There Were Excess Subs? The Big Ten is going to learn next year that "nobody can guard" Max Bielfeldt

Submitted by alum96 on

I don't think this was posted anywhere on MGoBoard but as I did some googling last night on the mystery man that is Max Bielfeldt to try to figure out what potentially could be chiseled of this figure outside of a calf modeling contract in 2014-2015, I came upon this story with eyebrow raising comments from none other than Coach Bielein at the banquet.

Lorenz 247:  Michigan head coach John Beilein raised some eyebrows at tonight's team banquet when he referred to sophomore center Max Bielfeldt as "unguardable" in practice.

Quinn Mlive:  John Beilein just said the Big Ten is going to learn next year that "nobody can guard" Max Bielfeldt.

Now I have no idea how many subs were at this banquet, nor how many Coach B had but these were head scratching quotes for a player who has scored 38 pts in his life at the NCAA level, and shot a cool 28.6% from the field last year.    My brain says too many subs were served; my heart says IBIT*.   I am especially confused as I don't remember this sort of public profuse adulation for any other player in the past 7 years.

* In Beilein I Trust

Motivational ploy?  Attempt at confidence building?   Two years of possum  (if so - why warn the conference of the tsunami about to be unleashed on them)?  The Beilein freshman to sophomore RS sophomore to RS junior wing/guard big man jump? 

Who is the real Slim Shady Max Bielfeldt?   Discuss.

LINK.

MichiganMan14

April 28th, 2014 at 6:42 AM ^

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!

Swayze Howell Sheen

April 28th, 2014 at 7:19 AM ^

other things max will do next year:

max will start and complete medical school

max will save a bus load of children from drowning in a river by lifting the bus out of the water

max will do a guest appearance for the football team and run back a punt for a TD

max will write a book that becomes the highest selling book in the country and is featured on Oprah

max will discover the key to interstellar space travel

if you can hear what I'm saying, max will have a good year; so it was tweeted, so it shall be done

Mmmm Hmmm

April 28th, 2014 at 7:21 AM ^

Maybe I haven't been paying attention, but I'm really not used to these Fred Jacksonian declarations from Beilein...still, as long as he starts saying that Max is a combination of Nik Stauskas (but a better shooter) and Chris Webber (but more athletic), I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

alum96

April 28th, 2014 at 8:11 AM ^

That is what I thought but the fact Quinn (who is a serious chap from his Mlive articles) didn't say it was tongue in cheek or something like that in his tweet had me scratching my head.  Or wondering if Fred Jackson was sitting in the back of the room and had the ability to throw his voice.

LSAClassOf2000

April 28th, 2014 at 7:54 AM ^

To be fair to Max, adjusted for minutes played, he did have the fourth-highest OREB% as well as DREB% percentages on the team, so there is that minor factoid. Granted, that is only 89 minutes of court time spread across 19 games and in non-pressure situations mostly, but still interesting, I think. Either way, it seems like we are going to rely a bit on Bielfeldt this coming season, so it will be interesting to see what he could do in expanded playing time. 

ClearEyesFullHart

April 28th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^

I remember he had a nice game against Illinois(last year). He just seems to lack confidence in his bunnies and put-backs(this year). I guess he hits a lot of 3's in practice. I'd just like him to get comfortable around the basket, maybe work on rolling hard to the basket and finishing. Short Graham Brown is what we need from him, and he may be able to deliver.

J.Madrox

April 28th, 2014 at 8:14 AM ^

Doubt its going to happen, but I don't know why he couldn't become our version of Nigel Hayes, or one of any of a number 6'6"  guys with a back to the basket game Wisconsin seems to always have.

He could be to physical for your average 6'6" wing (like GRIII) but two quick for a true big man (like Morgan or Horford). Again, I doubt it will happen, but if Max could give us 15 - 20 minutes a game like Nigel Hayes did, that would be a huge lift. And hey, if anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt at this point its Beilein.

So hopefully we get a full year of Dakich talking about Max's game more than his calfs.

Yeoman

April 28th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^

In that respect Ryan's swing offense is the precise opposite of Beilein's various sets. One of the fundamental rules of the swing is that there is always a low post on the ball side and it could be anyone.

http://www.coachesclipboard.net/BoRyanSwingOffense.html

 

The Swing offense is a 4-out patterned offense that has continuity. All five players are interchangeable, and spacing, screening, cutting and good passing are paramount. All five players learn to post up inside.

 

Rule: all pass receivers on the perimeter will catch the ball, get in triple-threat position, and look into the post.

 

Wisconsin always seems to have 6'6" guys with post-up games because they need and recruit those guys.

I doubt that Bielfeldt's turning into Nigel Hayes--I'm guessing he's either developing an outside shot or he's taking bigger defenders off the dribble. Or both, that would be nice.

Sports

April 28th, 2014 at 8:19 AM ^

My first instinct is to doubt this, if only because 2014...However, we also witnessed the jump Morgan made this year, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that we have a late-blooming big man. 

Ghost of BCook…

April 28th, 2014 at 8:38 AM ^

My only question is where did Fred Jackson find the Beilein mask that allowed himto pull off this epic ruse?

Romeo50

April 28th, 2014 at 8:40 AM ^

Seems equally rational. Apparently there is a point where you stop feeding babies mush and they start feeding you. Some reach it unexpectedly.

jls1144

April 28th, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^

Ok, here goes my most optimistic vision.



Max's outside outside shot looks pretty, right until it misses. He still continues to launch them with a confidence that I can only interpret that he must be decent in outside of games situations. Maybe we see these shots fall next year.

543Church

April 28th, 2014 at 9:10 AM ^

From what I have observed of Max in the games I am not optimistic about his offensive abilities.  I think best case scenario is he works on his defensive game and rebounding.   The biggest hole on this team next year is any physical presence in the paint.  If Max can be a scrapper down there whilst pulling in a fair share of rebounds that will be alright assuming Walton and Levert can create off the dribble and Zak Irvin goes full Lamar Mundane.

 

 

543Church

April 28th, 2014 at 2:03 PM ^

I loved this commercial.    Anytime we were playing basketball and somebody caught fire from outside that person was dubbed "Lamar Mundane".    As you can see I still use this reference but it is increasingly lost on people younger than myself.   Why can't the world stay the way I'm used to!?!?

 

Arizona Blue

April 28th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

Un-guardable, as in, not going to be guarded because he will play 3 minutes a game?

Would be suprised if he had a break out year, but hey, crazier things have happened in the presence of subs.

reshp1

April 28th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^

I always thought Max's issues this year had to do with being lost on defense. Another year in the system under Beilein and Co knowing it's his turn to step up, I wouldn't be surprised if the kid does make "The Jump."