If Duncan Robinson comes to UM... he will go to Italy? Does he play? One thing is for sure, the practices should be of a higher quality this year.
@umhoops if you can find out that and his age, it’d be greatly appreciated.
Guys let’s take off our UM hats for a moment…we literally have 4 returning players that were in the normal rotation from last season, and not a single one of those players is a big.
Objectively speaking, if someone told me that about x team and predicted that team to make the tourney with ease, quite frankly I’d probably laugh at that individual. We have to attempt to project things for what they currently are and not what we’d like them to be or hope for.
That being said, I’d expect us to be much closer to the 8-10 win range in conference play as opposed to the 12-15 range. I wouldn’t be shocked to see us make the tourney but I definitely don’t think it’s a given either. My expectations are certainly lowered in relation to last year.
Every team has a lot of unknowns. MSU lost their best 3 players. OSU lost their senior PG and best scorer. Iowa lost their best player. Indiana lost Vonleh and Sheehy.After Wisconsin, the big ten is going to be wide open and I’ll take my chances with the best player on the court every night. Caris is going to explode this year
Could you please identify all the Big Ten teams that have only 5 ( including Max) returning players that have ever played in a D1 game and have no returning front court players with experience ( sans Max ) and their best player is coming off an injury?
The past two years have instilled a lot of confidence in this vastly inexperienced and unproven team.
Three years ago the team won a share of the B1G and was a 4-seed with Stu, JMo, and Zack starting (and Trey and THJr, another couple guys with low recruiting profiles).
Four years ago the team was an 8 seed and a last second shot away from the Sweet 16 with Stu, Zack, and JMo and no Trey.
Six years ago the team won a tourney game with a walk-on PG, and freshmen Stu and Zack starting at the 2 and 4.
So, it’s not just the last two years. (And that’s not even going into JB’s time at WVU).
Also, Derrick, Caris, and Zack stack up 1-3 quite well against just about anyone in the country, certainly in the conference. To make the tourney, out of Doyle, Donnal, Bielfelt, Wilson, Chatman, and Dawkins we need only something serviceable at the 4-5. Anything pretty good and we’re really talking.
Michigan isn't really trending positively on the Jalen Coleman front and there aren't a lot of other great options in '15. They've kicked the tires around on Ali, Williams, etc. but none of those options seem particularly likely *at this point*.
The conventional wisdom around here for the past month or so has been that Jalen Coleman is trending away from UM. Just curious, are there any direct quotes from Jalen or someone in his camp that are driving that sentiment? I don’t doubt that there’s some truth behind that thinking but I’m curious if there’s hard evidence behind it other than the fact that he hasn’t committed and hasn’t visited in a long time.
I think everyone needs to take a step back on this Duncan Robinson thing.Robinson probably isn’t the next star of Michigan’s offense, but I think we’ve pretty well established that Beilein can make use out of a lengthy shooter. What do you lose by adding him?
Absolutely.
A lengthy shooter who is also: intelligent, likely a four year guy, can legitimately contribute and provide talented depth, and already knows the system. These are the building blocks of your team, the guys who lead in the locker room, and the guys who perpetuate the culture and educate the 2- and 3- year guys about what UM basketball is all about. Sure it’s nice to load your roster with blue chip recruits, but it is the Spike Albrechts and the Jordan Morgans, guys who may not have been 5-stars but contribute significantly and stay all four(+) years, that turn us into a championship team.
This, combined with the fact that Robinson can PLAY (good enough to be D-3 POY… as a freshman), the fact that 2016 looks to be a banner year for UM recruiting, and the fact that Jalen Coleman isn’t exactly breaking down the doors to come to Michigan makes uncovering (and, hopefully, adding) a guy like Robinson a big win in my book.
Last point: a smart, lengthy (proven) shooter who can take it to the rack. Sound like anybody you know? I don’t blithely and indiscriminately trust the coaches, but I certainly think they have identified and developed players like that in the past. Let’s reserve judgement until this kid gets to campus, and I predict he will outperform many of your very modest expectations.
I think someone can see a tournament team here without it being wishful thinking. I am one of those people. The thing about comparing to last year is this team won the conference by 3 games and was one game away from a 1 seed. This year’s team could be 4-5 games worse and still finish in the top 2-3 in conference and, if you also assume they don’t drop games neither team should like Charlotte, still be a top 4 seed in the dance.
I’d say you aren’t doing as much “projecting” as other people. That’s certainly your right, but there is a track record here of development.
Also, while there’s certainly value in game action, Donnal was at least a redshirt (not a true frosh) that, by all reports, held his own against the seasoned bigs in practice.
Personally, I see a 6-7 seed that nobody wants to play in March.
The past two years have instilled a lot of confidence in this vastly inexperienced and unproven team.Three years ago the team won a share of the B1G and was a 4-seed with Stu, JMo, and Zack starting (and Trey and THJr, another couple guys with low recruiting profiles).
Four years ago the team was an 8 seed and a last second shot away from the Sweet 16 with Stu, Zack, and JMo and no Trey.
Six years ago the team won a tourney game with a walk-on PG, and freshmen Stu and Zack starting at the 2 and 4.
So, it’s not just the last two years. (And that’s not even going into JB’s time at WVU).
Referencing the tourney success. No disputing the other.
The past two years have instilled a lot of confidence in this vastly inexperienced and unproven team.Three years ago the team won a share of the B1G and was a 4-seed with Stu, JMo, and Zack starting (and Trey and THJr, another couple guys with low recruiting profiles).
Four years ago the team was an 8 seed and a last second shot away from the Sweet 16 with Stu, Zack, and JMo and no Trey.
Six years ago the team won a tourney game with a walk-on PG, and freshmen Stu and Zack starting at the 2 and 4.
So, it’s not just the last two years. (And that’s not even going into JB’s time at WVU).
Your entire post basically works against you in terms of the experience argument. That team returned 4 starters (2 of which were seniors) with Burke taking over the PG spot. The current edition of UM basketball will return 2 starters while playing bigs with not 1 minute logged in a college basketball game that counts.
You do see the poor problem with your comparison, no?
I think everyone needs to take a step back on this Duncan Robinson thing.Robinson probably isn’t the next star of Michigan’s offense, but I think we’ve pretty well established that Beilein can make use out of a lengthy shooter. What do you lose by adding him?
Absolutely.
A lengthy shooter who is also: intelligent, likely a four year guy, can legitimately contribute and provide talented depth, and already knows the system. These are the building blocks of your team, the guys who lead in the locker room, and the guys who perpetuate the culture and educate the 2- and 3- year guys about what UM basketball is all about. Sure it’s nice to load your roster with blue chip recruits, but it is the Spike Albrechts and the Jordan Morgans, guys who may not have been 5-stars but contribute significantly and stay all four(+) years, that turn us into a championship team.
This, combined with the fact that Robinson can PLAY (good enough to be D-3 POY… as a freshman), the fact that 2016 looks to be a banner year for UM recruiting, and the fact that Jalen Coleman isn’t exactly breaking down the doors to come to Michigan makes uncovering (and, hopefully, adding) a guy like Robinson a big win in my book.
Last point: a smart, lengthy (proven) shooter who can take it to the rack. Sound like anybody you know? I don’t blithely and indiscriminately trust the coaches, but I certainly think they have identified and developed players like that in the past. Let’s reserve judgement until this kid gets to campus, and I predict he will outperform many of your very modest expectations.
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Robinson has 3 years
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Morgans and Novaks and Spikes are fine but 2015 and 2016 can’t afford another one
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I have doubts Robinson “can take it to the rack” and he isn’t Stauskas. He is most likely close to 21 so the development angle is overblown.
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2016 is far from certain
So if you think michigan is going to struggle so much, who is clearly better in the big ten besides Wisconsin?
Basketball is the sport where experience is least important… Talent rules all and I like Michigans talent
It’s not as good as last years team but the big ten isn’t as good as last year either
Bunch of kool aid drinkers here that refuse to face the reality of poor recruiting after 2 years of success.
just curious - why is it that everyone assumes that lower end recruits without athleticism are “intelligent” and locker room “leaders” After seeing 5 minutes of highlights and no other information? Im pretty baffled by those assertions whenever i see it. Can someone please enlighten me?
I read this entire thread just to laugh at Ben. The Horford departure was quite mutual with the staff and including his former teammates.
The 14 class fine. The 15 class isn’t over.
Ben is hysterical.
The past two years have instilled a lot of confidence in this vastly inexperienced and unproven team.Three years ago the team won a share of the B1G and was a 4-seed with Stu, JMo, and Zack starting (and Trey and THJr, another couple guys with low recruiting profiles).
Four years ago the team was an 8 seed and a last second shot away from the Sweet 16 with Stu, Zack, and JMo and no Trey.
Six years ago the team won a tourney game with a walk-on PG, and freshmen Stu and Zack starting at the 2 and 4.
So, it’s not just the last two years. (And that’s not even going into JB’s time at WVU).
Your entire post basically works against you in terms of the experience argument. That team returned 4 starters (2 of which were seniors) with Burke taking over the PG spot. The current edition of UM basketball will return 2 starters while playing bigs with not 1 minute logged in a college basketball game that counts.
You do see the poor problem with your comparison, no?
Well, I guess I agree that it’s a poor problem – i.e., not much of one. We made the tourney with freshmen Stu and Zack who had no, if any, other offers (and walk-on PGs and a soph Manny). We made the tourney with RS-freshman JMo, frosh THJr and soph Darius (who had a much worse freshman year and lower profile than Walton, for comparison). We won a share of the B1G with a freshman Trey, and sophmores Smotrycz and JMo manning the 5.
I don’t think making the tourney with sophmores Walton and Irvin, junior LeVert, junior Spike, a RS-FR, top 100 big, a 4/5 star PF and another top 100 PF would be surprising at all considering those results. Caris was 2nd team all B1G last year. Derrick was all-freshman, and probably not even in his best roll. Spike is a valuable, experienced backcourt piece. Max can at worst soak up some minutes if all else fails.
And, again, this not even considering the last couple of years. No two years are identical, but, based on past performance and other inputs for this year, not making the tourney would be the surprising result.
Bunch of kool aid drinkers here that refuse to face the reality of poor recruiting after 2 years of success.
Are we supposed to follow the only guy on the planet that think Seth Towns stinks at basketball? Oh ok.
We all have opinions.
Amounts the experts, we are not exactly doing well. Hate to say wait and see. But. Wait and see. I’m afraid the Glory years are over.
Is it basketball season yet?
I agree with MD…this thread is a must save, not just for this year but next.