Recent Comments

Aubrey is no doubt a true 6ft6. MAAR looks like a solidly built 2 guard. Doyle looks like a monster and has lost bad weight. DJ looks like very long and athletic. Kameron looks a tad shorter than advertised. Great to see Hatch in maize and blue!

Believe the hype. He will be the best player on the field in at least two games against Ohio.

If you look at our roster top to bottom...we are a top 10 ball club. All it takes is Nussmeier being a home run hire and G. Mattison doing what we know he can. I like 10 wins is the floor for this team this season.

I kid I kid!

We are really going to rely on these freshman bigs. We will have to keep our fingers crossed and hope they develop quickly.

Ty is a year ahead in the weight room and has game experience. He is a big power back with speed and he would at minimum be as good as Weber and Harris out of the gate. Harris to me still looks like the best prospect overall. Landing Ty would alleviate all worries about the former two though!

Solid work. Video production was nice.

Like it or not...this is Michigan getting on board with the times. It's not what we are used to but it is what schools are doing and what we need to do to stay up with the ever - changing and wild world of recruiting.

Looks like a great fit and an elite talent! Welcome Darrin!

...and built upon it. Big athletes that can move. The SEC and the ACC are aiming to be bigger and faster than the competition. Back in the day of the Miami/FSU rivalry...the talent on the field was mesmerizing. The same can be said for the 06/07 Michigan vs. Ohio games. It's definitely pretty crazy to think about 28 NFL guys on the field at one day in a college game though. Talent wins championships and the current college football trends reinforce that.

Do want. We need to flood our locker room with elite athletes that are willing to do things the right way. It's not easy obviously but we are still in need of a few high caliber NFL projected athletes. Darrin certainly looks the part and we need a few more like him.

Happy for Taylor! This looks great for Michigan!

Considering we will be fortunate to get 2 more years out of Irvin and Levert.

Brunson to Villanova has picked up steam.

Lol no seriously though. ..we are having a bear of a time at this position. I cannot really name a realistic prospect at that position for us. Zimmerman and Stone are going to be really tough to even remain in the running for. All the prospects that I'm hearing about are wings and points. An occasional PF like Ahmad. I think with Donnal and Doyle we should be good for a while...unless of course Beilein happens to Donnal and he becomes Pau Gasol.

I'm a night shift vampire. My apologies.

I only added guys that we have a solid shot at as of right now. I'd love to land Grandstaff. He looks like the real deal.

The gob of info is pretty awful. I can't post from my work computer and had to use my phone. Safe to say it didn't go so well. Sorry.

This will wind up being a good thing for us. Both Jalens and a PF are still possible. Huff...Wilson and Chatman would get quite crowded.

Stand the f*** by.

I hope coach is right. Max will be relied on next season and to be fair...Branden Dawson is only 6ft6 so it can be done at the 4 spot at his height. A Max B breakout season would be a gift from above!

Jashon is a great player but his affinity to MSU represents a swing in recruiting for MSU that is starting to directly hurt our program. He hasn't signed with MSU and it's early but there is a trend starting to surface.

It's time we just realize that they are for real on the field and the recruiting trail. They have put out some really good teams and players under Dantonio and recruits are noticing. We need to step our s*** up on the field and put them back in our rear view. They are an exit ahead of us at the moment. .....

5 seed in the tournament and a Sweet 16 birth. We bow out to Kentucky again who will be the #1 overall seed. 3 straight years of beating everyone outside of the bluegrass state....smdh.

Someone get the Mden on line 1!

Kid looks like a boss. He will be welcomed in this new and improved more athletic defensive backfield that we are building.

...In what type of team MSU will have this fall despite them being on our side of the B1G and our in state rival. It's not like we have been beating them with any regularity on the football field lately. Maybe you should care less about taking shots and moreabout keeping up with what's going on around Michigan sports.

I think our in state rival's spring game is a good chance to size them up. Not sure how it is not relevant.

Starting to feel a tad bit snake bitten lately......

....No we are not.

Not feeling to good about the FL kids making the trek to the Midwest for football withthose type of offer sheets. Michigan needs to show that they are elite again bbefore kids are going to start coming from all over to play in Ann Arbor again.

You don't have any idea what happened. Read the statements and reports from the people involved. Jameis has had his name drug through the mud over an alleged incident that you or I have no proof of. Willie Meggs is notorious for hanging Noles and has in fact charged Travis Johnson wrongly in the past of the same charge that Jameis was being accused of. The girl in the Johnson case later admitted to it all being hogwash and the millions it cost Travis in the Draft were never appropriated. Stop with the Jameis witch hunt. It's getting old and redundant. Look at that situation with common sense and ask yourself if it adds up. As a graduate of Florida State and football alumni i find it hard to believe that Jameis would commit this act or be in a position to commit this act. I won't share any more info because it would be unfair to the other party...but let's just say the case was anything but a slam dunk. Passing judgment like this on a kid with no hard evidence to back such a brutal act is irresponsible and shows lack if morality in itself. If it comes out that he did this then I will be on board with a swift and harsh punishment. Highly doubt that day will come. Until then I think all the Judge "Joe Browns" should just stop with the peanut gallery pot shots at a kid you've never met.

A Nigerian Center from Rice that posted very good freshman numbers and was looking at Michigan amongst others to transfer to.

Walton. Spike
Levert. MAAR/ Chatman
Irvin. Chatman
Donnal. Beifeldt/Wilson
Mcgary. Doyle

That starting lineup is terrific.
Levert and Irvin are a GREAT wing tandem.
MAAR gives us a 20 yr old backup freshman guard.
Spike is good enough to run point and move Walton to 2 guard.
Chatman is versatile enough and big enough to spot 3 positions.
Donnal is a legit stretch 4 and Beifeldt is a quality backup with exp.
McGary could be the best Big man in the country Next year.
Doyle is underrated and gives us a legit backup center.
Wilson is going to make waves in AA....just a matter of 15' or 16'.

All in All....This lineup if it holds will compete for the B1G title and I don't think there will be much drop off from this season if any.

The depth chart shuffles in his favor once he arrives. He has nothing to worry about. One year of mixing in at PG and 2 guard then the show will be his to run unless D Walton stays all 4 years....which I don't think is likely.

Seems like there are some definite positives to staying in school in this case.  Him and Caris would dominate the B1G next year.   On the contrary, if he recieves a 1st round grade after not even playing this year and has legitimate re-injury concerns....maybe he makes the jump.  I just hate to see him throw himself to the wolves (NBA Gms) who will certainly tear his injury and lack of extensive production apart.  I would be upset to see him slide into the second round or remain there however you want to view it.  Mitch is a lottery pick if healthy next year point blank. 

Just kidding....nothing will ever make me or any of us forget Nik Stauskas or the electrifying GR3. That being said, Aubrey is going to be a Dynamic athlete and Beilein could really turn this kid into another pro. This post just made my morning. If we add Aubrey Dawkins.....Holy shit! I really think this kid could by a hell of a player for us!

http://youtu.be/hfXVQBpibuQ

and some more eye popping dunk action!

http://youtu.be/JEl--ogBezQ

....makes zero sense. Guy has a bad injury history and has been playing out of position for 3 years. Him coming back does virtually nothing to his NBA stock. Tom always lucks out on these decisions. Tough swings between us losing 2 more Sophsand Dekker ..Kaminsky and Dawson staying. We will always be young on the court to everyone else's elder statesmen. Frustrating but it is what it is.

Tears won't bring her back...but I damn sure just shed them.  Bless her and her family.  Bless Payne for being a terrific human being.  He is a SPartan that I will root for indefinitely.  That little girl had more passion and personality than most adults.  

We have some talent on the roster.....we simply have not developed it all properly.
I think Gardner will simply be what he is....which is a high risk/reward guy that will win us games and lose us games.
As long as we continue to hear the coaching staff make comments about how "young" we are on the offensive line....expectations need to remain simmered. We had 2 seniors last year and we were awful.
Michigan needs a year of over achievement to "Turn" the corner. Right now we are behind State...Ohio....Wisconsin and maybe even PSU and Nebraka. More talent needs to be infused into the program because we have miss analyzed several prospects that have turned into underwhelming Wolverines.

I hope these men make the best decision possible. I think all could make an NBA roster. I also think all could come back and dominate the universe together which would likely result in a 30 for 30 by ESPN for their astounding accolades. In all seriousness. ..All 3 can improve their games and draft stocks by coming back. Don't underestimate the love they have for Coach Belein either.

I coach with him at Riverview High in Sarasota! Great guy!

I just don't buy the safety of jumping into the NBA prior to being ready.  The definition of ready is getting more and more vague these days.  I think the value of the collegiate experience is underrated but in our kids situations....they've played 10 NCAA Tournament games in the past 2 years so I'd say they've been exposed to the bright lights. The NBA is cutthroat and they will NOT coddle kids especially ones that don't look to be superstar organization changers.  The D league is filled with players that at one point in time thought they were ready too.  It's a tough decision and really tough to evaluate.  I think the best way is literally the eye test.  Can you imagine a kid making plays in the NBA.  Trey Burke was a no-brainer.  Even THJ you could see that he could make an impact.  I don't know that Nik can duplicate THJ's rookie year and he won't have to ...to be fair.  I can't confidently say that GRIII will be a consistent contributor next year in the NBA.  Mitch is no where near basketball shape right now and still rehabbing a major back injury.  It will be interesting to see what decisions are made in the next few weeks.  Im sure they will come down soon as Spring Semesters need to be shored up.

I think it's awesome that our program is good enough to have this problem.  I get attached to these guys as a fan and want them to make the best decisions for them.  I coach high school basketball and played some college.....but no where near an expert.

Not sure if it really matters given our system....but he and GRIII have made it clear that they want those positions for NBA development. 

Those comments are chilling to the bone.  I just do NOT think he is ready and dont want to see another Manny Harris or Darius Morris scenario.  Both of those guys left too early and cost themselves a lot of money. 

Particularly when none of them are lottery locks with a questionable hunger in GRIII and a bad back on McGary.  They could all go and it wouldn't shock the world.....i just don't think it would be the right basketball decision.  Leaving early is for the players who are absolutely ready or in dire financial need.  None of our 3 seem to fit that category and the latter 2 run a serious risk by entering this year. 

....the ensuing celebration and "And 1" demonstration after was oh so sweet!  Stauskas, Horford and Robinson stepping over Trice to celebrate with Walton was beautiful. 

We will be hard pressed to bounce back from losing 3 more underclassmen.  Our early attrition rate is what keeps teams like MSU and Ohio on par with us.  If we kept our kids....man we would be a juggernaut.  I know a select few kids leave from an acute handfull of schools every year....but we seem to lose guys that seem to be Second round types early which is tough.  Glenn is potentially a 1st round talent......he just hasn't arrived yet and reached it and foregoing 2 years when you have yet to blossom at this level of competition is really risky and possibly ill-advised.  If he comes back next season and goes Lottery in the 2015 Draft he will have made himself a ton of money. Same with Mitch.

I'm not sure and haven't seen them in the 1st round draft order. Please tell me Joe didn't give up a 2014 1st round pick along the way of crafting this team. It's only the best draft in 10 years.....

I hate to see kids go down with injuries. I'm sure Kentucky will be happy to know Mitch will likely not play as well. Tough time for Willie too with the Draft around the corner.

This kid is a 5 star stud that has shown a solid character track record to go with his elite play. We need him and have a great shot at getting him. I for one can look past this isolated incident. Two years from now....

Walton....Spike
Irvin.....Brunson/Coleman
Levert or Chatman
Chatman/Wilson
Doyle/Donnal

we haz wingz!!! This team would be really really good. Levert would make the 4th consecutive POY after GR3 Wins It Next year. We will then have subs....

...before you start going places with these videos.  Excellent work...every single one is professional and highly enjoyable.  You catch the Spirit of Michigan every time.  Thank you!

In addition I think Nik could make substantial gains in strength and quickness and become a top 10 pick next season and likely the top 2 guard. The evidence is in this season's progression. Nik is not projected at 12. He is in the late teens and that is before the Draft workouts which will only highlight any deficiencies in his athleticism and defensive ability and adversely effect his stock. Nik could substantially improve his stock with another year and also hit the NBA as an impact player making him more likely to get a bigger second contract.

The freezing of the Draft order in 2015 is huge because whoever doesn't declare essentially becomes your crop. NiK...Glen....McGary and maybe even Levert would all find themselves in great positions in a 2015 mock draft. Nik would be a lottery lock and likely top 7-10 with an expected 3rd year jump. Glen could be top 5 or 10 if he realized his talent. Mitch if healthy...would have to be one of if not the top big selected. Lots of ifs either way.

Craft should've played safety in football.  He would have been pretty solid.  I have no clue how a kid spends 4 years in college at a major program and is that poor of an outside shooter.  Baffling. 

GR3 has been bipolar at times this year.  I really feel that it is in his best interest to return next season and get on the Stauskas Summer Plan of Ass Kickery.  Imagine what he could become! 

ESPN is talking about them as if they are the odds on favorite lol.  Maybe to save face for picking them to be #1 to start the season.  State is playing well this week but they've lost to UNC @home....Illinois @home  @Ohio with their "utopically healthy and practiced" squad.  We beat them twice without Mitch McGary and would play them anyday of the week with or without him.  This Spartan love is going to flame out next Saturday.  We will go farther in this tourney than they will.  Only certain refs allow you to beat up your opponent.  Good luck beating up Cincy!  Good luck beating up UVA! 

Texas is 5-4 against AP top 25. They have 4 players who average double figures and a Big Man Cameron Ridley who will be a load for us on the block. They don't appear to be a great defensive team on paper.

These Turnovers are ridiculous.

Absolutely outstanding video!

On a serious note...I think GR3 needs another year of offensive maturation before he makes the jump. The difference in the NBA is that they can cut you. No guarantees once you declare....you better bring it....not sure GR3 is ready for that.

McGary simply doesn't have the body of work to justify a 1st round choice if not completely healthy. It would be a HUGE risk for him entering the Draft this year. The age aspect is overrated and has nothing to do with a rookie contract when you look at the big picture. It's inflated how much teams actually care about a kid being 20 or 22 because it likely effects teams that offer the 2nd contract. The NBA and their scouts like to coax all the college talent into jumping into the league because it's a business. I would hate to see another Michigan kid fall victim to leaving too early. Manny and Darius both left a year early and it has adversely effected their careers.

Saying a team is likely National Title Team is a bit of a stretch....but that roster is absolutely stacked.  In 1993 The Fab Five was a likely Champion that fell just short in the Title Game so it's probably ill-worded on my part to boast that potential 2015 Michigan squad in that manner.  I just don't see that team losing if healthy. 

We are playing at a very high level. ...but I would prefer to NOT play Kansas again. They are the most athletic team in the Tourney. Them and Florida would be our toughest competition.

He is on the verge of being a Mythical Figure in Michigan Basketball and would achieve rarified heights if he saw a Junior Year in Ann Arbor.  I just don't think he will pass on the top 20 selection he will be. I hope that he does well in his workouts and doesn't end up a workout casualty.  The NBA bases a lot of the selection on how you do individually in the franchises specific workouts.  Nik is not an elite athlete and i feel like his draft stock could plummet once NBA GMs watch this first hand.  Nik is a ball player with a great feel for the game.  He is an ice in the veins shooter with a Killer Instinct.  Those traits don't show in the Draft Evaluations often times. In short....I think he will declare with the notion that he is a top 15 pick.  I think once it's all said and done he goes in the early to mid 20s.  If he does in fact leave he will be sorely missed next season.  What a great year he is having!

Nik had the tendency to sit in the corners last year and shoot threes. This season Nik ' s all around game is vastly different than it was a year ago. Nik was timid when going to the basketball more often than not last season. He could not fend off on ball defense and his handle was mediocre. This season he has greatly improved in all areas. Remember that Nik was held scoreless in games last season and was completely taken out of the title game. Good luck with that this year. He has developed quite a bit.

The shot over Egwu was crazy good.  That is a shot that scouts will lose their mind over.  6ft11 athletic defender in your mug.....and ......Buckets.

The most in depth explanation of the seeding I've ever seen on TV.

Not sure who you were thinking of.

She is all that matters.

And his terrible flex pose that does nothing but convince Caris to go all Ham Sandwich on Crisler!

Forgot to Embed.

However, the point of this post is just to remind everyone how dominant he was and how awesome of a collection of players the Fab Five was.  These were the days when Michigan was the biggest and baddest on the block and took absolutely no $h** from anyone.  It wasn't all good but to be honest...I kind of miss that element of physical dominance and brashness.  It's been surfacing the last few years and I love it.  It is a fine line though because The University of Michigan doesn't want to portray too "hood" of an image and I understand that.  I'm of the mind that as long as you uphold the standards of the University in the classroom and in general.....getting a little brash on the basketball court is not only appropriate but preferred.  To each their own.   The 1989 team is still untouchable historically but don't fool yourself.  The Fab Five is known by all basketball fans age 30 +.

Welcome to Michigan lore Glenn!

Omg.

Draw a play up for Spike. I guarantee he drills it.

Wtf with the stiff arming....offensive foul all the way. Horrible.

It's so hard to win when you are getting beasted in the paint. Purdue is just out jumping and muscling away this game from us. Horford is submissive to Hammond and Morgan is not faring much better. I hate to bring it back up but my god this team misses McGary so bad.

All you do is consistently make shit happen.

We are getting blown out by a terrible team.

I personally think another year would do wonders for him but realistically I think he leaves. He showed tremendous one v one shake against top notch defense yesterday. Really proud of how he individually responded and I was a big critic of his athleticism. He shut me right up. I think another year of adding tools to his game and weight would lift him to lottery status. ..but he will be a rotation guy as soon as next year in the league with some dedication. If he does leave...He has left his mark on Michigan basketball. I think he is firmly in the discussion for B1G POY if not the favorite.

It amazes me that so little is made of Mitch McGary ' s injury. We would legitimately be a Top 5 program with him.

You go out of your way to belittle. You called me out when you didn't need to. You made it personal. People like you ruin blog sites. So do the people who back you. Arrogance holds Michigan back and people like you make Michigan ugly to a lot of people. Fortunately for me you cannot tarnish the Michigan that I've had the honor of being exposed to. Have a great day Shirtless!

You want to call out names and belittle so I'll call you out. Some of you need to be called out. You guys are the same ones that offend recruits and belittle 16 and 17 year olds. Internet cowards. Have a nice day.

You don't know who your talking to.  I'm glad your entertained though.  I started a thread to talk about the offensive line.  Since you've deemed it worn out...let all talk of the O line cease this day forth because All-Mighty Shirtless said so......

He came back for Michigan when he didn't have to. I hope that he lands in a great organization. He gave everything to Michigan and he will be sorely missed.

They have a tougher team and are getting healthier. Payne is a Goblin that will likely have a field day on us. McGary being out still is just brutal. We need him point blank. Michigan will have to play like their heads are on fire and Morgan and Horford need to absolutely bring it. Belein needs to coach with fire and not sit on his hands and allow 14-2 starts.... I think Levert and Irvin are the wild card. Spike also. We need those 3 to play B1G. If stauskas and GR3 play well in addition to our wild card players we might be able to out gun them. Hopefully we play with a chip on our shoulder!

MSU is playing great tonight. We must start hot. McGary will be missed on Sunday. We can beat this team again but it will take a monster effort on both sides of the ball.

We were all very wrong about him and his ceiling. He is a potential 6th man of the year or year year out starter....23 points tonight.

We don't play angry and take the paint personally. Our defense against points in the paint is bad. It's tough to be consistent as a basketball team when you a weak in the middle. Horford should be starting. Morgan seems to give good effort...He's just limited and a major downgrade from McGary. It's all house money folks. Our roster will be loaded next year and we will dominate college basketball. Let's just find a way to beat Sparty again and grab this B1G title. The tourney is pressure less for us this season!

Let's move on and build this 2015 class. Alabi...Weber and Cole should be major targets and prioritized.

I need Morgan...Horford...Stauskas...GR3...Irvin...Walton to all drink a bottle of angry and play with a damn chip on their shoulder. Tired of watching this group waltz through games and get pushed around. I know McGary is out but we have got to bow up at some point and play a nastier brand of ball if we want to get this title. I excluded Levert and Spike because they play consistent and seem to bring it every game as far as intensity is concerned. We still control our own destiny....but Sunday will be huge.

We need some dogs on this team. The Boys showed heart coming back but didn't deserve the W. We make Waaaaaaaaaaay too much of a big deal about Nik Stauskas. He continues to show large cracks in his game and is simply a good college player. He needs more time and development before he realizes the NBA dream. This year is really house money when you look at the youth and massive McGary injury. We have played well and will likely finish in the top 2 of the B1G. Next season is an opportunity for Michigan to be a Title Contender. This season is one for developing and building to that point. We lost to a better and tougher team today. We need to remedy our Softness and find a leader. We don't have a leader right now. I'd also like to see a few guys on our bench that I would like to have in a street fight with me at some point....we definitely lack that. This is a strange roster but it's not as bad as today made it seem. One bad game can't define a group. We have an opportunity to bounce back next Sunday. We had better bring some gloves and eat some Wheat ties first. We have got to get tougher and recruit a couple of Dogs.

He is very talented but needs more strength and speed to be effective against NBA athletes. Let us stop with this GR3 and Stauskas to the league noise. It's all OT.

None of these kids are ready for the league. Stauskas needs another year period point blank. He lacks quickness and is a horrid defender. He also tends to have trouble breaking free of ball denial and becomes passive when the defense ratchets up.
Glenn....is simply NOT ready. Streaky scorer with limited dribble drive. Plays passionless through stretches still and doesn't seem to have a well rounded enough game to go pro quite yet.

McGary has not done anything this season and is a massive draft risk. McGary played well in the NCAA tourney and that was about it.

Why give up a degree and your Junior year and a chance to be a National Title team to enter a loaded draft in which none of the above are lottery picks. This is all silly and premature.

We cannot make shots or defend. Stauskas has been nuetralized.....again. GR3 cannot do anything. We simply can't win with this lack of offense and defensive intensity. We will be good next season because all of these kids except Morgan are returning....

The team has a lot to play for on Tuesday. . I think they will step up to the challenge. Today isn't even worth talking about. They didn't care so why should we?

This club plays great some games and poorly the next. No consistency or leadership. We do NOT have a pro on this roster so let all of that GR3 and Stauskas pro talk die. They are not ready. They will be one day...but not anytime soon. Stauskas has trouble against athletic defense and becomes crippled by it. GR3 just looks lost and disinterested at times. I would not draft either. Levert is our most consistent player....He's wild...but consistent. This group could be special next year but I just don't see the leadership now to do more than 2nd in the B1G and a sweet 16 trip.