Tidbits on Michigan Basketball from Sam Webb WTKA Radio
Someone from UMHoops brought this info up in the forum which can be found here: http://forum.umhoops.com/discussion/1054/tidbits-from-michigan-assistant-coaches-on-wtka-with-webb
Interesting that DJ Wilson may see time at the wing and center. Good to see him gain 35 lbs since HS which is a ton, but good to fill out his skinny frame. That's a lot of weight gain in less than one year.
Duncan Robinson on the radar to break Nik Stauskas shooting drill record. If true, he could be a huge weapon coming off the bench as a shooter for 2015-2016 season.
The future for Michigan basketball is indeed bright. My expectation is top 3 in B1G and Sweet 16 run which shouldn't be unrealistic IMO.
October 8th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
Yes. I said in the past that I felt Stauskas was the key to the past two seasons. Without him, teams sag off and play everyone else tighter. I felt we were really going to miss him when he left (more than Trey or Hardaway). But with the commitment of Robinson, I think we have a real good shot at continuing excellence.
I would not be surprised if the team slumps a little bit this year with so much youth, but next year we should be stellar again. Especially if Caris is the only starter we lose. It will be interesting to see what Walton does after this year. I don't think he leaves unless we have a monster year (good thing!), but it's been so long since we've had a PG stay more than 2 years, I kind of forget what it feels like.
October 8th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
Zak Irvin as well. Really, Michigan as whole are incredible at shooting 3s (shooting 40.2% as a team) with 4 players shooting over 40% while Spike just missed the cut at 38.7%. Will they miss Stauskas? Yes. This is why Zak Irvin needs to step up in an increased role while still being efficient as a scorer. Irvin can really shoot it and shot at an incredible 42.5% (had to deal with a slow start to begin his year).
If Duncan Robinson's shooting prowness can translate for next season (which I think it will), Michigan will continue to have spacing on offense.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^
Zak, Caris, Derrick, Spike -- all these guys can shoot. Donnal and Dawkins might help here too.
Totally disagree about next year. We will badly miss the athleticism and ability to generate offense that Trey and Caris have provided over the last 3 years.
Robinson should be a nice player but if anyone is expect Stauskas-level play, they are going to be disappointed. Stauskas was a 4-star recruit that a lot of D1 programs wanted. Robinson might be a comprable shooter with better size, but he's going to be slower and less skilled as a ball-handler.
October 8th, 2014 at 6:26 PM ^
The eyeball test never lies, just ask Coach B.
October 8th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
M hoops is 38-1 to win it all in Vegas sportsbooks. Depite my fandom, this seems like incredible value. I dropped $250 on a ticket.
October 8th, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^
and if you make $9500 on that bet, there will be much rejoicing.
October 8th, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
The money would be a nice reward. I bet sports quite a bit and do relatively well. When it comes to wagering on futures, it's all about finding value. College basketball is usually difficult in that regard since there isn't that much parody. Last year was the exception. Kentucky is 9-5 to win this year.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:04 PM ^
Well, I guess I would have to agree that there isn't much parody in college basketball - unless you think the whole thing is joke, I suppose . . . Now, as to whether there is much parity in college basketball . . .
Good luck on your bet, though. With as much "fun" as the last six weeks of football games has been it takes a brave man to bet on Michigan . . .
October 8th, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^
I am guessing that "Parody" came from Android or Siri...
October 8th, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 8th, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^
If I had a dollar for every time I've used the wrong word in a text or email because of an Iphone auto-"corrrect" . . . well, I wouldn't be making Brandon money but I'd take the payout anyway . . .
Again, though, good luck on your bet. I'll be happy if you win (if only because Michigan won it all) but I am willing to bet I won't be as happy as you!
(BTW, I can't help adding that I have an undergrad enginnering degree from Michigan. . . I cannot imagine there are many chances for an enginnering major to play "Grammar Police" on an English major . . . Like the t-shirt says - "When I got to Michigan I couldn't spell Engineer. Now I are one")
October 8th, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^
I think Austin Blue was really quite light-hearted in his teasing of the phone typo. I have certainly seen real snark on the site before in similar situations.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:52 PM ^
My apologies if you took my "joke" as snark - it was meant to be light hearted (but once again the inability of an on-line post to convey nuance takes a good joke and makes it bad. Or, more likely in my case, took a bad joke and made it worse!)
I have too many chances in my life to misuse the English language to make any claims of textual superiority!
October 8th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
defending you, dude!
[teasing not snark]
October 8th, 2014 at 7:21 PM ^
umumum - I told you I could screw up written communications. I just didn't expect to have the opportunity to prove my theorem so quickly . .. . I certainly can't say I didn't deserve to be teased however :)
My apology was directed to the_benjy_vortex; my thanks should be directed to umumum.
And on that note, I'll try to stop digging this hole now. After all, the first rule of digging yourself into a hole is to STOP DIGGING . . .
October 8th, 2014 at 4:31 PM ^
Think its is going to be tough to get to sweet 16 but we'll see. I think people continue to underestimate how important Jordan Morgan was on defense, even at times he stunk on offense (first half 2013-2014). I think together Donnal and Doyle can probably reproduce Morgan and Horford offensive stats but I remember butt clenching any moment Morgan went out the 2nd half of 2013-2014 due to how easily guys got in the lane.
Young big men foul a lot too, so we might be seeing a lot of Max Bielfeldt just due to foul situations. I am hoping Wilson gets some time at 5 this year for nothing other than defensive presence. We have not had a shot blocking threat in a few years.
I am expecting a high scoring team that plays below average defense (like it has for years) due to youth - so a lot of shootouts.... but am hoping improved rebounding comes from Chatman v GRIII, and Zak Irvin realizing he is allowed to rebound. Our perimeter defense was a horror show last year and that has to improve because I dont see the interior defense being better.
October 8th, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
Good points all around. Totally agree with you on Defense and Bielfeldt. There is reason to expect the perimeter defense to be A LOT better.
It's not really about the numbers Horford and Morgan put up on O. It's about how well they screened and how well they timed their roles.
I hope Wilson can red-shirt, because we already have 4 of the 5 top forwards as freshman. Making it 5 out of 6 isn't going to be that helpful.
October 8th, 2014 at 6:22 PM ^
October 8th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
October 8th, 2014 at 5:57 PM ^
Love JMo but the Big Ten Player of the Year may be a bigger loss.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^
I have no doubt in JB's ability to maximize his team's talent while staying competitive. I mean, he won a share of B1G title with arguably the least talented team ever to win a conference championship. He had Stu, Novak, Smotrycz, etc. while having a freshman Trey and a slumping THJ on the team. That itself is amazing that he was able to get it.
If there's one coach who can figure out how to minimize the loss of Jordan Morgan on defense, it's JB. Throw in the expected progression from LeVert, Walton and Irvin, it's hard for me not to foresee a Sweet 16 appearance. This is now the normal expecation for Michigan basketball which is a far cry from a few years ago where we hoped to make the NCAA tourney.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
I think pretening that team was the bad news bears is pretty disingenuous. Burke and Haradway are NBA players. They were young but Novak and Stu were vets (and both played professionaly in Europe). Smotrycz was a 4-star recruit and legitimate talent. Last year he shot 48% from 2 and 44% from 3 for Maryland. It's a shame Michigan couldn't hang on to him.
Don't take our recent success for granted. Making the sweet 16 again would be a BIG acheivement.
October 8th, 2014 at 6:29 PM ^
Yeah I can't help but think he would have been really productive over time with JB and his staff. Yet hard to argue with the team's success without him.
My memory fails ... his departure opened the door for any specific scholarship offer? Enable Caris to come aboard?
October 8th, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^
October 8th, 2014 at 9:27 PM ^
It was a blessing in disguise.
October 8th, 2014 at 7:33 PM ^
they are definitely the least talented team ever to win a conference championship. Trey was a freshman at the time. THJ was slumping big time. Stu and Novak were solid players but wouldn't start on a better team especially Novak at PF. Smotrycz has talent but is soft and he disappeared in B1G play. It is a big achievement that they won a share of B1G title given the players they have on the roster.
Michigan has far more talent than that team. I expect a Sweet 16 appearance without a doubt. Anything less than that would be a big disappointment IMO.
October 8th, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^
October 8th, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^
apply to football and not basketball? We can learn a thing or two from the basketball program.
October 8th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
Because people venerate Bo more than they should, and in the wrong way. Bo was a special, special coach but you can't just cling to your past.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^
That's why Bo booted Frieder. It started with basketball.
October 8th, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^
That use of "Michigan Man" by Bo is not the way it is used today - at least, I don't think so. I haven't really researched it or anything, but wasn't Bo saying that because Frieder had already signed with ASU, and that was the reason he couldn't stay and coach at Michigan for those fateful six games? That is, he was saying that what made Frieder a non-Michigan Man was because he had already signed with another program and was going to move on, not because he didn't have a history with University of Michigan.
That's what I thought, anyway. Am I seeing that or recalling that incorrectly?
October 9th, 2014 at 8:00 AM ^
From the standpoint of his history with Michigan, Frieder was the consumate Michigan Man. He had two degrees from Michigan and toiled for years as an assistant at Michigan with Johnny Orr before serving the school as head coach.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:42 PM ^
This season: we are going to be fine. Interior inexperience will be a problem on defense all year, but between Donnal & Doyle we'll be OK. The improvement will come from outside as Walton-LeVert-Irvin will give us a performance to rival Burke-Stauskas-Hardaway. Not quite as good offensively, but superior on D. Dawkins & Chatman will capably man the 4 spot.
Next season: we might be trouble. LeVert is gone and Irvin and/or Walton may follow him. Robinson will be able to shoot, but there's going to be a severe lack of athleticism that Michigan hasn't seen since Novak/Douglass. Dawkins sounds like a good athlete, but he was a 3-star for a reason. Donnal/Doyle/Wilson/MAAR/Albrecht/Robinson...this is well below average athleticism. Presumably Irvin or Walton will still be around, but neither has difference-making athleticism and I don't think Chatman or Dawkins are that kind of player either.
We'll still be good, but all our eggs are in the 2016 basket for getting a soon-to-be badly needed infusion of athleticism.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:59 PM ^
Can't say I agree - next year might be a year of growing pains with a whole new set of freshmen and Sweet 16 would be a great showing.
The year after - 2015/16 - is where I'm guess we can make it big. We will likely hang on to both Irvin and Walton and all those freshmen will be sophomores. (Hell, there's even an outside chance of also having LeVert if he wants to get his degree before leaving) A gaggle of Beilein-coached sophomores braced by 2-3 upperclassman leaders and a summer of Jon Sanderson weight training? That's a dark horse Final Four threat right there and that's without Beilein finding a stud freshman that no one else saw.
October 8th, 2014 at 6:18 PM ^
Beilein knows how to develop, no doubt, but people need to stop assuming everyone is leaving early just cause we struck gold a couple times. This up coming year we will be good. Levert will leave (maybe ) after this year. The following year we will be scary good, not scary bad. Mark it Donny!
October 8th, 2014 at 7:36 PM ^
he's 90% gone assuming that he'll maintain his level of play especially if he makes a leap. He's projected anywhere from lottery pick to late 1st round.
Irvin is a maybe depending on how well he'll do this season. Has the size to play SG and has the shooting stroke to succeed in the NBA. If he can show that he can rebound, be more of a playmaker while improving on defense, he could be gone.
I've seen Walton in person. He's not 5'11". Definitely 6' tall.
October 8th, 2014 at 7:38 PM ^
Irvin has to learn to shoot off the dribble, which he hasn't shown he can do at all. Until that happens, he's not first round material.
October 8th, 2014 at 7:50 PM ^
I said he has the potential to be a 1st round material if he makes a leap like Caris, Nik, etc. if he can improve all aspect of his games.
At this time of the year, people would laugh at me if I said Nik would be a lottery pick at the end of the season.
October 8th, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
October 8th, 2014 at 9:22 PM ^
I forgot how annoying your posts were during basketball season last year. You became a "neg on site" and you have not made the sophmore jump this year it seems.
October 9th, 2014 at 7:49 AM ^
Feel free to add to the conversation.
OOOHHH NOOOOO, DONT NEG ME!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!! haha, you guys crack me up...
Well, my posts must have really left an impression on you, lol, whats so annoying?
October 8th, 2014 at 8:08 PM ^
Plenty of NBA players don't.
As long as he has the POTENTIAL to do it, he can get drafted.
And who says he has to go 1st round? Morris, Harris, Robinson...
October 8th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^
Irvin is a little stiffer of an athlete than GR and Nik, less explosive, worse handles, and truly one dimensional (3pt) with bad D and no rebounding. He has tons of potential, sure, but he does not have a polished game by and means. Plus just speaking in terms of athleticism he just isnt on their level.
Walton, also tons and tons of potential, regardless of how tall he is, just isnt NBA material. Just look at Burke, Walton doesnt hold a candle to him. Walton could develop into an all american at the college level, I just havent seen anything that would translate to the Nba in his game.
Man does it feel great to be talking hoops! Wont be long boys (and girls)!
October 8th, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
Walton is actually a very similar player to Trey. Strengths: game management (never turns it over) and outside shooting. Weaknesses: size. Both are solid all-around players with average passing skills for a PG but no major deficiencies. The biggest difference is that Trey is a better finisher while Derrick is a more consistent outside shooter. Trey's the better player probably and will win a game of one on one everytime. But in the NBA both are complementary pieces so Derrick's skillset could actually be MORE valuable as he has more defensive upside.
Trey was never going to be an all-star and neither is Walton, but both of them can be Derrick Fisher/Jameer Nelson caliber players who can start (and win) on the right team.
Walton may indeed be a 4 year player, but I think the NBA will be a serious concern of ours next April for all three of Caris/Derrick/Zak.
If Derrick goes probably depends a bit on what other PG prospects emerge and how strong the draft looks. Trey really lucked out timing wise to go where he did.
October 8th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
October 8th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
If Italy trip is any indication, Zak Irvin is primed for a big leap. His rebounding has improved and showed more offensive diversity. Throw in his improving defense, he could get drafted at 1st round. Problem is you think of players as the same where in reality, every player under JB has improved.
October 8th, 2014 at 9:15 PM ^
I fully agree that everyone improves under Beilein, thats very easy to observe. Its refreshing to have full faith in a coach, for a change.
October 8th, 2014 at 9:30 PM ^
Michigan is that much better which isn't so hard for anybody to understand. Not so sure if the worst team in B1G would blow them out.
A team of MGoBlog members would get murdered playing against them. it's like people thinking the best college team would beat the worst NBA team.
October 9th, 2014 at 5:09 AM ^
October 9th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^
You would not make the team at all lol. Stop kidding yourself with it. If you're so good, then why aren't you playing basketball?