As I’ve through the board many times over the past year everyone believes that Michigan should be able to hang with the “blue bloods” of Kentucky, Duke, UNC, and Kansas every year (all 4 are essentially basketball schools with crappy football). I’m certainly not here to bash the program but I believe the expectations for the program are way too high for what the program has done over the years. I am a big Beilein believer and the main reason he left WVU was he thought he could win a national championship here.
The program has won 14 conferences championships since 1921 and has won one national championship ever. Of those conference championships two have happened since 1986 and both under Beilein. There was also one conference tournament championship as well. Beilein also brought the program to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1994 and now has gone there twice.
I think what Beilein has done is impressive. He brought the program back from Fisher (I somewhat speak negatively here because of the sanctions), Ellerbe, and Amaker years. He has sent 5 guys to the NBA including 3 first rounders and will probably get another with LeVert.
With all of this being said, what are realistic expectations for this program moving forward?
Michigan should be a program that gets to the sweet 16 on a regular basis. Middle to upper B1G standing each year though I will admit emphasis is on the tourney for me. Being a bubble team program, moving forward, shouldn’t happen at Michigan
I don’t know who on this boards think they should be competiting annually with the Blue Bloods?
I’m wondering if Harbaugh and the resurgence of football helps or hurts our basketball program and recruiting. Is it better because it creates more national attention/hype for Michigan, or do kids not want to come to a school where all the attention is on a different sport?
I think the problem with those that are ‘content’ is that program expectations should always remain stagnant…meaning because historically we’ve only won X amount of conference championships, or Y amount of games in the tournament that is the appropriate bar and we shouldn’t expect more…I TOTALLY reject that notion. Seems kind of absurd to me.
If that were the thinking, then Duke would never be where it is, Michigan State would’ve remained a constant middling B10 team, or perhaps IU would reign supreme forever. Point is that the future is NOT determined by the past…if the expectation is determined by the past, then how do you make progress?
Each program should ALWAYS aim higher…just my 2 cents
The state of Michigan is a basketball state. The Midwest produces great basketball players. Michigan has everything in place to have a really good basketball program
We are a great athletic institution. Perhaps the best in the conference. In every sport I expect to compete for the conference title more often than not. That does not mean we should win it more often than not as we are in a conference with some other great or potentially great programs (OSU, MSU, Indiana, Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin, Illinois). And with a conference title contender most years, I expect to get to the second weekend of the NCAA tourney most years. But I don’t put a ton of emphasis on the NCAAT because single elimination tournaments can be random and depending on matchup, it can be tougher some years than others.
I think JB has done a great job here. I think he can do better. I want him to build us into a perennial top 15 program. I think we are capable of that considering our history, resources and location. But if he doesn’t change some of his recruiting practices, I won’t expect a ton of change in how we perform. We will have some years where we do great and other years where we are disappointed and some in between. Which isn’t the end of the world. I won’t call for his head. I won’t think he’s a disaster of a coach. He’s obviously a very good one.
Now that’s ridiculous…don’t care if they went to the F4 as UM fans, McCaffrey isn’t coming here with Hoke as head coach. Elite recruits are coming to UM for 1 reason and 1 reason only - Jim F&@kin Harbaugh is our head guy and he’s a top 5 football coach in the world, at any level. The team is going to be elite and competing for national championships on a regular basis for as long as Coach Harbaugh is here and every kid in the country is well aware of that
Not too mention, Harbaugh is a relentless recruiter. The word relentless may not even be a strong enough word to describe how hard Harbaugh works at being great.
Jim Harbaugh is God with a head set in my mind. Man I love everything about that guy as our head coach…just the ultimate competitor. See how easily expectations can be adjusted?
I never go into a football game feeling as though our guys are going to lay an egg in terms of effort or preparation because ai know Coach Harbaugh simply won’t allow it…he DEMANDS it and holds every last player accountable regardless of tenure and talent level. The great thing is this - he actually works harder than the players. The guy is simply obsessed with winning and doesn’t give a flying f!ck about being nice or getting nice kids…just play within the rules and bust your behind
Huh? Yes, of course recruits are coming here because of Harbaugh and where this program is headed. Do you follow football recruiting? I was making a joke based on his dad’s tweet a couple weeks ago.
I can’t wait to see what Don Brown adds to this program, too. Him and Harbaugh are a coaching match made in heaven IMO. Good things in the very near future for Michigan football.
Of course - which is why I referenced their attendance at the F4…I thought you were seriously stating that the Bball team aided in landing McCaffrey. Apologies, appears you were kidding