Michigan Basketball: Practice Facility Groundbreaking

Posted at 4:00pm -- 5/16/2010

Mailbag question: Ground Breaking for Hoops

Posted at 8:00am -- 5/12/2010

Mailbag question: Ground Breaking for Hoops

Hello,

What does the new practice facility mean for the hoops programs? How will it make them better and how will they get better.

I realize most programs have practice facilities now, but how will this make the Michigan program better and how will it make Michigan an NCAA tournament team that also can contend for Big Ten championships?

Dan F.

-------------------------------------

Thank you Dan for your question.

For quite a few years the value of building a practice facility for the basketball programs was bandied about. For years, improvement to Crisler and building such facilities did not move forward past the initial discussion stage.

At the same time, discussion about the eventual fate of Crisler also never moved forward. It now seems apparent that the plan is to continue to make Crisler improvements and keep the now somewhat venerable structure into the foreseeable future. How long this status quo will last before the building of a new arena is unknown.

Michigan has a smaller student population and a much smaller town population compared to say Ohio State and Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State wanted the lure of newness for recruiting purposes and also a bigger arena to sell about 4,000 more tickets a game. And so the Schott, an arena capable of putting 18,000 plus patrons in the house, was constructed. Largeness sells in Columbus.

Ann Arbor does not have 10% of the Columbus Metro area population. Keeping up with the neighbors would be expensive and could result in a new house with many empty seats. Anyone who wishes to get a ticket to UM basketball can do so with ease. Unless the product becomes fab-five type phenomenal, it is very unrealistic to expect 18,000 at the typical UM home game.

So, the decision was made to build a quality practice facility.

Will a nice practice facility, in and of itself, cause Michigan to become better? No, talented players will cause the program to improve. But, talented players are much more likely to consider schools with better facilities. The sales pitch will now revolve around the combined program positives and the new facilities, focusing on the new practice center.

Duke plays in front of 8,000 or so in a legendary bandbox. This program seems to be doing very well, thank you.

Tearing down Crisler to build a similar modern structure of say 15,000 was probably tempting to university administrators. But from this corner sinking the money into an impressive practice facility seems prudent and the best option.

Someday there will be a renovated arena; the question will be what model to follow, downsized but spectacular, or massive?

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Bacari Alexander named new Assistant Coach

Posted at 8:00am -- 4/26/2010

Bacari Alexander Named Assistant Coach for Wolverines

GBMW Thoughts on the hire:

Some have asked for a GBMW position of the recent hiring of Bacari Alexander by Coach Beilein. A simplistic answer is that on the surface there are many positives. And so, now on we go to a short discussion.

Bacari Alexander is a very good pick-up for several reasons. Bacari has heavy/established connections within the Detroit area and throughout the state of Michigan. It is no mystery that Michigan has been fighting uphill local and state recruiting battles in the recent past. Battling Michigan State on the hardwood is tough enough and losing most recruiting challenges compounds the difficulty of Michigan ascending back to the top of the college basketball scene.

Bacari is a young, energetic coach who will be involved with recruiting in the local area and his responsibilities will obviously include selling the program to local recruits, creating strong relationships (bridge building) at local high schools and countering the stereotypical talk regarding the type of player that Coach Beilein recruits. Just like in football, it is time to start winning, and when that happens, recruits will start taking a better look at Michigan.

Last year’s results dampened some of the positive effects of two seasons ago that appeared to help recruiting and the overall image of the basketball program that received an unexpected boost from securing an NCAA berth two years ago and winning a game in the NCAA tournament as well.

Coach Alexander played most of his college ball in the state of Michigan at Detroit, and coached in the general area at Western Michigan and his alma mater, Detroit. His background and past connections should help get more high school coaches onboard and help in getting in-state kids interested in Michigan. Now, Michigan needs to win to further increase the likelihood of local player and coach support.

Coach Bacari also coached at Ohio University as well, which may help Michigan recruit a bordering state rich with basketball talent. Ohio has enough talent to sustain high-level programs such as Ohio State, Xavier, Dayton, Ohio, and Cincinnati.

Coach Alexander is purported to have strong teaching skills, a must for a program looking to rise up. His area of expertise is reported to be working with bigmen, another must for a rising program.

So, a teacher of the game who has local ties, and a solid coaching resume on the collegiate level, being hired by a teacher of the game seems pretty logical.

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: From MGoBlue

Posted at 2:00pm -- 4/25/2010

From MGoBlue Press Release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's basketball head coach John Beilein announced today (Saturday, April 24) the hiring of Bacari Alexander as an assistant coach for the Wolverine program.

"I am very excited about the addition of Bacari Alexander to our coaching staff," said Beilein. "From the very beginning of this search, I had specific qualities and characteristics I was looking for in our next basketball coach. Bacari fits that profile 100 percent."

"He has strong roots in Michigan and significant recruiting experience both here and in neighboring states," added Beilein. "He is a passionate teacher with strong communication skills. Bacari is a former post player and has a proven ability in the development of big men at the college level. With our young front court, that was an important factor in my final selection. I look forward to Bacari's immediate and very positive impact on the growth of our program."

"My family and I are very excited to be part of the Michigan family," said Alexander. "As a native of the State of Michigan, I feel very fortunate to be associated with such a great program. For a lack of better terms, this is a match made in heaven for me.

"I am anxious to start working with this young and developing team, and I am eager and motivated to recruit the kind of student-athletes that will put Michigan back to the top of the Big Ten."

Alexander comes to Michigan after a nine-year Division I coaching career, spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Western Michigan (2008-10). Working with the Broncos' young group of front court players, Alexander helped Flenard Whitfield make the MAC All-Freshman Team in 2009 while assisting WMU to its second straight Mid-American Conference West championship, its fourth in the last six years. WMU went 18-15 in 2010 with a runner-up finish in the west division of the MAC.

Before making his way to Western Michigan, Alexander spent one season (2007-08) in the MAC at Ohio where he helped the Bobcats finish 20-13 overall and 9-7 in the MAC. The team advanced to the second round of the inaugural College Basketball Invitational.

Alexander began his coaching career spending six seasons at his alma mater, University of Detroit, under head coach Perry Watson. Alexander helped the Titans compile 96 wins in six seasons, including 53 victories in the Horizon League. The Titans finished .500 or better in conference play in five out of the six seasons with Alexander on staff.

Alexander played two seasons at Robert Morris, where he was named to the Northeast Conference All-Newcomer Team in 1995, before transferring to Detroit.

In his final two seasons, Alexander helped the Titans win a pair of Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular-season championships and reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments (1998 and 1999). He started 57 of 62 games and was named to the MCC All-Defensive Team as a senior. Alexander played high school basketball at Detroit Southwestern.

ESPNU: Signing Day Special

Posted at 12:00pm -- 4/14/2010

ESPNU: Signing Day Special
4:00pm EDT. - 6:00pm EDT.
DirecTV Channel 614
ESPNU

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball Final: Put the Baby to Bed and Look Ahead

Posted at 8:00am -- 4/6/2010

Michigan Basketball Final: Put the Baby to Bed and Look Ahead

The title spells it out perfectly. There is little left to do now that the NCAA 2009-2010 season is history regarding Michigan men’s Basketball except put the baby to bed and look ahead.

Putting the Baby to Bed

The season started out with team projection’s that were quite frankly: a) emotional and not based on logic or fact; b) opium-based: c) written by and for creative dreamers, or (4) all of the above. Eleventh, with only one inside player, this is not a typical prediction.

Picking this team to win 25 games, go to the elite eight, and start a new UM dynasty was more than hyperbole and overkill. There are numerous reasons one can point to as to why the team did not even finish above 500 overall: a very challenging pre-season schedule, injuries to two potential big men, a continued lack of physical toughness and the associated lack of rebounding, unexpected poor shooting, or the final hypothesis offered in the last few weeks- team chemistry.

These were all contributors, but the basic truth is the team was just not that good. This UM team was good enough to play even with good teams at home, on a good day, but nothing more. There were limitations that were abundant and obvious.

The 2009-2010 version of the Wolverines had only two consistent scorers, Manny and Deshawn. The team had one rebounder it could count on game after game, Deshawn. The team had one inside scorer it could count on if the need dictated, Deshawn.

There was a litany of other shortcomings that plagued the Wolverines, none of which were improved upon much throughout the season, excepting team defense, which did improve as the Big Ten wound down. First, was the inability to hit the three’s, as documented by others, this was perhaps a Coach Beilein career worst effort. And Coach Beilein was not taking the shots and most certainly he knew that this offense must shoot and not become hesitant. Still, there are times to shoot it and times to pass up the shot. Opening up the inside could give two or three guys the space needed to crank up the percentages. On other hand, plenty of good looks did not go down. The benchmark for teams that are not good inside is 35%. Going by this formula, Michigan gave the opposition a six points per game cushion. Two more hits and many games become closer or even have a different outcome.

Second, the team never obtained a second presence down low in the paint; Novak and Gibson tried to some avail,

Third, this team came out in a few games and dispatched passes crisply and effectively around the perimeter. This clearly was the plan, but this did not happen often enough. When it did, good things happened. When it did not, guys fired quick threes or crashed the middle and offensive inefficiency reared up and bit the good guys.

Fourth, it is nice to have a team that does not commit unnecessary fouls and dooms a team to watch the opposition shoot 25 or so shots a game. But there are times that everyone can sacrifice one foul a game to insure the opposition does not have too easy of a life on the court.

There are many other obvious items that could go under number five, but enough, put the baby to bed.

A Look to the Future

If you are a die-hard Michigan basketball fan, then by all means enjoy and watch next year’s group. But it will be a developing story, not an ongoing one. If you are faint of heart, then 2011-2012 might be for you.

This team (2011-2012) will be small, raw, and young (yes, still young). The shooters will have to come through to cover other deficiencies. If there is no real improvement in shooting, look out, the year will be rough. The shooters are on the roster in the name of Vogrich, Douglass, and Novak. Recruits Evan Smotrycz and Tim Hardaway should be fine college shooters, sometime in the future.

But all of these guys, excepting Novak need more pounds. I assume everyone saw the physical specimens that Michigan State put on the floor this year, and Purdue’s guys are no longer skinny.

Not only will next year’s team be very thin, but also short. Smotrycz may be the biggest guy on the floor at times and he loves playing the transition and outside games. By committee, Morgan and Horford may have to fight for the team’s inside game survival, along with the willing Novak.

Morris certainly came on the second half of the Big Ten season. At 6’ 4” he is not the ideal size for today’s point guard, whose job is to beat the opponent with dribble penetration and then dish or score. His size will provide pluses and minuses, but Darius is a very smart player and has demonstrated very good court awareness. I can see Coach Beilein relying on him more and more throughout his career.

Darius may score in double figures, but no one on the team will be putting up 20 a game or 10 rebounds a game like Harris and Sims. To succeed this team will need to be a team, in every collective way. This of course begs the age-old question: is this a blessing or a curse? There is no quick answer to this question, tune in next year.

Will Çoach Beilein take one more recruit, and will that recruit be significant? The next few weeks should tell the answer to this inquiry.

Will Coach Beilein play a preseason schedule that is modified down to his team’s anticipated level, or will he again play an ambitious high-end schedule, one that might impress a recruit but cause some ugly losses?

Finally, who will the biggest surprise be next season, and who will grab the opportunity and run with it? Someone will now that most of the scoring is gone.

Thank all of you for reading our coverage of GBMW this year.

Written by Doc4blu

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Manny Harris Press Conference

Posted at 12:00pm -- 3/30/2010



on YouTube
from michaelrothstein35

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Manny Harris Moves On (forward?)

Posted at 8:00am -- 3/30/2010

Michigan Basketball: Manny Harris Moves On (forward?)

The expected decision now has no drama; Manny Harris is entering the NBA draft. This (Manny’s decision) is a known quantity and there is no mystery as to the why. But like a new novel, the ending can only be inferred or guessed at after reading the first chapter. Manny’s life chapter as a player at Michigan is concluded, but the intermediate chapters and the final ending to his active basketball career as a player at the next level(s) will only be penned by the due process of time. Before the construction of future chapters of basketball challenges, Manny’s decision will be subject to natural and normal conjecture, analysis, and judgment. The primary axis of any discussion will center on whether Manny left Michigan prematurely, that axis has already revolved for months. But there are other points of natural interest to ponder and mildly debate. The debate of course is merely academic and moot; this is Manny’s decision and his life. And so it follows that the final decision is his alone and looking back can be for the faint of heart; looking forward can enable the opportunist.

Before entering into this academic (for discussion only) dialogue, it is proper and certainly appropriate to offer up gratitude for Manny’s contributions to Michigan, and then on to the timely dialogue.

Manny decided to keep his commitment to Michigan after the removal of the head coach to whom he offered his commitment. In this day and age that is a sign of loyalty and commitment to a program. Very easily, Michigan may never have had Manny be a part of the last three years. By all accounts, he is a respected youngster, on and off the court, and yes this includes the couple of times he landed in the doghouse.

Of all of Manny’s observable traits, his athleticism stands out the most. There can be no denying Manny’s underlying abilities that feed his strengths on a basketball court. Manny is a very quick leaper, has good size, is versatile, and can create off the dribble and hit from outside, all with reasonable, certainly above average, proficiency.

From the onset of his college career, Manny was expected to play beyond his experience level and contribute far more than the normal underclassman. This to some players is burdensome. Was this so for Manny? Perhaps future discussion by the Michigan star will shed light on his leadership role and how it was acknowledged. Perhaps, Manny was a reluctant leader, perhaps not.

Here is a simple thought to close out this part of the discourse: GBMW and the Wolverine Nation wishes Manny the very best in the pursuit of his dream.

Now that Manny has left the Michigan basketball program was the exit indeed a year early? In the eyes of many fans the exit was a year early. But that opinion holds zero value in this equation. What has value will be the assessment of the NBA front offices. Know this, as a group the NBA executives are not wishy-washy or diverse about what type of player gets drafted. These guys are looking for certain things and the day of nursing undergrads for two or three years all in the name of development is now pretty much defunct. With tens of millions on the line for primary draft picks, there is little room for executive error in the off with your head NBA.

Manny has been well scouted by the tight-lipped NBA front-office types. But every player will be told by someone, somewhere across the basketball spectrum what a player wants to hear: that he will be a high draft round and a certain team is waiting in the wings, unknown to others in the basketball universe.

Similar discussion ensued from Michigan football fans when Donovan Warren left for the NFL early this year. Did both make a mistake, did one make a mistake and the other a great choice, or did both athletes make the right choice?

As far as Manny goes, he will need to really pick it up during the summer NBA camps to impress scouts. Some believe he will not be drafted at all, while others believe his name will emerge in the second round. “Hope” is still held that Manny will be drafted late in the first round.

Manny’s draft position may not totally hinge on what he does to impress this summer, but instead his ultimate selection may hinge on who and how many other players decide to come out early for the NBA. This could mean that Manny is drafted and ends up on an NBA roster or makes a trip overseas to Europe.

Some have said one can make a great life overseas, but the problem is what will a player do after finishing playing in Europe? It has been stated that many oversea leagues do not guarantee contracts or have the up-front money like the NBA does. There are obstacles in this oversea lifestyle including the obvious ones of travel, language, culture, and basketball style that is fitted to European players.

Here is an article from Brandon Jennings who went overseas instead of playing college basketball: Brandon Jennings talks playing overseas.

Would Manny be happy playing overseas? Can he enjoy playing so far away from his family? One reason Manny kept his commitment to Michigan was so his family could come to most of his games.

Hopefully he can get drafted by an NBA team immediately and make the roster, because it is very difficult to keep fighting to make a dream happen over an extended time, as more and more players join NBA rosters which provides less and less opportunity for players originally overlooked (undrafted) or cut.

Red Berenson has previously discussed players leaving early to fulfill a dream of playing professionally. He said that if a player can leave and make a pro roster, then fine – leave: but if a player leaves and has to play in the minor leagues after forfeiting college eligibility, then it probably was not a very good move because college provides a great opportunity to refine a player’s game, allowing for improvement in a secure environment. Red, like every astute college coach always underscores the reality of finishing a degree program, in case a player does not succeed at the professional level, an injury ends a career prematurely, or the money eventually stops flowing.

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Manny leaves ... and hopes for the NBA

Posted at 11:15am -- 3/29/2010

Manny Harris decided to pursue his dreams of professional basketball. Now the question is will it be NBA or Europe?

GBMW will have more later on this situation.

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: John Horford commits to Michigan

Posted at 1:00pm -- 3/26/2010

Rivals reports Jon Horford commits to Michigan.

Horford joins Tim Hardaway Jr., and Evan Smotrycz in Michigan's class of 2010.



Video from UMHoops
on YouTube

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Recruiting Isaiah Sykes Video

Posted at 12:00pm -- 3/26/2010



from UMHoops
on YouTube

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Big Ten Tournament -- Michigan vs. Ohio State

Posted at 10:00am -- 3/12/2010

Michigan Basketball
Big Ten Tournament
Michigan vs. Ohio State
12:00pm EST. - 2:00pm EST.
DirecTV Channel 206
ESPN

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Big Ten Tournament -- Michigan vs. Iowa

Posted at 12:00pm -- 3/11/2010

Michigan Basketball
Big Ten Tournament
Michigan vs. Iowa
2:30pm EST. - 4:30pm EST.
DirecTV Channel 209
ESPN2

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Iowa vs. Michigan -- Big Ten Tournament -- Preview

Posted at 8:00am -- 3/11/2010

Michigan Basketball: Iowa vs. Michigan -- Big Ten Tournament -- Preview

Who would have thought the Michigan basketball season would be where it is right now. A below .500 record at 14-16 and a lousy 7-11 Big Ten Conference record and only one way of making the NCAA Tournament. Of course the chances of Michigan making a run in the Big Ten Tournament seem slim at best; but it is still one last shot at making this season look somewhat successful. Of course, to do this unthinkable task, the Wolverines are going to have to rattle off four wins. The Wolverines will start their journey today as they face the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team they have faced three times the last three years in the Big Ten Tournament. Tip-off is slated at 2:30PM on ESPN2.

If there is one positive to look at going into this game, it is that the Wolverines have beaten the Hawkeyes in both contests this year. The first game was back in late January when the Wolverines crushed the Hawkeyes, 60-46, in Ann Arbor. The win came after dropping three straight contests, one of those being a 1-point loss to the Spartans. The Wolverines surprisingly came out focused versus Iowa and simply dismantled them. Unfortunately, the second game in Iowa City was much closer and not nearly the same effort that the Wolverines displayed in Ann Arbor was put forth. The game ended up being a Wolverine win, but only 2-points separated the two teams when the final buzzer sounded and the Wolverines limped out of Iowa City with an 80-78 win.

So what team will show up in Indianapolis this time?

It is a tough call with the current Wolverine team to say the least. It is clear that if the Wolverines play motivated basketball, and resemble the team that all expected to see this year, the Wolverines can stop the Hawkeyes. But of course it is always a toss-up as to if you are going to see the better version of the Wolverines. Too many times this year the Wolverines have underperformed, as in Iowa City where they barely escaped with a win. Either way, I expect an Iowa team that is going to look for revenge and the Wolverines better be prepared for the best Iowa team that they’ve faced this year. Iowa and Indiana play hard every game, and a lay down could be disastrous, let alone embarrassing.

The obvious is now put forth, the Wolverines will need BOTH Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims to score over 20+ points apiece in order for them to win big. Too many times this year we have seen one player show up (DeShawn Sims) and the other be almost non-existent (Manny Harris) and that simply will not be good enough if the Wolverines are serious about playing in the NCAA Tournament. Of course, it won’t be just those two that the team will count on. Sophomores Zack Novak and Stu Douglass better be ready to hit some 3-pointers as well. Darius Morris will also be another factor in the game. He has matured nicely this season and has overcome his early season freshman mistakes. Hopefully we see the “new” Darius Morris instead of the early season version.

In my opinion, there is one key aspect that will either have the Wolverines moving to the next round or heading home to Ann Arbor; shot selection. If Michigan wants to throw up ill advised 3-pointers and pray that they go in, the Iowa game will be closer than it should be. When Michigan is making good decisions on shot selection, typically they win comfortably, but those shots better be going in the hoop. Michigan coach John Beilein claims that they shoot 1,000 shots a day in practice; well hopefully all those shots will finally lead to a great shooting display because we haven’t seen more than one or two this year.

MY PREDICTION:
Iowa 59, Michigan 66

Written by Jwick180

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Big Ten Tonight: Tournament Preview

Posted at 12:00pm -- 3/10/2010

Big Ten Tonight: Tournament Preview
9:00pm EST. - 9:30pm EST.
DirecTV Channel 610
BTN

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Big Ten Network: TV Programming

Posted at 12:00pm -- 3/8/2010

Big Ten Basketball
All-Conference Selection Show
7:30pm EST. - 8:00pm EST.
DirecTV Channel 610
BTN

The Big Ten's Greatest Games
1976 NCAA Championship Game
Indiana vs. Michigan
8:00pm EST. - 10:00pm EST.

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Michigan at Michigan State

Posted at 12:00pm -- 3/7/2010

Michigan Basketball

Michigan at Michigan State
4:00pm EST. - 6:00pm EST.
DirecTV Channel Local CBS
Local CBS

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Michigan at Michigan State -- Preview

Posted at 8:00am -- 3/7/2010

Big Game for Michigan - Bigger Game for Michigan State

Tomorrow marks the end of the Big Ten regular season. The seeding is pretty well set for the tournament and so the game is merely an academic after thought, right? Probably wrong, for many reasons. Foremost is Tom Izzo’s obvious need to get the Spartans in tournament mode. Secondly, the game does pit Michigan State against Michigan and add in the bitter pill of a Wolverine loss in a home game that could have easily been won for a little memory jar for the players.

The game is much more important for Michigan State. A win by Michigan prevents the odds-on favorite from getting a piece of the conference title, now secured by Purdue and Ohio State. Michigan State has urgency, spurred by Izzo lighting up the team in the press earlier this week. He expects effort and much better play from the home standing Spartans, who have been a little fortunate as of late. Michigan is playing for a good memory and a last hurrah (do not expect much hurrah in the tournament).

The Spartans will come out intense, but will that translate to offensive success? Michigan must get off to a good start and take the game into the late stages. The final result of a game like this is very unpredictable, anywhere from a close Michigan upset to a massive Spartan blowout of the Blue.

How then can Michigan make the game a forty-minute affair?

First, the guys better get ready to play a smart but rough game, there will be no care packages sent Michigan’s way from the crowd or the game officials. Michigan better have an attitude on the boards, size disadvantage or not. The scholarly, meek approach of letting rebounding take care of itself will not serve well tomorrow.

Second, get the ball inside and feed Michigan’s hottest player, DeShawn Sims. If the Spartans collapse big, kick the ball out, Michigan is very capable of hitting wide-open three pointers.

Third, understand that the rules allow for shots inside the three-point line. Taking 30 to 40 three pointers is a high-risk/low reward venture, especially in the second half when the legs get tired and the focus wanes. In the same vain, do not end the game early by taking several unsuccessful shots while already behind.

Fourth wake up, the Spartan transition game is still dangerous enough to spoil chances of winning by catching sleeping teams off guard for easy points.

Fifth, two star players are allowed to have a great game on the same day, one of the dynamic duo getting the job done will not be enough.

Last, Michigan needs to go into this game loose but intense, no fear and no brain lock-ups. Morris has helped with cutting down the team turnovers recently. If he can create off the dribble more in the future, Michigan has a good one. Sooner or later, his outside shot will come back.

Written by Doc4blu

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Mailbag question: Michigan Basketball

Posted at 4:00pm -- 3/2/2010

Mailbag question: Michigan Basketball

Do you know what "ticks" me off probably more than the football problems is the d*mn basketball team? They are an embarrassment. There is no reason that Michigan should have a crappy basketball team.

Paul M.

---------------------------

Thanks for the question.

Well the football team should not be crappy either or the hockey program.

As for the basketball team.

It is a strange mix this team, no point guard, only one guy on the floor that can play with his back to the basket, an offense that sets screens to take long three's, etc. Morris will be a good player, but he is not Kalin Lucas on the break. I think Beilein will be glad to start from scratch. They will really miss Sims.

Martin really gave Beilein a big Christmas gift signing him to 2016, holy cow. He is though far more intellectual than RR, but like RR, Beilein thinks he can win with any talent just by putting them into his system.

Basketball can turn around with 1 or 2 players, but OSU is getting top 15 players in the nation, not top 25 at a position. The three inside guys not playing killed any hope this team had.

I had them pegged for 16-18 wins, and the boys over there thought I was crazy.

I had them pegged for 9th in the league, just about right on. Beileins three biggest faulty assumptions, rebounding is not that important, you do not need a point guard, and my brain can beat your talent.

Written by Doc4blu

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!

Michigan Basketball: Minnesota at Michigan

Posted at 12:00pm -- 3/2/2010

Michigan Basketball
Minnesota at Michigan
7:00pm EST. - 9:00pm EST.
DirecTV Channel 610
BTN

Written by GBMW Staff

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!