I know Mr. Sanders isn’t a crowd favorite around here, although I don’t necessarily think its his game that turns people off, but rather his flamboyant style. In any event, just wanted to post this film because this kid’s talent is simply undeniable. I mean, that combination of ballhandling, change of direction/lateral movement, strength and jumping ability is almost unfair. How a player like Eric Davis is ranked higher than Corey Sanders is beyond me. This kid is literally a more athletic Allen Iverson. All I can say is wow
Yeah still not a fan.
Yeah still not a fan.
Why?
Matt, Eric Davis is ranked higher because the game of basketball is not soley based on crossing someone over and dunking, nor lateral movement.
The game is 70% mental. Davis has everything Sanders Dosen’t. A very efficient jump shot, crafty, ability to play within a system ect.
Sanders is all flash. Some potential. Very talented. But he’s a 60-90 type player, not top 40.
Davis is a too 40 combo gaurd.
Matt, Eric Davis is ranked higher because the game of basketball is not soley based on crossing someone over and dunking, nor lateral movement.The game is 70% mental. Davis has everything Sanders Dosen’t. A very efficient jump shot, crafty, ability to play within a system ect.
Sanders is all flash. Some potential. Very talented. But he’s a 60-90 type player, not top 40.
Davis is a too 40 combo gaurd.
Have to disagree with the majority of what you said - first off the game is not 70% mental by any stretch - if that were the case Coach B would be the greatest player of all time on offense. Basketball is literally 75-80% physical from any standpoint.
Davis does not have the ability to play within a system currently, unless that system is “let Eric Davis dominate the ball” despite the fact that he isn’t a PG.
Davis>Sanders - shooting
Sanders>Davis - ballhandling, defense, lateral movement, strength, jumping, transition game, penetration ability…IE everything other than shooting
Neither of these guys are great passers, but I actually think Sanders is a better passer.
By the way, in ESPN’s most recent rankings update, Sanders is ranked #32, 3 spots ahead of an overrated Eric Davis. I assume the other services will adjust accordingly as well. No way is this kid in the 60-90 range. He is the second coming of Steve Francis.
He has talent, but he is not a fit for this current Michigan program. Beilein looks for these things:
- Do you have talent?
- Are you a gym rat?
- Are you a good student?
- Are you coachable, a good teammate and do you put the team first?
- Are you a good decision maker on the court?
Where Sanders fails to meet these standards in my opinion is #'s 4 and 5. Too much flash and looking for cameras for my liking. I have no idea if he has good transcripts or not, and don’t care to speculate on that aspect, but it is always a factor in Beilein’s recruiting approach. No doubt he has ability and tremendous athleticism, but athleticism is not everything. FWIW, he would have fit in greatly with the Fab Five.
He has talent, but he is not a fit for this current Michigan program. Beilein looks for these things:
- Do you have talent?
- Are you a gym rat?
- Are you a good student?
- Are you coachable, a good teammate and do you put the team first?
- Are you a good decision maker on the court?
Where Sanders fails to meet these standards in my opinion is #'s 4 and 5. Too much flash and looking for cameras for my liking. I have no idea if he has good transcripts or not, and don’t care to speculate on that aspect, but it is always a factor in Beilein’s recruiting approach. No doubt he has ability and tremendous athleticism, but athleticism is not everything. FWIW, he would have fit in greatly with the Fab Five.
Well put, Jerome. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Didn’t necessarily post the film to say that UM should recruit him, because quite frankly he doesn’t seem like the type of player that Coach B recruits for this program. Only posted it to say that this kid has unbelievable talent, and literally an unlimited ceiling.
Our typical recruit (some outliers of course)
Height: 6’3 - 6’8
Pros: Shooter (heavy emphasis), passing, positional versatility, coachable, good character
Cons: average/below average athlete, lack of physicality/strength
All this to say - let’s not kid ourselves into thinking this kid doesn’t have crazy game, because he does, if anybody takes issue with the flamboyancy, that’s fine, but don’t let that taint your judgment of his on-court ability.
By the way, I wouldn’t mind some Fab 5 type talent on the roster.
Agree on your assessment Matt on our typical recruiting profile and agree Sanders has tremendous game, just can’t see him on this version of the Wolverines.
Yeah it’s a funny thing being a Michigan basketball fan, because we have love for the more flamboyant Frieder and Fisher teams and equal love for these Beilein teams that seem to place sound fundamentals and high IQ hoops at a premium. I would bet most of us have love for both styles. I just prefer the direction we are going now, as we seem to be putting up banners that won’t get taken down later. Of course if you ask me, I think those 92 and 93 FF banners should be hanging in Crisler, but that’s a whole other topic.
Don’t get me started on the banner thing…it still stings. All i can say about that era is this…if you had the chance to watch any games at Crisler during that era, it was absolutely electric, it was probably the most fun I’ve had at any sporting event. You KNEW you were watching something special…it was more than basketball, it was literally a cultural transition.
Wasting time arguing about Corey Sanders is probably just that… wasting time.
Agreed, he’s not even on our radar…but man is that guy entertaining on a basketball court.
My thoughts are:
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His athleticism is insane. But his ability to use that athleticism effectively at the next level will be significantly curtailed by his height. At best, I see this kid as a Nate Robinson (who, of course, was an excellent college player and still has a significant role in the NBA). But Robinson is built like a football player, so Sanders’ ability to finish through contact at the next level(s) will be important.
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As a basketball program, we are rolling right now. We don’t recruit guys who value showboating above all else, and from those highlights, that’s what I see. The goal is winning Big Ten titles and making deep runs in the NCAA tourney. When I watch this guy, I don’t see a player who is more likely to get us there than the guys we have been and continue to recruit at the PG position (Morris, Burke, Walton, Thornton/Winston).
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As far as the Fab Five talk, my thoughts are these. First, Webber was an athletic freak the likes of which are seen very rarely in college basketball. But beyond him, I would say the guys we’ve had in the past few years (Burke, Robinson, Stauskas, Hardaway, McGary, Levert) are every bit as exciting to watch as the Fab Five. Robinson’s dunks are no less impressive than Jimmy King’s - in fact, they might be a little better. Burke could take over a game as good or better than Jalen. We are not lacking for exciting basketball. In fact, I’d say our offense is a lot more fun to watch than the Fab Five’s, because it’s a lot more efficient and far less turnover prone.
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The Fab Five is always going to have a special place in Michigan and NCAA basketball history. And it will have special meaning for me because I entered Michigan the exact same year (fall of 1991) those guys did. But a big part of that is context - they came into college basketball at a time when guys were staying 3-4 years, and they showed a group of freshmen could win at the highest level. Today, that’s not as much of a big deal because the best players are all leaving after a year. I think the basketball we’re playing right now is every bit as exciting as the Fab Five, save the fact that we don’t have anyone who can do what Webber did. But again, few teams do. I guess, for me, I like watching Nik, Caris and guys like that just as much as Corey Sanders.
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If we get Thornton, he’s Corey Sanders in terms of athleticism without all the nonsense that comes with it. Maybe he doesn’t quite dunk like Sanders (though maybe he could if that’s all he focused on), but in terms of quickness, dribbling skills, and the like, he’s just as impressive IMO.
It’s a highlight tape… Go watch a full game and then make points.
Going on highlight tapes for all recruits is pretty pointless but I digress… Ughh.
It’s just frustrating reading analysis that is incomplete.
LA hit it on the head.
He Dosen’t use his physical abilities to play the game. It’s mental. My original point
LA hit it on the head.He Dosen’t use his physical abilities to play the game. It’s mental. My original point
This is what’s frustrating for me - in one breath you claim that its pointless to assess a player based on a highlight film and that you are frustrated by incomplete analysis. But in your original post you claim that Sanders can’t play within a system and that he is all flash.
Let me ask you, how did you come to those conclusions if you haven’t watched Sanders in a full game?
You do see the inconsistency, no?
Most scouts have said he is starting to show maturity and is playing more like a pure PG. Needs to develop a perimeter game. He reminds me of Elfrid Payton. I fully expect to hear his name 3-4 years from now, leading a lower tier HM to a tourney bid.
Point is, I have no problem with those that don’t care for Sanders’ flamboyancy and showmanship. But to say the kid doesn’t have talent or the game is more mental ( with the inference being Sanders can’t make good decisions or play structured ball) vs physical is a bit silly in my view. If you have that type of talent and athleticism you are more likely than not to be successful playing basketball. Iverson, Francis, Shannon Brown, Westbrook, are all millionaires and have some degree of “swag” and perception of having a poor attitude (whether real or not). All that to say - if you can play, you can play, all that other stuff is just that…other stuff.
Like I said earlier, he will be ranked higher than Eric Davis when the final rankings for 2015 are released (not that it means a whole lot, but Sanders is definitely underrated by every site but ESPN currently). Looks like its trending that way already from the comments at the Top 100 Camp (note the Michigan Insider even giving him high marks):
Corey Sanders has elevated into the Elite PG Status in Class 2015. He is a Superior Athlete with a world of NBA Potential! #NBATop100
— Mark Edwards (@MEdwardsBball) June 20, 2014
Happy to see Corey Sanders doing so well at NBPA Top 100 Camp. Have maintained for a while he's best PG in the country no one talks about
— Kyle Bogenschutz (@KyleBogie) June 20, 2014
@Top100Camp Thursday night All-Motor team: Eric Davis Jawun Evans Malik Beasley Thon Maker Dwayne Bacon Corey Sanders Mustapha Herron
— Chas Wolfe (@highmajorscoop) June 20, 2014
Corey Sanders has done a great job of getting to the rim tonight and finishing in traffic. Now has to throw in a consistent perimeter game
— Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) June 20, 2014
Don't know many PG's get where they want on floor as easily as Corey Sanders can. Crazy athlete with ability. Just needs some polish.
— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) June 20, 2014
Corey Sanders was great at turning ball pressure into layups Can get to the rim and finish. @ESPNRNHoops @Top100Camp pic.twitter.com/N6L9y3oDx3
— Reggie Rankin (@ReggieRankin) June 19, 2014
Corey Sanders is really explosive off the bounce and knows how to get to the basket. #NBPATop100Camp
— Coach John Lucas (@CoachJohnLucas1) June 19, 2014
Top PG @Top100Camp Jaylen Fisher JJ Caldwell @_HDS23 Corey Sanders @C_Sanders3 Trae Jefferson De'Aaron Fox @_YungGuru Dennis Smith Jr.
— RivalsTv East (@RivalsTvEast) June 18, 2014
Sanders athleticism is stupid. No one can deny that.
Our coaches do not usually recruit the confident, showman style this guy has.
I’d wouldn’t mind…but aint happening. I also wonder if coaches put Bacon in that same category b/c I understand the 2 are very tight.,and the interviews I have seen of Bacon showcases no lack of confidence/arrogance.
Sanders athleticism is stupid. No one can deny that. Our coaches do not usually recruit the confident, showman style this guy has. I'd wouldn't mind....but aint happening. I also wonder if coaches put Bacon in that same category b/c I understand the 2 are very tight.,,,and the interviews I have seen of Bacon showcases no lack of confidence/arrogance.
It’s not about confidence, it’s about team play - the desire to play it and the ability to do it. Our players are very confident. You think Nik, Mitch, Caris and the rest are not confident?