After watching Michigan handily defeat Radford and Brown this weekend here are a few things that I’ve noticed.

1. John Beilein can flat out coach. This is a completely different looking team at both ends of the floor. Beilein is putting guys in positions where they can succeed and is not asking them to do too much. It’s going to be very exciting once he can develop some talent and build a deeper program. Right now he’s going to have to rely on DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris for a bulk of Michigan’s scoring and you can’t have just two reliable scorers in college basketball.

2. Kelvin Grady might beat out Jerret Smith at the point guard spot. He has really good speed and he sees the floor so well. Daniel Horton did not run the fast break as well as Grady has in these first two games. He has really good vision and I have seen him on numerous occasions find DeShawn Sims or Manny Harris for very easy layups. He is really quick defensively and fits in nicely at the bottom of the 1-3-1 zone.

3. Manny Harris can flat out play. This kid was brought in to rescue Michigan basketball and he just might do that. He has a rare combination of length and quickness that allows him to play the top of the 1-3-1. I lost count as to how many tips he caused when he and Ron Coleman or DeShawn Sims trapped the ball handler in the corner.

4. When you watch DeShawn Sims play, you can see why Tommy Amaker was fired. This guy has proven in the first two games that he can score from anywhere on the floor. Yet under Tommy Amaker he was the second big man off the bench. He is a really smart player and is going to be a force to be reckoned with come Big Ten play. I’m having a hard time thinking of a player in the Big Ten that is as versatile as DeShawn Sims.

Bottom line: This team still has a long way to go. I do not see them winning at Georgetown or Duke, and I do not see them beating UCLA at home. However, don’t be surprised if they make a run in Alaska. The teams up there are not going to have a lot of time to prepare and may not know what to expect. If Michigan can knock down the three’s with the same consistency, they are going to beat Butler and possibly even Virginia Tech in the second round. We will know a lot more about this team after the Great Alaska Shootout. However, even if they do not produce results, just go back to point number one and remember that they are in good hands.

Posted under Basketball

Obviously unaware that the Michigan Basketball coach is prohibited from interacting with media.

Highlights:

• His final assistant will be Jerry Dunn, unless Dunn lands a head coaching gig somewhere else. If that’s the case, they will conduct interviews to complete the staff.
• He took his first full campus tour yesterday (I actually know a lot of people who saw him around), and liked it.
• He didn’t explicitly say what was going to happen with the unused scholarships (Reed Baker’s, Alex Legion’s). He likes transfers that are looking to move to a bigger stage, however.
• He has never has a favorite NBA team. Now the Pistons will be his favorite team. When he watches games, he is focusing on individual skills, not rooting one way or the other.
• The summer camps have been rescheduled to not conflict with other things (recruiting). There will also be team camps, where entire AAU teams are welcomed.

Posted under Basketball

Overview: Waste of time

Fun Bill Martin Pythagorean Theorem: A2 + B2 = C2 (Ann Arbor + Beilein, Borseth = Championship, Championship)

Number of raffles and lame contests: Approx. 15

Notably Absent: Ekpe Udoh

Mary Coleman’s size as a proportion of Bill Martin: 1/2

Things said that have not been already mentioned at at least one press conference: 0

Number of recent Kevin Borseth recruiting trips to Virginia: 1

Posted under Basketball

Bill Martin has been in the media a lot lately (makes sense, seeing as how he, you know, just hired a new basketball coach or two). Some highlights from his interview with the Monroe Street Journal:

On accusations that luxury boxes threaten the tradition of Michigan Stadium:

“Think about Fielding Yost when he built Michigan Stadium in 1926… Many of the Alumni clubs fought him and said, “You’re going away from the traditions of Michigan”. He recognized the reality that Michigan must be up with the times. You know, you’re either moving forward or backwards in life… Minnesota is building a new stadium right now and for the next 30 years every student will be paying a $30 -$45 student fee each semester to help build it. We are going to do it all on our own. People have to understand the reason we are building premium seating is not that it’s the end-all-be-all, but it is a way of paying for renovating the bowl. Look at it this way: 5,000 people are going to pay to give 105,000 other people a brand new state of the art stadium without putting a nickel on their backs.”

He goes back to the old standby “Yost did it, so I can, too.” It works I guess, and as someone who’s not adamantly opposed to the boxes, I have no issue with it.

On potential increased crowd noise in the stadium:

“By the nature of our new structures, the sound will be reverberated back in to the field. We also have an older Alumni crowd. Many want to go to Ohio State game in the late November cold, but want to see the game in comfort, in warmth, and have a nice social experience.”

Getting all the lame old people who refuse to cheer out of the bowl is fine by me. I doubt the acoustics will be drastically affected, but replacing some non-noisemakers with people who will hopefully be a bit more rowdy can’t hurt.

Still, I think of the Notre Dame game. They fit less people into a similarly-shaped structure, with no luxury boxes, and it still manages to be louder than Michigan stadium on a level that’s not even comparable.

On scheduling for football:

“Scheduling is one of the toughest things we do at Michigan and that’s because nobody big wants to come play us here, and they often only will if we’ll do a return game. Every time that stadium stays vacant on a fall Saturday, there goes 4.5 million dollars that I don’t get to pay the bills and fix the place. I’ll tell you that my principle objective in scheduling today is to play a complete round robin in the Big Ten… While I’m around we’re never going to have a conference championship game.”

The “not able to pay the bills” argument rings a little hollow when the athletic department rings up $16 million in profit every year. A home-and-home with a big school is unlikely to cost us that much lost profit, when you take into account TV incentives, etc. The round robin in the Big Ten is something that I’ve been hoping for a while, though the decrease to 2 non-conference games would lose Bill 4.5 million every year (5 home conference games and 2 potential home non-conference games each year, against 4 home non-conference games and 4 home conference games each year). I am glad to hear that there is no desire from Michigan’s end to have a championship game.

On the feasibility of getting a round-robin conference schedule:

“Well, it takes a vote of 6 of the 11 ADs. I’ve got a ways to go.”

On his career aspirations:

“My career as an athletic director begins and ends at Michigan. I put my heart and soul into this place because I love it. When it’s time to go into the shuffleboard business or whatever you do next in life, I’ll figure it out.”

Bill Martin wants to grow up to be a shuffleboard salesman.

Posted under Basketball

3:55 pm: I cleaned up the typos and things that I typed in a confusing manner. I also got the images to work properly.

11:53 AM The podium looks really lonely. I can tell it is not because I hear inane journalist conversation in the background, and people occasionally walk by it.

12:00 PM Somebody is about to get Bill up in this joint. Sounds like Madej to me.
12:01 Maybe if I get this window out of the way, I can see that it is indeed Bruce Madej (Associate AD for Athletic Communications). He is going to introduce Martin, who will be making a couple of statements and introducing new basketball coach. Beilein will make a couple statements, and the media will be able to ask some questions of him.
12:02 Martin in the heezy.

He thanks Tommy for his service to Michigan, navigating us through a trouble period. Martin is forever indebted to him. The screening committee is also thanked: 2 former players Tim McCormick, and Marty Bodnar; Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Ted Spencer; and Greg Harden, and Associate AD.
12:04 Bill Martin states that he has a crush on John Beilein. Now he introduces him. Beilein left his beloved Eers to come here.
12:05 It’s a Beilein!

Big opportunities, big challenges. Put UM back on the national stage as national contenders. Introduces his family, including two sons at WVU (Patrick, who played under JB, graduated last year).
12:06 The people making the decision to move to Michigan: JB and his wife Kathleen. He “believe[s] it is the right decision to make.” He expresses admiration and respect for Tommy for putting program back on its feet.
12:07 Talked to almost every player except the ones who were studying [Beilein, you card]. Sense of humor. At least he has SOME personality. Wait, he’s serious. Talked to Manny’s mom, Legion is in Chi-town with his mother [Roundball Classic], but he will get in contact with them today. Talked to KGSr., on vacation in Cancun.
12:08 Beilein’s first tasks as coach: Compliance meeting, workout, practice scheduled. 1st question: came here because he believes it’s what’s right for him to do. Same type of student-athletes he’s recruited his entire career. Michigan was a very unique situation/opportunity, which was required to get him out of WVU.
12:10 Bill talked to Beilein on the phone, waited until after the NIT championship. Hit it off right away. Martin said nothing in particular about job and challenge to Beilein: Beilein felt good karma, shared Martin’s values and beliefs, and felt good about their future relationship and vision of program.
12:11 Coaching philosophy question. Response: don’t call this a Princeton offense. Don’t want to turn the ball over (hallelujah), and Eers among the top teams in the country in assists. Learn to be versatile as a coach depending on personnel, can dump it inside or “crank threes” in order to win. Adapt style to existing talent and recruit talent to your preferred philosophy.
12:12 JB values players that love their teammates and want to succeed. Love to play and hang out together. Team that fits in with the student body. Doesn’t want team on an island. Wants students to see their friends play, not their basketball team play. No magic formula.
12:13 On recruiting: JB will reach out within state, have coaching clinics and camps. Reach out to coaches within the state. Very hands on approach. “I want Kids to grow up in Michigan dreaming of wearing the Maize and Blue.”

Fighting against MSU, recruiting Michigan will be very hard as long as he is at Michigan.
12:14 Jamie Smalligan is from Michigan, so he has recruited here before. UM is a national university, and can therefor recruit from anywhere, bu they will recruit the state as well as they can. He wants to build a reputation as a coaching staff that knows what they are doing.
12:15 Facilities issue: nothing that bothers him. Beautiful locker room and film room. The facilities give the impression that fans care. He thinks UM was one of the first places he saw where the students jump up and down and wear the same color t-shirts [ed: you’d best be thinking us with a wave before each game, John].
12:16 A practice facility is in the plans for the future. JB has great faith in Bill Martin’s ability to get it done. Martin is open to all options, giving Beilein the opportunity to compete with opponents.
12:17 Recruiting includes “recruiting” existing players every day to improve. Public perceptions are that UM football overshadows UM basketball, MSU basketball overshadows UM basketball. Beilein says it’s breath of fresh air. It’s a program that competes In the Big10, in a good recruiting area, with tremendous support from alumni and fans. Athletic department gets the best of both worlds with football. Competing against MSU only helps basketball in the area.
12:19 JB is ready to recruit great players from a great basketball area. Talked to Manny’s mom and Kelvin’s dad yesterday, and will be talking w/ Alexand mother this afternoon. Everything is positive so far with existing players and 3 signed recruits.

12:20 Beilein will set no concrete timeline for NCAA Tournament appearances or Big10 championships. However, he brought his rings, and will earn some at Michigan soon.
12:21 UM has nothing to do with his buyout. Very interesting. Martin gave Beilein enough time to think about decision.
12:22 No system talks in the practice today, instead there will be conditioning and ball-handling drills. This is stuff for guys to do over the summer. If they don’t work over the summer, they will become familiar with the track. He wants self-starters, but ironically will help them start up.
12:23 He is still looking at assistant options. His old staff is still on WVU’s payroll. Before determining his new staff, he will determine the needs here.
12:24 Beilein hopes Michigan will be his last stop on his coaching career. He grew up on Lake Ontario, and has made a loop in his coaching career ending back there.
12:25 There ought to be pressure on him to succeed from fans, given the amount he is getting paid. Pressure hasn’t bothered him for 32 years, and he doesn’t anticipate it will anytime soon.
12:26 How to turn around direction of Michigan basketball: university has a lot to offer, needs to evaluate where the program is right now. They can attract students from a fertile area. How important was it to wait to contact him until after the NIT. Third parties do stuff all over the place, but UM didn’t really get involved with that. How to get fans involved: be approachable, have great young men repping the Michigan program. People anywhere in the world will be proud of the way they play and conduct themselves. They will be well coached. Fans all over will be proud to say, “This is my team.” Expect winning.
12:28 Asking impression of other people (i.e. in the media) on UM basketball. Once the serious discussions began, he didn’t want to give up his hand that he was planning on taking the job. OMFG! He will be available to the media. What.
12:29 Alumni relations is part of job, fund-raising for practice facility, etc. Part of the coaching decision “zone or man,” his analogy for traveling to get $$ from alums. He is also a busy husband and father, and one man can only do so much.
12:30 His career goal wasn’t to finish at any certain school, but once he was done coaching his son, he realized that WVU wasn’t “it” for him. He has grown a lot as a coach. He was physically sick before his first gig at a high school JV basketball game.
12:31 His early college days helped form him as a coach, and the 2-guard offense forced him to grow as a coach. Necessity is the mother of invention. “Failure is
a fertilizer for a coach” – Rick Pitino.
12:32 Will not return to Morgantown and renege on his decision to coach UM (lol Altman).

Then he is done. Photographers surge over his carcass.

And they lived happily ever after the end.

Posted under Basketball

Offense:
Beilein’s main philosophy here incorporates elements of Princeton Offense, Swing Offense, and Triangle Offense.
Princeton Offense
Learn from Fraschilla! Part 2!
Swing Offense
More Swing Offense
Triangle Offense
Learn from Fraschilla!

The Princeton Offense is run by Princeton (duh) and Georgetown. Swing is known primarily as Wisconsin’s offense. The triangle is famous for being the Phil Jackson philosophy that he ran with the Bulls and Lakers. Tommy Amaker’s offense, by contrast was entitled “have Jerret Smith dribble around until a) he turns it over OR b) the shot clock gets below 10, at which time you frantically try to jack up an off-balance 3.

Defense:
Beilein’s WVU teams were known for their 1-3-1 zone defense, mixed in with some straight-up man.
Base 1-3-1 – Zone Pressure
1-3-1- Trap techniques

Posted under Basketball

CBS and Fox both say Beilein to Michigan is official like a referee with a whistle.

Press conference allegedly set for Wednesday.

edit: omfg 2 facebook groups it must be true.

Posted under Basketball

What would Beilein do?

(note: he was offered the job yesterday, and all indications are that, later today, the question becomes: “What will Beilein do?”)

Short term:
1) Put butts in seats. Any coaching change is bound to do this, because it generates a little bit of excitement around the program, and people want to be able to see what the new coach will be able to do. Under Amaker, attendance soared to historic lows. I’m a student, and I’ve never bought basketball tickets. My freshman year I just didn’t care, but the last two, I’ve been looking for an excuse to convince myself to get them. Amaker’s departure provides me with just that.
2) Generate a buzz around the program. When was the last time SportsCenter talked about Michigan basketball for a reason other than: a) The Fab Five b) They are playing a legit team (OSU, Wisconsin, UCLA, etc.) or c) They are in the NIT? The answer is not recently, until they started giving updates on our coaching search.
3) Win. Rag on the guy’s recruiting all you want. In his first year, that won’t matter all that much (disclaimer: except to retain Michigan’s current commits, though it’s sounding likely that Legion will not stay with Michigan). In the first year, he’ll have to win with what is left for him. Fortunately, coaching, rather than recruiting is his strong point. Do I expect him to take the team to the tourney in his first year? No, but I’d give him a much better chance than I would Amaker coaching the same players.
4) Put butts in seats. What? I already said this one? Well, it’s for a different reason this time. Before, it was just because of change. Taking the buzz generated about the program, and the potential winning into account, even more people will start showing up. I was embarrassed to go to the NIT games last year, and to find Crisler nearly empty at the first one. However, once it became clear that the team was on a winning track (albeit in the NIT), the fans started showing up (UTEP: 4400, ND: 8554, UM: 8818)

Long(er) term:
1) Make the basketball program profitable again. This goes along with getting people into Crisler. Blame the lack of facilities all you want, but with Martin at the helm, there was no chance of money being spent on a profitless program (note: this is not a criticism; I actually agree with Martin’s philosophy on this). With more money coming in, the mythical practice facility and Crisler upgrade will come much sooner.
2) Increase the profile of Michigan basketball. On top of (presumably) not refusing to do a coach’s show (cough cough, Amaker, cough cough), the hypothetical winning would increase the
profile of Michigan basketball. It’s Michigan. The Fab Five place. With NCAA tournament appearances, it should be able to start recruiting itself.
3) Get facilities upgraded faster. On top of points one and two, Beilein is far more likely to campaign actively to raise funds for new facilities (it’s not much work to campaign harder than “not at all”). This, in turn, will lead to a healthy future for the basketball program.

Posted under Basketball

The Free Press is reporting that Martin has offered Beilein the job and he should respond in about 24 hours. Brian has noted certain rumblings on the internets that would seem to support the claim.

No official words yet, but hopefully we’ll see something soon.

Posted under Basketball

Game
You Play Like…:Tim Duncan
You Want To Play Like…:KG, but it’s dry
Best Hand:Right
Best Talent:My Hook
Second Best:Punching Shit
Third Best:Man, you going to far wit this shit now
Need Most Work In:My Handle
Second Most:Three point shot
Third Most:Strength
Describe Your Game In One Word:SMOOVE!!!!!!

Posted under Basketball