True, though I do think in the case of Walton and Irvin, injuries have mattered a lot. Irvin always had some limitations, but Walton three years ago looked capable of being very good.
I think this is just a down stretch, and I like what we have going forward. Poole, Mathews, Livers - all look good to me and Livers especially could be a steal. Gotta close strong on some 2018 guys. And you need to deliver Pearson. (Totally kidding, but man I loved his highlights).
I agree 100% with the exception of ājust a down periodā. The reason itās a down period is because John Beilein isnāt a very good recruiter and his eye for under the radar talent/development has regressed.
That said, just as quick as I was 3 years ago to predict the downfall, I can see some signs of life. I think the 17 class will be one of the best weāve had in a while but thatās not good enough to get us over the hump. As you say, if we can put together another good class in 18 then weāre in business. And that doesnāt include Brandon Johns
So Matt; if you could have any one recruit still available and a realistic land for Michigan of 2017 class who would it be and why?
In addition who would you surround your guy DeJulius with in 18?
Well, when I say ādown period,ā thatās what I mean - not landing the recruits we need, and players not developing as anticipated/hoped.
Iāll say this, too - in my line of work (law), Iāve observed that when people hit their 60s, they often become less sharp. Further, a period of success is often followed by complacency - itās just human nature and you have to fight hard against it. I would say following the Fab Five, Fisher fell into that - the Fresh Five really underachieved and the coaching left a lot to be desired. JB has been coaching a LONG time. He may have hit a wall, and after 2011-2013, he may have become a little complacent. He has stated he wants kids who are ābeating down the doorsā to play for Michigan, but objectively, the top recruits have TONS of good options, so that view is probably unrealistic.
I think the results and recruiting from 2017-2020 will tell us whether this is a three year lull or a downward trend. And if itās the latter, certainly we have to get things headed in the right direction again.
Bamba is the only recruit left on the radar
But can we get him?
I think we need an NBA type of athletic, creating wing moreso than a big. If we can land Bamba then obviously weāll be much improved defensively, but the drop off in terms of total impact in the front court without Bamba isnāt a huge deal.
As bad as we are in the backcourt right now, I think thereās going to be a reasonable drop off from Walton/Zak/MAAR to X/Matthews/MAAR. That said a guy I thought wouldāve been a perfect fit is Lonnie Walker out of PA. Had the chance to watch him several times during EYBL and he is extremely good and the exact type of player we need. And he signed withā¦Miami. That is obtainable and yet we never reached out to my knowledge
For 2018, weāve actually had a top 50 type wing in Kiyon Boyd express legitimate interest in Michigan, only for the staff to not follow up. I think heād be a great add at the wing spot. A 6ā5 wing with a strong frame that can create his own shot, has excellent vision, and can finish at the rim.
Iād pair him with another creating wing, ideally Robby Carmody as he has a college ready frame and motor right now. I think the need for a 4 is not all that great since we probably have another 2 years of DJ, with Livers coming in for 17. I think a 4 can wait until 19.
But if a 4 is the position the staff settles in on, then I prefer Jerome Hunter based on targets we have now.
I think Poole starts over MAAR from day one. We need the outside shooting. Iāll be curious to see what happens at PG, too - it could end up being Brooks.
If Eli Brooks is the starting point guard next year we are in deep, deep trouble. Passing on Eastern will turn out to be a HUGE mistake in the long run in my opinion.
Weāll see. He canāt shoot, thatās a real problem.
You see, you are failing to account for anything other than scoring, which is a huge mistake. I like to evaluate players based on net impact on the game. Duncan Robinson was a double digit scorer last year, but was his net impact really good? No, because for every basket he made, he gave up 2 more.
Bottom line is that Easternās net impact will be far greater than anything Brooks will accomplish in my opinion.
Greg Elliott, A guy that Iām really high on, that nobody on the board seems to agree with me about just received his first high major offer from Marquette. That is a guy that could most certainly help Michigan in multiple areas. I was skeptical at first as well, but he just produces at every level. He has been the best player in Michigan this year by a wide margin (with the exception of Dave). Iād take G over Brandon Johns in a heartbeat, those two arenāt even close.
Are he and Dave on the same team?
Yep, and since there is no chance Greg gets offered Iāll go ahead and say it. Michigan is Gregās dream school as well.
From the video I saw he is a pure scorer with above average handle but loves getting to the rim one way or another. Not enough film of his jumper so will keep lookingā¦
The one thing I like is that he was wearing a face mask - ala Rip Hamilton - and he seemed to never waver in his aggression taking the ball to the rack.
All said as mentioned so many times before, how M is not more highly thought of by high levels recruits just amazes me.
Greg? Greg can shoot the hell out of the ball from both midrange and three. Here is my most recent film on Greg from a few weeks ago. If Brooks is a borderline top 150 player, Greg has to be in the top 100 easily.
I think Amaker is a harsh comp, I canāt think of any Amaker players who improved. Even now Iād say Wagner, donnell, Wilson, Irvin have all improved. Rahkman was better last year than as a freshman. Waltonā¦yeah.
Beilein may have been ahead of the game as an underdog. Recruit smart shooters. But at the top level you have to bring in top talent. He has not consistently done that. Heās not bringing in scrubs either.
Does his honesty hurt him? ā5* come here and itās possible we make the nc game.ā Vs Duke, ācome here and we will win titles.ā Especially since jb will only take smart well mannered recruits (which is a weakness in seeing the boy instead of the man he can become-izzo is strong there). If heās only looking at a couple top guys each year beating Duke and uk for them will be rough. Getting long winded, so Iāll stop.
Agree 100% if bamba will come, you take him and figure out the rest later. Thatās what you do with top top recruits. Matthews or some other wing playing close to sophomore stauskas or Lavert would help the team more.