He shot a good percentage from 3. It would be nice to see him get volume and see if he can shoot like that all year. He percentages seemed near 40 percent from an announcer late in the year....it just didn't seem like he truly had the green light like Mo or DJ.
Toledo would be a good fit. He has a former HS Teammate on BG. Either would be logical.
Jordan Strack is highly respected and gets a lot of scoops on Toledo area information. I don't know if I ever remember him being wrong on stuff like this. If he said he spoke to Kovacs, he spoke directly to him.
As a side note, he is the reporter that asked Brady Hoke if Michigan is still an elite job. I was hoping he would ask Harbaugh the same question at his opening press conference.
I would love to see the tryout too. I remember Bobby Knight had a show called Knight School where they putl walkons through a tryout. It was fascinating to watch it. I am a basketball coach, so the drills were fun to watch. The mental side of it was even more fascinating to me though. I would love to see a show like that at Michigan with Harbaugh.
Beat OSU for sure...but if we happen to lose a close one....if Washington loses, we could have a chance? Would Penn State or Wisconsin get in over us if they win the Big 10? I don't think we can get blown out against OSU, but an instant classic could allow us in as the 4 seed if Washington loses. Just my opinion....crazy, crazy year!!
The Brad Stevens to college post is driving me a little crazy. I see posts are being added, but for some reason I can't view it. Can anybody else view it? I am a big Beilein fan, but Brad Stevens is the best in the business. I think he would be a terrific fit at Michigan and it would be worth backing the truck up to pay him if the timing worked. I don't believe we should run out Beilein, but I don't know how long he will want to coach. If Stevens is abailable, he would be a homerun hire.
My parents are very involved with boosters at Clemson and they swear up and down it is clean. The only thing I have seen that seems a bit iffy is some of their friends have players over for really nice Steak type dinners. Their close friends have groups of guys over regularly and cook them great food. Those friends aren't poor, but certainly are loaded where they could be giving $100 or $500 handshakes and not feel it.
I know it used to be dirty down there and I think they even had some issues with a previous coaching staff, but they really think Dabo is doing it the right way.
I agree with the scholarship limitations. I don't understand why they can't just put a cap of 23-25 scholarships a year. If kids stay 5 years, you could have a few extra on scholarship. That cap would keep people from oversigning and they would know exactly how many commits they can take. It would also eliminate the incentive to run kids off. If they leave, you don't get to replace them. Taking high risk kids would not be a good thing either and it would be much more beneficial to take high quality people.
Here is my take. I thought we were awful at locating shooters and closing out with high hands. Xavier clearly wanted to attack Donnell and the other bigs. The very first play of the game, the big was cleared out and he drove to his strong hand. That is a little scouting detail that was missed by either the coaching staff or Donnell.
Robinson can flat shoot the ball. I like him ahead of Irvin right now...maybe because Irvin is hurt, but he is just more of a threat. Levert was very good, but he can't win games by himself. Dawkins has to be a second slasher and he just wasn't very good today. Walton didn't shoot it very well or have his best game. Spike looks a bit slow still and hopefully he gets up to full speed before too long.
I would rotate the Bigs at the 5. It seems like Donnell could do a bit of stretching the defense, but Beilein hasn't run the type of plays he ran for Max to set up a 3. I would like to see that. I would give Wagner minutes every game and hope he can become something the others can't. Doyle, Donnell and DJ are not great at all. I hope we can get enough to keep us competitive.
I would certainly start Walton and play him a bunch of minutes. Spike may not be fully healthy yet. He needs limited minutes until he is full go. I would then play Dawkins, Levert, Robinson and probably Doyle to start.
Off the bench I would give Irvin, Chatman, and Spike minutes. I would limit MAAR just due to keeping a good rotation, but allowing guys to get into a flow. It just seemed like guys were in and out way to fast to get rolling tonight.
Finally, this team needs to rebound the ball much, much better than they did. It was brutal. Xavier absolutely beat them up on the boards. The one play that stands out to me is Irvin getting outhustled to a defensive rebound. No excuse for it from an upperclassmen.
When they decided to tackle social issues, many people jumped ship. They really need to stick to sports. People watch to get away from real life and not be reminded of it or have an agenda pushed at them. Run inspirational stories, but stay away from subjects that isolates a large portion of the country. (even if they are wrong, why would a business think it is smart to make 10%, 20%, or even 50^ of their customers upset?) I am not getting into right/wrong here, but there are way too many people that do not agree with many of their social agendas. The problem is many of those people vote with their wallets and have jumped ship.
If they get back to the basics and cover sports/inspirational stories that aren't controversial....they will gain viewers back.
I am not sure this is the school with the rape allegations. I know of another big football town in Ohio with those allegations, but have never heard it about Massillon. I am not saying you are wrong, but are you sure you have the correct town? That is kind of a big one to get wrong.
I love Mancy's, Tony Packo"s, Burger Bar 419, Rosie"s to eat. I also enjoy Fricker's much more than a BW3 or similar type sports bar. Plus you might run into Nik Stauskus at a local sports bar because he dates a girl from Toledo.
I love the location - close to Ann Arbor, Detriot, Cedar Point. Trips to Chicago or Toronto are both fairly close. The Mud Hens and Walleye provide two great venues for minor league sports and other events. UT also provides a great venue to watch D1 sports. It isn't Michigan, but is really good for the MAC. I also really enjoy being so close to Lake Erie for fishing and swimming.
I lived in the Chicago area and have almost as much to do within an hour as I had in Chicago. It took as long for me to get to the city as it does to get to Ann Arbor or even Detroit.
I will never forget going to the Northwestern game in 2000. We left to tailgate 2 hours before the game and didn't arrive until the middle of the first quarter because of traffic.
The downside of Toledo is there is a growing ghetto. Unfortunately it is creeping a bit into some decent areas.
I think he will be solid this season and could develop into an all league player before he is done. He looks so much more explosive on his dunk video than he did in high school. I am looking forward to seeing a stretch 5 in Beilein's system and am expecting big things. He doesn't need to be McGary and I expect more from him than Horford would have given us.
I am pretty sure he was from Toledo originally. If this is who I think it is, I knew the family a long time ago. I had heard they had a younger son who was becoming a big time recruit. I am pretty sure his brother played QB at St John's Jesuit in Toledo several years back. If so, the distance would not be quite the same deal as a normal kid from there. I could be off, but I am pretty sure that is correct.
LeVert still can lose his composure and be a little loose with the ball, but it is hard to argue with his production. I would not draft him unless he improves significantly. That being said, it wouldn't surprise me if he blows up next year.
I also can see McGary having a huge year with the players that have left. LeVert is an unselfish first scorer and Walton is going to do an even better job running the team next year. Irvin and Donnal will also stretch the defense and give McGary room to operate. I just hope he gets back to full speed and has an all american type of season. Can't wait for next year and it is truly a great time to be a Michigan basketball fan.
I wondered about Horford as well. I hate to see him go, but appreciate the time he played at Michigan.
I argued with people 2 years ago who said Donnal wouldn't make it (not Michigan fans...local people). I am more convinced he is going to be very, very good. It may be right away or it may be a year or two away from big time production, but I still believe he will be very, very good before his career is over. I would not be surprised if he is a 10-12 point a game guy next season. Time will tell, but I am excited for his future.
I do like the fact the kids can eat anytime. Some of these athletes go through a stunning amount of food for training and eating late can be almost necessary. I was a college athlete and was always super hungry after 10 due to the calories I burned during training. I think this is a small step the right direction. I don't think kids should be paid, but they really should be able to eat when they want to...especially at places like Michigan.
I really like him and he has come a long way, but I just have a hard time seeing him as a top 5 player in the country. He is very effective and has made huge progress, but he still seems like he is close to a turnover a lot of the time. He just doesn't have to composure of a Stauskus or Burke at this point. Those two were both All Americans...I get that, but people think LeVert will do the same. I really hope so, but his game was still a ways from that level this year in my opinion. Adding strength and working more on his ballhandling and shot making will certainly help.
I would take a Final 4 over a Big Ten Championship. That being said, I am not at all disappointed with the year Michigan had. Michigan is established as a national contender and a tough, tough matchup for any Big Ten school. I can't wait to see the next few years.
I love watching this team. They are unselfish and are really clicking. They do need to improve their closeouts and Levert needs to play much smarter. He is trying to play like our top player, but he really, really struggled. The team seems to close out way short on really good shooters. It seems almost like a lack of effort and/or coaching. You have to close out with high hands every single time.
He plays very good defense and is one of my favorite players. I hate to see Mitch down, but I love the opportunity it created for Morgan and also Horford. These 2 are playing at a high level.
There should be a 20 or 25 run rule. The game stops even if it is in the middle of the game. I saw a high school team start bunting in the bottom of the second inning up by 20 runs a few years ago. Players should not have to be intentionally trying to get out, but that was the case.
He may get some carries or snaps, but I don't think he is going to get to play. I really, really hope I am wrong, but I also enjoy watching Devin play too.
Hoke isn't tipping his hand and we will find out soon enough. It does seem odd that this would keep him out for a long time.
I could not be more excited about this team. We play and move so well. Our spacing is great and the talent is so fun to watch. I love how Stauskus and Spike throw passes with both hands with ease. Robinson is an absolute freak athlete and is very fun to watch. Hardaway seems relaxed and able to work within the confines of the team. Burke is just so smooth and looks NBA ready right now.
I can't get over how much I like watching every guy on this team. I used to not like watching Horford, but I think he has improved a ton and enjoy seeing him in the rotation. Stauskus is going to be starting soon (if he didn't tonight...missed the beginning) and it is clear he has to play big minutes. I think Spike would be fine to take over for Trey if he has an NBA type of year. If not, he is a great backup pg.
Michigan 85-59 is my prediction. I really enjoy watching this team play. Burke's Eurostep was incredible. Very few players eurostep back to their weak hand and he made it look sooo easy.
That really is hard to believe a guy could try that hard not to compete. I love that he was called out. If that happened more than one week, the WR coach should be fired. If it happens more than a couple, it is time for Beamer to call it a career. You can't let that type of effort go and not correct it.
I would love to hear the coach address this issue. I wonder if he has been asked about it as well.
The offense and spacing does look really good. I agree that the competition might not have been the greatest, but it was still a solid performance. I did think our transition defense left a lot to be desired. There were a few times we didn't run back hard and when we did, we didn't rotate correctly. That has to be corrected or better teams will take advantage of it.
I thought we might see a little more of the point guard, two wings and two forwards look that we saw with McGary and Morgan. I didn't notice it tonight, but may have missed it. I really like that for a high low look.
We experimented with it last week, but we will see how that pans out.
We have many potential NBA guys on this team. I used to think Morgan had no shot, but I am not so sure anymore. McGary is a legit prospect due to his height and ability. GR3, Trey, and Hardaway all have a great chance as well. I could see Stauskus on a team and Horford as well if he keeps developing....Horford could be a long shot, but he looks to be continually improving.
I am really looking forward to seeing good competition with this team.
I rarely ever leave any game early, but if I do I never leave if there is any chance. There are a whole bunch of people who have no idea when a game is actually over. There are so many things that can and do happen, I always keep watching.
Beilein ran a few 1-2-2 sets in when McGary and Morgan played together. Had a high/low look similar to Kansas (Bill Self) type offense. They didn't get deep enough into set without getting a shot, but they look to have another post option right away. I am hoping they add the single down pick to this concept Kansas runs on the backside for Hardaway/Robinson/Stauskus because it is great action and hard to stop. It is very similar action to what else Beiein likes to do and I have a feeling they will add it.
They also had McGary catch the first pass on the wing. He then passed to the top, set a downscreen and then posted up. Great action to work both bigs together at the same time. I haven't seen much of that before. These type of movements allow McGary and Morgan to play together and utilize both of their skill sets.
Diebler is the all time leading scorer in Ohio. He was aided by having a father as a coach who played a very, very uptempo game. They played Loyola Marymount style and he was really fun to watch in high school. He lost a state final game against Dayton Dunbar that may be the best high school game I have ever seen. He had 48 points and almost beat a loaded Dunbar team.
I am pumped about this team. Stauskus is going to surprise a lot of people. He is a perfect fit for this system.
Kentucky's formula doesn't work every year and Coach Cal will be gone before too long. We do need to recruit near top end recruits. The recruiting classes coming in are more than enough to put us in elite status as a program. Beilein will coach them up and we will make good runs in the Big Ten and tournament in future years.
BTW, I am very excited about Glenn Robinson III coming to town. He is going to look great in the maize and blue!!
We are going to be very, very good for the next several years. Near the top of the BIg Ten and competing for Final Four spots. The next big step is a nice tournament run. At least a sweet 16 next year and a final four in the next couple of years would be great. It is very possible with the talent we have.
I love this coaching staff and what they are putting together. It should be a special time in Michigan basketball. Go Blue!!!
You are watching a game and people make incorrect statements regarding Michigan sports....sometimes you bite your tongue and just go with it so people don't ask how and why you know so, so much about all things Michigan.
OR you find yourself right by a Michigan recruit like I did last week. I sat right behind Taco's bench and he was walking towards me. I was really, really tempted to stand up and do the pose that he made with Shane Morris in that picture that is always posted. I then thought to myself....I am a grown man and this is ridiculous. I am pretty sure he would have laughed, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I still can't for the life of me see how he thought this was a good idea. He had to be drinking or something. He is an AD at a somewhat major University :) and you just can't make mistakes like this. This makes him look really, really bad. Dave Brandon on the other hand.....looks like the man.
He will do well there. I have followed him a while and he is a winner. I expect him to get kids and compete very well in the Big Ten. The league is stacked with good coaches and I expect him to fit right in.
In my opinion, Burke would be making a huge mistake to leave. We do need to get a backup point guard asap, because I am not sure I see him staying 4 years. With the talent around him next year, he has the potential to have a monster second year. It seems to me that he is a fringe pick at this time. I can't imagine him going first round. I just hope he gets good advice and learns from Morris. If he goes, he better KNOW he will go first round.
I think Smot saw the writing on the wall with McGary. I liked Smot, but he is not a big loss at all. I love that it opens up time for McGary and Robinson to come in a play a bunch.
I live in Ohio and there is nothing worse to a buckeye fan then calling them Ohio. They absolutely hate it. It is almost like calling them the worst name in the book and it is really under their skin. A win this fall and it will be unbearable for them. Go Blue and Beat Ohio!!!!
My parents have season tickets to Clemson games. They pay 10k a year for the right to buy good tickets. They have a group called IPTAY, which is very active on campus. It originally stood for I Pay Ten A Year...I think now it is I Pay Thousands a Year....but there were hundreds of people at the IPTAY event we attended with them before a football game this fall. This is how the athletic departments have the money to do huge improvements like we are currently undertaking.
The money is used for facilities, scholarships and other expensive items you need to run a first rate program. It is what it is, but it does cost a bunch to run a great national program.
Just because he is a white point guard, doesn't mean he shoots his free throws well :) He is only shooting 67% from the line. Not exactly as efficient as the article makes it sound. He has messed with his stroke and it has looked a little strange at times this year.
This is a good hire for Saline. Whitmer blew up to be about as high of a profile job as I can ever remember any job being in Northwest Ohio. There were articles every week regarding recruiting. The Leroy Alexander case was on the news, in the newspaper and talked about around the city more than any kid I can ever remember. I am sure it got old dealing with that stuff. There were a huge number of kids that move in to play football, but I am not sure that isn't more a function of our society now.
It is hard to turn down a big pay increase. Saline High School is beautiful and quite frankly is a top notch place to live and work. Whitmer is a very good place for a school in a major city, but is still different than a Saline. I would doubt coach will ever have the type of talent he had at Whitmer, but he will still be successful there. He is a very, very solid coach and a great hire for Saline.
They do tend to run and control the clock. You can win with defense, limited turnovers and running the ball. They have good specials teams as well. The only number that truly counts is the 7-1 record. They probably aren't winning the super bowl, but they went from 1-4 with no hope this year to a potential playoff team. Not bad for a guy who isn't good enough to be an nfl qb.
Also, major props to Tebow for nailing that long fg...that was also clutch.
I can't believe he keeps winning the way he does. By all accounts, he is as genuine as they come away from the field. The media frenzy surrounding him is insane and he handles it so well. The funny thing is you almost knew they were going to come back. The kid is a winner...plain and simple. People will have to listen to him talk about his God because he isn't going to stop. It causes so many to people to hate him, but it is what it is.
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I would love to see the tryout too. I remember Bobby Knight had a show called Knight School where they putl walkons through a tryout. It was fascinating to watch it. I am a basketball coach, so the drills were fun to watch. The mental side of it was even more fascinating to me though. I would love to see a show like that at Michigan with Harbaugh.
Beat OSU for sure...but if we happen to lose a close one....if Washington loses, we could have a chance? Would Penn State or Wisconsin get in over us if they win the Big 10? I don't think we can get blown out against OSU, but an instant classic could allow us in as the 4 seed if Washington loses. Just my opinion....crazy, crazy year!!
The Brad Stevens to college post is driving me a little crazy. I see posts are being added, but for some reason I can't view it. Can anybody else view it? I am a big Beilein fan, but Brad Stevens is the best in the business. I think he would be a terrific fit at Michigan and it would be worth backing the truck up to pay him if the timing worked. I don't believe we should run out Beilein, but I don't know how long he will want to coach. If Stevens is abailable, he would be a homerun hire.
My parents are very involved with boosters at Clemson and they swear up and down it is clean. The only thing I have seen that seems a bit iffy is some of their friends have players over for really nice Steak type dinners. Their close friends have groups of guys over regularly and cook them great food. Those friends aren't poor, but certainly are loaded where they could be giving $100 or $500 handshakes and not feel it.
I know it used to be dirty down there and I think they even had some issues with a previous coaching staff, but they really think Dabo is doing it the right way.
I agree with the scholarship limitations. I don't understand why they can't just put a cap of 23-25 scholarships a year. If kids stay 5 years, you could have a few extra on scholarship. That cap would keep people from oversigning and they would know exactly how many commits they can take. It would also eliminate the incentive to run kids off. If they leave, you don't get to replace them. Taking high risk kids would not be a good thing either and it would be much more beneficial to take high quality people.
Does anybody have the clip of the lob dunk play? I would love to see it posted if so.
Here is my take. I thought we were awful at locating shooters and closing out with high hands. Xavier clearly wanted to attack Donnell and the other bigs. The very first play of the game, the big was cleared out and he drove to his strong hand. That is a little scouting detail that was missed by either the coaching staff or Donnell.
Robinson can flat shoot the ball. I like him ahead of Irvin right now...maybe because Irvin is hurt, but he is just more of a threat. Levert was very good, but he can't win games by himself. Dawkins has to be a second slasher and he just wasn't very good today. Walton didn't shoot it very well or have his best game. Spike looks a bit slow still and hopefully he gets up to full speed before too long.
I would rotate the Bigs at the 5. It seems like Donnell could do a bit of stretching the defense, but Beilein hasn't run the type of plays he ran for Max to set up a 3. I would like to see that. I would give Wagner minutes every game and hope he can become something the others can't. Doyle, Donnell and DJ are not great at all. I hope we can get enough to keep us competitive.
I would certainly start Walton and play him a bunch of minutes. Spike may not be fully healthy yet. He needs limited minutes until he is full go. I would then play Dawkins, Levert, Robinson and probably Doyle to start.
Off the bench I would give Irvin, Chatman, and Spike minutes. I would limit MAAR just due to keeping a good rotation, but allowing guys to get into a flow. It just seemed like guys were in and out way to fast to get rolling tonight.
Finally, this team needs to rebound the ball much, much better than they did. It was brutal. Xavier absolutely beat them up on the boards. The one play that stands out to me is Irvin getting outhustled to a defensive rebound. No excuse for it from an upperclassmen.
O well...beat Penn State and Go Blue!!!
When they decided to tackle social issues, many people jumped ship. They really need to stick to sports. People watch to get away from real life and not be reminded of it or have an agenda pushed at them. Run inspirational stories, but stay away from subjects that isolates a large portion of the country. (even if they are wrong, why would a business think it is smart to make 10%, 20%, or even 50^ of their customers upset?) I am not getting into right/wrong here, but there are way too many people that do not agree with many of their social agendas. The problem is many of those people vote with their wallets and have jumped ship.
If they get back to the basics and cover sports/inspirational stories that aren't controversial....they will gain viewers back.
I am not sure this is the school with the rape allegations. I know of another big football town in Ohio with those allegations, but have never heard it about Massillon. I am not saying you are wrong, but are you sure you have the correct town? That is kind of a big one to get wrong.
I love Mancy's, Tony Packo"s, Burger Bar 419, Rosie"s to eat. I also enjoy Fricker's much more than a BW3 or similar type sports bar. Plus you might run into Nik Stauskus at a local sports bar because he dates a girl from Toledo.
I love the location - close to Ann Arbor, Detriot, Cedar Point. Trips to Chicago or Toronto are both fairly close. The Mud Hens and Walleye provide two great venues for minor league sports and other events. UT also provides a great venue to watch D1 sports. It isn't Michigan, but is really good for the MAC. I also really enjoy being so close to Lake Erie for fishing and swimming.
I lived in the Chicago area and have almost as much to do within an hour as I had in Chicago. It took as long for me to get to the city as it does to get to Ann Arbor or even Detroit.
I will never forget going to the Northwestern game in 2000. We left to tailgate 2 hours before the game and didn't arrive until the middle of the first quarter because of traffic.
The downside of Toledo is there is a growing ghetto. Unfortunately it is creeping a bit into some decent areas.
I think he will be solid this season and could develop into an all league player before he is done. He looks so much more explosive on his dunk video than he did in high school. I am looking forward to seeing a stretch 5 in Beilein's system and am expecting big things. He doesn't need to be McGary and I expect more from him than Horford would have given us.
I am pretty sure he was from Toledo originally. If this is who I think it is, I knew the family a long time ago. I had heard they had a younger son who was becoming a big time recruit. I am pretty sure his brother played QB at St John's Jesuit in Toledo several years back. If so, the distance would not be quite the same deal as a normal kid from there. I could be off, but I am pretty sure that is correct.
If they were over scholarships, did he get pushed out the door?
LeVert still can lose his composure and be a little loose with the ball, but it is hard to argue with his production. I would not draft him unless he improves significantly. That being said, it wouldn't surprise me if he blows up next year.
I also can see McGary having a huge year with the players that have left. LeVert is an unselfish first scorer and Walton is going to do an even better job running the team next year. Irvin and Donnal will also stretch the defense and give McGary room to operate. I just hope he gets back to full speed and has an all american type of season. Can't wait for next year and it is truly a great time to be a Michigan basketball fan.
I wondered about Horford as well. I hate to see him go, but appreciate the time he played at Michigan.
I argued with people 2 years ago who said Donnal wouldn't make it (not Michigan fans...local people). I am more convinced he is going to be very, very good. It may be right away or it may be a year or two away from big time production, but I still believe he will be very, very good before his career is over. I would not be surprised if he is a 10-12 point a game guy next season. Time will tell, but I am excited for his future.
I do like the fact the kids can eat anytime. Some of these athletes go through a stunning amount of food for training and eating late can be almost necessary. I was a college athlete and was always super hungry after 10 due to the calories I burned during training. I think this is a small step the right direction. I don't think kids should be paid, but they really should be able to eat when they want to...especially at places like Michigan.
I really like him and he has come a long way, but I just have a hard time seeing him as a top 5 player in the country. He is very effective and has made huge progress, but he still seems like he is close to a turnover a lot of the time. He just doesn't have to composure of a Stauskus or Burke at this point. Those two were both All Americans...I get that, but people think LeVert will do the same. I really hope so, but his game was still a ways from that level this year in my opinion. Adding strength and working more on his ballhandling and shot making will certainly help.
I would take a Final 4 over a Big Ten Championship. That being said, I am not at all disappointed with the year Michigan had. Michigan is established as a national contender and a tough, tough matchup for any Big Ten school. I can't wait to see the next few years.
Didn't they vacate that 2010 season? Is it ethical to put the victories on a resume?
I love watching this team. They are unselfish and are really clicking. They do need to improve their closeouts and Levert needs to play much smarter. He is trying to play like our top player, but he really, really struggled. The team seems to close out way short on really good shooters. It seems almost like a lack of effort and/or coaching. You have to close out with high hands every single time.
He plays very good defense and is one of my favorite players. I hate to see Mitch down, but I love the opportunity it created for Morgan and also Horford. These 2 are playing at a high level.
i will be praying for her this afternoon. Thanks for sharing. Please keep us updated.
There should be a 20 or 25 run rule. The game stops even if it is in the middle of the game. I saw a high school team start bunting in the bottom of the second inning up by 20 runs a few years ago. Players should not have to be intentionally trying to get out, but that was the case.
He may get some carries or snaps, but I don't think he is going to get to play. I really, really hope I am wrong, but I also enjoy watching Devin play too.
Hoke isn't tipping his hand and we will find out soon enough. It does seem odd that this would keep him out for a long time.
I had forgotten about him being out. If he fully recovers, he will give us a huge boost in the secondary.
That is a really, really cool picture. I am so excited about Robinson and Hardaway keeps improving. It is a great time to be a Michigan fan.
I could not be more excited about this team. We play and move so well. Our spacing is great and the talent is so fun to watch. I love how Stauskus and Spike throw passes with both hands with ease. Robinson is an absolute freak athlete and is very fun to watch. Hardaway seems relaxed and able to work within the confines of the team. Burke is just so smooth and looks NBA ready right now.
I can't get over how much I like watching every guy on this team. I used to not like watching Horford, but I think he has improved a ton and enjoy seeing him in the rotation. Stauskus is going to be starting soon (if he didn't tonight...missed the beginning) and it is clear he has to play big minutes. I think Spike would be fine to take over for Trey if he has an NBA type of year. If not, he is a great backup pg.
It is great to be a Michigan Wolverine!!!
Michigan 85-59 is my prediction. I really enjoy watching this team play. Burke's Eurostep was incredible. Very few players eurostep back to their weak hand and he made it look sooo easy.
That really is hard to believe a guy could try that hard not to compete. I love that he was called out. If that happened more than one week, the WR coach should be fired. If it happens more than a couple, it is time for Beamer to call it a career. You can't let that type of effort go and not correct it.
I would love to hear the coach address this issue. I wonder if he has been asked about it as well.
The offense and spacing does look really good. I agree that the competition might not have been the greatest, but it was still a solid performance. I did think our transition defense left a lot to be desired. There were a few times we didn't run back hard and when we did, we didn't rotate correctly. That has to be corrected or better teams will take advantage of it.
I thought we might see a little more of the point guard, two wings and two forwards look that we saw with McGary and Morgan. I didn't notice it tonight, but may have missed it. I really like that for a high low look.
We experimented with it last week, but we will see how that pans out.
We have many potential NBA guys on this team. I used to think Morgan had no shot, but I am not so sure anymore. McGary is a legit prospect due to his height and ability. GR3, Trey, and Hardaway all have a great chance as well. I could see Stauskus on a team and Horford as well if he keeps developing....Horford could be a long shot, but he looks to be continually improving.
I am really looking forward to seeing good competition with this team.
I rarely ever leave any game early, but if I do I never leave if there is any chance. There are a whole bunch of people who have no idea when a game is actually over. There are so many things that can and do happen, I always keep watching.
Beilein ran a few 1-2-2 sets in when McGary and Morgan played together. Had a high/low look similar to Kansas (Bill Self) type offense. They didn't get deep enough into set without getting a shot, but they look to have another post option right away. I am hoping they add the single down pick to this concept Kansas runs on the backside for Hardaway/Robinson/Stauskus because it is great action and hard to stop. It is very similar action to what else Beiein likes to do and I have a feeling they will add it.
They also had McGary catch the first pass on the wing. He then passed to the top, set a downscreen and then posted up. Great action to work both bigs together at the same time. I haven't seen much of that before. These type of movements allow McGary and Morgan to play together and utilize both of their skill sets.
Diebler is the all time leading scorer in Ohio. He was aided by having a father as a coach who played a very, very uptempo game. They played Loyola Marymount style and he was really fun to watch in high school. He lost a state final game against Dayton Dunbar that may be the best high school game I have ever seen. He had 48 points and almost beat a loaded Dunbar team.
I am pumped about this team. Stauskus is going to surprise a lot of people. He is a perfect fit for this system.
Kentucky's formula doesn't work every year and Coach Cal will be gone before too long. We do need to recruit near top end recruits. The recruiting classes coming in are more than enough to put us in elite status as a program. Beilein will coach them up and we will make good runs in the Big Ten and tournament in future years.
BTW, I am very excited about Glenn Robinson III coming to town. He is going to look great in the maize and blue!!
We are going to be very, very good for the next several years. Near the top of the BIg Ten and competing for Final Four spots. The next big step is a nice tournament run. At least a sweet 16 next year and a final four in the next couple of years would be great. It is very possible with the talent we have.
I love this coaching staff and what they are putting together. It should be a special time in Michigan basketball. Go Blue!!!
You are watching a game and people make incorrect statements regarding Michigan sports....sometimes you bite your tongue and just go with it so people don't ask how and why you know so, so much about all things Michigan.
OR you find yourself right by a Michigan recruit like I did last week. I sat right behind Taco's bench and he was walking towards me. I was really, really tempted to stand up and do the pose that he made with Shane Morris in that picture that is always posted. I then thought to myself....I am a grown man and this is ridiculous. I am pretty sure he would have laughed, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Everything he has done in public has been all class.
I still can't for the life of me see how he thought this was a good idea. He had to be drinking or something. He is an AD at a somewhat major University :) and you just can't make mistakes like this. This makes him look really, really bad. Dave Brandon on the other hand.....looks like the man.
He will do well there. I have followed him a while and he is a winner. I expect him to get kids and compete very well in the Big Ten. The league is stacked with good coaches and I expect him to fit right in.
In my opinion, Burke would be making a huge mistake to leave. We do need to get a backup point guard asap, because I am not sure I see him staying 4 years. With the talent around him next year, he has the potential to have a monster second year. It seems to me that he is a fringe pick at this time. I can't imagine him going first round. I just hope he gets good advice and learns from Morris. If he goes, he better KNOW he will go first round.
I think Smot saw the writing on the wall with McGary. I liked Smot, but he is not a big loss at all. I love that it opens up time for McGary and Robinson to come in a play a bunch.
I live in Ohio and there is nothing worse to a buckeye fan then calling them Ohio. They absolutely hate it. It is almost like calling them the worst name in the book and it is really under their skin. A win this fall and it will be unbearable for them. Go Blue and Beat Ohio!!!!
My parents have season tickets to Clemson games. They pay 10k a year for the right to buy good tickets. They have a group called IPTAY, which is very active on campus. It originally stood for I Pay Ten A Year...I think now it is I Pay Thousands a Year....but there were hundreds of people at the IPTAY event we attended with them before a football game this fall. This is how the athletic departments have the money to do huge improvements like we are currently undertaking.
The money is used for facilities, scholarships and other expensive items you need to run a first rate program. It is what it is, but it does cost a bunch to run a great national program.
I expected it to be horrible and was pleasantly surprised. I love to pictures of the baby up above. Too funny.
Just because he is a white point guard, doesn't mean he shoots his free throws well :) He is only shooting 67% from the line. Not exactly as efficient as the article makes it sound. He has messed with his stroke and it has looked a little strange at times this year.
This is a good hire for Saline. Whitmer blew up to be about as high of a profile job as I can ever remember any job being in Northwest Ohio. There were articles every week regarding recruiting. The Leroy Alexander case was on the news, in the newspaper and talked about around the city more than any kid I can ever remember. I am sure it got old dealing with that stuff. There were a huge number of kids that move in to play football, but I am not sure that isn't more a function of our society now.
It is hard to turn down a big pay increase. Saline High School is beautiful and quite frankly is a top notch place to live and work. Whitmer is a very good place for a school in a major city, but is still different than a Saline. I would doubt coach will ever have the type of talent he had at Whitmer, but he will still be successful there. He is a very, very solid coach and a great hire for Saline.
They do tend to run and control the clock. You can win with defense, limited turnovers and running the ball. They have good specials teams as well. The only number that truly counts is the 7-1 record. They probably aren't winning the super bowl, but they went from 1-4 with no hope this year to a potential playoff team. Not bad for a guy who isn't good enough to be an nfl qb.
Also, major props to Tebow for nailing that long fg...that was also clutch.
I can't believe he keeps winning the way he does. By all accounts, he is as genuine as they come away from the field. The media frenzy surrounding him is insane and he handles it so well. The funny thing is you almost knew they were going to come back. The kid is a winner...plain and simple. People will have to listen to him talk about his God because he isn't going to stop. It causes so many to people to hate him, but it is what it is.