Substantive MBB Article
Check out this Flint Journal article posted on mlive.com that sports several interesting nuggets from Coach Belein's appearance Monday at the University of Michigan Club of Greater Flint's annual sports dinner.
Highlights:
- Laval Lucas-Perry is on track to graduate in December 2010 and will be listed as a senior even though he has junior eligibility. While Beilein said, "He's going to have a bounce-back year," it looks like Lucas-Perry may be ready to hang up his basketball shoes.
- Beilein has never had a player leave his program and play in the NBA. This year should end that oddity as Manny Harris is a likely pick and DeShawn Sims has an outside chance of being drafted or being picked up as a free agent. Beilein has spoken to six teams or so about each player. Beilein remarked, “If they do not get drafted, they will get a phone call minutes after the draft is over."
- Ekpe Udoh told Coach he wanted to play forward more than center. Beilein said that's how he would have used Udoh if he hadn't transferred. He said that he advised Udoh that he should spend his transfer year working on his outside shot which is exactly what Udoh did and that, in Coach's estimation, is why he's a likely lottery pick.
- The Lavall Jordan kerfuffle with WMU Coach Hawkins was addressed and is over.
- Our redshirt freshmen big men have made big changes to their physiques, but they each had to address different issues. 6'10" forward Blake McLimans played high school basketball at 190 pounds. Now he weighs 238. 6'8" forward Jordan Morgan weighed in at 269 pounds last year. Now he weighs 240.
- Ben Cronin made the right decision to end his playing career as he's still walking with a limp. He may have a chance to stay involved with the program as an uncounted assistant coach.
- One and dones? He'd recruit one if it were the right situation.
- Beilein on twitter? Could be in the cards.
There's some other good stuff in the article, so give it a look.
[Edit: And now, Angelique is linking to the Flint Journal piece. No additional data in hers.]
That is a little surprising to me about LLP. If that comes to be, I hope he has a great season.
Excellent news about McLimans. He was too skinny this past season I thought.
... 190 to 238 in one summer? that's crazy, and it's exactly what we need. i thought we were to small last year with zach gibson being the only big man and not playing substantial minuets. great post
...that weight gain was over his redshirt year. Still impressive!
I'm waiting for the 15 people who thought Beilein was too stupid to count to 13 and was ruining our scholarship situation this off-season to admit that they are morons. LLP won't get his 5th year, we've got 2 more scholarships (beyond Brundidge) next year, and we're all set.
The chemistry problems will be gone this year and JB can fully install his system; hopefully the shooters can do their jobs.
It definitely sounds good, but man it's hard to imagine addition via subtraction when the subtrahend is Harris and Sims.
I do like what I've heard about Stu attending that camp and working on his skills.
I like hearing about Morris working out with John Wall and the NBA draftees.
Hopefully Morgan can stay healthy and McLimas' added weight gives us some more size on the court.
Should be an interesting season. If Novak and Douglass can get their shots back we should be in good shape.
has found it more difficult to recruit than he had hoped. He is still rebuilding.
That being said I believe that he is the right man to do it. I am excited about this year. My expectations are lower, but I expect to be pleasantly surprised.
Shooting will be the key - we all know that. Beilein will fix it and we will be moving forward once again.