What a difference 15 years make. ESPN classic showed a Michigan vs. Michigan State game from the 95' season. Michigan players included; King and Jackson from the fab five, Dugan Fife, Maurice Taylor, and Baston. Michigan State had Respert, and Snow.
The game was incredible. It was ridiculous how high Jackson could jump. What I was blown away by was the amount of athleticism displayed throughout the Michigan line up.
Soon after watching the 95' Wolverines the current version came on TV. Only Sims would have been capable of starting if it were 95' again. Harris could have come off the bench. The rest would be watching with the student section (imo). After 95 I left the great state of Michigan, became a poor college student, moved around a bunch and have just started to follow M basketball again thanks to the internet and satelite tv. So I ask this profound and well thought out question that the blog community can answer for me. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?
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U of M basketball 95'
this is what happened:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan_basketball_scandal
After having read the article, I had a couple of thoughts. I hated Mateen Cleeves for what he did to Michigan on the basketball court. I didn't realize it was his auto accident that started the investigation into Ed Martin and Michigan Basketball. He has officially moved up in my enemy list. Another thought that came up was the last sanction imposed on Michigan was in 03. It has been seven years and the team has only improved this much? Was last year the aberration, or is it this year?
in the article was the abberation, the last two years cumulatively will be the norm. I don't think that Michigan will ever legitimately compete with the likes of KU, UK, NC, Duke and so on for national superiority. They will however, bring in some talent, make the tourney here, make it there, sweet sixteen every yadayada, final four once in blue moon.
Michigan is not the woodshed of a basketball team that they have been the last seven or eight years, but they are not, never will be, (and officially never were), the intimidating badass block M basketball powerhouse of the late 80's and early 90s.
It was fun while it lasted, though.
Did you really miss the Fab Five debate yesterday?
People took money they shouldn't have. We hired a shitty coach we shouldn't have. We are finally becoming relevant again. That would be the Sparknotes version.
We didn't just hire "a" shitty coach, it was shitty coaches
Nutshell response.
Also: shooting the three became more important to a team/a better crowd-pleaser than a slam-dunk.
Daniel Horton
Lester Abram
Chris Hunter
Graham Brown
Dion Harris
Brent Petway
Courtney Sims
Probably the most talented pair of classes never to reach the NCAA tournament. Beilein would have taken them to the final four. Horton, Abram, Hunter and Harris were made for this offense. They would be nailing the open 3's our guys are whiffing. Too bad we didn't hire Beilein in 04.
You are so right about the talent from these two years and the unfortunate waste of it on the court due to coaching. My favorite player from your list was Lester Abram and my least favorite (by far) was Courtney Sims!
Generally speaking (as in, not NCAA Sanctions and UM specific):
The game itself has changed considerably... in 1989 UM scored over 80 points in almost every game, going over 100 a few times. College games in the early to mid '90's were often 94-89... not this 54-49 stuff we see all the time now.
so, I think the NBA happened. Webber leaving after his sophomore year was a huge deal. Almost no one did that then.
Soon after, people were skipping college all together, and now just going for 1 mandatory year. NBA has taken all the "athletic" talent and all the 7' legit Centers.
Even the Michigan State Team from 95 appeared to be better than the current squad that is ranked in the top five(ish). The game was more fluid and had more rythem.
Don't forget about my personal favorite villain to the "why does M basketball suck, now" - Tom Goss. His list of failures during his short and unproductive tenure included not only the Halo around the Stadium and his ineptitude as an administrator and leader, but also the lack of focus, vision and hiring for the Michigan Basketball program. He was a football guy who was in charge of the entire athletic program and promptly forgot about every sport except for football. And what he did for football, was embarrasing and unprofitable.
'95, not 95'
bad day?
I plussed you for this. I don't know why people put the apostrophe on the other side.
Jimmy King was actually considered by some to be the second best talent in the fab five coming out of high school - even when the team could have been his to lead he underachieved...don't get me wrong I love those guys - and I know he's been disappointing of late - but Manny Harris starts on that team
Final four? There is not a coach in America that could have taken those teams anywhere close the final four.
and repeat...ahh hindsight!
