Time to Move On - 2014-2015 Will be a Fun "Transition" Year and 2015-2016 We're Big 10 Title Contenders Again

Hello everyone.  Let's move on from this week of EMO (Lindsay! Mitch!) to look ahead

First we have one of the best staffs in college bball.  Our players individually and as a team progress year over year and through the year.  What a luxury.   Second, we just sent our entire NC starting lineup early entry to the NBA - recruits not in the haze of UK, Duke, Kansas will notice.   Our resume walking into any recruits house now is among the best:

• Great coaching staff
• 2 conference titles in 3 years
• 2 Elite 8s or better back to back
• NBA development of "non top 20" recruits best in the nation... so anyone ranked 30-100 listen up...
• Play in a top 2-3 conference for bball
• Did I mention our academics - aside from UNC and Duke, the best among the "country's basketball powers".

The 2014-2015 squad will struggle with size, and interior defense.  We will have to rip off a redshirt off a player or two we'd prefer to "Donnal".  That's the price of success.  But let's fast forward 1 year after Caris is our 6th early entry in 3 years.

I am going to put on my maize and blue shade goggles and tell you about a young, athletic, and LONG team that is a nightmare to play against... of course with my glasses Irvin does very well next year but not quite well enough to be a top 20 NBA pick and comes back ;)  Even if he doesn't its still very bright.  I also assume Huff, who according to freep.com story yesterday, sounds very high on UM is headed our way.

“As far as Cole goes, it’s Michigan,” Parks said. “And when a school like Michigan calls…”

[EDIT - Looks like Huff is a "lean" per our MGoInsider]

So up front I bring you a front line of 6'9 RS SO Donnal, 6'10 SO Doyle, 6'8 JR Huff*, 6'8 SO DJ Wilson. 

6'8 SO Chatman you ask?  Well he might be a 2 by then (his dad mentioned Bielen could see him as a 1)....unless our 6'6 JR Irvin returns.  Lack of length, size, rebounding you say - nah that was a 2014-2015 issue...this 2015-2016 squad has size everywhere.  Oh did I mention we have a JR PG (been a while since we could say that) with a backup SR PG.   Experienced PGs usually are a cool thing for long tourney runs.  We've been making do with babies at that position for a few years.

That is our 8 deep folks.  Oh and then you throw in "role" players such as 21 year old SO 6'4 MAAR at 2 and SO 6'6 Dawkins* at 3.  Folks that is a 10 player rotation.  I didnt even mention RS SR 6'7 Max Bielfeldt as the 11th man.

Did I mention our yet to be known 2015 freshman of which we can be sure one will be a top 30 type talent?  Maybe even 2 in the top 50?  Where are they going to even find playing time?  Any elite talent will be pushing MAAR Dawkins type guys down to 11th or 12th men.

So yeah... 2014-2015, will have some nightmares versus the Kaminsky's of the world and our interior defense will be LOL but Beilein will find offense one way or another to make it an entertaining if "OMG why did you do that...oh yeah freshman" team.  But that experience along with reinforcments coming in is going to lead to a 2015-2016 team which is going to be like...wow.  
 

Onward.  (edit - my title assumes Wiscy wins the Big 10 title in 2014-2015, and pretty handily)