"Michigan was a school I loved in like 7th and 8th grade." - Mo Bamba
Mo Bamba said today that biggest factor in his decision will be relationship with the coach. "Me and the head coach have to be very tight."
— Brendan F. Quinn (@BFQuinn) March 28, 2017
Bamba said he was at U-M vs VCU in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. It stuck with him. "Michigan was a school I loved in like 7th and 8th grade."
— Brendan F. Quinn (@BFQuinn) March 28, 2017
Big part of Beilein's pitch to Bamba is putting him in ball screens & pick-and-pop spots. "They have versatile bigs, which appeals to me."
— Brendan F. Quinn (@BFQuinn) March 28, 2017
Sam Webb has said he has advocates in his circle pushing for Michigan (Wes at Nike). Frustrating this kid had to ask to be recruited. He might be committed by now if Michigan began recruiting him a few years ago like the other schools on his list. Based on his comments I would think Shaka Smart and Texas have the edge given he coached Bamba on the USA U18 team.
/ducks
You are thinking Malik Hairston who was a duck.
And Jaylen has been playing very well!
You upvoted your own post?
youve never "upvoted your own post"
I mean its not like you are actually going to go blind doing it.
-Bobby Newport
Hopefully the fact that Bamba became a fan of Michigan after Beilein roasted Smart for a trip to the Sweet 16 gives M and edge over UT.
But this is recruiting, which is specifically engineered to make no sense. Time will tell.
Duke and Kentucky are in his top 4. I don't think Texas is the one we have to worry about.
- 2014: 2 total (1 each for OSU and IU)
- 2015: 3 total (1 each for Purdue, IU, and Maryland)
- 2016: 2 total (1 for MSU)
- 2017: 1 total (1 for MSU)
Michigan's last 5 star? GRIII in 2012.
Notice that Wisconsin, the most successful team in the B1G this decade has zero on that list above (their last 5 star was also in 2012, Sam Dekker).
So it would be great to get Mo Bamba or some other 5 star. I also think this, in part, explains why the B1G has not won a national title in over 15 years.
But UM and Beilein are far from unusual in our recruiting; the entire B1G is a "3 and 4 star mafia". Basically 65% of the 5 stars go to Kentucky, Duke, NC, Kansas or UCLA and the rest of the nation fights for the rest.
March 28th, 2017 at 10:31 PM ^
That's a small window, what are things like going further back? Ohio State has been down recently, but it wasn't that long ago they were stacked with top recruits every year.
March 28th, 2017 at 11:17 PM ^
but the BIG has like 6 teams in the final the past decade. just lost them all. crazy odds for that to happen.
a several years back. One of his family members (I believe was his uncle, an M aluminus ) contacted Michigan staff first. But what struck me was that Brown's mother is a MSU alumina and Izzo did not recruit him either.
have to be that guy...
Alumnus is used to refer to a male graduate or former student. Alumni is the plural of alumnus but can also be used to refer to a group of men and woman graduates/former students. Alumna is used to refer to a woman graduate or former student. Alumnae is the plural of alumna.
just helping out a fellow alum!
March 28th, 2017 at 10:03 PM ^
March 29th, 2017 at 12:06 AM ^
And aluminium is another name for aluminum.
to get in touch with every top recruits to at least get a feel about their interests. Should never underestimiates the M brand.
sounds good to me
If Mo Bamba does choose Michigan and DJ/Wagner stick around, what's the starting five next season? Can you start all 3?
March 28th, 2017 at 10:33 PM ^
Probably not, but you'd have some crucial depth that Michigan was missing this past year.
Then again, if DJ can stay in front of smaller guys, he'd be a monster as a 3.
March 29th, 2017 at 12:04 AM ^
If Michigan got Mo Bamba (which I think is C/O 2017; I don't follow bball recruiting tbh), I would literally piss my pants and walk down state street.
Bamba, Wagner, Wilson, Mathews, MAAR hnnnnnnggggg BIG MAN LINEUP
(Yeah - I know, no apostrophe but Mos looks weird)
Yet another thing Bamba and I have in common.
March 28th, 2017 at 10:02 PM ^
Feeling better on Mo's recuritment with that news...
March 28th, 2017 at 10:09 PM ^
We need some mo mo. Finance it. Stat. Because you will never ever have better advertising again. Mo please. Mo.
March 29th, 2017 at 12:10 AM ^
March 29th, 2017 at 12:15 AM ^
March 29th, 2017 at 12:20 AM ^
Bingo.
and tough to defend. I call it lack of confidence, for whatever reason Has to be the logical answer in why he delays going after what he wants. He's been to the final game, could have won it easily. Been to the Great 8 and made the halfway pt in about 3 or 4 of the tourneys. These kids know him; they have to love his offense when running smoothly and I believe their parents, especiallly the more knowledgeable, love the man as a a coach.
And given the fact he is going after kids he feels fits his system better, for the most part eliminating head-to-head battles with the big dogs, he should enter that croot's house confident he's not leaving without a committment. As you said, we are Michigan; he is a top 10 coach. Frieder, who couldn't touch him as to Xs and Os was indefatigable, and selling what all great UM recruiters have sold, would square off with anyone and collect enough talent that alone would make up for many deficiences re: coaching and even that improved. It's my guess just because its easy to imagine yourself a parent of a h.s. star, the majority that host J.B. more than likely hope their son commits to him Hell, for them it would be a dream. They know their son is decent or good on the basketball court and that will shake itself out. They are probably more concerned with whether or not their son will fuck up and not accept a scholarship to Michigan.
JH is busy taking care of his charges, but damn, i wish J.B. could tail him for a couple weeks on the recruiting trail. That's all the longer it would take to ask himself, "Now just why in the hell am I not sounding like that when I have the floor?"
And as they say about the best of products, no matter its purpose. No one sells these; they sell themselves. True in AA as well.
Caveat - I won't defend JB's policies regarding when and under what circumstances he offers guys - I'm not close enough to the program or his recruiting methods to comment.
I will speak to your comment "should have our pick of the litter every year". I just don't think that's true, for a number of reasons:
1. We're not a "blue blood" basketball school. Like football, "blue blood" programs have built-in recruiting advantages.
Duke, NC, KY, UCLA, KS - and to a lesser extent AZ, Indiana, Louisville, UConn, Syracuse, Villanova.
Michigan is a "blue-blood" football school. The level of emphasis and support for Michigan basketball just isn't that high; furthermore, there's not a single school that's "blue-blood" in both football and basketball.
Combined, the basketball-first schools listed above have won 28 of 37 NC's since 1980. NO football-first school has won since 2007.
Since '80, only 4 schools have won NCAA championships that aren't hoops-first (Floridax2, MSU, Arkansas, and us).
My point is that hoops "blue bloods" have natural recruiting advantages - rabid fan and school support, great game/arena atmosphere, history of success, etc.
2. Recruiting "flexibility" - Most (not all, but most) of those schools are either blatantly cheating or look the other way while boosters do the cheating for them. Michigan dabbled in the latter back in the Frieder/Fisher days, and we're not going there again IMO.
3. Academic "flexibility" - Some of the top recruiting schools dont care if their athletes are students (see: NC); most have very loose admissions requirements. Further, because many top recruits are one-and-done, there isn't even a pretense of encouraging academic achievement. That doesn't wash at Michigan.
4. Competition - Like it or not, we have a formidable hoops competitor nearby. Izzo has built a strong program and reputation. Unlike football, where our reputation, history and fanbase usually enable us to dominate in-state recruiting, the challenge is greater in basketball.
Fortunately, Beilein has also had success, so high school kids today have seen both schools succeed.
5. System - While JB's system works, it may not be to every kid's liking. It's complex, takes time to learn, and doesn't allow for too much freelancing. It doesn't seem like a great system for a one-and-done kid. JB doesn't appear to desire those kids much, either, and fitting his system seems to be a priority.
There.
It's reasonable to wish that Beilein could/would bring in more highly-rated guys; Michigan is a great, renowned, wealthy athletic powerhouse.
I believe it's also fair to say coach Beilein has some recruiting challenges, and that other coaches/schools have it easier than Beilein/Michigan. We don't have, and shouldn't expect to have, the "pick of the litter".
I think that your post, overall, is excellent, but I can think of 3-9 reasons why MSU isn't a football first school.
March 29th, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^
Every single MSU fan would trade their Final Fours for Rose Bowls.
March 29th, 2017 at 12:19 AM ^
Beilien has long been mentioned, along with a handful of other coaches, as having the best offensive mind in college bb; And then I see thread after thread, most of them blaming Coach B; for not offering every top rated player in the nation.
Most of your better offensive minds, regardless of the sport, have a certain player in mind for each of his positions. We all know what JH wants for each skill position, likewise Urban Meyer. Now these two, unlike Belien, even with his rep as being among the offensive elite, does not have every door open for him.
I am wondering, because obviously you want at least one solo artist on the floor who can handle, distribute and score, well above average from beyond the arc. It appears,though I don't see him often in the maize and blue, a 7' rebounding machine; a rejector would complement this player well while opening it up considerably for the other three, like your PG, well above average in draining the bomb.
As many have said on here, and to which I totally agree, many of the players nabbed by Calipari couldn't find their way to admissions in AA, and once inside, would be clueless on how to proceed. Is it possible, and just tossing it out to you who are far more invested than I, that J.B. is somehwat handcuffed by what he needs to make a perfect offense operate near perfection and not knowing who will be available to best suit his system until after the dust clears? This is directly targeted to those who believe J.B. should recruit the best ball players in the country, even though he is aware they would not pay great dividends for his team and that late 3* pick up may very well have been his preference all along. Point is obvious, but if not, if JB doesn't want that 5* you do, what is the advantage in offering him? I'm guessing majority of 5*s stay no longer than two and in a system that takes three to ,maximixe your game and contribution to the team, what is to be gained by working with a player for two years when you expect only improvement from him and not domination for three?
Thank you
As you are aware, many of us discussed the seeming "snail like pace." J.B approaches recruiting, and i think it's fair to say, and in no way demeaning, where Harbaugh approaches it the way he approaches everyhing, and you're aware of the acronymn J.B.. and hell yes, much of it has to do with the player he needs to run his offense, both on a physical and a mental level There is a reason they call it the Princeton offense and Carrill gave big schools fits with it for years, and obviously that was pretty much limited to the mental portion.
I understand J.B.'s need but in order to take full advantage of the Michigan brand, even though he'll pass on some of the nation's best for a number or reasons, even though many feel he should offer every great player in the country. Most of its due to a three year plan. It takes two seasons - has nothing to do with physical gifts - to mentally understand the offense and year three to allow you to maximize the level of your game individually and also to understand your role and embrace it to raise the level of play of the entire team. Obviously with 5*s being a rarity to stay in school past two seasons, i understand his decision. However, he lead his team to the final game, participated in two Great eights, three or four rounds of 32. He is well known. High school kids like him, his coaching. High school coaches find it an honor when he shows interest in one of his players. So too do NBA multimillionaires and it was but a few seasons ago we had the namesakes of two former NBA players realize how much their sons would gain from learning offense under J.B. because when done, they know the entire offense.
Take the entire brain trust. Go away for a week or two and if you believe you can keep a 5* around for the length of time you need him, or feel you are able to hasten the return on investment, pursue him. You know what you need in the middle of the court, the solo artist - must do many things well' we've had more than a few good ones. Target the top two to three at every position you need and do it as a UM coach, with confidence and a belief, because its real, no one else can offer the same combo of academics and bb and because its UM, don't ever forget these young men and their parent(especially those parents dreaming of the UM degree) will welcome you. They are interested in finding out your plans for them. But JB., you've proven you know what you need. And surprisingly, waiting for the dust to clear has been more than fair to you, imagine approaching August completely aware of your 13 man roster. Do it once, it'll become a ritual. As one wise poster stated, "you're here until you retire." That should bring about a peace of mind uncommon in your profession. Take UM an J.B both to the next level.
Similar to when he changed his name from MaizeHaze to Maizen during his last turn as MGoBlog's most hated poster.
I'll admit he had me fooled for about 2 posts.
March 29th, 2017 at 10:54 AM ^
Good luck at Duke or Texas or Kentucky!!!