Article on Coach B

Pretty good article talking about Coach B's history of incremental improvements. He has an impressive first round record but is unproven at deep tourney runs. Cause for concern?

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/17774591/michigans-baby-steps-starting-to-add-up

The situation reeks, at least to these clogged nostrils, at least somewhat of BILL FREIDER'S tenure. He brought in talent galore, and won at least shares of Big Ten titles by his 4th season (1985)...but could never get it done in the NCAA tournament.

I have NEVER encountered a person, with a modicum of knowledge of Michigan basketball, who disagreed to any extent with me when I said there was NO WAY, even with the country's most raw-talented team (Rice, Mills, Rumeal, Vaught, Higgins...), we win the 1989 crown had Frieder, not Steve Fisher, been our head coach in the 1989 tourney.

That said, John Beilien is NOT Bill Frieder. Different court mentalities, different personalities. As many on this board have pointed out, when you compare our raw talent to OSU's or MSU's, we clearly overachieved during the regular season. And certainly some of that credit goes to JB. But we clearly underachieved in the game Friday. So I guess some parallel to Frieder's NCAA "record" is inevitable.

It will be more telling next season when JB finally gets his legit. (so the clippings say) big man in the middle. And assuming Trey and Junior both return (and after Friday's showings I'm thinking both will), we will have all the components of a tourney-ready team.