If you could add one former Michigan basketball player to the current roster...
In these hard times (thank you Al Washington), I am proposing a question about our amazing basketball team. If you could take any one former Michigan basketball player and add them to the current team to make them even better, who would you choose?
Note that in this scenario the player would obviously be in their prime, so feel free to include players from the 20th century.
For me, I would pick Nik Stauskas to better our outside shooting and free throw shooting.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:16 PM ^
For purely a choice that isn't Webber, Tarpley, Rice, Burke, Rose (the guys that I think most would gravitate to), I'm going to go with Terry Mills. Stretch 4 player that would have been perfect for Coach B.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:17 PM ^
Weber, Weber, or Weber.
That's the biggest upgrade over who he would take minutes from. IMHO. Although, Rice in this O would be a spectacle.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^
Or maybe Webber
January 8th, 2019 at 1:45 PM ^
Seriously, why is Webber so difficult for so many people?
January 8th, 2019 at 3:44 PM ^
It's not like Weber went to Webber State
January 8th, 2019 at 1:17 PM ^
A healthy, sober McGary.
January 8th, 2019 at 2:01 PM ^
A healthy McGary* Guy was baked out of his gourd and still played solid minutes
January 8th, 2019 at 2:46 PM ^
how about a 'healthy, sober' roy tarpley? tremendous talent, unfortunately an even bigger substance abuse problem. but oh, what could have been.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:18 PM ^
Glen Rice all day long.
January 8th, 2019 at 2:08 PM ^
Totally agree. With full respect for Cazzie, Roy, Gary, Terry, Loy, Chris, Jalen, Trey and several other worthy options, the lethality of Rice's shot combined with Poole, Brazdeikis, Z and the rest of this team would spread the floor and create a defensive coach's nightmare in picking your poison. Glen would crucify anything approaching a sloppy zone trying to slow this team.
January 8th, 2019 at 4:12 PM ^
Glen Rice's 3-pt average for his career at Michigan is 48%. That places him dramatically ahead of the #1 guy on this list of the best college three-point shooters:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/leaders/fg3-pct-player-career.html
He still holds the NCAA record for most points in a tournament with 184. That record is now 30 years old.
He was money.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:21 PM ^
I'll take it ine step further and add any player ever.
Steph Curry or Shaq in his prime.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:21 PM ^
Greg Mattison.
I might be doing this wrong.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:23 PM ^
Trey Burke. No question. Shooting at point guard is our biggest weakness (FT possibly even more than 3p). And Burke was a good defender, if not quite as good as Simpson.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:23 PM ^
Antoine Joubert (maybe not serious)
Glen Rice (serious)
January 8th, 2019 at 2:55 PM ^
I sat next to Joubert in a class one semester and when he did show up, he smelled like a bong! What a waste of talent!
January 8th, 2019 at 1:24 PM ^
Al Washington. Or Mattison.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:25 PM ^
The best answer is likely Grant because I believe you win the college game from the guard position-he and Poole would be so dynamic!!! But add Tarpley or Webber...hmm
January 8th, 2019 at 1:25 PM ^
Glen Rice. Maybe Chris Webber, but Glen Rice is definitely my first choice.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:26 PM ^
I'd take Derrick Walton or DJ Wilson. The ability the defend and stretch the floor with Wilson as well as they shooting, leadership, and stability from Walton can be dangerous paired with Simpson as Walton did play the 2 guard a few times in his career alongside both Spike and Simpson.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:27 PM ^
One more vote for Tony Gwinn's skinnier twin brother
Glen Rice
January 8th, 2019 at 1:28 PM ^
I'd add Zack Novak. Not because I think he's a better option than what we've got out there now. But because I loved watching that guy play basketball and he deserves a Final Four run.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:39 PM ^
On top of that I've lost count of how many times I've seen him on TV at the games cheering Michigan on. Have to respect that.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:28 PM ^
Brett Petway!
I want to see some Air Georgia flying through the air
January 8th, 2019 at 1:28 PM ^
I might be changing my answer. I want Jalen Rose. Mostly because he would have to quit his TV gig and we wouldn't have to listen to him any longer on any shows.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:32 PM ^
Jordan Morgan ! His roll wouldn’t change and his taking charges would leave Davis on the bench
January 8th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
I'd want a rugged inside rebounder and defender, who can also score. Loy Vaught comes to mind, or of course Webber or Tarpley. Michigan has been torched in many games this year by athletic, inside players who are too quick and jump too high for Teske/Davis.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
Gary Grant or Trey Burke.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
Dave Baxter. For no other reason than his 'fro. Most glorious mane in the history of the Big Ten.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
Webber is probably the right answer.
LeVert at PG would be fun.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:31 PM ^
Robert "Tractor" Traylor!!!
or Caris Lavert, because let's be honest, we never got to see him play enough anyway, and he seems to be doing well in the league.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:32 PM ^
Webber, Jalen Rose or Glen Rice. I'd take any of'em
January 8th, 2019 at 1:32 PM ^
Lavell Blanchard or Horton any of the highly regarded guys from the dark years that bought into Michigan when they probably shouldn't have. Maybe this doesn't make the team better like a Webber or Burke, but it would make me happy to see those guys experience a winning program.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:33 PM ^
The way I prefer to ask this question to prevent the obvious Rice/Webber/Burke/Stauskas/Rose answers is this.....
Which former Michigan player in the dark period (i.e. between Fab Five/Traylor era and when Beilein broke the NCAA drought) would you add to the team? So the players you're talking about there are more like:
- PG - Daniel Horton, Louis Bullock, Dion Harris
- SG - Jamal Crawford, Bernard Robinson, Lester Abram
- SF/PF - Laval Blanchard, Brent Petway
- C - Josh Asselin, Graham Brown, Chris Hunter, Courtney Sims, Epke Udoh
I always thought Blanchard would have thrived for Beilein being a 4 in his system so he's tempting even if he's slightly redundant to Iggy/Livers. Crawford is the best player on that list obviously so you'd have to take him, especially since he could play multiple positions. Finally, any of those centers would be a great addition to pair with Teske.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^
Great minds...
January 8th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
This is the better way to frame this question.
Excluding Rice/Webber/Burke/Stauskas/Rose, there are two that I would add:
Roy Tarpley (at 4 or 5) -- He could score,block shots and rebound with the best of them. He was one of the most talented players to come through Crisler, but deeply troubled
Juwan Howard (at 4 or 5) -- Skilled, athletic big
January 8th, 2019 at 6:07 PM ^
Bullock? No thanks. Too closely associated with the Ed Martin scandal
January 8th, 2019 at 8:39 PM ^
Yeah cuz Webber wasn't.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^
I'll take Glen Rice. He was an 80% FT shooter. Also, he was 6'8". I'll put him at the 4 and roll the dice on defense.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:40 PM ^
Juwan Howard. Just watch what happens almost every time Teske goes to the bench. The lead seems to shrink like a countdown clock until he returns. This team does have other weaknesses, but lack of depth at the 5 is the one that scares me the most.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:41 PM ^
Glen rice. Easily g money. With his size at 6’8. Good athlete, great shooter and great scorer. No question about. While I love stauskas, glen was 3 times the player nik was
January 8th, 2019 at 1:43 PM ^
I think a far more interesting question would limit the choice of players to those who would arguably not start on this roster.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:43 PM ^
Manny Harris. Get my dude the damn championship he deserved!!
January 8th, 2019 at 1:45 PM ^
Glen Rice
January 8th, 2019 at 2:13 PM ^
Sarah Palin approves.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:46 PM ^
Obvious choice is Dom Ingerson.
But seriously, Dugan Fife or Gary Grant.
January 8th, 2019 at 2:39 PM ^
Not robbie Reid or Leland anderson?
January 8th, 2019 at 1:47 PM ^
Trey Burke, every team needs one guy who can get a bucket on his own when you need it the most. Kid was a killer.
Sauce Castillo would be a close second. A team with Stauskas and Iggy.....man, the opposing fan base hate meter would be through the roof, and I would love every minute of it.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:50 PM ^
G Gary "The General" Grant, G Antoine "The Judge" Joubert, or F Thad Garner.
January 8th, 2019 at 1:51 PM ^
Mahktar N'Diaye.