Mark Donnal not returning for 5th year
Seems like the writing had been on the wall here but Beilein has made it official listing Donnal among the 5 players graduating and leaving along with Walton, Irvin, Lonergan, & Dakich.
Heres to hoping Teske can figure out how to work his body by next season and/or Davis being a revelation.
https://gbmwolverine.com/2017/02/21/michigan-basketball-2017-season-wil…
In a similar article, was freep so won't link, Beilein said he expects this incoming freshman class to contribute more early on than the current one. He specifically mentions Eli Brooks as a kid who will play right away. Were going to definitely need guard help with Walton being gone and Xavier still finding his game at the college level.
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:28 AM ^
What was the purpose of Dakich Redshirting this year?
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
I believe so he could transfer to a mac-ish type school for a Grad degree and actually play solid minutes? He was supposed to redshirt a few other times and ended up burning it.
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
How about that random throwback memory.
Think he was FGCU or some Florida school's leading scorer after he transferred out. But he may have played some minutes with the main team at Michigan.
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
I remember that they purposely didn't classify him as a redshirt.
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:51 AM ^
Our frontline proven depth is rail thin. Teske should've redshirted and did a year long Camp Sanderson session.
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
Need to leave schollies open for high flyers.
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 12:40 PM ^
If Bamba comes, I will gladly admit that I'm a moron. But these spots they are opening up by letting 5th years go are generally reserved for mid level 3 stars that they are competing with MAC teams for.
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
Dakich is already a senior? Where the hell has the time gone?
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
I wouldn't be surprised to see sets next year of MAAR Poole Matthews Wilson and Wagner. I think X will be the primary PG but I wouldn't be surprised to see MAAR play some time at the point as well. Also, I'm hoping Ibi can provide some even more depth to the backcourt.
Both Poole and Livers seem to have a lot of upside coming in.
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
It's a mistake to not bring back Donnal for a 5th year. He's a serviceable player. One of the few guys we have who can actually put up a 20 point outing if he gets hot. He hasn't been getting allot of minutes because of the emergence of Wagner and Wilson but it sure is nice to have a big like him coming of the bench. Teske has not impressed at all...The only reasona to let MD is if we have a worthwhile scholarship player we can sign and bring in immediately for the 2017-18 campaign.
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
If we lost either Wilson or Wagner we'd be fucked next year.
I can see us actually being better next year with a year of improvement for Simpson, a more confident better shooting senior MAAR, Mathews as the athletic 3, another year of S&C and overall refinement for Wilson and Wagner, and Robinson, Teske, Davis off the bench for depth and situational minutes.
I really think Davis can be a very good MSU style blue collar big if he keeps working on his body. He's country strong and has excellent footwork and feel around the basket. Even if he's vertically limited he'll bang and pull down boards and go strong to the hoop when he receives the ball in the paint.
I'm curious if Watson will pan out and where he will fit. Doesn't seem guard like enough to fill in at the 2, but not big or athletic enough to play the 3.
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
I think the main reason people have issues with this (that they are not talking about) is that Beilein is recruiting players who aren't good enough to contribute at all right away, significantly their 2nd year, and then by their 4th year aren't good enough to ask back for a 5th year.
There seems to be no circumstance under which a RSed player is good enough to keep for their 5th year. If that's the case, why recruit these types of guys at all
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 1:09 PM ^
If you're redshirting players, you are hoping to reap the rewards from that player when they are in their 4th and 5th years. If you're redshirting a player and then not inviting them back for a 5th year, you are either doing a poor job of evaluating recruits and/or a poor job of developing them.
Just by sheer numbers you'll have some of this in football, but with the small roster size of a bball team I wouldn't think you would want this to happen very often.
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
Last year Donnal showed some promise. Not sure what happened this year. Strange "progress" for this young man. Hope he gets a chance to show some skills elsewhere. And hope we can succeed next year!
GO BLUE!!
February 22nd, 2017 at 1:16 PM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:49 AM ^
Gotta say Donnal has made me crazy this season - but hes really been playing hard the last few games - gotta give him credit where credit is due. I would like to see him take on a Killer Carlson-type persona for the rest of the year. Maybe shave his head into a mohawk.
February 22nd, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
While Donnal has proven to be a solid rotation player, he is clearly behind Mo Wagner at center. And with Jon Teske vying for more minutes next season, along with the addition of redshirt Austin Davis, the writing was on the wall.
Like the article says, he only averages about 14 minutes a game and it doesn't seem like there would be an opportunity for him to get more unless something dire or unexpcted happened, so I get the move. My concern would be for losing either one of Wilson or Wagner - we're in good shape if they both stay, I think, but hurting significantly next year if either try to leave (and as YpsiTuckyBoy mentions, the 2017 draft is stacked - why leave?).
February 22nd, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
Nick Ward at MSU that would like to play for Michigan.
6-8 250lbs
12.9 PPG 5.8 RPG 0.5 APG
Find him Beilein.
February 22nd, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
On Minnesota that were grabbing boards? Is it really that tough to find guys like that? Workhorses that will go in and grab whatever rebound comes their way? Don't need to ask them to do much else but give max effort and be physical.
February 22nd, 2017 at 4:36 PM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 3:28 PM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 4:34 PM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 11:13 PM ^
Maybe a Detroit Titan with Chatman???
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:22 PM ^
Poor results to date
February 23rd, 2017 at 6:41 AM ^