SamGoBlue2

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4 hours 2 min ago He's not coming to Michigan.

End of story. His grades are no good and his head is not always there from what I've heard. Look for him to end up at Kentucky or UConn.
1 day 11 hours ago How about

The David Cone/Jack Kennedy Sideline Purveyor of Play Calls Hand-Signaling Specialist?
1 day 11 hours ago This.

This might be the first time I have ever laughed out loud reading a comment on MGoBlog. Phenomenal.
1 day 11 hours ago He doesn't

You are right, Harris does not have an offer from Michigan to play basketball hear. Sounds like Hoke and co. have offered for football, but Beilein is adamant about sticking to the June 15 date of a kid's junior year before offering. As has been pointed out by a couple others above, I also think Harris would be better suited playing football in college. He has some good basketball skill, but I think his is a case of being way over-hyped coming into high school simply because he was faster, taller, and more athletic than everyone else at a young age. I think the older he gets the more his peers will catch up to him on the basketball court. At 6'4 with good speed, Harris is not an unusual guard/wing prospect for college basketball programs, but most football coaches would crave an incoming wide receiver with those measurables. I've seen Harris a few times play basketball and have not been impressed, and while I haven't seen him play football at all, I have heard very good things.
1 day 11 hours ago Good question

I wish I could tell you the answer, or at least give you some perspective, but I really don't know. I would guess that Yogi being at IU could give them a slight edge, but the vast majority of star high school teammates do not end up playing together in college. Secondly, Tom Crean throws out offers like candy to little kids, so I really don't even know if Bluiett will get a committable offer from IU. I'm pretty sure about 50% of high school and eighth grade basketball players in this country have been "offered" by Crean.
1 day 13 hours ago Off this list...

Off this list I think we have the best shot at and most want to take Booker, KBD, and Bluiett. I think Bates-Diop could develop into a five-star talent and it will be interesting to see how Bluiett does next year without Yogi Ferrell on his Park Tudor squad, but he looks very good on video. I doubt we will see any big men offered right away on June 15 even though it will be a need in the class; I think we will wait to see who develops well.
1 week 1 day ago This makes me sad

First and only time I have ever been to Nashville was this March, for all of ~30 hours. It may have coincided with the most depressing loss of the basketball season this year. Now that I think of it, it definitely did. Next day was St. Patrick's Day and there was no way all seven of us college kids (the only students to make the trip I believe) were going to stay in Nashville after the dong punch we took the night before. Now everyone is commenting on how fun a city it can be and I really hope to be there in better times now.
1 week 3 days ago My two cents

Well I have a  couple of thoughts to share on this idea, which I think is a great one, and on some previous comments.

First off, I think almost all of these players are deserving of MGoHOF statuses. If we could vote for as many as we'd like, I would select all but DMo. I loved everything about Darius Morris - wearing the Maize Rage t-shirt in warm-ups before every home game, committing to Michigan when it wasn't very cool despite being a 4-star with multiple other offers and from 3/4 of the way across the country, assisting/scoring over half our buckets his sophomore season, standing up to Kalin Lucas after The Sweep, etc - but leaving after only one productive season when he seemed somewhat destined for the second round left a sour taste in my mouth. Now that I think about it though, I think DMo deserves his place as well. He certainly did a lot for the program and helped Michigan accomplish a good deal that probably would not have been realized without that sophomore season of his.

Secondly, obviously Novak will be (deservedly) voted in, but I will be extremely upset if Stu doesn't get his own recognition. As has been proposed before, I am also a proponent of the Stu/Novak entry. Someone already pointed out that he only led Michigan in either points or rebounds one time out of eight opportunities (rebounds junior season I think), and while his leadership should not go unnoticed, I believe MGoBlog would also be remiss to pass over Stu and his leadership contributions over the last four years. Their numbers were really not all that different in four seasons, and it is also note-worthy to add that Stu, not Novak, actually became the all-time leader in games played in Michigan history this past season. Novak places high on the list of games played, games started, and minutes played, but isn't number one in any of those categories.

3. (Numbers just seem easier) I have also mentioned in another comment what I think bears repeating. Novak and Stu had basically no other option than Michigan if they wanted to play high major basketball, and both embraced the opportunity Beilein presented to them and ran with it, obviously for the better of the program as a whole. This is in stark contrast to other nominees here like Daniel Horton, Darius Morris, Deshawn Sims, and especially Manny Harris. Horton played four years for Tommy Amaker and was brilliant despite having Dion Harris chucking shots and just about no one else around him in his career, helping us take down State in their high-water years (yes, I believe their in-state dominance is over) two or three times. Morris knew what he was getting into and made the most of it, leading us to the tourney his sophomore year and nearly helping us reach the Sweet 16, but played sparingly his freshman year and left to be drafted in the second round after his record-setting second year. Peedi stuck around despite having committed to and playing one season under Amaker, and while he was never consistently great, he had some amazing games, co-led us to the tournament for the first time in a gazillion years, dealt with the tragic loss of his brother (who was by all accounts his best friend), and stayed four years. Manny was in a similarly precarious situation after committing to Amaker with Legion and Grady (who lasted a combined two years in the basketball program) just to see him get fired and Beilein, whose system honestly didn't fit Manny at all, take over. Manny was long rumored headed to Tennessee after this happened but instead decided to stick it out and really started the turnaround we are seeing today. If Manny did not come to Michigan, we are simply not where we are today. He led us to upsets over UCLA and Duke his sophomore year, led the team in scoring all three seasons, made Michigan cool again, and was simply Fresh til the end. Yes, he left early and went undrafted (some purport due to an injury suffered), but can you really blame him? Him and Sims were as close as can be, and truthfully Manny would have served himself better if he left after only one year. Also note-worthy: Manny and Peedi are the only two players from Michigan, and specifically Detroit, on this list. That probably doesn't mean much, but it should count for something. Would anyone (still reading) perhaps back my recommendation of a Manny Harris-Deshawn Sims dual HOF entrance as well? If I have to vote individually, it's:

1. Manny Harris (Novak is getting in regardless, he doesn't need my vote)

2. Daniel Horton

3. Deshawn Sims

4. Darius Morris

If I had my way, though:

1. Manny Harris - Deshawn Sims (Call it the Manny/Peedi entry if you will)

2. Stu Douglass - Zack Novak

3. Daniel Horton

4. Darius Morris
1 week 3 days ago Amen.

You hit the nail on the head here. I love Brandon Graham just as much as the next guy, but guys like Manny Harris, Deshawn Sims, and Daniel Horton CHOSE to play for Michigan when we were terrible at basketball (and also on probation in Horton's case) AND despite having had many offers to play elsewhere. You won't find a bigger Novak and Stu fan then me, but let's be real here. Michigan was basically their only big-time option. Yes, they played their hearts out and really turned the program around, but they didn't choose to go to Michigan in spite of our poorly-performing program. Bring out the lynch forks on me, but I would even venture to say that both Novak and Stu would have actually gone to Indiana if they had the opportunity as scholarship players.
1 week 3 days ago Well...

I don't disagree that Morris is extremely important and that his commitment as a 4-star out of CA was Beilein's first big stepping stone, but to say that he is the most important player of the last 15 years is ludicrous. Also, yes, he showed that a true PG could flourish in Beilein's system, but don't forget that Burke was already committed before DMo decided to go pro. It's not like that was that big of a deal for the program.
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