I think the problem in a nutshell is this, we connect well with parents…not so much with the actual recruits.
Well, we’ve obviously done an excellent job connecting with kids in the 40-150 range (Morris, Burke, Hardaway, Robinson when he committed, Stauskas, Walton, Irvin, Donnal, Wilson). We’ve also done well with spring kids we’ve pursued (Levert, Spike, MAAR, Dawkins).
We struggle with the top 25 kids. The question is why? In some cases, they’ve had better basketball offers (Booker with UK, Kennard with Duke). In other cases, I think immediate playing time may have been an issue (for example, Brunson isn’t coming in here next year and starting over Walton, and when Blackmon committed to IU, he walked into a starting role, whereas the depth chart at Michigan at that time included Stauskas, Levert, and Irvin).
I’d also say that the truly elite guys are the most coveted, and thus the most likely to receive offers of extra benefits that we can’t match.
It’s not just us, by the way. Tom Izzo has struck out on elite recruits for the past few years too, and certainly he runs a very strong program.
If the elite 2016 recruits don’t pan out, I think we’ll go back to our strategy of finding kids in the 40-150 range that we believe are really talented, which is a strategy that has worked very well for us.
Come on guys, the last couple comments have absolutely nothing to do with Teske. Let’s keep this on topic, as I’m pretty sure we have a thread somewhere about Beilein’s recruiting that these comments belong in.
"We have to balance the roster between studs and sleepers."Of course, who would really argue with that? The issue is landing studs in the first place.
Michigan is not going to be the right choice for every kid. Before we even offer, the recruits are going to have to show they can qualify academically. We also don’t recruit kids who are perceived to be bad teammates. So, if it turns out you’re a great basketball talent but a terrible human being, we’re going to pass. We’re also probably not real interested in kids with parents who want to dictate their playing time to the coaches.
Further, once you arrive, we’re not going to look the other way and allow boosters to pay players. We’re not going to make attending class optional. And we’re going to require guys to actually learn the offense and be good teammates.
That is probably not the most conducive environment for landing top recruiting classes year after year. Some kids will be a fit. Other won’t. I’m fine with that. The 1994 and 1995 classes were a good example of “elite recruiting classes” comprised of many kids who were turds - Taylor, Mitchell, Bullock and White come immediately to mind (I was a huge fan of Traylor, Baston, Conlan and Ward as good kids).
After the run to the title game one year ago, we started to get a lot of interest from top 25 players that was never there before. The only recruit we’ve ever landed under JB who was a five star recruit at the time he committed was McGary, and we had a clear connection there with Zach Novak. Other than McGary, the rest of the best players under JB (Morris, Burke, Stauskas, Robinson, Hardaway, Levert) were not elite, top 25 recruits being recruited by the likes of Kentucky, Duke, etc.
At this point, it may be that we lack what these kids are looking for. As good as we have played the past few years, programs like Duke and Kentucky have been great for 30 years. And again, it bears repeating that several of these programs (UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, UNC) have been nailed for cheating over the years (as was Michigan when it routinely pulled in five star talents). So in all likelihood, it’s not a real even playing field, and anyone who followed the fallout from the Ed Martin scandal knows that the mandate from the Athletic Department (whether you agree with it or not) is that we can no longer recruit in gray areas.
The reality is this - over the past few years, JB has done a great job of getting his players to the NBA (Morris, Burke, Hardaway, McGary, Stauskas, Robinson), and of those six guys, five got there in two years. So if kids want to play for a coach who gets his players drafted, and quickly, JB sure seems like a logical choice. Moreover, until this year, we’ve won games at an impressive clip. So, if you want to compete for conference championships, make deep NCAA tourney runs, and get lots of national TV exposure, we’ve got that too. And oh by the way, if you’re at all interested in academics, we have one of the best universities in the country.
So, I would think kids and parents with rational priorities (good basketball, good academics, coaching and university with integrity) would really like Michigan. For a kid like Ahmad picking West Virginia, well, it makes you wonder.
Huggins is a good recruiter?
Or you can just completely ignore me and stay off topic anyways…whatever…
Scout update on Teske. Says he’s now a solid 7 feet and 220 lbs.
Looks like Teske is working with the brother of Frankie Hughes; HS coach. Pretty evident that Jon needs to add lower body strength, gets pushed off his spot pretty easily. The good thing is that he looks more fluid in these clips and his balance on his finishes looks improved as well. Great to see the kid putting in work to get better.
Michigan @jonteske33 working hard. His potential his through the roof. @hassbird33
A video posted by Mechie Johnson (@hwbball15) on May 19, 2015 at 7:45pm PDT
Michigan @jonteske33 has the bounce @hassbird34
A video posted by Mechie Johnson (@hwbball15) on May 19, 2015 at 7:48pm PDT
Michigan @jontseke33 putting in some Hard Work. @hassbird33
A video posted by Mechie Johnson (@hwbball15) on May 19, 2015 at 7:42pm PDT
Pretty decent footwork and looks a lot more coordinated than in some earlier clips. Maybe he can be our own Cody Zeller by the time he reaches campus.