MAAR Appreciation Thread

Submitted by LickReach on

Even if we did not get the result we owe some love for MAAR for going out with 23 points and giving everything he had for his team and his coach.  

JFW

April 3rd, 2018 at 8:51 AM ^

MAAR, this team in general, and John Beilein. Amazing amazing run, done with class. A season to truly be proud of. Hail!

SD Larry

April 3rd, 2018 at 9:08 AM ^

player in Michigan history.  Love his stoicisim and class, which he demonstrated throughtout his career.  Great senior leader and personifies "Say Less Do More" as well as any student athlete can.  Great job through and through MAAR.  Will always appreciate and never forget him.

umaz1

April 3rd, 2018 at 9:11 AM ^

Thank You for an incredible season. He has been the glue keeping this team together for several years now. His leadership and poise will sorely be missed. Go Blue!!

Carcajou

April 3rd, 2018 at 9:19 AM ^

All year, when Michigan was in trouble and needed someone to make a play yet everyone else seemed incapable of doing so, MAAR was the man to come through, with a quiet intensity.



That made him fun to watch and much appreciated. I hope Michigan finds someone who can replace that, and wish him great things in life.

Night_King

April 3rd, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^

I am really going to miss him and his pink shoes. He's been one of my favorites to watch over the last few years.

Jordan Poole has some big shoes to fill next year. If he improves defensively, I think he has a way higher ceiling given his natural talent and outside shooting ability. I heard he said he wants to lock himself in the gym after last night's loss. Love that mentality. 

goblue16

April 3rd, 2018 at 9:29 AM ^

Great player and an excellent system guy. John Beilein molded him into one hell of a slasher and he played to his full potential. Can’t wait to see this team next season but he will definitely be missed regardless

Indy Pete - Go Blue

April 3rd, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^

He was thrust in the lineup as a freshman due to injuries, and he never backed down to the challenges. He improved every year. Each year, he added a new skill. He was always a good slasher/scorer. Then, he learned how to become a very effective on-ball defender. In his junior year, he started to develop an effective three point shot. And his senior year, he became an excellent passer with the all-time assist to turnover ratio for Michigan in a season. He truly is an Iron Man. The guy also had incredible stamina, and logged not only a record number of games, but also a record number of minutes. He was playing around 38 minutes a game, and he never seemed to get tired. I will always admire him, and he will live on as a Michigan legend. Let’s not forget that he was a big 10 champion in his junior and senior year!

bacon1431

April 3rd, 2018 at 9:51 AM ^

Improved every single season. Came in as a role player, left a major contributor on a Final Four squad. Will always have a place in the heart of Michigan fans everywhere

KennyHiggins

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:10 AM ^

Just a classy competitor through and through. Have heard he really spends time in practice helping younger guys develop. Not flashy, but a Leader and Best.

pryoo

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:14 AM ^

The university and I'm sure he'll be successful in his next endeavor, hopefully playing pro ball here or abroad. I'm glad he had a nice bounce back from the semifinals.

Michigan4Harbaugh

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^

Iron MAN! Thank you Mr. Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman for your dedication to Michigan Basketball, your constant effort over 4 years, and for being such a great leader! You make me proud to be a fan of this team! All the best to you moving forward!

UM Griff

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^

The epitome of do more, say less. Quiet, intense, classy.

With his taking care of business approach, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman will go far in life.

Sopwith

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^

I thought he was basically just a body, a skinny 2-star tackling dummy equivalent for practices more or less. That '14-15 team had graduated Stauskas the year before, and with him, any ability to create their own shots or go to the hoop.

Then this afterthought of a recruit gets on the court and just starts flying at the hoop every chance he gets. I remember thinking "he's the one player on this team that doesn't look intimidated in the least."  He was the junkyard dog we needed.

I recall there was this one game at Breslin where we were a huge underdog and we ended up staying with them punch for punch because they had no clue what to do about MAAR-- Izzo said something like "we had no idea who that guy was" after he lit them up. We didn't win because he had no help, but I thought "if Beilein can build a team of fearless guys like this, we may have something eventually." Really going to miss him.

corundum

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:49 AM ^

Early in his career I thought he was interchangeable with Aubrey Dawkins.

He ended his career as a primary scoring threat on a team that made it to the title game.

Great career.

michmaiku

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^

First time I saw the kid was actually vs. Villanova at Barclays in Nov. 14.   Happened to be sitting right next to his mom, who was beaming.  

Don't remember MAAR's stat line from that game, but do remember instantly liking him.  

He's true Blue.

CRISPed in the DIAG

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^

Michigan Man.

I'll never forget those FT's against Maryland or the many times he drove to the hoop and scored a physical bucket when we really needed one. He balled again last night and against any other team we might ugly another win. 

OlafThe5Star

April 3rd, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^

Talked to MAAR’s mom last night in the hotel lobby. She was incredibly nice, justifiably proud, and would NOT stop insisting that she’s still going to come to games. She kept saying “they all say I’m not serious and that I will stop coming, but I’m going to be there.”

She had some nice stories about cooking for MAAR and his roommates and him giving her a hard time because she insisted on feeding all of them instead of leaving him a bunch of leftovers.

She, along with the Wagners and the Robinson family, handled themselves with the utmost class (I assume the same is true of the rest of the families, we just didn’t talk to them).

Tough loss, but it’s still great to be a Michigan Wolverine.

skurnie

April 3rd, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^

He became a favorite of mine last year--he's had an incredible career here at Michigan. He started 116 games here...I will never forget the Maryland Free Throw's, which I saw with one eye open from section 226. 

100% a John Beilein guy: from an under-recruited, last minute addition to a Team Leader and Captain who carried Michigan at times during his junior/senior year. Even if Moe leaves, I'll miss MAAR the most from this team. 

This from his Hello Post (4/19/14 by Ace):

I doubt Beilein used a scholarship on a 20-year-old freshman at a position in need of depth without plans to utilize him immediately; even with the iffy jump shot, MAAR should carve out a niche role as a defensive specialist who can get out and lead the break. How he's utilized from there will depend largely on the development of his offensive repertoire.

BlueinOK

April 3rd, 2018 at 12:40 PM ^

MAAR gave Michigan four great years. I know when he committed I would never guess he would end his career with 21 points in a championship game. What a player. 

tazredii

April 3rd, 2018 at 6:50 PM ^

Who is this kid?  Thats what I was thinking when I saw the hello post.  Skinny slasher from PA that nobody seemed to want.  Thoughts were okay, great ... we havent had a true slasher type in a good while.  He plays below the rim, why do we need that?  He'll be swatted repeatedly.  Spotty Jumper at best.  He's a Beilein Project.  Oh how MAAR has grown.  I wouldnt want to defend his dribble drive late in the shot clock, or lose him on a screen.  Dude has been lights out down the stretch since before the B1G tourney.  Smart with the rock, on point from the arc, up close and personal with the d, and floor general when things get tence.  Steely cool, so much more than a scorer ... He will be missed.