Michigan

Michigan took Wisconsin to OT without Caris LeVert, D.J. Wilson, or Duncan Robinson.
Michigan took Michigan St. to OT (in East Lansing) without Derrick Walton, Caris LeVert, D.J. Wilson, or Duncan Robinson.

Wisconsin and Michigan St. are now in the Final 4.
Next year, Michigan adds Derrick Walton, Caris LeVert (maybe), D.J. Wilson, and Duncan Robinson.


I'm not predicting a Final 4 appearance next year, but Michigan should be a solid team next season.

Hail- I feel very good about next season with or without Caris (I prefer it be with of course). We will have a really nice combination of talent and depth with some additional experience added in.

Come on, you guys, you know they'll be lucky to win four games next year! Everybody will be worse. There will be no progression, and the new players will contribute nothing.

yeah I thought the team got better as they closed out the season, even with the injuries.

I like our chances to really compete for a B1G title. once again I am excited to see the year to year growth.

My only thing is that for a second strait year I just don't see us getting any tougher down low and IMO we will never truly be in a position to win a NC title without a solid big man.

B1G championship and a final four berth would be a very successful year.

another question I have is has Zak peaked? I sure hope he has a bit more left in him that we haven't seen yet. He has shown me flashes that have me somewhat disappointed at this stage of his career. I'd like to see a lot more consistency out of him.

I also remember trey in year three and what his leadership/defense/overall presence on the floor did for the team that year. I'm not expecting Walton to win the Naismith but I think his leadership and confidence will be key for a team that is really starting to come into its own.

I agree, Sandy, about the low post play. At best case scenario, Doyle/Wilson/Donnal become like Jordan Morgan/Jon Horford/Max Bielfeldt of the 2013/2014 Elite 8 team. It would be nice to have a big with game-changing potential, which we might have in the 2016 class with Jon Teske.

Regarding Zak, I was disappointed when the season started. He looked like a one dimensional shooter and not the level I was hoping a 2nd year 5* to be. The growth from year 1 to year 2 from guys like Morris, Burke, Stauskas, and LeVert had me spoiled. By the end of the year, Zak Irvin was a completely different player. He was still an elite scorer, but he was making very nice passes off the pick and roll.

Zak Irvin first 26 games.... 26 assists.
Zak Irvin final 6 games.... 23 assists.

And yeah, Walton's leadership would have been awesome to have in those close and OT games we played this season. We needed someone to stay calm and take control of the situation.

I think Doyle will be a very good post player.

You can win without them though. Who did Louisville have 2 years ago?

1st rd pick Gorgui Dieng and projected 1st round pick Montrezl Harrell.

UConn last year would better prove your point.

Good call Hail- In any even it can be done- we would have beaten that Louisville team 4 or 5 times out of 10 IMO. It's always preferable to have a good post player or two but they are scarce. And I do think Doyle is going to be one.

I could not dis-agree more,winning with out a big guy in the middle is so rare,it like winning a horse race with a horse who only has 3 legs. All 4 final four teams have a big this year MSU actually is doing it with 3 guys. Duke has Okafor, and Plumlee. Wisconsin has Kaminsky and Decker. Kentucky has Caully -Stienand and Towns and probably 2 more. Its rare to find a team that is a champ with out a big guy. I think you guys just posted this drival to upset me..

Who are DeAndre Daniels, Alex Oreaki, Andre Hutson, and Jake Voskuhl?

Answer- they are the best big man on the 1999, 2000, 2011, and 2013 National Championship basketball teams. Again having a really good post player makes it easier, but they are scarce and it can be done without one.

They will contend for the Big Ten title with or without Levert. If they land Jaylen Brown, which seems to at least be a possibility, they will be a national title contender.

Boy would it be nice to land Brown and retain LeVert. I think it might be a one or the other situation, though.

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

Boy would it be nice to land Brown and retain LeVert. I think it might be a one or the other situation, though.

this


speaking of recruiting... a bit OT but WTF how did Diamond Stone end up at Maryland? I had him as a UW lock. you know anything about this hail?

Stone's AAU team is an Under Armor team and Maryland is the Under Armor university. Shoe companies (Nike, Adidas, Under Armor) are surprisingly influential on college choices.

For example, Jaylen Brown wants to play for an Adidas college which helps Michigan and hurts Kentucky (Nike).

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

Stone's AAU team is an Under Armor team and Maryland is the Under Armor university. Shoe companies (Nike, Adidas, Under Armor) are surprisingly influential on college choices.

For example, Jaylen Brown wants to play for an Adidas college which helps Michigan and hurts Kentucky (Nike).

never in a million years would I have seen him picking a school based on brand affiliation. I guess I just read way more into his character as a student-athlete during the handful of interviews I watched him give. thanks for that info Hail.