Why Isn't Michigan Basketball Recruiting at a Top 5 Level Yet?

I think JB and his staff have a pretty good understanding that team chemistry trumps rankings and recruits kids that not only fit what we wants to do but will get along and play as a team. 

Our recruiting is fine. We have a roster with 2-4 NBA guys currently on it. What the hell are you talking about? McGary was the number 2 recruit in the country and Beilein doesn't go after 1 and done guys often. 

Also, wasn't Exum going to go to Michigan had he gone the college route?

Beilein has been pretty consistent in saying that he doesn't like taking one and done players. He feels they disrupt the team's identity because to get those guys you've got to make certain promises about playing time, etc. Also pretty much everything everyone else has mentioned is right.  

Are we unhappy with the kids we've been getting? I am no recruiting expert, but I kind of like the guys we've been putting on the floor. They seem to do okay.

Because the OP touches himself at night.  Seriously, would you rather have a coach go to the final four and elite eight without a top five class or under perform with one?

and produces teams that are shit.  No thank you.  Let  JB do what he does best -- win just win baby.

EC Matthews and Larry Nance Jr are the only 2 regrets so far imo 

First off, the 2012 and 2013 classes were top 20.  Prior to that , we were a team that hadn't made the tournament just once in over a decade and were nothing close to an elite program.   Classes before that were what one might expect given our standing in the BB world and still included Hardaway, Morris and Burke.

2014 was disappointing though Chatman and Doyle were sold pickups.  Here are my ideas as to why we struggle to the extent that we do:

1.  While there are counter-examples, it is simply harder to recruit at a football school.  Basketball is king at Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville etc.  It's not at Michigan. 

2. Also, as was said above, we've only recently become prominent in the basketball world after years of irrelevance.  18 year olds have no memory of the Fab Five.

3.  We have an in-state rival with over a decade of success up the road competing for in-state players.  Izzo has been building networks with high school coaches for 20 plus years. 

4.  As was said above Beilein isn't a Calipari-like salesman and as a result probably appeals to a certain types of players (gym rats, players whose HS coaches see the skill development).  He also seems like the kind of guy who wouldn't push the envelope on the recruiting rules unlike some other coaches.

5.  There are fewer spots in a basketball class than in football so 2-3 whiffs in a given year have a larger impact.

Star ratings might be overrated. Big Ten championships, national championship game, elite 8 game. NBA players. I like the way coach Belien is developing these dudes. Excited for this season. Go Blue!

I'm not concerned with the ratings of the recruits as long as they are developed. Look at the recruiting classes the football team is pulling in, and look how things are going. 

Lately it seems that the posters on the board have been looking for one magic variable which if it could be changed would suddenly change the fortunes of Wolverine teams. It is almost as if the posters are hoping for a quick and simple fix. Why recruits end up at any particular school has many different factors - right now John Beilein is doing a fantastic job and if he can win the NCAA or keep showing up in the Final Four we'll definitely see more "name" recruits showing up on campus to look around BUT I suspect we won't necessarily be signing them up. Why?

1. The players who fall into the "can't miss category" like Jabari Parker may not appreciate the notion that Beilein could teach them something - improve their game in some important way. They may be at a school just to network, getting some playing time and experience but actual improvement isn't their top priority.

2. There may be a whole host of peripheral issues which other posters have commented on - shoe camps, shoe brands, "friends and family advisors", and who knows what else - because we as much older people looking back on our decision may not appreciate that some kids don't take a very long term calculated view - otherwise we'd see many fewer pro athletes running into problems in their off field lives.

3. The lack of TV impact / Buzz - Again, as an older person, I greatly appreciate John Beilein, but for many kids they may not appreciate how he could help them. He isn't flashy; he doesn't dress in sharp suits or looks like he could have walked out of a movie set or tries to be current or hip. These actions of being true to himself is appreciated by some families and many fans but for 16-18 year old kis may just seem dull and boring. He isn't a household BB name like dare I say Izzo, Calipari, Pitino, Coach K, etc.

The next few years should be interesting. So far he has shown he can develop guards and wing players - if he can develop any of the big men then he'll have many more people show up. Look at what Pete Newell did for NBA caliber big men during the time when low post play was big - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Newell If Beilein starts producing big men who can play low and high and stroke 3's he'll have a steady stream of talent.

Flip it around and who do think he'd like to see play for him - someone who is there to mark time, get some PT and move on or someone who wants to learn and improve and is willing work for it?