Raoul

August 1st, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^

For those who can’t access the podcast, here’s a quick summary of the basketball talk (perhaps someone else can summarize the football side). Sam said that Izzo made a late push for Zak Irvin, but Irvin told him he was too late. Sam talked about how Izzo has successfully done this in the past, for instance with Draymon Green, someone that Michigan had long been in the lead for, only to have Izzo swoop in at the last second with a successful late offer.

Sam talked about how a common thread with Glenn Robinson III, Mark Donnal, and Irvin is that Beilein got in on the ground floor with them—before they started gaining wider interest—and that was critical in them committing to Michigan. He mentioned that on the very day Donnal committed to Michigan, Donnal’s coach got a phone call from Duke, seeing if they could get Donnal on campus for a visit.

A similar "cherry-picking" (as Sam calls it) scenario may be playing out with Derrick Walton Jr., one of the three point guards in the class of 2013 that Michigan has offered. Beilein was in early on Walton and was the first to offer him a scholarship. Now, MSU is "making a strong push" for Walton and Izzo "wants him to come up and have a meeting in the next few days."

jmblue

August 1st, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^

He's playing with fire if he wants to keep doing that.  We're not a doormat anymore, we swept his team last season and we're catching up to them in the facilities race.  If he wants to be lazy and try to swoop in at the last minute, he's going to miss out on a lot of guys from here on out.

BRCE

August 1st, 2011 at 1:03 PM ^

You're suggesting that it's poor form just to get in late on a kid on the grounds of "we saw him first"? Come on. That's even more irrationally possessive than Joe Tiller was with Roy Roundtree.

Ultimately, the player is going to decide what is best for him.

 

 

Tater

August 1st, 2011 at 2:48 PM ^

Izzo can't just walk into the living room of people Michigan is recruiting, say "Fab Five Scandal," and walk out with a verbal anymore.  Now, he is seeing what it is like to compete on a level playing field, and he doesn't like it.  

For example, ten years ago, Izzo would have gotten Manny Harris, but he didn't get him in 2007.  Izzo has to realize that if he still had that edge, Manny would have been the piece to get him a championship at Ford Field.  

The rest of the basketball world seems to think that Izzo will have MSU back to their "normal" level soon.  I think Izzo will continue to struggle, and it will be quite interesting to see how "great" of a coach he is when he doesn't have the personnel to which he is accustomed.  We'll also get to see how is work ethic turns out as he continues to play the "back nine" of his career.

Raoul

August 1st, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^

Maybe Walton is waiting on an MSU offer and will jump if he gets it, but that business earlier when Izzo withheld an offer from him because he didn't express enough "enthusiasm" on a visit (perhaps he forgot to kiss Izzo's feet) made me hope Walton would wake up and realize that he has a chance to go to a program led by a coach who doesn't play those kinds of manipulative games.

Blue in Seattle

August 1st, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^

Or do we have and under the radar BB coach who is awesome at recruiting (recognizing talent) and developing talent (already multiple stars in the NBA?)

Is it possible we will have the same thing in our football coach?

 

TrppWlbrnID

August 1st, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^

recruiting class nationally is going to be "under the radar."

developing talent - since hoke started as sdsu, there have been 4 players from sdsu drafted, one in the third round who plays for the bears, the other 3 were 6th and 7th rounders. so he hasn't recently put guys in the pros. i think there is probably a different more in depth study that would evaluate recruiting profile vs college performance like all conference honors, but that is too much right now.

Mr Mackey

August 1st, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^

Jehu Chesson is the WR from Missouri. He also mentions Payton as a possibility, as he is taking an official. He didn't mention Stanford, so I'm guessing with being full on DE and being in better standing with other WRs, it seems like we can say goodbye to the Taft duo.

And on Diggs, that would be absolutely amazing if he actually looks at us. He's a special player, but the coaches must think his grades are at a point where they're not confident about him qualifying. Hopefully he can get them in order and we turn up the heat

His Dudeness

August 1st, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^

A) I claimed we are NOT going after him due to what Sam sees as grade issues.

B) YOU come on here saying you know nothing but assume it's more than grades based on nothing.

So in summary, if you can read, we aren't going after him which means anyone with a brain would not expect us to sign him. You are a random asshole. And there are not any other issues.

 

EDIT: You're welcome for the summary.

1201SouthMain

August 1st, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^

that if grades are an issue then Hoke's not going to continue to recruit.  Not enough ships left to wait and see how grades play out.  And Hoke's comments on "quality" kids makes me think there are too many other good kids out there to wait on a kid with grade issues.  That doesn't mean that a kid with grade issues isn't a quality kid .... I just think for this years class situation Hoke is going to move on to a quality kid without the grade problems.

Elmer

August 1st, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^

I think you're right, but that it won't be for just this year and it's not a timing issue to finish the recruiting class.  I think Hoke wants kids that are hard workers, dedicated and responsible both on and off the field.  If a kid is borderline on grades, that means he hasn't been working very hard in school or in a few cases has limited aptitude.  Either way, I'm guessing Hoke would rather find someone who doesn't have these issues.  He'll pass on a few talented kids, but will be rewarded with a team that over achieves on the field and in the class room.  Sounds like the way Michigan should be operating.

Franz Schubert

August 1st, 2011 at 12:12 PM ^

Its actually a good tactic if it works though. If you swoop in and steal one not only do you get a good player but it serves a 2nd benefit of rendering all of Beileins time and energy spent recruiting the kid a waste of time, when otherwise it could have been spent on another recruit.  I love the fact that Irvin told Izzo to kick rocks.

Belisarius

August 1st, 2011 at 2:21 PM ^

I agre, I agree, I agree. As thin as we are at tackle, why take a middling-lower QB over an elite tackle? Especially with Sugar Shane coming in the next year. BUT! Even though this is the result I crave, it does still fill me with some dread. What are the odds this decision returns to haunt us? Low. But Murphy's Law has been our scourge for the last few years. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. I'm just praying Hoke is on the right side of karma and we're finished paying for our sins.

JT4104

August 1st, 2011 at 2:38 PM ^

As much as people want to hate on Izzo...lets be honest in that his success as coach at msu allows him to "swoop" in and get kids to commit. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that and hope in time that JB can do the exact same thing. Not to mention looking at his recruiting classes for the next 2 yrs I dont see Izzo in dire straits for one kid. If he lands Harris he will be in good shape and the fact that he is in the top 2 or 3 for Jabari Parker as well..

It's gonna be a fun rivalry again and I'm really looking forward to nothing but competetive games with a lot of trash talk going both ways.