More Hoops Info TweetStorm
Tony Paul of the Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) tweeted the following (at work, can't embed tweets, sorry for the formatting):
UM coach John Beilein says there is a possibility for more player(s) transferring out. Should know within next two weeks.
Beilein says he's OK losing an assistant to a head coaching job. Speculation about Bacari Alexander to Detroit
UMCJB says it was Ricky Doyle's decision to transfer "but we were very transparent with him." Crowded frontcourt
UMCJB says he doesn't mind the national heat over his stance on Big Ten transfers. "I'll take the bullets".
UMCJB says the team is open to Spike Albrecht returning. Notes team wants defense, and he can defend.
I'll update the OP if more comes
Unless his health has significantly improved, Spike coming back is a feel-good "heart" story...but not a "head" solution that at all addresses what ails this team.
Because Spike is the heart and soul of a team that without him on the floor showed very little heart and grit outside of Wagner.
With essentially a year off from the wear and tear of the season, Spike could conceivably come back next season better than ever, assuming his rehabilitation stays on track. I would much rather have his graduate Senior leadership and defensive effort for one more year to influence the younger guys and team as a whole than not.
But having players like Dawkins and Doyle leave, and suddenly that sends the entire crew overboard?? Wacky logic.
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That you think McGary was "improvising" when he was actually playing designed pick and roll plays with Burke tells me all I need to know about your basketball knowledge: you don't have any.
Of course you need a big who can actually receive an entry pass off a pick and roll, as well as able to pass out to shooters. Doyle and Donnal cannot because they have butter hands. Jury is still out on Wagner.
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All the tweets above are cherry picked to give the worst impression possible. You're all absurdly overreacting. Beilein said he does not expect another transfer but wouldn't surprised be at anything. That's a normal comment for a coach to make at anytime. Thus far we've had three transfers this offseason. You know the last time Michigan had three transfers? Right before our trip to the national championship. Ricky Doyle was going to get practically no minutes next year. Spike saw that he'd have limited playing time and reasonably wants to start in his final year of basketball probably ever. Dawkins went to play for his Dad on team where he'll get significantly more minutes. These transfer will have very limited impact on the team next season. Relax.
Seriously. This combination of whining about Beilein and misplaced anxiety over a team that just won a game in the NCAA tourney* is becoming toxic. Everyone needs to calm the fuck down.
* Yes, yes, first four I realize.
I am actually happy with the tweets and the Dawkins transfer. This team had a very limited ceiling as it is currently constructed.
I hope for one more transfer. That frees up this year and next year.
We need more talent. Period.
Coach B. with elite talent is unbeatable. Remember Hardaway's quote during the NCAA run?
"You give coach Beilein time to prepare and game plan and you are going to lose" (this is not exact, but you ge the gist)
M has to recruit more aggresively and adjust to elite players.
2013 does not have to be a rarity.
Unless you recruit players with hookers and sex parties.
Using the best Subs in the country. Feed them well and they will come.
I'm surprised Spike is still an option; thought that ship had sailed.
The Doyle things are a bit "yeah, we aren't telling you to leave, but..." vibe to it, but honestly he might as well find a better fit.
I wouldn't be surprised to see one more big leave, just because of the numbers. There's clear playing time elsewhere for multiple guys, but there are going to be only a select number of minutes for a bunch of kids in that big 4/5 spot.
There are 5/5 starters returning. That's a rarity in this era. All of you will be surprised when this team is much better next year. A better guard team, a better big-man rotation, and a better Duncan Robinson.
It's a rarity in this era because most good teams lose their best players after 1-2 years to the NBA. They replace those players with more good players that also stay for a 1-2 years before moving on to the NBA.
I'm a Beilein supporter, and feel he's been good for Michigan. Others disagree, and that's cool.
I'm not an insider, and don't want to play the blame game. Just my observations.
It felt to me last year's team had major chemistry issues. Examples:
Dawkins - I thought he would grow into an exciting player. Athletic, hops, can shoot the 3, hoops background/genes. Seemed in JB's doghouse, and instead of fighting for PT he regressed and sulked. Looked a bit out of shape, and didn't improve his awful defense. Much of defense is "want to"; he didn't. Did he not rise to the challenge, or did the staff let him down? I have no idea.
Irvin - His injury is a MAJOR factor. However, rather than growing into the leader and upperclass presence he seemed destined to be, he became prone to lengthy slumps and "hero ball". Body language didn't look great. He seemed like a frustrated, unhappy camper. Hopefully mostly due to his back.
Chatman - Seemed like Dawkins to me. Too much physical talent to perform so poorly. Either attitude/work ethic is poor, or his psyche is damaged.
Bigs - Doyle's sleep/health problem a factor, but he clearly regressed. He's the one really big guy we had, and boy we lacked a physical presence. His hands on offense and feet on defense made him a liability. Donnal showed tantalizing flashes where he got fired up on both ends of the floor - but just flashes. Wagner looks like a player, one who could really benefit from PT. Instead he spent most of the season on the bench. Yes, he's a foul machine, but so what?
Duncan - I think he had a pretty good first year in D1, but ran out of gas. When his shot isn't falling, he's a liability. Seems like a perfect 6th man to me - instant offense. If he has a hot hand, keep him in there; if not, sit. Too slow/unathletic to play good defense, but he's a dynamic offensive player.
Walton is who he is - a pretty good guard with limited court vision and freakish ability to rebound. MAAR was a breath of fresh air; great positive energy.
JB's previous teams that made big runs seemed so joyful and full of positive energy. This team let down and lost energy when they fell behind, and didn't gel. Hope that changes next year.
I don't think Irvin had bad body language, he just has really weird posture where his neck and head stick forward, like he's growing a hunchback.
Agree with your points, except for maybe Chatman. I didn't get the sense that he's got a poor work ethic or attitude.
That's why I added "or damaged psyche". I really don't know. Hell, maybe he's just not that good.
To my eyes, he looks like someone with a lot of talent, who hasn't fit in or blossomed. Maybe he's just a late bloomer (enough with the floral refererences).
I'd think the easiest path to PT, especially on this year's team, would be energy and defense. We saw that the instant Wagner and MAAR got on the floor - they hustled their asses off. Dawkins and Chatman not so much.
I don't mean to bash those guys. I'm really disappointed Dawkins is leaving, he was fun (though frustrating) to watch. I sincerely hope the light comes on for Chatman.
I wasn't happy at all about robinson playing over dawkins. so be it.
regarding chatman, it reminds me of when darius morris first began playing,....he looked like a little kid that was lanky and not comfortable in his recent growth spurt... same with chatman.. is clumsy and awkward, but this is the kid were seeing.. .when he catches up, is what we are hoping for.
What the hell is going on inside Crisler Center these days?
"Open to Spike returning"?
What the hell does that even mean? Does no one communicate with each other?
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They didn't announce he was transferring, they announced they had granted him a transfer release so that he could transfer.
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I'm super excited for this next season.
We'll finally have experienced seniors leading. Irvin and Walton have played a ton of games. They got a taste of success as freshman, and they've had their fair share of disappointment over their careers. They've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can't wait to see what these two can do as seniors. I hope they are both 100% healthy all season, so we can see what 2 healthy seniors can do for a team.
Duncan will continue to be a constant 3-pt threat, and will only get better. Last year was his first season against high level competition. He hit a wall during conference play, which could have been expected, but should not be repeated next year.
Wagner showed glimpses of what an athletic "5" is supposed to do in Beilein's system. He is still learning the college game, and should grow leaps and bounds this offseason.
Donnal is a quality "4" in Beilein's system, and a ? at the 5. He can play the 4 if he adds more agility and coordination (especially on the PnR).
That is a quality starting 5. Walton, Robinson, Irvin, Donnal, and Wagner.
Our bench will consist of mostly proven question marks in Chatman and Wilson, or players that contribute in Dakich and Lonergan.
Rahkman will continue to be an exciting player, and can come in for any of Walton, Robinson, or Irvin. Or we go small, Irvin at the 4, and Rahkman at the 2/3.
Outside of those 6 contributors, I'm really looking forward to seeing these freshman in the Maize and Blue. X is obviously the lead candidate to see playing time, but don't think Watson won't be pushing Chatman for time off the bench. I think Teske will come in during garbage time and/or during foul trouble situations. He can eat minutes, and maybe even provide a shot blocking presence (to go along with the surprise of Wagner being a shot blocker).
Looking forward to an Elite 8 and top 4 conference finish with this group.
Go Blue!
Donnal and Wagner are not going to start together. They will be playing the same position--the 5. Donnal can't play as a 4 because he would struggle defensively even more than he does at the 5. (I know you said he could if he gets more athletic, but that's not going to happen.) But I'm glad you're optimistic, it beats a lot of the "sky is falling" anxiety around here.
I believe that if Donnal spent the summer practicing at the 4, he would look more comfortable on the court than he does at the 5.
From what we heard out of his redshirt season, he was able to hang with Caris 1v1. Now I'm not saying I believe that entirely, but there has to be some truth there. Coming out of HS, he was an "athletic big", which is what the "4" job description is in Beilein's system.
I think out of necessity, we forced him to play out of position, playing the 5 all season. I think he's more natural on the perimeter, hitting jumpers and playing in the PnR.
I could be wrong, but I don't think too many teams play a crazy athletic guy at the "4" in the B1G (IU is the exception that comes to mind).
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I don't believe that at all. I think we could see a similar growth as to what Stauskas did from Fr to So year. Maybe not that extreme, but I think Zach will become a better passer, rim attacker, and play maker.
He'll finally have a full offseason to focus on his game, and not his health. I have faith in Zach becoming a 1st team all B1G player next year
I hope so. I think it'd be nice to see him develop a floater or a shot off that spin move like Josh Hart uses. It's unlikely that he's going to suddenly get really good at finishing at the rim because he lacks athleticism. I think the only hope is for him to get more crafty. He's not going to explode by guys, nor is he going to explode at the rim. It doesn't mean he can't get better. It just means the path is different than it might seem for someone as tall as he is.
The first few rounds of the NCAA tournament are a crapshoot.
No one thought MSU would get knocked out by Mid-South Tennessee Technical Institute, and no one thought Syracuse was a Final Four team. Shit happens.
If Michigan can improve a just a little bit, they'll have a higher seed and decent path to the Sweet 16. After that, it's just one game to Elite 8. Probable? No. Unrealistic? Not at all.
Hope not.
I'm having flashbacks to last year, when everyone thought Dawkins would break out and become a star, Doyle would solidify the interior, Irvin and Walton would take that next step as upperclassmen. Players don't automatically get better just by returning, and there wasn't a whole lot of player development this season outside of Donnal going from unplayable to simply bad. I'd temper my expectations if I were you. A lot of players would need to make substantial improvements in order for this to be an Elite 8 caliber team.
We were a couple shots and a few minutes away from a Round of 32 match up against SFA. I don't think an Elite 8 expectation is unjustified.
I think it's easy to say with confidence that we'll see improvements from Robinson and Wagner.
I think it's more optimistic to see improvements from Walton and Irvin. I think them finally having an offseason together and healthy, that we'll see them improve.
It takes significant improvement to go from "a couple shots and a few minutes away from Round of 32" to Elite 8. We ended our season getting significantly outplayed in the 2nd half by a fairly average Notre Dame squad, just like we got severely outplayed by most decent opponents on the schedule. I just don't see it with this current crop of players.
Bottom line is we're a long way from Elite 8 level. We finished 58th in kenpom, behind numerous teams that missed the tournament.
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I think MAAR really improved this year.
Otherwise, agree with you on both Dawkins and Doyle. Very disappointing.
Players don't automatically get better, but most of the time they do. These are kids after all.
impacted Walton and Irvin. Walton had to log way too many minutes without Spike and both he and Irvin had to shoulder more of the offense without Caris. I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect both to improve next season. Doyle of course was slowed by a sleep apnea problem which apparently took months to diagnose. So who knows what he might have done if he had been on top of his physical condition.