End of the year mailbag

Michigan Basketball
1

Time for a end-of-season/offseason mailbag. Post your questions.

2
  1. Expected rotation for next season
  2. Potential attrition (xfers and the draft)
  3. Fit IF we land Bamba (who plays where)
  4. Will we be ranked preseason
  5. Freshman most likely to make an impact (and those most likely to redshirt)
  6. Expectations (how far will this team go in the tournament, where will this team rank among all of Beileins Michigan teams, how many potential nba players are on the roster)
3

What are your expectations for the defense next year?

We know the offense has some questions, but a second year in Donlon’s system, X and CM starting, how good can they be?

4

How many games does it take for some to question JB’s position as HC at Michigan?

5 Likes
5

How’d we do on the pre-season over/under?

1 Like
6

Some will always fantasize that Coach B is on his way out, whether he retires or is given the Full Crean. For them this run was “bad for business”, but just wait until Michigan loses out on a recruit (sorry: knocking on wood) or loses an early non conference game. They’ll be back.

7

In a weird way, looking back, didn’t the end results of this season actually play out quite close to reasonable expectations? A very good to elite offense with a pretty good to so-so defense (the efficiency numbers are quite close to '13-'14) is pretty much what we’ve had with Beilein the past several years outside the one (and arguably two) decimated by NBA departures and injuries. We were No. 16 in preseason BPI. Obviously there was a big in-season dip toward the end of the nonconference/beginning of Big Ten play. But if you had told me at the beginning of the year that we’d end up with 14 wins between the conference season and conference tournament, an offense that finished top 5 and defense that finished top 75 in kenpom, a 10-3 nonconference record and that we’d go out in the Sweet 16, I think I would’ve said that sounds about right, or at least totally reasonable. Obviously we had some pretty big highs and lows along the way…

3 Likes
8
  1. Do you think Brooks plays more than just back up minutes at the point, especially by seasons end?
  2. Will MAAR’s minutes go down next year?
  3. Can Wilson and/or Wagner become good post up players?
9

If Bamba doesn’t come, will we regret not bringing Mark Donnal back?

10
  1. Expected rotation next year?
  2. Who will be alpha of the offense next year?
11

Bamba or bust for 2017 recruiting? If he goes elsewhere, is there any chance we make a late run at an uncommitted '17 prospect? Are we even still recruiting anyone from '17?

1 Like
12
  1. Why we should (or should not) be excited about the pg position next season?
  2. Where do Walton and Irvin rank amongst 4 year players all time at U of M?
2 Likes
13

Not Michigan related… But if Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz switched teams how do you think each team would have faired differently?

2 Likes
14

It sounds like Austin Davis was going to move into the rotation regardless.

15

Any grad transfer lead guards on the radar?

Will Donlon be a serious HC candidate this year?

What’s the latest on 2018 recruiting?

16

What is your lasting lesson from this incredible season?

For me it was watching this team play so poor, yet the answer to the poor play was so simple: Derrick Walton.
Once Walton accepted his role, everybody else’s role flowed naturally. Coach Beilein deserves credit for orchestrating this transformation. How many times did he tell us Walton needs to be more assertive? How many? The man knew the answer, and knew how to coax it out of this team, while I scratched my cranium and resigned myself to the false realization that the team just wasn’t that good.

17

Do you consider this year (26-12, 20th on kenpom, unranked in polls all year, T-5th and 8 seed in B10, BTT champs, sweet 16) or 2011-2012 (24-10, 22nd on kenpom, ranked in polls all year, co-regular season champs and 1 seed in B10, BTT semis, upset in first round) a better season?

18

Very early look at 2017-18. Which B1G teams appear poised to improve next season? Which B1G teams appear poised to take a step backwards next season?

19

Last year we were wondering if Beilein would play 2 bigs together: Wilson & Wagner. Will he play 3 this year: Wilson, Wagner & Mo?

20
3 Likes