It would be a bad decision for Jackson to stay. He just needs to look next to him in Bridges, who probably cost himself money by returning. Granted, I think Bridges was closer to his ceiling than Jackson so I think the latter is more likely to make a bigger jump in year 2 than Bridges. But it’s not worth it.
6 Likes
Yes Jackson has more upside but he is projected as a top 5 pick, possibly top 3, so I don’t think coming back would improve his stock in any way… probably could only go down if he didn’t dominate
4 Likes
I agree Jackson would not be smart to stay. Unfortunately this is true of most kids in college. Their window tends to be very small. I can’t blame the kids who guaranteed first rounders for leaving because coming back often leads to people asking questions about their game. In Jackson’s case they’re talking about him being a potential top three pick. Pretty hard to help his draft stock in that situation.
4 Likes
Noted earlier that a replay of the game showed lots of finger-pointing between players. Being on MSU or anywhere near EL cannot be all that pleasant a place to be right now.
So Moe got MOP for the tournament, but I thought it should have been MAAR. Shot better from the field, shot lights out from deep (67%), averaged same amount of PPG, chipped in 3.5 boards and 2.8 APG, plus a steal per game. Only had 2 turnovers too. But I think his reserved nature works against him.
9 Likes
Is that speculation or did he announce? Very odd that he would announce prior to the tournament. I think everyone expects him and Bridges to leave.
Many MSU fans expect Ward to transfer and some think that Langford should because he isn’t a good fit.
I wonder what the incoming 2018 class thinks of all of this.
Now that the regular season is over, I think MAAR’s late three pointer to tie the game against VCU saved their whole season. That was the team’s biggest shot of the year.
I don’t know how well they would’ve recovered if they lost that game.
(Sorry doesn’t have to do with your post ha but wanted to praise MAAR some more)
2 Likes
What happened to all of that “feels like a family” thing at MSU?
It’s not about us, it’s about me.
1 Like
Hearsay. Someone telling about an encounter with Maurice Peterson in which Peterson related that Jackson was done. Plenty of plausible detail, but take it for what it is.
MAAR deserves all the praise he can get. I sure hope no one would have an issue with your post here!
Is there seriousness to the talk about Ward transferring or is that just mad fans? Ward just seems like he’s gonna follow in Brendan Dawson’s footprints as Izzo’s scapegoat.
1 Like
JJ seems like a smart young man. No way he will stick around for more Izzo. Bridges made, what is proving to be a foolish decision. It is likely he was fooled/ manipulated into making that decision. I feel very sorry for these good prospects who are guided toward Izzo. Lambs to slaughter.
1 Like
A few assorted big-man thoughts:
-
Until yesterday, I really had grown to sincerely doubt that Teske could actually dunk! I’ve complained a bit all year about his ability to finish in traffic, but he sure managed it yesterday. I do wonder about his upside from here now - for awhile, I’ve been sort of thinking of him as a Jordan Morgan with better defensive tools - a guy who can score 9/10 a game on slop and set-ups from his PG, who is a true difference maker defensively (I think he’s already a defensive difference maker). Nobody will ever guard those 18-foot pick & pops he likes in this day and age, because long two’s are something every defense is built to concede (nor am I sure Beilein wants him taking many), but if he can stretch another four feet…now we’re talking about something interesting (also, this is his only path to the NBA).
-
I had thought for most of the year Mo would stay for his senior year, but I’m doubting it now. I really have a hard time distinguishing his skill-set from Frank Kaminsky - which isn’t awesome, but it is NBA rotation-caliber. I’m not sure what else he can add here at Michigan that will make him look more appealing. Unfortunately for him, I still don’t think he’s a first round pick.
-
What is with MSU’s conditioning program? I’ve never seen an elite college program carry so many fat guys for years on end - Ward and Tillman (and Winston, honestly) are just the latest. The NBA is generally dismissive of the development programs of most colleges (there are obviously exceptions - they like UK, they seem to like us, some others), and if I was a prospect and looked at MSU’s PD program and success in placing their stars in the league (is Gary Harris their only first round pick that worked out in the last 10 or so years?), I’d have major second thoughts. Hell - they had the single best defensive player in the NBA on their roster for four years, a guy who demonstrated he could pass very well, handle the ball, and shoot adequate from range…and they hid him in 30 pounds of extra fat, destroying his draft viability (I’m talking Draymond). Unbelievable.
4 Likes
I think the reality is that while he has some skill, Ward doesn’t have a game that’s going to work in modern basketball that well. Sure, against bad teams he’ll feast, but if he can’t play in games that involve a Wagner-like big (and that’s the way the game is going), he’s never going to get on the floor against top competition. The simple fact is that if he even wants a good European career, he’s going to need to learn some new skills (like how to shoot) - I’m not sure what the market is even in Europe’s top divisions for a 6’8" fat guy who can’t score more than 5 feet from the hoop. If there is one thing we’ve learned from Izzo, it’s that he’s not going to help Ward in conditioning, and he has no incentive to help Ward diversify his skill-set (Izzo wants his bigs to play bully-ball and crash the glass, not spread the floor). Setting aside my previously stated distaste for Izzo’s ethics when it comes to things that matter (like his handling of sexual assault accusations), my largest criticism of him as a coach is that he has a habit of grinding out careers from his players that help his W/L record but do little to nothing in terms of show-casing his kids for the NBA.
Finally, on the Bridges stuff - he hasn’t harmed himself at all this year - I think the NBA’s view of him is probably about what it is last year, and he’s on the verge of making a few million a year next season. To me, he looks like a TJ Warren type in the NBA, with the hope of having better range.
3 Likes
Again, a very good chance Miles Bridges is a top 10 pick. He was around that same spot last year. So he only cost himself a year in the NBA, which could end up being worse from a monetary point of view. But I’m sure he has enjoyed his extra year in college. I understand this is a Michigan forum but dang some of you act like Miles Bridges sucks, he was the only guy who played decent for MSU against Michigan last game.
4 Likes
Going forward I would take John Teske over Nick Ward every day of the week. Teske is ascending and better than Ward in every aspect of the game except scoring. I thought this before yesterday’s game; Purdue game only reinforces my thought
It is just my opinion but I think Bridges hurt his draft stock this year. He will still likely be picked in the top 15 but I thought he would go top 8 last year. Just my opinion. He is a very good player but I saw no improvement from last year to this year. None.
2 Likes
MAAR’s 3 against UCLA flat out saved the season. FLAT OUT.
5 Likes