Yes, we don't get 5 stars as often as our success would have you think, but you bitching about it seems so childish. From your post earlier, why would Diamond Stone come to a team known for 3 point shooting and movement off the ball? A team with little to no experience developing a player with a real back to the basket game? We were nothing as recently as five years ago. It takes time for a true foundation to be built. We are getting All Americans and Gatorade players of the year. Not really sure why you can't be happy with that.
March 30th, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
I'm pretty sure missing the postseason altogether in year 8 isn't part of "building the foundation"
How can you know we're in the top two but not know the other?
March 29th, 2015 at 10:29 PM ^
March 30th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ^
Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson iii, Darius Morris, Walton, and Irvin were all 4/5 stars. I don't think his recruiting is as bad as people say it is. It's just infuriating when Thad Matta of all people gets all these 4/5 stars and we never seem to get the Sullingers, Greg Odens, Evan Tuners high 5 star guys.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:28 PM ^
I would call that very suspicious
March 30th, 2015 at 12:01 AM ^
March 30th, 2015 at 12:15 AM ^
Maybe meant Cal-iperi? If we lost Brown to UC Berkeley, that would suck.
If we lost him to UC-Berkeley not Calipari, then I think the whole recruiting is Beilein's weakness mantra has a lot more merit.
for telling kids about education and ethics and going to class and stuff and not telling them it will be the best oone year party of their life because they will own the campus. All he does is take under the radar guys and turn them into players of the year. Damn that guy. /s
It is Cal...a school that is like us in most ways. Great academics, tradition, and location. Some aspects UM is better, some aspects Cal is better. Maybe those aspects speak to Brown? Don't sound like a petulant sore loser and say Beilein can't recruit or suggest some unsightly dealings.
March 30th, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
If they landed all 3 of those guys, they could expect success immediately. Maybe they all love the coach, the campus, and the idea of playing with each other? These kids have great options, it's hard for me to blame anyone for their choice, especially when it's to an elite educational institution.
...so I'll choose to ignore for fear of being so sad.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:02 PM ^
Already posted. You never did anything a little dumb when you were 17? He's fine and we'll be glad to have him.
Nice first post though. 
March 30th, 2015 at 12:02 AM ^
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March 29th, 2015 at 10:09 PM ^
Lets be honest here, we are at the top until Kentucky, or Kansas' bag man shows up.
March 29th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
I think it hinges on LeVert going to the league. Already hard to find enough minutes to go around with our current roster coming back sans Bielfeldt. Who sits if everyone comes back, Hatch takes a grayshirt, and we add Wagner, Robinson, and Brown?
So many great SGs and SFs and not enough Cs (thinking defensively, as offensively the 3/4 spots are nearly identical). We have a lot of guys (again, imho) playing out of position:
- PG: Walton, Albrecht
- SG: LeVert, MAAR
- 3: Dawkins, Brown, Irvin, Robinson, Chatman
- 4: Wagner, Wilson, Donnal
- 5: Doyle
Given this, I wouldn't mind seeing us also add the big kid from Westland John Glenn as a preferred walk-on.
But, man, that's 12-13 dudes who deserve quality minutes. Looking forward to 2015-2016 and Team 100.
Imagine playing Aubrey at SG with Jaylen Brown at the 3 and us becoming the NCAA version of Lob City. (Lob University? Alley-U?)
March 29th, 2015 at 10:42 PM ^
will never come to Michigan as a preferred walk on considering he has been racking up offers lately. He's getting Power 5 school offers so preferred walk on is a pipe dream.
March 29th, 2015 at 11:33 PM ^