Yes, of course Warde can't tell the NCAA to stick their investigation where the sun don't shine. But he absolutely could say Michigan will cooperate but that they also vehemently deny the allegations and wonder about the NCAAs peculiar obsession with Jim Harbaugh while there are major infractions happening around the country.
Not doing that is a choice as well. Maybe there's something to the allegations and he doesn't want to stick his neck out for Harbaugh, but that is a choice too. This statement reads like a guy setting up his coach to take a fall.
Braiden McGregor pops several times in those defensive highlights. Is he getting any all-big ten or maybe even all-american buzz heading into the season?
Outside of Dickinson, how do they generate shots? From the film I've seen on Llewellyn he is more of an off-ball player than an on-ball creator.
Pinning a lot of creation on true freshman Jett seems like a recipe for disaster (remember early season Caleb Houstan when Michigan played anyone with a decent defense?)
Can Kobe make a huge leap? Does someone else surprise us?
I agree with you that they probably get by as a grind-it-out team defense and just riding Hunter on offense. That might be enough to be a decent team and make the tournament, but the lack of shot creation likely holds them back from being a top 25 type team. I don't think they'll be very enjoyable to watch aesthetically, but they will probably be really fun from a grit standpoint. The wins will feel earned.
PG: Collins & McDaniel - PG looks set and they likely don't need to add a PG in the portal this year.
SG: Bufkin, ? - This is where I think Michigan needs to find a transfer so I agree a guy in the 6'3 to 6'5 range who can guard bigger guards and hit jump shots will be important to find. Replacing Eli Brooks is a big ask. Bufkin has shown some flashes of scoring talent but has had issues on defense and will need to take a big step forward to be a 30 minute-per-game guy on a good team. More likely, they find a starter here who can play 20-30 minutes and split time with Bufkin while he keeps developing on both ends.
SF: Houstan, Jett Howard, Barnes, Jace Howard - I do not think Houstan will go to the nba. I don't think he'd be drafted if he left and any draft hype is lingering from preseason rankings rather than up-to-date scouting. I expect Jett Howard to earn minutes right away as a freshman.
PF: Diabate (?), Williams, Tschetter, Glenn - If Diabate departs they will put some talented guys in a blender and see if they can develop a stud. Could add a transfer but they at least have a floor with TWill who will give you tough minutes as an undersized 4 and developing as a floor spreading player.
C: Dickinson (?), Reed - If Dickinson and Diabate both return then Juwan will not need to add a transfer big. If one or both leave then the C position gets thin quickly.
To me, SG is the biggest need, followed by potentially C. They have enough big wings but not many of the G/F variety.
I actually have a not sarcastic answer to why some people watch. I used to watch this show with my roommates (we had 2 girls and 2 guys living together) before I moved out. We had a blast watching...
We'd all drink together and watch the first episode where you learn about the bachelor and all the girls and then each pick 3 contestants we thought had the best shot to make it to "hometowns". Then the entire season was spent talking shit about one another's picks. Pretty similar to why fantasy football with your family/friends is enjoyable.
To further increase the enjoyment we'd each create a rule for drinking before every episode, something like: drink every time anyone says "here for the right reasons" or "this journey", or every time there's a kiss. Inevitably we'd all be hammered after watching the 85 minutes or so of actual screen time after zipping thru it on DVR. We'd spend much of the time watching the show basically making fun of all the people on the show and the show itself. Good times.
I know Seth and many on this board always bring up the fact Cade has the same freshman eligibility as JJ due to his redshirt year and covid-year, but he's still a Junior in college.
My best guess is that we have a similar set-up to this year in 2022, with an open competition but JJ knowing he'll get even more snaps even if he loses that competition. And then a Senior Cade McNamara will graduate from Michigan in the spring (whether he wins the starting job in '22 or not) and either head off to the NFL if he thinks he'll be drafted, or he grad transfers somewhere that needs a plug and play high level QB.
Whoever wins the job in 2022, JJ will be the man his Junior year in 2023 and he and Donovan Edwards will both be incredible (fulfilling the promises they made during their recruitments) and head off to the NFL together.
GA is clearly the cream of the crop. MSU has the best win of undefeated teams (vs top 10 Michigan). Oregon has the best win in the entire country this year and the committee will consider H2H with OSU with both being 1 loss teams. Bama's loss isn't as bad as Oregon's, so despite their best wins not being super impressive - close game they eeked out @ 4-4 FL, win over 6-2 Ole Miss, or their neutral site win over 4-4 Miami - they will get the nod at #4 for now.
I will be shocked if GA/OU/MSU aren't the top 3 and will be equally shocked if Cincinnati is in the top 5. Unfortunately (for them) their win over IU has lost all it's weight. At this point they need to win big and they need ND to win out otherwise any 1 loss P5 champ is getting in over them.
Good point about the lack of elite edge rusher. I do think the line will be better in 2020.
Despite losing Uche, the DEs are both strong in the run game and pushing the pocket. Development from the young DTs (and from McGrone + return of Ross) and Michigan should be very stout against the run. I'd expect they'll move from a top 25 run D to a top 10 unit.
As the run defense improves you put opposing offenses in more third and longs, and that's when Paye and Hutchinson will be able to get home by collapsing the pocket. No elite edge rusher, but two very strong guys who get there eventually.
Uche had 7.5 sacks in 2019. The team had had 36 (21st nationally). I think it's reasonable to expect Paye (6.5) and Hutchinson (4.5) both to up their sack totals in 2020. I think they'll get more out of the linebackers on blitzes as well (which were some of Uche's sacks) and make up for the lost production. I don't think it's unreasonable to predict 40+ sacks in 2020. Clemson had 46 last year in 15 games.
Bajema transferred because he wasn't going to play. There's nothing to suggest he was going to pass Nunez, let alone be ahead of Zeb Jackson. This board is really down on Nunez, but if he gains confidence and can make shots (which he must do in practice to earn the starting SG spot last year), he'd be a serviceable backup guard. Nothing was going to be handed to Bajema. With Mike Smith coming in, Brooks is going to be the primary 2.
Brooks - 35
Livers - 35
Wagner - 35 Smith - 25
Johns - 23 Dickinson - 20
Davis - 15 Jackson - 12
8-man rotation. Williams, Howard and Nunez could earn playing time or be forced to play with injuries or foul trouble, but I don't see them playing regularly. Livers (3/4), Wagner (2/3), Brooks (1/2), Johns (4/5) all have positional flexibility that will really help Michigan next year. Howard will have the ability to matchup with small and big teams. This will also be the best shooting Michigan team in several years, as Livers, Wagner and Brooks all spread the floor with additional shooting from Smith and Johns.
The questions will be:
1) Can the bigs defend? We know Austin Davis is solid on the offensive glass and finishing in the half court offense, and Hunter Dickinson can finish around the hoop, but can they move their feet enough to defend athletic college bigs? If not, Johns is going to get more time at center.
2) How does Smith's game transfer to Big Ten basketball? He's going to need to be solid on both ends - that means hitting open jumpers, handling the ball without turning it over, and staying in front of his man on defense. If Smith can't give them heavy minutes the guard rotation will be a problem.
3) Who emerges as the backup guard? Zeb Jackson is my bet, but he's skinny and not a wow athlete. This position will likely be a matchup problem on defense, whether it's Jackson or Nunez who emerges.
One thing that could really change the rotation - If Dickinson is a revelation (he played high level high school basketball and was very productive), he could suck up more minutes at C and Johns will get more at the 4, moving Livers to the 3 and Wagner to the 2. Oddly, the development of Dickinson and the backup SG minutes may well be intertwined.
Defense - McGrone & Hill both have the potential to be standouts (high level NFL picks). If your defense is elite thru the middle, you usually have a good defense. It's harder for offenses to beat you on the perimeter consistently.
Sneaky pick here - the return of Josh Ross. The Mcgrone/Ross duo might be the best linebacker pair in the conference. Speed, athleticism, sure tackling. A year of experience for McGrone hopefully puts an end to his misreads/wrong gapping, which makes him very likely a first team all big ten guy. He may benefit from having Ross on the field for communication as well.
Offense - Development of running game. There's going to be a real battle in camp and weekly for opportunities to carry the football. Charbonnet will hopefully be back to 100%. Haskins will only be stronger and meaner, and Evans gives the offense a home run threat (Turner does as well, and Turner beating out Evans for that role imo would be a positive development. His issues have mostly been fumbling, and that can be solved as guys get over their nerves as they mature).
While the offensive line will have 4 new starters, they will come from a pool of highly recruited and talented players who have spent years in the system. The 4 drafted lineman were all excellent at Michigan, but overall I believe all were better pass protectors than run blockers. Unfortunately Shea couldn't capitalize consistently enough on the elite pass protection. But I think there will be a renewed focus on the running game. The X factor in the running game is the QB play, as I believe both Dylan and JM will provide more than Shea did last year. I could see the running game improving significantly, into the top 25 or so in the country, and the passing game having more relatively easy big plays in play action as a result.
but the secret to an elite team is finding an elite quarterback. The top 6 QBs in the sport (in no particular order) are: Burrow, Hurts, Tua, Lawrence, Fields, Herbert. 4 out of 6 will be in the playoffs. One is injured and the other won his conference.
Michigan hasn't had an NFL level QB in over a decade.
Also - GA got unlucky that Fields and Fromm's classes weren't reversed. If they were, I think GA likely wins a title (either '17, '18 or this year). And then they'd have Fromm waiting in the wings after learning for 2 years and ready to take over next year as a redshirt sophomore. They couldn't start Fields last year because Fromm was better, and that cost them Fields, who was always clearly the higher upside college quarterback.
As fans we all want to create a narrative (Kirby is good but not elite!) but the margins are so slim and sometimes it comes down to just a few (un)lucky breaks.
If this was a GA blog, most of this board would want Kirby fired (at least for the next 24 hours).
That said, I don't think they've missed their window. They continue to recruit well but just didn't have the OL or WRs to win the SEC this year. They had the OL two season's ago, but their QB was a true frosh. Fromm may be back next year, and if he returns he'll likely be the best QB in the conference and they'll win the SEC east and be in this game again next season.
GA had the best defense in the SEC this season (which isn't saying much) and got eviscerated by LSU. It's crazy how far the sport has swung to favor the high powered offenses. If you have a QB who can create big or just solidly positive plays when the initial schemed play breaks down (Burrow, Tua, Hurts, Fields, Lawrence) then no defense in college football can stop you.
The five best offenses in the sport are the 5 best quarterbacks.
That is the big question for Michigan: Can McCaffrey or Milton become one of those guys?
That's interesting about FL. Has the committee actually said they use Strength of Record?
I'm not sure I've ever seen the details on how espn SOR is actually determined. Placing FL 6th seems wildly inaccurate and makes me more worried about how much SEC bias influences the committee. The records of teams like IU and IL would have an extra W if they substituted an FCS team for a conference game.
Your logic about Wisconsin blocking Michigan makes sense. I will not bet you.
I'd guess Michigan is 11th. A dominant win @ 7wIndiana will be discussed, but it's likely not enough to move Michigan above Wisconsin or PSU.
This is actually an interesting week for the rankings to try to understand what the committee values. It may be wishful thinking, but at some point I'd like to believe the committee will recognize that Florida does not have the resume to justify #11. They have one win over a team with more than 6 wins on the year (Auburn) yet seem to be gliding on "good losses" to LSU and GA. In comparison, Michigan has a dominant win over 9-2 ND, and wins over 8-3 Iowa, @7-4 IU, @7-4 IL. To date, it seems the committee gives more value to "good losses" than good wins. Michigan's losses @camp randall and @happy valley are in two of the toughest venues in all of college football against top 12 teams. I'd rather player GA on a neutral field than Wisconsin in Madison.
A lot of pessimism in this thread, but I personally think Michigan is at least a top 5 team in the Big Ten, which is good enough for top 25 nationally.
I expect David DeJulius to be one of the most improved players in the Big Ten and his teammate Brandon Johns will battle him for that distinction. Both are going to see a huge increase in minutes and will have the opportunity to settle into a role where their talent will begin to shine. They may have some growing pains early but this fan base will be excited about both players by February/March.
X
DD
Livers
Johns
Teske
Brooks, Bajema, Castleton
That's your rotation. JB would never start that lineup, but Howard may. They don't really have a 3 (unless Bajema is more ready than I anticipate), so might as well go big. That lineup will be absolutely devastating on defense with length to alter shots all over the court.
Offense will be ugly and prone to droughts, but that is true for most teams in college basketball. They'll win a lot of games holding their opponents in the 50s and 60s. Their kenpom profile will probably look something like Wisconsin's did this past season - a top 5 defense and middling offense in 50-75 range.
If you think Michigan isn't going to be one of the top 36 teams in college basketball you haven't been watching Zavier Simpson the last two seasons. Leaders like him don't wilt heading into their senior year, they blossom. The team will take on his personality and win games with tenacious defense while they wait for DeJulius to become their late clock assassin.
I haven't watched a replay of the game, but is Gentry becoming a plus blocker? Last year he was able to mostly get in the way, but he's worked his way to legitimate tight end size (from 215 to 262). Not sure his success will last against beefier non-MAC teams but definitely impressed with his development.
He may be a fringe NBA talent on offense. Kid can really shoot and really jump. Maybe his dad can teach him how to stay focused, disciplined, and engaged on defense...because he was very, very bad on defense while at Michigan.
Either way, Simpson is my pick for breakout star for this year's bball team. I know Simmons came in and MAAR is still there to block his minutes, but I think Simpon's combination of elite quickness, strength and defensive effort will be utilized in a big way.
Beilein teams always have a go-to lead guard, and Simpson has the ability to create off the bounce in the pick and roll that JB will absolutely use. He'll remain a distributor primarily, but he's going to be an integral part of the team this year. I think he'll be a guy averaging more than 5 assists per game, hitting his open 3's, and scoring at the rim (especially in the fast break). Simmons and MAAR are both score first guys, and Mo is the best player on the team, so having a distributor work the PnR with him is better than using below average passers.
I think Beilein will find a role for Poole next season. He's much smaller than Duncan Robinson, but seems long and offers a very similar skillset on offense. Also - I knew about his shooting, but he has better ballhandling skills than I expected.
I know there's a huge contigent frustrated with JB's recruiting, but I really like the potential of this 2017 class. Brooks, Poole and Livers all fit very well into JB's system and all are quality athletes.
I disagree here - Reggie is far and away more entertaining than Chris Webber. That's not say he's good, but in comparison he's outstanding. I know this is a Michigan blog, but gotta call it like it is...CWebb is brutal. He includes some strange, inane lead-in with every comment.
Wagner has a tendency to pick up silly fouls when he's been on the floor for extended periods. JB has probably seen it enough to chart that he's more likely to commit dumb fouls when he's at all fatigued (being physical tired saps your ability to focus mentally), so keeping him fresh helps mitigate his fouling issues.
That said, you are absolutely correct there is a massive dropoff (especially on defense) when Donnal comes in for Mo. The BTT and NCAA Tournament is going to ride heavily on Wagner staying out of foul trouble and on the floor.
I get your point. I think maybe the difference in our views is just semantics as I'd call this team mediocre and you say they are bad. I like to watch a lot of college basketball and there are a LOT of mediocre teams out there and Michigan has results that are very similar to those teams. Major conference teams around the .500 mark in conference play.
Mediocre teams usually beat other mediocre teams at home and lose to them on the road. MSU is also mediocre - so Michigan is favored.
This game and the game @Illinois were as far apart on the spectrum as you can get - and the biggest factor in there is likely effort and the enthusiasm generated by the home crowd.
In Big Ten play...
4-1 at Crisler
0-3 on the Road
I think this is a tournament team, but winning Sunday at the Breslin would move them sqaurely into that territory and raise expectations significantly.
Oddly, if this team puts it together, we will bemoan the OT loss to Iowa, MD shooting absolutely lights out to steal one in Crisler, and the horrible 5 minutes to end the game at the Kohl Center. Taking 1 from MD or Wiscy would have Michigan still in the mix for a league title with Wisconsin and Purdue still visiting Michigan down the road. Strange to say that, but it's true. No dominant league team and they are all going to beat one another up over the course of the season.
DJ Wilson had a great game. He was the best player today.
Derrick Walton, however, is Michigan's most important player. They need playmaking, leadership, and shot making from the point guard position. He had a rough stretch, and so did the team. He's a senior leader, it's his time to lead the team and make plays when one is needed. X isn't ready to contribute much offensively, so the team will continue to go as Walton goes. If Walton keeps playing well this team will make the tournament, and once in, Wilson and Wagner can make them a little dangerous.
4 of 5 included today. 2-2 on the upcoming stretch would be pretty good. 3-1 outstanding. Play defense like they have the last two and they will win (at least) 2.
This team is built like a contender players 2-8. If each player was one slot down on the totem with a dominant gaurd this team would be very good. Very unfortunate that Caris got hurt for 2 straight years, but as you mentioned JB's recruiting misses like Luke Kennard and others have contributed to the team lacking a go-to player for 3 straight years. It needs a guard that can create (either his own shot or for others). The best creator on the team is Mo Wagner. Maar should be a 6th man, but he's actually the best 1 on 1 guard on the team, and he's a ball stopping guard. Zak Irvin is misscast as a creator, he should be a spot up shooter who can take advantage when the defense is already scrambling. All 3 of Walton, Irvin and Robinson are above average jump shooters and below average finishers contested at the rim.
I was hopefuly that Simpson could come in and create, and hopefully he'll develop, but for now it looks like Michigan will rely on Mo Wagner to go 1-1 when they need offense.
I do feel that every year JB's teams improve and compete. Hopefully this team will be fun come March as Wagner develops.
I noticed that too. It was so good to see him show some emotion. Running back is one position where mentality matters a LOT. Seeing Ty run with passion and desire actually exposed what has been missing in his game to this point . Felt like he turned a corner a little bit.
I agree with Cowherd that Michigan could blow out Wisconsin. I think the motivation things are overrated - but Wiconsin is getting a lot of hype for their win at MSU in a game they won handily, but also got some bounces. Michigan and Wisconsin a pretty similar teams, but Michigan has a lot more speed on the edge, playmakers at WR and in special teams. Michigan has more talent, is at home, and has Jim Harbaugh coaching.
From the comments above it sounds like he's progressing but won't play this week. Still, I hope that's overly cautious and he's 100% and able to go because having a big run stuffer in the middle against Wisconsin double teams would be ideal. Mone would help Saturday not only because Wisconsin is good, but also their style of play. While Godin has been very good so far this year, and Glasgow is Glasgow, Mone is better than both in standing up to doubles. Hope he's good to go!
I replied to your comment cuz it was the last one - not specifically trying to call you out. I wanted to express that it's annoying that anytime someone mentions Riley or Max on this board there is an immediate steroid reference.
Yes, I do. Losing to them last year was so utterly miserable. The sparty yahoos I went to high school with were blowing up my phone with texts for days and days. I had to take a facebook haitus for a good month, and I still get the highlight sent to me or tagged to me every once in a while.
I had my gloating days during my time at UofM going 4-0, but man this stretch has been miserable for so many of us. I even sat in my Mike Hart #20 jersey in EL in 2005 and got shoved down 3 rows of bleachers and spat on - but singing the Victors in the concourse walking out of the stadium sure felt great.
The attacks on the Bulloughs on this blog is tiresome. By all accounts, Riley is a great leader, extremely hard worker and a grinder who has worked himself into a big time player. There's no evidence he's used streroids. He's the captain at a very legitimate program and one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten.
This also seems like very silly speculation on Max. I don't know all the details, but what I've heard is something entirely different than a fight.
I really hate Michigan State - but baseless, personal attacks on their players is annoying.
I think we're going to be really good next year...
PG - A senior Walton will come back and have his minutes reduced a little. Dakich and some of Walton's minutes will go to Simpson which will be a big upgrade. Walton could also play off the ball a bit with Simpson on the floor as he is very good as a spot up shooter and much less effective when he's the player running the pick and roll.
Conclusion - Moderate improvement
SG - Caris gone, so you return Rahk who should see his usage go up a bit. He had a really good sophomore year, and will know his role heading into this year. Will not be forced to play any PG. Ibi Watson will battle for the backup minutes at SG. Robinson and Dawkins are simply not quick enough to stop dribble penetration from gaurds.
Conclusion - Slight improvement
SF - Dawkins had a tough year that was worse than his frosh year, Robinson started out great and slumped after Caris got hurt. Both are basically spot up shooters who need their teammates to get them open. Both are bad defensively but should improve at least marginally with another offseason. Dawkins still has tons of potential, but there are plenty of reasons to question if he will ever get there. This position improves dramatically on offense if the offense around them improves. We are still going to groan about the defense from these two throughout next year.
Conclusion - Slight improvement
PF - Irvin is the guy here. Wilson and Chatman (barring transfer) will battle for the backup minutes. An ideal world would see one of those two make some sort of titanic shift to push Irvin down to SF. Irvin struggled this year, and that could be due to his back, the team around him, or just scouting and the player he is.
Conclusion - Slight improvement
Center - Moritz is the key, but Davis should push Doyle for the 3rd center minutes. Donnal will be pushed significantly for playing time, and we'll see if he's up to the challenge of continuing to improve or if he will allow younger players to take those mintues away. Center will be the biggest question mark on the team as it could either be slightly better or the biggest change from this year. My prediction is that we will be much happier with our centers next year, but still often frustrated.
Conclusion - Significant improvement
Overall the team will be improved from top to bottom, both offensively and defensively.
While still a great shooting season, Duncan has really dropped off as the year marched on. I'm sure that's due to a combination of factors, but most importantly it's the absence of Caris. No player is more affected than Robinson by not having Levert out there. Robinson is the type of player who becomes ridiculous when he's on a team that can consistently get him open. Without Caris we simply do not have the creators to allow Duncan to chill at the line and rain.
Development from throughout the roster around him, the addition of Xavier Simpson and Duncan's own development in moving without the ball and he should see his 3 point shooting improve over the next couple of seasons at Michigan.
Losing Graham Glasgow, Jake Rudock and Kerridge/Houma. I guess he's counting AJ Williams as a starter?
6 on D is accurate as we lose Henry, Mario/RJS, Bolden, Morgan and Wilson.
My conclusion: Phil is wrong, we have 14 returning starters! (unless he's speculating one of the OL doesn't return for a 5th year or gets beat out and that comes to fruition. Then I be like dang Phil Steele you know yer shit)
Donnal was the starting center in November 2014 and lost the job. He didn't seem to have any confidence, but he got playing time throughout the year, sometimes very sparingly and sometimes signficant minutes. Towards the end of the year he was out of the rotation more as JB moved to Doyle/Max more at the 5.
Then in the offseason Max moved on in what seemed like a mutual decision between he and Beilein, which seemed strange.
And then this year Donnal once again tipped off the opener as the starter. When Donnal's starting spot was mentioned it was usually "he will soon give way to Doyle" or "Beilein is likely trying to motivate Donnal". That 2nd sentiment especially I always found silly. Beilein (like Harbaugh) and almost every coach in the world, is going to start the players who have played the best in practice. Twice Donnal has won the battle within the team to gain the starting position and twice his play in actual games has made that seemed far-fetched.
Today we finally saw what Donnal has been bring in practice to earn those starts. It's in there, and if his confidence swells, he could be a good young big to be excited about.
Literally no one can stand up to him, that's why he's going to be a top 5 draft pick and has been such a terror for 3 years at OSU.
Cole has been Michigan's most consistent lineman this year and will be a plus player wherever he ends up next year, especially if that is still at LT. The guy is a true sophomore this year and was the best lineman on the team.
Next year's game at MSU is neither a gimme or sure loss, and suggesting otherwise in either direction is silly.
MSU loses a bundle of starters with the majority coming at extremely key position groups. No, they aren't going to suddenly become Purdue, but it's not insane to suggest they should be more beatable next season.
It's hard to predict these games the day before they take place yet somehow there's certainty about the way they'll go.
I think we win the Big Ten next year as our trenches should go from 3rd or 4th best in the Big Ten to the top 1 or 2 but I am by no means confident in that prediction - let's see who our starters are at linebacker, at QB, at RB and what our injury situation looks like when the season begins. There's so many damn variables, but we are on the short list of favorites in the conference next season, despite the difficult road schedule.
Irvin is a shell of the player he was towards the end of last season and has zero confidence in his ability to make a shot. He'll round into form over the next month as he gets reps and be a plus player soon.
Levert can't be this great every night, but he's going to be a contender for Big Ten POY.
I'll eat a lemon if Robinson has a worse shooting night than he had tonight. He's adjusting to play at this level, but shooting is shooting is shooting.
As the rotation shrinks and becomes consistent, chemistry will build within the rotation.
I'd like to see:
Walton/MAAR and Spike on the bench until he proves he's 100% healthy
Levert/MAAR
Dawkins/Robinson
Irvin/Chatman
Doyle/Wilson
Wagner isn't ready yet. He is going to be good, and maybe even this year, but right now he's a liability.
I watched a lot of Spartan basketball during Draymond's career in EL and he was a joy to watch play the game. He played so hard, was unselfish, rebounded bigger than his position, passed better than most big man, and would D you up. I'm happy for him that his game has translated so well to the NBA, and not sure why so many scouts missed on the best player in the best basketball league in the country. Also - it helps that Michigan beat his MSU teams just enough for me to not be a sore loser and hate him regardless of how much I respected his game.
Draymond is the easy answer for me.
There are a few other Spartans I really enjoyed watching:
Drew Stanton - loved his enthusiasm
Antonio Smith - he helped Izzo build the program with toughness and grit. It sucks for Michigan fans that he blazed the trail and helped build the program, but he was a tenacious and good player.
Max (and Riley, and maybe Byron someday) Bullough - He's probably hated on this blog, but I know him personally and always enjoyed watching him play as a result. From TCSF kids, I'll take Joey Kerridge all day though!
Rudock played his worst game out of 3 today, he really struggled.
I'm still with you that he's a work in-progress and should develop over the season. He has the tools, the smarts and has shown some flashes, but he needs more consistency.
We may have to get used to 3-4 throws a game that are mind boggling inaccurate to go along with pretty solid play the rest of the game.
Recent Comments
Yes, of course Warde can't tell the NCAA to stick their investigation where the sun don't shine. But he absolutely could say Michigan will cooperate but that they also vehemently deny the allegations and wonder about the NCAAs peculiar obsession with Jim Harbaugh while there are major infractions happening around the country.
Not doing that is a choice as well. Maybe there's something to the allegations and he doesn't want to stick his neck out for Harbaugh, but that is a choice too. This statement reads like a guy setting up his coach to take a fall.
Braiden McGregor pops several times in those defensive highlights. Is he getting any all-big ten or maybe even all-american buzz heading into the season?
Outside of Dickinson, how do they generate shots? From the film I've seen on Llewellyn he is more of an off-ball player than an on-ball creator.
Pinning a lot of creation on true freshman Jett seems like a recipe for disaster (remember early season Caleb Houstan when Michigan played anyone with a decent defense?)
Can Kobe make a huge leap? Does someone else surprise us?
I agree with you that they probably get by as a grind-it-out team defense and just riding Hunter on offense. That might be enough to be a decent team and make the tournament, but the lack of shot creation likely holds them back from being a top 25 type team. I don't think they'll be very enjoyable to watch aesthetically, but they will probably be really fun from a grit standpoint. The wins will feel earned.
PG: Collins & McDaniel - PG looks set and they likely don't need to add a PG in the portal this year.
SG: Bufkin, ? - This is where I think Michigan needs to find a transfer so I agree a guy in the 6'3 to 6'5 range who can guard bigger guards and hit jump shots will be important to find. Replacing Eli Brooks is a big ask. Bufkin has shown some flashes of scoring talent but has had issues on defense and will need to take a big step forward to be a 30 minute-per-game guy on a good team. More likely, they find a starter here who can play 20-30 minutes and split time with Bufkin while he keeps developing on both ends.
SF: Houstan, Jett Howard, Barnes, Jace Howard - I do not think Houstan will go to the nba. I don't think he'd be drafted if he left and any draft hype is lingering from preseason rankings rather than up-to-date scouting. I expect Jett Howard to earn minutes right away as a freshman.
PF: Diabate (?), Williams, Tschetter, Glenn - If Diabate departs they will put some talented guys in a blender and see if they can develop a stud. Could add a transfer but they at least have a floor with TWill who will give you tough minutes as an undersized 4 and developing as a floor spreading player.
C: Dickinson (?), Reed - If Dickinson and Diabate both return then Juwan will not need to add a transfer big. If one or both leave then the C position gets thin quickly.
To me, SG is the biggest need, followed by potentially C. They have enough big wings but not many of the G/F variety.
I actually have a not sarcastic answer to why some people watch. I used to watch this show with my roommates (we had 2 girls and 2 guys living together) before I moved out. We had a blast watching...
We'd all drink together and watch the first episode where you learn about the bachelor and all the girls and then each pick 3 contestants we thought had the best shot to make it to "hometowns". Then the entire season was spent talking shit about one another's picks. Pretty similar to why fantasy football with your family/friends is enjoyable.
To further increase the enjoyment we'd each create a rule for drinking before every episode, something like: drink every time anyone says "here for the right reasons" or "this journey", or every time there's a kiss. Inevitably we'd all be hammered after watching the 85 minutes or so of actual screen time after zipping thru it on DVR. We'd spend much of the time watching the show basically making fun of all the people on the show and the show itself. Good times.
I know Seth and many on this board always bring up the fact Cade has the same freshman eligibility as JJ due to his redshirt year and covid-year, but he's still a Junior in college.
My best guess is that we have a similar set-up to this year in 2022, with an open competition but JJ knowing he'll get even more snaps even if he loses that competition. And then a Senior Cade McNamara will graduate from Michigan in the spring (whether he wins the starting job in '22 or not) and either head off to the NFL if he thinks he'll be drafted, or he grad transfers somewhere that needs a plug and play high level QB.
Whoever wins the job in 2022, JJ will be the man his Junior year in 2023 and he and Donovan Edwards will both be incredible (fulfilling the promises they made during their recruitments) and head off to the NFL together.
2. MSU
3. OU
4…
1. GA
2. MSU
3. OU
4. Alabama
5. Oregon
6. OSU
GA is clearly the cream of the crop. MSU has the best win of undefeated teams (vs top 10 Michigan). Oregon has the best win in the entire country this year and the committee will consider H2H with OSU with both being 1 loss teams. Bama's loss isn't as bad as Oregon's, so despite their best wins not being super impressive - close game they eeked out @ 4-4 FL, win over 6-2 Ole Miss, or their neutral site win over 4-4 Miami - they will get the nod at #4 for now.
I will be shocked if GA/OU/MSU aren't the top 3 and will be equally shocked if Cincinnati is in the top 5. Unfortunately (for them) their win over IU has lost all it's weight. At this point they need to win big and they need ND to win out otherwise any 1 loss P5 champ is getting in over them.
Good point about the lack of elite edge rusher. I do think the line will be better in 2020.
Despite losing Uche, the DEs are both strong in the run game and pushing the pocket. Development from the young DTs (and from McGrone + return of Ross) and Michigan should be very stout against the run. I'd expect they'll move from a top 25 run D to a top 10 unit.
As the run defense improves you put opposing offenses in more third and longs, and that's when Paye and Hutchinson will be able to get home by collapsing the pocket. No elite edge rusher, but two very strong guys who get there eventually.
Uche had 7.5 sacks in 2019. The team had had 36 (21st nationally). I think it's reasonable to expect Paye (6.5) and Hutchinson (4.5) both to up their sack totals in 2020. I think they'll get more out of the linebackers on blitzes as well (which were some of Uche's sacks) and make up for the lost production. I don't think it's unreasonable to predict 40+ sacks in 2020. Clemson had 46 last year in 15 games.
Bajema transferred because he wasn't going to play. There's nothing to suggest he was going to pass Nunez, let alone be ahead of Zeb Jackson. This board is really down on Nunez, but if he gains confidence and can make shots (which he must do in practice to earn the starting SG spot last year), he'd be a serviceable backup guard. Nothing was going to be handed to Bajema. With Mike Smith coming in, Brooks is going to be the primary 2.
Here's my guess at the rotation:
PG: Smith 25, Brooks 15
SG: Brooks 20, Zeb 12, Wagner 8
SF: Wagner 27, Livers 13
PF: Livers 22, Johns 18
C: Dickinson 20, Davis 15, Johns 5
Brooks - 35
Livers - 35
Wagner - 35
Smith - 25
Johns - 23
Dickinson - 20
Davis - 15
Jackson - 12
8-man rotation. Williams, Howard and Nunez could earn playing time or be forced to play with injuries or foul trouble, but I don't see them playing regularly. Livers (3/4), Wagner (2/3), Brooks (1/2), Johns (4/5) all have positional flexibility that will really help Michigan next year. Howard will have the ability to matchup with small and big teams. This will also be the best shooting Michigan team in several years, as Livers, Wagner and Brooks all spread the floor with additional shooting from Smith and Johns.
The questions will be:
1) Can the bigs defend? We know Austin Davis is solid on the offensive glass and finishing in the half court offense, and Hunter Dickinson can finish around the hoop, but can they move their feet enough to defend athletic college bigs? If not, Johns is going to get more time at center.
2) How does Smith's game transfer to Big Ten basketball? He's going to need to be solid on both ends - that means hitting open jumpers, handling the ball without turning it over, and staying in front of his man on defense. If Smith can't give them heavy minutes the guard rotation will be a problem.
3) Who emerges as the backup guard? Zeb Jackson is my bet, but he's skinny and not a wow athlete. This position will likely be a matchup problem on defense, whether it's Jackson or Nunez who emerges.
One thing that could really change the rotation - If Dickinson is a revelation (he played high level high school basketball and was very productive), he could suck up more minutes at C and Johns will get more at the 4, moving Livers to the 3 and Wagner to the 2. Oddly, the development of Dickinson and the backup SG minutes may well be intertwined.
Defense - McGrone & Hill both have the potential to be standouts (high level NFL picks). If your defense is elite thru the middle, you usually have a good defense. It's harder for offenses to beat you on the perimeter consistently.
Sneaky pick here - the return of Josh Ross. The Mcgrone/Ross duo might be the best linebacker pair in the conference. Speed, athleticism, sure tackling. A year of experience for McGrone hopefully puts an end to his misreads/wrong gapping, which makes him very likely a first team all big ten guy. He may benefit from having Ross on the field for communication as well.
Offense - Development of running game. There's going to be a real battle in camp and weekly for opportunities to carry the football. Charbonnet will hopefully be back to 100%. Haskins will only be stronger and meaner, and Evans gives the offense a home run threat (Turner does as well, and Turner beating out Evans for that role imo would be a positive development. His issues have mostly been fumbling, and that can be solved as guys get over their nerves as they mature).
While the offensive line will have 4 new starters, they will come from a pool of highly recruited and talented players who have spent years in the system. The 4 drafted lineman were all excellent at Michigan, but overall I believe all were better pass protectors than run blockers. Unfortunately Shea couldn't capitalize consistently enough on the elite pass protection. But I think there will be a renewed focus on the running game. The X factor in the running game is the QB play, as I believe both Dylan and JM will provide more than Shea did last year. I could see the running game improving significantly, into the top 25 or so in the country, and the passing game having more relatively easy big plays in play action as a result.
Not to hijack the sarcastic thread...
but the secret to an elite team is finding an elite quarterback. The top 6 QBs in the sport (in no particular order) are: Burrow, Hurts, Tua, Lawrence, Fields, Herbert. 4 out of 6 will be in the playoffs. One is injured and the other won his conference.
Michigan hasn't had an NFL level QB in over a decade.
Also - GA got unlucky that Fields and Fromm's classes weren't reversed. If they were, I think GA likely wins a title (either '17, '18 or this year). And then they'd have Fromm waiting in the wings after learning for 2 years and ready to take over next year as a redshirt sophomore. They couldn't start Fields last year because Fromm was better, and that cost them Fields, who was always clearly the higher upside college quarterback.
As fans we all want to create a narrative (Kirby is good but not elite!) but the margins are so slim and sometimes it comes down to just a few (un)lucky breaks.
If this was a GA blog, most of this board would want Kirby fired (at least for the next 24 hours).
That said, I don't think they've missed their window. They continue to recruit well but just didn't have the OL or WRs to win the SEC this year. They had the OL two season's ago, but their QB was a true frosh. Fromm may be back next year, and if he returns he'll likely be the best QB in the conference and they'll win the SEC east and be in this game again next season.
GA had the best defense in the SEC this season (which isn't saying much) and got eviscerated by LSU. It's crazy how far the sport has swung to favor the high powered offenses. If you have a QB who can create big or just solidly positive plays when the initial schemed play breaks down (Burrow, Tua, Hurts, Fields, Lawrence) then no defense in college football can stop you.
The five best offenses in the sport are the 5 best quarterbacks.
That is the big question for Michigan: Can McCaffrey or Milton become one of those guys?
Thanks for the correction on IL.
That's interesting about FL. Has the committee actually said they use Strength of Record?
I'm not sure I've ever seen the details on how espn SOR is actually determined. Placing FL 6th seems wildly inaccurate and makes me more worried about how much SEC bias influences the committee. The records of teams like IU and IL would have an extra W if they substituted an FCS team for a conference game.
Your logic about Wisconsin blocking Michigan makes sense. I will not bet you.
I'd guess Michigan is 11th. A dominant win @ 7wIndiana will be discussed, but it's likely not enough to move Michigan above Wisconsin or PSU.
This is actually an interesting week for the rankings to try to understand what the committee values. It may be wishful thinking, but at some point I'd like to believe the committee will recognize that Florida does not have the resume to justify #11. They have one win over a team with more than 6 wins on the year (Auburn) yet seem to be gliding on "good losses" to LSU and GA. In comparison, Michigan has a dominant win over 9-2 ND, and wins over 8-3 Iowa, @7-4 IU, @7-4 IL. To date, it seems the committee gives more value to "good losses" than good wins. Michigan's losses @camp randall and @happy valley are in two of the toughest venues in all of college football against top 12 teams. I'd rather player GA on a neutral field than Wisconsin in Madison.
1. OSU
2. LSU
3. Clemson
4. UGA
5. Alabama
6. Utah
7. Minnesota
8. Oklahoma
9. PSU
10. Wisconsin
11. Michigan
12. Baylor
13. Florida
14. Notre Dame
15. Oregon
16. Auburn
17. Iowa
A lot of pessimism in this thread, but I personally think Michigan is at least a top 5 team in the Big Ten, which is good enough for top 25 nationally.
I expect David DeJulius to be one of the most improved players in the Big Ten and his teammate Brandon Johns will battle him for that distinction. Both are going to see a huge increase in minutes and will have the opportunity to settle into a role where their talent will begin to shine. They may have some growing pains early but this fan base will be excited about both players by February/March.
X
DD
Livers
Johns
Teske
Brooks, Bajema, Castleton
That's your rotation. JB would never start that lineup, but Howard may. They don't really have a 3 (unless Bajema is more ready than I anticipate), so might as well go big. That lineup will be absolutely devastating on defense with length to alter shots all over the court.
Offense will be ugly and prone to droughts, but that is true for most teams in college basketball. They'll win a lot of games holding their opponents in the 50s and 60s. Their kenpom profile will probably look something like Wisconsin's did this past season - a top 5 defense and middling offense in 50-75 range.
If you think Michigan isn't going to be one of the top 36 teams in college basketball you haven't been watching Zavier Simpson the last two seasons. Leaders like him don't wilt heading into their senior year, they blossom. The team will take on his personality and win games with tenacious defense while they wait for DeJulius to become their late clock assassin.
Yes 100% without a doubt PSU is Michigan's rival. Notre Dame is not.
...this is not true but would help a bit to mitigate the "Harbaugh can't beat rivals!! argh! whine! cry!" narrative
I…
This is great content.
I haven't watched a replay of the game, but is Gentry becoming a plus blocker? Last year he was able to mostly get in the way, but he's worked his way to legitimate tight end size (from 215 to 262). Not sure his success will last against beefier non-MAC teams but definitely impressed with his development.
Thanks for the info
He may be a fringe NBA talent on offense. Kid can really shoot and really jump. Maybe his dad can teach him how to stay focused, disciplined, and engaged on defense...because he was very, very bad on defense while at Michigan.
Either way, Simpson is my pick for breakout star for this year's bball team. I know Simmons came in and MAAR is still there to block his minutes, but I think Simpon's combination of elite quickness, strength and defensive effort will be utilized in a big way.
Beilein teams always have a go-to lead guard, and Simpson has the ability to create off the bounce in the pick and roll that JB will absolutely use. He'll remain a distributor primarily, but he's going to be an integral part of the team this year. I think he'll be a guy averaging more than 5 assists per game, hitting his open 3's, and scoring at the rim (especially in the fast break). Simmons and MAAR are both score first guys, and Mo is the best player on the team, so having a distributor work the PnR with him is better than using below average passers.
I think Beilein will find a role for Poole next season. He's much smaller than Duncan Robinson, but seems long and offers a very similar skillset on offense. Also - I knew about his shooting, but he has better ballhandling skills than I expected.
I know there's a huge contigent frustrated with JB's recruiting, but I really like the potential of this 2017 class. Brooks, Poole and Livers all fit very well into JB's system and all are quality athletes.
I disagree here - Reggie is far and away more entertaining than Chris Webber. That's not say he's good, but in comparison he's outstanding. I know this is a Michigan blog, but gotta call it like it is...CWebb is brutal. He includes some strange, inane lead-in with every comment.
Self downvote for attempting to reply to an earlier comment and failing epically.
Wagner has a tendency to pick up silly fouls when he's been on the floor for extended periods. JB has probably seen it enough to chart that he's more likely to commit dumb fouls when he's at all fatigued (being physical tired saps your ability to focus mentally), so keeping him fresh helps mitigate his fouling issues.
That said, you are absolutely correct there is a massive dropoff (especially on defense) when Donnal comes in for Mo. The BTT and NCAA Tournament is going to ride heavily on Wagner staying out of foul trouble and on the floor.
I get your point. I think maybe the difference in our views is just semantics as I'd call this team mediocre and you say they are bad. I like to watch a lot of college basketball and there are a LOT of mediocre teams out there and Michigan has results that are very similar to those teams. Major conference teams around the .500 mark in conference play.
Mediocre teams usually beat other mediocre teams at home and lose to them on the road. MSU is also mediocre - so Michigan is favored.
Responds to post about overeacting to the most recent game result by citing most recent game result.
This game and the game @Illinois were as far apart on the spectrum as you can get - and the biggest factor in there is likely effort and the enthusiasm generated by the home crowd.
In Big Ten play...
4-1 at Crisler
0-3 on the Road
I think this is a tournament team, but winning Sunday at the Breslin would move them sqaurely into that territory and raise expectations significantly.
Oddly, if this team puts it together, we will bemoan the OT loss to Iowa, MD shooting absolutely lights out to steal one in Crisler, and the horrible 5 minutes to end the game at the Kohl Center. Taking 1 from MD or Wiscy would have Michigan still in the mix for a league title with Wisconsin and Purdue still visiting Michigan down the road. Strange to say that, but it's true. No dominant league team and they are all going to beat one another up over the course of the season.
That is definitely fair.
DJ Wilson had a great game. He was the best player today.
Derrick Walton, however, is Michigan's most important player. They need playmaking, leadership, and shot making from the point guard position. He had a rough stretch, and so did the team. He's a senior leader, it's his time to lead the team and make plays when one is needed. X isn't ready to contribute much offensively, so the team will continue to go as Walton goes. If Walton keeps playing well this team will make the tournament, and once in, Wilson and Wagner can make them a little dangerous.
4 of 5 included today. 2-2 on the upcoming stretch would be pretty good. 3-1 outstanding. Play defense like they have the last two and they will win (at least) 2.
Great post.
This team is built like a contender players 2-8. If each player was one slot down on the totem with a dominant gaurd this team would be very good. Very unfortunate that Caris got hurt for 2 straight years, but as you mentioned JB's recruiting misses like Luke Kennard and others have contributed to the team lacking a go-to player for 3 straight years. It needs a guard that can create (either his own shot or for others). The best creator on the team is Mo Wagner. Maar should be a 6th man, but he's actually the best 1 on 1 guard on the team, and he's a ball stopping guard. Zak Irvin is misscast as a creator, he should be a spot up shooter who can take advantage when the defense is already scrambling. All 3 of Walton, Irvin and Robinson are above average jump shooters and below average finishers contested at the rim.
I was hopefuly that Simpson could come in and create, and hopefully he'll develop, but for now it looks like Michigan will rely on Mo Wagner to go 1-1 when they need offense.
I do feel that every year JB's teams improve and compete. Hopefully this team will be fun come March as Wagner develops.
I noticed that too. It was so good to see him show some emotion. Running back is one position where mentality matters a LOT. Seeing Ty run with passion and desire actually exposed what has been missing in his game to this point . Felt like he turned a corner a little bit.
Anxiously awaiting the word on Newsome...
My hot take: I thought the OL was the bigger concern and Speight being under immediate pressure affected his performance.
I agree with Cowherd that Michigan could blow out Wisconsin. I think the motivation things are overrated - but Wiconsin is getting a lot of hype for their win at MSU in a game they won handily, but also got some bounces. Michigan and Wisconsin a pretty similar teams, but Michigan has a lot more speed on the edge, playmakers at WR and in special teams. Michigan has more talent, is at home, and has Jim Harbaugh coaching.
Good guys cover 31-13
From the comments above it sounds like he's progressing but won't play this week. Still, I hope that's overly cautious and he's 100% and able to go because having a big run stuffer in the middle against Wisconsin double teams would be ideal. Mone would help Saturday not only because Wisconsin is good, but also their style of play. While Godin has been very good so far this year, and Glasgow is Glasgow, Mone is better than both in standing up to doubles. Hope he's good to go!
I replied to your comment cuz it was the last one - not specifically trying to call you out. I wanted to express that it's annoying that anytime someone mentions Riley or Max on this board there is an immediate steroid reference.
Yes, I do. Losing to them last year was so utterly miserable. The sparty yahoos I went to high school with were blowing up my phone with texts for days and days. I had to take a facebook haitus for a good month, and I still get the highlight sent to me or tagged to me every once in a while.
I had my gloating days during my time at UofM going 4-0, but man this stretch has been miserable for so many of us. I even sat in my Mike Hart #20 jersey in EL in 2005 and got shoved down 3 rows of bleachers and spat on - but singing the Victors in the concourse walking out of the stadium sure felt great.
I giggled
The attacks on the Bulloughs on this blog is tiresome. By all accounts, Riley is a great leader, extremely hard worker and a grinder who has worked himself into a big time player. There's no evidence he's used streroids. He's the captain at a very legitimate program and one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten.
This also seems like very silly speculation on Max. I don't know all the details, but what I've heard is something entirely different than a fight.
I really hate Michigan State - but baseless, personal attacks on their players is annoying.
I think we're going to be really good next year...
PG - A senior Walton will come back and have his minutes reduced a little. Dakich and some of Walton's minutes will go to Simpson which will be a big upgrade. Walton could also play off the ball a bit with Simpson on the floor as he is very good as a spot up shooter and much less effective when he's the player running the pick and roll.
Conclusion - Moderate improvement
SG - Caris gone, so you return Rahk who should see his usage go up a bit. He had a really good sophomore year, and will know his role heading into this year. Will not be forced to play any PG. Ibi Watson will battle for the backup minutes at SG. Robinson and Dawkins are simply not quick enough to stop dribble penetration from gaurds.
Conclusion - Slight improvement
SF - Dawkins had a tough year that was worse than his frosh year, Robinson started out great and slumped after Caris got hurt. Both are basically spot up shooters who need their teammates to get them open. Both are bad defensively but should improve at least marginally with another offseason. Dawkins still has tons of potential, but there are plenty of reasons to question if he will ever get there. This position improves dramatically on offense if the offense around them improves. We are still going to groan about the defense from these two throughout next year.
Conclusion - Slight improvement
PF - Irvin is the guy here. Wilson and Chatman (barring transfer) will battle for the backup minutes. An ideal world would see one of those two make some sort of titanic shift to push Irvin down to SF. Irvin struggled this year, and that could be due to his back, the team around him, or just scouting and the player he is.
Conclusion - Slight improvement
Center - Moritz is the key, but Davis should push Doyle for the 3rd center minutes. Donnal will be pushed significantly for playing time, and we'll see if he's up to the challenge of continuing to improve or if he will allow younger players to take those mintues away. Center will be the biggest question mark on the team as it could either be slightly better or the biggest change from this year. My prediction is that we will be much happier with our centers next year, but still often frustrated.
Conclusion - Significant improvement
Overall the team will be improved from top to bottom, both offensively and defensively.
While still a great shooting season, Duncan has really dropped off as the year marched on. I'm sure that's due to a combination of factors, but most importantly it's the absence of Caris. No player is more affected than Robinson by not having Levert out there. Robinson is the type of player who becomes ridiculous when he's on a team that can consistently get him open. Without Caris we simply do not have the creators to allow Duncan to chill at the line and rain.
Development from throughout the roster around him, the addition of Xavier Simpson and Duncan's own development in moving without the ball and he should see his 3 point shooting improve over the next couple of seasons at Michigan.
thought we had 8 returning starters on offese?
1. Chessun
2. Darboh
3. Cole
4. Braden
5. Kalis
6. Magnuson
7. Butt
8. Deveon
Losing Graham Glasgow, Jake Rudock and Kerridge/Houma. I guess he's counting AJ Williams as a starter?
6 on D is accurate as we lose Henry, Mario/RJS, Bolden, Morgan and Wilson.
My conclusion: Phil is wrong, we have 14 returning starters! (unless he's speculating one of the OL doesn't return for a 5th year or gets beat out and that comes to fruition. Then I be like dang Phil Steele you know yer shit)
Donnal was the starting center in November 2014 and lost the job. He didn't seem to have any confidence, but he got playing time throughout the year, sometimes very sparingly and sometimes signficant minutes. Towards the end of the year he was out of the rotation more as JB moved to Doyle/Max more at the 5.
Then in the offseason Max moved on in what seemed like a mutual decision between he and Beilein, which seemed strange.
And then this year Donnal once again tipped off the opener as the starter. When Donnal's starting spot was mentioned it was usually "he will soon give way to Doyle" or "Beilein is likely trying to motivate Donnal". That 2nd sentiment especially I always found silly. Beilein (like Harbaugh) and almost every coach in the world, is going to start the players who have played the best in practice. Twice Donnal has won the battle within the team to gain the starting position and twice his play in actual games has made that seemed far-fetched.
Today we finally saw what Donnal has been bring in practice to earn those starts. It's in there, and if his confidence swells, he could be a good young big to be excited about.
Literally no one can stand up to him, that's why he's going to be a top 5 draft pick and has been such a terror for 3 years at OSU.
Cole has been Michigan's most consistent lineman this year and will be a plus player wherever he ends up next year, especially if that is still at LT. The guy is a true sophomore this year and was the best lineman on the team.
Next year's game at MSU is neither a gimme or sure loss, and suggesting otherwise in either direction is silly.
MSU loses a bundle of starters with the majority coming at extremely key position groups. No, they aren't going to suddenly become Purdue, but it's not insane to suggest they should be more beatable next season.
It's hard to predict these games the day before they take place yet somehow there's certainty about the way they'll go.
I think we win the Big Ten next year as our trenches should go from 3rd or 4th best in the Big Ten to the top 1 or 2 but I am by no means confident in that prediction - let's see who our starters are at linebacker, at QB, at RB and what our injury situation looks like when the season begins. There's so many damn variables, but we are on the short list of favorites in the conference next season, despite the difficult road schedule.
I think we'll be OK.
Irvin is a shell of the player he was towards the end of last season and has zero confidence in his ability to make a shot. He'll round into form over the next month as he gets reps and be a plus player soon.
Levert can't be this great every night, but he's going to be a contender for Big Ten POY.
I'll eat a lemon if Robinson has a worse shooting night than he had tonight. He's adjusting to play at this level, but shooting is shooting is shooting.
As the rotation shrinks and becomes consistent, chemistry will build within the rotation.
I'd like to see:
Walton/MAAR and Spike on the bench until he proves he's 100% healthy
Levert/MAAR
Dawkins/Robinson
Irvin/Chatman
Doyle/Wilson
Wagner isn't ready yet. He is going to be good, and maybe even this year, but right now he's a liability.
I watched a lot of Spartan basketball during Draymond's career in EL and he was a joy to watch play the game. He played so hard, was unselfish, rebounded bigger than his position, passed better than most big man, and would D you up. I'm happy for him that his game has translated so well to the NBA, and not sure why so many scouts missed on the best player in the best basketball league in the country. Also - it helps that Michigan beat his MSU teams just enough for me to not be a sore loser and hate him regardless of how much I respected his game.
Draymond is the easy answer for me.
There are a few other Spartans I really enjoyed watching:
Drew Stanton - loved his enthusiasm
Antonio Smith - he helped Izzo build the program with toughness and grit. It sucks for Michigan fans that he blazed the trail and helped build the program, but he was a tenacious and good player.
Max (and Riley, and maybe Byron someday) Bullough - He's probably hated on this blog, but I know him personally and always enjoyed watching him play as a result. From TCSF kids, I'll take Joey Kerridge all day though!
I think there is some bias towards a pre-season ranking in FEI, and then week 7 that drops out.
Rudock played his worst game out of 3 today, he really struggled.
I'm still with you that he's a work in-progress and should develop over the season. He has the tools, the smarts and has shown some flashes, but he needs more consistency.
We may have to get used to 3-4 throws a game that are mind boggling inaccurate to go along with pretty solid play the rest of the game.