First practice today

Anything you guys are curious about? Beilein and some players will also meet with the media for the first time of the season.

Anything you guys are curious about? Beilein and some players will also meet with the media for the first time of the season.
Normal stuff: rank the big men, how does Kam Chatman look, how's chemistry? Thanks!

How’s Irvin rehab going? Still on track to be back by start of season?

How do Chatman and MAAR look?

Irvin is still on track for the start of the season per Beilein on the radio today. I’m sure we’ll have more this afternoon.

Two of the most intriguing guys I’d like reports on are DJ wilson and Kam Chatman. Heard a lot about DJ putting on weight and mostly silence about Kam. Really hoping Kam takes a big jump forward.

Few quotes from Beilein today on the radio (more from practice later):

Duncan Robinson: & DJ Wilson:
Duncan Robinson: & DJ Wilson:
“In a month I’ll know much better. You look at your team and say Aubrey can do this now, Muhammad can do this now and you look at (Robinson and Wilson) and you say where do they fit? I look at those two and I want them to be multiple position players. They have the ability to do that where you can’t say yet probably, “Muhammad you’re going to play the point or the three” he’s probably going to be locked in at that off guard spot. With Duncan and Robinson… Where can we get you on the floor? We want to get them both on the floor. I don’t have an answer yet."

All I know is Duncan can really shoot and really pass and DJ can really shoot, he can pass okay right now for a young guy, but both of them are bodies that … the biggest issues for both of them are ‘I used to be a string bean and people used to push me around and so I didn’t like physical play… well now I weight 20 or 30 pounds more and have to learn how to embrace physical play. Every day that’s what they’re going to see.”

Chatman:
“Great growth too. All of these guys they are coming in and there’s expectations with all of them. Whether its media or even the coaches and for all of them they have to continue to make strides to get better every day. Kam has done a really good job at that. The games starting to slow down, probably he can do more by doing less. Grab that ball and just go. I like that he wants to be aggressive, but at the same time you can dribble yourself into trouble. Slow down a little bit, he needs to play with more pace. Great attitude again.
“A lot of guys if they are highly rated and it doesn’t work out right away, you’ll find out who they are. Kam as he’s come in to improve we found out he’s a high character kid who wants to get better.”

Dylan, I could be wrong, but isn’t this earlier than usual for practice to begin? I always thought it was a month before the season, but this is a good month and a half before it.

Great to hear that Wilson can shoot. I am very excited to see him be a presence for us on the floor.

It sounds like Beilien knows Duncan Robinson and DJ Wilson can play, but both will have to continue to bring it everyday in practice. The mindset there is we want you to play, so show us and prove to us that there is no way we can keep you off the floor.

I thought the game slowed down quite a bit for Chatman towards the end of the year. When he just played, he was successful. Keeping that mindset and building consistency are keys for him.

Chatman understands the pressure and is acknowledging that he wants to get better. When he just made the next move instead of thinking about the next move, he did well.

Overall, it looks like guys are expanding their games and that the competition in practice will bring the best out of everyone.

Chatman is a big key for me. He can bring those moves and that savvy he did against Ohio State and Rutgers and add consistency, it helps immensely. The flashes were there and you could start to see him put it all together.

Dylan, I could be wrong, but isn't this earlier than usual for practice to begin? I always thought it was a month before the season, but this is a good month and a half before it.
I'm sure someone knows better than I do, but I think they recently changed that rule, moving the start from the 15th to the 1st.
Dylan, I could be wrong, but isn't this earlier than usual for practice to begin? I always thought it was a month before the season, but this is a good month and a half before it.
I'm sure someone knows better than I do, but I think they recently changed that rule, moving the start from the 15th to the 1st.

I believe that’s correct.

Some more morning notes on the front page Transcript: John Beilein says Zak Irvin on track for start of season | UM Hoops.com

Video, photos, presser, more on the front page from practice today. I’ll have some thoughts coming soon as well.

Blocked for my country, the USA :confused:

Fixing the video… Didn’t realize it was blocked from the background music playing over the speakers there. Should be fixed in a couple minutes.

Should be fixed now… http://www.umhoops.com/2015/10/02/video-inside-michigans-first-practice-of-2015-16/

You can start practice 40 days before your first game. Can only have 30 practices during that time though. That rule started last year.

The video is a terrific sneak peak at the team. Hard to draw any conclusions but it looks like Doyle is moving really well and has a hustle second to none. LeVert looking like a pro. Robinson does have a nice-looking stroke. Wagner’s really tall but his mechanics seem a bit stiff compared to the others. Hope that Chatman is starting to figure things out and gain confidence.

Saw you mentioned Maar getting lost in the shuffle possibly I see your reasoning but I can promise you and everybody here that would be a mistake. He’s to good not to see the floor. They need to find a way to get him out there

Saw you mentioned Maar getting lost in the shuffle possibly I see your reasoning but I can promise you and everybody here that would be a mistake. He's to good not to see the floor. They need to find a way to get him out there

But that’s the problem, how does he get many meaningful minutes with Levert, Walton, and Spike gobbling up most of the minutes?

MAAR is great on defense, great in the open court, but can he handle the ball and pass effectively in the half-court?

Saw you mentioned Maar getting lost in the shuffle possibly I see your reasoning but I can promise you and everybody here that would be a mistake. He's to good not to see the floor. They need to find a way to get him out there

But that’s the problem, how does he get many meaningful minutes with Levert, Walton, and Spike gobbling up most of the minutes?

MAAR is great on defense, great in the open court, but can he handle the ball and pass effectively in the half-court?

I unfortunately share this view. I actually love what MAAR brought to the team last season, and see it as great experience. But you are talking about 3 of the most experienced players on the team playing the two spots MAAR makes sense at. Definitely want him to play, but I actually agree with Beilein in that on some level you have to give the guys playing confidence that they don’t have to be looking over their shoulder for that guy on the bench.