smith and brooks
Chris Balas on rivals. opined that Juwans recruiting efforts should start by retaining Smith and Books. I would love to see Eli come back. I have very mixed feelings aboutSmith. I was wondering how you feel about it
I want Smith to come back (although I’d love for Eli to come back too) because otherwise it’s Frankie Collins or Zeb Jackson manning the point. I’d much rather have an experienced point guard
In an ideal world yes, but it’s like when you apply for a job out of college that is an entry level job but requires experience. The only way to get experience is to gain experience.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
My only knock on Coach Howard this year is that it seemed like there were plenty of blowouts but he didn't work Zeb and T-Williams into more games with the main rotation. I think it's especially important for Zeb's development to get significant minutes early in his career. It seemed like there were opportunities to do so -I hope that doesn't hold him back in the future.
I agree with on this. I honestly think Zeb is gong to be a star and will better player than Williams.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:09 AM ^
I'd like to see a more athletic shooting point guard come through the portal before next season. I'm sure there are some great PG looking at the portal to Michigan. I would also like to develop one of our younger PG.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:28 AM ^
Give me Eli over Smith 24/7. The tournament showed us why. Better defensively, more assertive and the offense just runs better since he doesn’t get frazzled nearly as easily.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
smith runs the point better than eli. eli is better in just about every other facet of the game, though. smith having 4 bad games out of his final 5 has to be painful for him...and us.
Good title, no caps suggests the proper lack of effort.
Also, missing end punctuation lack of proper spacing hints at "I'm too busy to spend much time on this post".
Overall, A+ effort.
Further post snark should reply to this post, so as to be at the top and increase reader enjoyment.
I am 88 years old and not as erudite as you. I appreciate all of your helpful comments I I will take them up with my psychologist
Username DEFINITELY checks out
March 31st, 2021 at 11:09 AM ^
Maybe napleswhite (hair).
If not Smith, who is the primary point? I am very nervous about Zeb and Frankie Collins is a freshman. Won't find many Final Four teams with a freshman point. Love Eli's defense and intangibles. Both would be great to have. Smith seems "most needed" next year.
Gonzanga's freshmen point guard says hello.
Jalen Suggs was a consensus 5 star prospect and a projected top 5 pick. I don't really think Michigan has someone like that in the pipeline. I think Zeb is formidable but doubt we have that sort of talent at PG right now.
25% isn’t many. Looking over three years, it’s 10%, which isn’t many. An exception to the theory can create a rule.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
If we could just keep Eli from using that awful floater that he's shooting about 10% on I'm fine with him coming back.
March 31st, 2021 at 12:02 PM ^
Well, half of college basketball is in the portal, so maybe there.
Get both back
Is there not going to be a scholarship limit next season? 6 incoming freshmen, 4 current freshmen, 1 current sophomore (probably gone), 2 current juniors, 5 current seniors (3 probably gone).
Pretty sure Wagner, Livers, Brown and Davis are gone.
If Brooks and Smith return, that's 14 scholarships. Isn't the max 13?
Still need to fill out the roster with walk ons for scout team.
Heard on ESPNU Radio yesterday that there is almost 1300 players in the portal for college basketball.
Roster management is going to be a bitch.
I believe that returning players will not count against the scholarship limit
Thanks, I had not heard that.
The extra year of eligibility granted due to the pandemic does not count against the scholarship limit!
Is there any chance Trey Burke can appeal to use his last two years of eligibility?
Serious answer: I would be fine with either of them back
Both! And get Franz to stick around to!
Id like to see both back, but especially Brooks.
Ive thought this all year, but havent said it. Wagner is so frustrating. Any type of adversity and he mentally takes himself out of the game. He needs to stay but we all know he wont....and Im not necessarily mad about it. I feel like others feed off of his negativity.
The future is bright, and this team will need leadership.
"Any type of adversity and he mentally takes himself out of the game."
May be true, but you've just described A LOT of 19 year old basketball, football, etc. players. We've seen it from superstars and role players. He likely needs some time to mature, and that's the role college is supposed to play. Hopefully Franz sticks around at Michigan, for the sake of the team, but it may be in his best interest to go pro.
I fully agree with you. I dont want to dog a kid, he just hasnt matured. I fully expect him to leave and potentially develop overseas, off a bench in the NBA or in the G league
March 31st, 2021 at 10:24 AM ^
Wagner played fantastic defense. So I would argue that he didn't check himself out of the game. He was still extremely valuable on the court last night.
Basketball is weird. Guys have bad nights shooting. It happens. You just hope someone else can put on the superman cape and carry the team. Last night was a team loss, not an individual loss.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:42 AM ^
Wagner came up huge in crunch time against LSU. Don’t overgeneralize from one game.
I do think he tended to defer to his teammates a lot during the season and sometimes needed to hunt his shot a little more, but that’s not really a bad quality.
We need an experienced guard on the team next year, whether it is Smith or Brooks, I don’t think it matters which. Brooks seems like he’s the better overall player though. Brooks has played some point guard this year too, so maybe that is an argument for keeping him.
Frankie Collins is also really good, but he’s also a freshman. Perhaps Juwan looks to the portal.
Would love to have Brooks back. Mixed on Mike. He's often solid, but he just isn't an 'elite' guy but who else on the roster is gonna be that guy? We might need Mike for one more year
It would be amazing if we could get Marcus Carr. What other program can offer a lead scoring role on a national contender next year?
Why wouldn’t you want two of your 1 seed, Elite 8 starters returning if there is room? The team can be a legitimate two-deep rotation next year if they do, mix and match of the incoming guys.
Mike Smith was excellent this season and helped unlock so much of what Juwan wants to run offensively. It would be a coup to get him back.
I'm not sure it's necessary for Smith to come back. If Eli is interested though, that would be amazing. A college team can't have too many of those glue guy types.
It would be great if both came back. I know we're all grousing about Smith and Brooks after this game but they were integral in this team going to the Elite 8 and weathering the loss of Livers and there will be so many new guys on the team next year that having that continuity would be great.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^
This succinctly expresses my view.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:04 AM ^
Smith is excellent. Sometimes he tries to do too much, but he's gradually growing out of that, and he also tries to do too much when everybody else is cold, so it's not a total disaster.
I mean, sure, he's had a few notable mistakes, but that's the nature of playing PG.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:06 AM ^
I'm going the other way than many of you. I'd much rather have Smith back than Brooks. I thought Brooks did a great job, certainly, but I think there's a recency bias in our evaluation of Smith. Yes, he didn't have a great game last night, but I think he's a floor general, calms things down, runs the offense, distributes the ball, and can hit the open three (except that last shot, dammit).
Man, if we had Livers last night (or even simply shot a normal free throw percentage), he'd have been the starting point guard on a Final Four team. I won't slam the guy. I'm a fan.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
I can’t wait until Michigan turns the page on undersized guards with limited offensive ability.
Hopeful that Frankie Collins will be more in the mold of Manny, Darius Morris, Trey, and Walton.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
Frankie Collins in under 6', too.
Manny was not a PG
Trey & Walton were both 6'0" in sneakers. Trey could play slightly above the rim and Walton could take it to the rim, so that made up for it.
Darius Morris was argubaly worse than Simpson shooting 3s and long range 2s. His size, court vision, and passing ability glossed over that. Trey was an upgrade the next year.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
I dont know why anyone would have mixed feelings about Smith returning. He's not a world beater but he just lead our team to the Elite Eight - inches from the final four.
Having Smith around would give our young guards a chance to grow.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:57 AM ^
Smith was a liability against top talent. His size limits his offensive and defensive capabilities too much against really good guards. If he were coming as a bench player to back up a high ceiling point guard I guess that could be useful, but I don't think he'd want that role. Eli would bring back way more and be a better leader and help with development a lot better than Smith.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
You can never have too many experienced guards. Whether they start or not, they are a huge resource.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:33 AM ^
Love Mike Smith this year and his maturity and mental attitude. Candidly, his height is an issue for scoring and the point guard needs to be able to score some too meaning shooting over people and creating shots. He was amazing at times making the most of what he could but size caught up to him against the elite teams.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:42 AM ^
I prefer smith and wollensky
March 31st, 2021 at 10:52 AM ^
I sat at the table next to Warren Buffett at Smith and Wollensky in Vegas for CES 12-13 years ago. (Cool Story bro.) There were a number of US senators at his table too.
March 31st, 2021 at 10:56 AM ^
he didn't order a cheeseburger and a cherry coke did he?
March 31st, 2021 at 10:47 AM ^
With 6 seconds to go and UCLA on the line, why didn't Howard put in Brown, Johns and anyone else that could make a shot? Pull Wagner and Smith, who both were having horrible shooting nights, and put in someone who can make a basket. There was only 6 seconds left, defense is not a concern at that point.