B1G Preview: Top tier

The three remaining teams are currently on the short list of legitimate Final Four candidates, not that it really matters in December.  All of them have the talent to be a mainstay in the top 10 all season, and are the favorites to win the best basketball conference in America.  

3.  Ohio State

The Buckeyes are continuing to emerge as one of the elite programs in the country, and are looking to make back-to-back Final Fours.  Thad Matta has put together another extremely talented team, but will likely get out coached by most of the B1G.  DeShaun Thomas is one of the most prolific offensive weapons in the entire country, and this season he isn't the second option behind Sullinger.  Of course, Aaron Craft is still running the point for the Buckeyes.  He brings overwhelming, yet overrated, on ball defensive presence, but fans in Columbus are still waiting on any sort of offensive prowess.  Ohio State is primed to have another good season, but missing on Trey Burke could really come back and haunt this team.  They currently lack any consistent second option on offense and are getting little production from the post.  We will find out more about the Buckeyes this weekend when they take on an improving Kansas team.  Ohio State's non-conference schedule has been beyond weak, outside of their only loss at Duke where they led most of the game.  So the jury is still out on just how good the Buckeyes can be this season, but there is no question how talented the lineup is.  

2. Indiana

The gap between number 1 and 2 is miniscule, and the Hoosiers are likely the best B1G team overall but they tripped last weekend against Butler. Indiana is led by All-American, and likely number 1 pick, Cody Zeller.  Tom Crean has also assembled a talented freshman class to go along with Victor Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, and Christian Watford.  On paper, the Hoosiers are the most talented team in the country. I think it is safe to say that IU is back, and Assembly Hall will be one of the toughest places to play again.  Indiana plays at the quickest tempo in the conference which a lot of teams simply cannot match up with.  However, the Hoosiers continue to struggle on the defensive end of the floor.  This will likely roll over into road issues and cause a couple of losses away from home.  Indiana will still likely finish in the top 3 of the B1G. 

1. Michigan 

The reason I put the Wolverines on top right now is that they are still undefeated and I might have a little bias.  Michigan has played one of the tougher non-conference schedules in the B1G and continue to show that their preseason top 5 ranking was merited.  Trey Burke has put himself into the National Player of the Year conversation, and has been deemed the best point guard in the country.  It has been incredible to see the improvement from year one to two in the Beilein system.  He has the ability to control the tempo of any game, and plays with the basketball on a string.  There are at least 3 plays every game this season where I just shake my head and am in awe of what this kid can do, usually with the basketball in his hands.  The freshman class is one of the most productive in the nation, and all 5 players seem to have just merged seamlessly into the fold.  This Michigan is so dangerous because they can win at any pace of play.  They are talented enough to score 90 points, but are efficient enough to win while only scoring 60.  This is the most talented team I have ever seen wear the maize and blue, and I think they have the highest ceiling of any team not only in this conference but in the nation. 

The conference champion will likely finish with at least 13 wins, so there is not a lot of room for error or off nights.  A number one seed will be reserved for the regular season champion of the B1G conference, and possibly even two depending on the outcome of the conference tournament.  It will be important for Michigan to control the Crisler Center because winning on the road is a tall task in this league. Regardless of which team comes out on top, it will make for a very exciting ride.  

B1G Preview: Over-achievers

Next on the hot seat are two teams that I thought would have been switched with Wisconsin and Michigan State in the bubble teams.  Instead they have combined for only one loss, and it came against the number 1 team in the country.  These two squads have been a good surprise for the conference, and already seem to be playing near their ceiling.

5. Illinois

You might ask how a top 10 team can be ranked number 5 in the conference power rankings, and I might have a few answers to that question.  First, I think Illinois a bit over-rated right now.  Secondly, USC has played both Illinois and Minnesota and has stated matter-of-factly that the Golden Gophers were the best team the Trojans have played.  Thirdly, this is my blog.  Anyways, the Illini get a chance to jump a spot in the rankings this weekend when they face Missouri.  Illinois was the Cinderella winner in the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend, and from that this team has ridden the confidence to an undefeated start.  They are playing hard for the new coach, and Brandon Paul is making a push for the National Player of the Year.  If Illinois is shooting the ball well, they will be a very tough team to beat.  However, as most teams find out, scoring on the road in the B1G is a completely new feat by itself.  I question the Illini depth, and think it could be a major weakness in the loaded conference.  They are also extremely perimeter oriented which gives room for the top teams to exploit.  I am not completely bought into Illinois yet, but they will have plenty of chances to prove me wrong.

4. Minnesota

This Gopher team might be Tubby Smith’s deepest squad he has coached in Minneapolis.  They are also led by a very balanced scoring attack.  The Hollins’ guys are playing like all conference guards right now.  So far the story here is Trevor Mbakwe is only playing 18 minutes per game, once he gets completely healthy and back in game shape the Gophers can expect some improvement from the post.  Minnesota is also one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, and if it can carry over into conference play, it will be the Gopher’s biggest strength.  The Barn is also extremely tough to play at, so Minnesota should be able to hold their own at home.

B1G Preview: On the bubble

The next group are teams that should find themselves on the bubble come March.  If the season would end today, I think 2 of the 3 teams have a good enough resume to get into the field of 68.  I think the majority of the conference upsets will come from this group. 

8. Wisconsin

The Badgers have been a main-stay in the top 5 of the B1G and participant in the NCAA tournament.  Wisconsin has yet to notch a signature win, but with the entire B1G slate still in front of them, the Badgers will have a lot of time to build the resume.  Being in the nation’s toughest conference can really help a team like Wisconsin, it could also give them 10 more losses and knock them out of the tournament.  The Badgers have played 4 solid teams so far, but have lost each game, but the rest of the schedule has consisted of push-overs and blow-out wins. Bo Ryan’s crawl pace and unique offensive style will still continue to give every team problems this season.  Also, the Kohl Center is one of the toughest places to play in the country. 

7. Iowa

The Hawkeyes have been people’s sleeper team for 2 years now.  Fran Dumphrey has accumulated some nice offensive weapons in Iowa City, and they seem to be in a similar place that early John Beilein coached Michigan teams were.  The problem for Iowa is that the top of the conference just keeps getting better, so I have a feeling by the end of the year the Hawkeyes will be on the outside looking in of the NCAA tournament.  Iowa runs a very unique offensive scheme with some unassuming players, but they continue to lack defensive drive and ability.  This will likely result in some big wins at home, but a good defense really puts teams over the top with the brutal road schedule in the B1G.  You cannot expect to score 80 points every night in the conference, and have to be able to win games in the 50s.

6. Michigan State

The Spartans are loaded with talent, like always, but there is little to really like about this Izzo-coached team.  Yes they are still ranked and have only lost 2 games, but they have not been impressive yet this season.  It seems like Michigan State has been having some chemistry issues and have struggled to find a consistent line-up.  If they find a way to put things together, Michigan State can finish in ranked in the top 10 and be a top 4 B1G team.  The worry is that the Spartans really haven’t shown any improvement during the non-conference and the moments where they have clicked have been surrounded by minutes of discouraging play.  The B1G is so talented this year that the Spartans could easily slip to the wrong side of the bubble. 

I think we have a pretty good idea of how good Wisconsin and Iowa will be this season, and the definite question mark in this group is Michigan State.  Either way, it will be difficult to play all of these teams on the road, and I would guess that each team that finishes in the top tier of the conference will find at least one loss from this group.

B1G Preview: Bottom-dwellers

The non-conference section of the college basketball season is almost finished, which means the B1G slug fest is about to begin. I will break down the Big Ten preview into 4 sections, beginning with a look at the teams who are destined for the conference cellar and finishing with the three legitimate Final Four contenders. 

12. Purdue

How the mighty have fallen.  The Boilermakers were one of the premier programs in the conference just 2 years ago.  This year they do not have Robbie Hummel to carry the team.  Purdue has already lost 6 games this season, and is the only team with a losing record.  Their NCAA tournament hopes are completely gone.  Matt Painter should consider this year a success if they can get 3 wins in the conference.

11. Penn State

The Nittany Lions had one thing going for them, and that was All-B1G guard Tim Frazier.  Penn State has lost their star due to an ACL injury, and he will be out for the entire year.  While their big claim last year was they never stopped playing hard, I don’t think they can use this as a rallying cry for another season.  Penn State will be battling with the Boilermakers for the worst team in the conference.

10. Nebraska

Nobody said the Cornhuskers brought a respectable basketball program with them when they joined the B1G.  Not finishing last will be an improvement for the football school.  Nebraska does have a center listed at 6’10” 320lbs, but looks like he is closer to 400.  Surprisingly he has been one of their most efficient players so far this year.  The problem is that he cannot stay on the floor long enough to actually make a huge difference in games. 

9. Northwestern

The Wildcats were close to locking up their first NCAA tournament bid last season until a late season collapse.  They had an encouraging off season where they picked up a few decent recruits and transfers, but lost Mr. Everything (Jon Shurna).  Their preview falls along the lines of Penn State.  They lost their best player, Drew Crawford, due to a shoulder injury.  He will be out for the entire year.  Northwestern’s ceiling suddenly becomes very low.  It will be a year of developing young players and looking to the 2013-2014 season. 

The team(s) that will be crowned B1G champions should not suffer a loss to any of these teams, and should pick up at least 5 wins from this group.  While upsets do happen in sports, a win over one of the top 3 teams would be considered a miracle and would be considered a bad loss come tournament selection time.

Bowl Games Actually Worth Watching...

Even though this year’s bowl schedule is anything but appealing, I did manage to find a couple of games that could be worth watching.  Of course this is in addition to Michigan’s matchup and another SEC National Championship.  As you will read below, the B1G pulled in the worst bowl lineup in conference history and will be underdogs in every game it plays.  After its most embarrassing non-conference slate ever, the conference is desperately looking for any glimmer of off season momentum to build upon going into 2013.  At this point I think it would be best to just turn your focus to B1G basketball. The one saving grace for Jim Delaney is, in all his brilliance, most of the B1G games will be played at the same time on January 1^st.  At least we will only torture the country for a few hours, and give people a chance to sleep in after New Year’s Eve. But for those football lovers out there, the pigskin is still being tossed around for another 19 days so hopefully my bowl watching guide will help you eliminate wasting time over the holidays. 

I was really excited about the Arizona vs Nevada matchup because of the offensive matchups.  Of course this game already happened, and turned out to be pretty interesting.  Kudos to those who caught the last quarter of this game. 

5. Texas A&M vs Oklahoma Cotton Bowl January 4^th, 8pm on Fox

There are a lot of storylines going on for this game.  I personally think the Sooners are overrated, per usual, but this makes the top 5 from what I had to choose from.  Johnny Football, the Heisman trophy winner against preseason finalist Landry Jones.  The Aggies vs the Sooners in a Big 12 rematch.  It took me a while to get on the Texas A&M train, but now I am firmly there.  They entered the SEC with a splash in their first season, and I think the fans are glad they grabbed Coach Kevin Sumlin from Houston instead of Pat Narduzzi.  Both offenses are high powered, but the Aggies are the only one that remember defense is also needed in a football game.  The three potential top 10 draft picks on the Aggies will be showcased in Jerry Jones’ spaceship.  Hopefully Oklahoma will keep this game close for a half, but the SEC will likely continue its dominance over everyone.

4. Baylor vs UCLA Holiday Bowl December 27^th 9:45 on ESPN

You might sense the direction of college football with these bowl choices.  Offense is king while defenses try to bend and not break.  A year after Heisman winner RGIII put up ridiculous stats in the Baylor offense, they bounce back with the nation’s most prolific unit.  The problem is the defense is somewhere in the bottom 10%.  UCLA can also score with most teams in the country and will be looking to rebound after blowing the Pac12 championship game.  This game might be the first to 60, and even then the outcome might not be guaranteed.  Look for Nick Florence and James Franklin to have huge games.

3. Texas vs Oregon State Alamo Bowl December 29^th 6:45pm on ESPN

The Longhorns continue to under-achieve with top-tier talent while Oregon State came out of nowhere to be a top 15 team.  Texas had a chance to go to the Cotton Bowl for a matchup with arch-rival, A&M, but instead will settle for the Alamo Bowl.  It will be interesting to see how Mack Brown can rally his troops.  The Beavers will be looking to cap off an impressive season.  I think Oregon State has more to play for, but this game should still be worth watching in the 4^th quarter, which is more than I can say about most of these games.

2. Oregon vs Kansas State Fiesta Bowl January 3^rd, 8:30pm on ESPN

In the only BCS game worth-watching, outside of the National Championship Game, the Fiesta Bowl puts together the number 3 and 4 teams in the country that blew their chances at playing for the meaningful trophy.  I still believe Oregon is one of the most talented teams in the country, and they should have most of their injured defense back for this one.  Kansas State over-achieved this season in a bad Big 12 conference.  Chip Kelly will likely want to put a stamp on his coaching career and will ride off into the NFL sunset after curb stomping the Big12 champion, and leave the fans waiting for the playoff.

1. LSU vs Clemson, Chick-fil-A Bowl December 31^st, 7:30 on ESPN

Bring in the New Year with what I feel is the best bowl matchup of the season.  Yes, Clemson could choke miserably like last year’s BCS embarrassment, but I am excited to see the high powered offense vs one of the best defenses in the country.  The ACC needs a big post season after a down non-conference and terrible bowl season last year.  I personally think LSU is just on a different level than Clemson, but it will be their chance to prove me wrong.

Remember, if the B1G is playing it could be best to just turn it off and work on the To-Do List, or watch it if you need a good laugh.  Now it is your turn, which games are you most excited about seeing this year?

Michigan Basketball: Arkansas Recap

I was able to check out the newly renovated Crisler Center on Saturday, and if you were watching closely I invaded your tv set for 20 seconds of the broadcast.  I guess CBS couldn’t resist showing my face to the world. Anyways, I was absolutely blown away with the facilities.  From the moment I entered I couldn’t stop smiling.  Crisler is no longer a dim confining tunnel, but a bright, open, fancy event center.  Consider my first basketball game there when the upper deck seats were stained to a brownish yellow, you needed a coal miners hat to find your way through the concourse, and most high school teams had a bigger/louder student section.  As much crap as I want to give Dave Brandon for not considering the individual fans, he does do renovations right. 

Before getting to the game, I was impressed by the increase of arena staff members who were proud to show off the new building and were eager to make people feel welcomed.  Also the new 2 story atrium was absolutely incredible, Crisler now has the feel of an event. I made the comment that December now becomes the desired time to graduate just to get a chance to be here.  The big “tourist” location is the blue wall fountain with the giant block M.  It is now the signature back drop for those Michigan experience pictures, beating out the back of the north end zone scoreboard.  However, the place that drew most of my attention is the wall focused on the Michigan legend, Cazzie Russell.  There is a blown up picture of Russell palming two basketballs while the original Crisler Arena is being built around him. The picture was taken before the roof had even started being built.  Also on this wall are pieces from that original basketball hardwood.  I just ran my hand over this preserved court and thought of the incredible memories it could tell.  These basketball facilities are now second to none, which is fitting because so is the team that calls this place home.

Despite the Razorbacks 4 losses they should be in the consideration for an NCAA tournament berth come March, and yet Michigan still won by double digits despite an unusually high number of turnovers and Arkansas shooting 10/17 from deep.  It is becoming clear that Michigan is one of the most offensive efficient teams in the country.  They managed to score 80 points on just 64 possessions on Saturday (1.25 points per possession).  According to UMHoops, a feat we only managed once all of last year.  The crazy part is Michigan seemed to be in a rut coming out of the halftime break, and couldn’t get the offense clicking for 11:00 minutes of game time.  The more I am talking to fans, it seems that most have forgotten where this program was because they still are blinded by these dry spells.  If this is the least efficient this offense will be the rest of the season, I will guarantee that they lock up a number 1 seed.  The offense is not the point of weakness.  Saturday all 5 starters were in double figures, led by Glen Robinson III who can still manage to score 17 points and have people forget he played at all.  It seems unfair for opponents to try to match up with this maize and blue team.  It was obvious that Arkansas wanted to deny Stauskas the ball, which resulted in him looking less robotic. The result though was not that the offense couldn’t score.  A lot of the defensive focus was on number 11, which allowed GRIII to slip the baseline for easy layups and dunks, he also floated out behind the 3 point line for multiple wide open looks.  And when a Michigan player is open, the ball finds its way there.  Arkansas’ biggest weakness is interior defense and rebounding, which a Beilein-coached team was able to exploit.  The days of getting doubled up on the glass are over folks.  Michigan had more offensive rebounds (18) than Arkansas had defensive(16), and boarded 55% of their own misses.  There was a time in the game that the best play the Wolverines could run was just to get the ball to the rim, because it usually meant a put-back chance for the bigs.

The biggest area where this team can improve is on the defensive end of the floor.  There are times when they play like freshman. Surprise, 5 freshman see the floor and 3 of them play significant minutes.  It will be important when they do find themselves in an offensive rut that they continue to work hard on the defensive end.  All it takes is a stop or a turnover and quick bucket for the momentum to be back to the good guys. The Wolverines can be a little slow to help side defense off of a dribble penetration.  This delay will always result in an easy shot attempt or foul being called. On Saturday, the problem was the secondary help defense.  Arkansas came out in the 2^nd half and tried to do what they do best, attack the basket.  On the majority of the buckets during the Razorbacks run, the help defense rotated well enough to be effective.  The problem then was the weak-side defender not dropping down to fill the spot that was just vacated.  Arkansas mounted a little run which consisted of very easy shot attempts.  Michigan has also been struggling to defend the 3 point line so far this year, which will be exploited against a team like Indiana.  The open shot attempts have come from the defender not closing out as hard as is needed.  If the defender finds himself in this situation, he needs to close on the ball as quick as possible and trust he has help defense to stop the dribble drive after a possible over-pursuit. Also it seems like the Michigan defenders can forget the scouting report on certain players.  If a guy is primarily a jump shooter, the defender doesn’t need to worry about getting beat on the bounce.  I have noticed Hardaway and Stauskas in particular hesitate on the close out on shooters where the risk of dribble penetration is low.  The encouraging thing here though is when this team re-focuses on the defensive end, they can be stifling.  I have also been very happy with the limited 1-3-1 zone played so far, and it really seems the length is forcing tough shots and more turnovers.  Possibly the biggest positive from this end of the floor is the defensive rebounding.  Michigan is leading the B1G in this category so far, after being a consistent bottom dweller the past 5 seasons.  Hardaway has turned himself into one of the best on the team and is becoming a player that can help his team every night, even when his jump shot is not falling.

I had a different feeling on Saturday when Arkansas was chipping away the double digit lead, it was not one of panic or worry of the loss but more of patiently waiting for Michigan to turn on the jets again to put away an inferior team for good.  I think I could get used to that feeling.  Another game and another 2 hours of enjoying watching this team grow and begin to tap into their potential. All in all, I call that a successful Saturday.

Michigan Basketball: Arkansas Preview

The Michigan basketball team is back on the floor tomorrow against the Arkansas Razorbacks.  This game is the last leg of the home and home series which saw the Pigs win a frustrating game last year in Fayetteville.  This game will have a different feel than last, the Wolverines were in the midst of struggling to start the B1G and us fans weren’t sure if we were even a bubble team.  Fast forward to the present and Michigan has put itself in the conversation as one of the nation’s most talented teams and Arkansas is still a mid-level SEC squad.  Crisler should be rocking tomorrow for the first home Saturday game of the season, and the last decent non-conference team to come to Ann Arbor. 

Arkansas hired a Nolan Richardson descendant to bring back the ’40 minutes of hell’ style of play.  As a result, the Pigs on Wheels will go at the fastest tempo that Michigan will see this year.  NC State was a test run for an athletic up and down team.  The incredible thing about Arkansas is that even with playing at this quick pace, they are one of the best teams in that nation at turnover percentage.  If they are not turning the ball over, that means they are putting up a lot of shots.  Since they don’t slow down to set up an offensive set, the majority of their offense will come from attacking the basket.  Whether this means getting fouled and going to the line or kicking the ball out for an open 3 point attempt.  This is a very challenging team to defend.  Their best player is sophomore guard BJ Young, who is likely to be a mid-first round draft pick if he chooses to leave after this season. Young is the definition of a high volume scorer, so it will not be out of the ordinary for him to put up 25-30 points tomorrow.  The key will be to force him into getting those points on 20-25 shots.  The rest of the Arkansas lineup is dripping with length and athleticism that allows them to get up and down the floor.  I have been writing about how the depth of the Michigan team is a strength this year, and it will be greatly tested in this game. Look for even McLimans to see some action to spell the bigs.  Coach Beilein will likely limit the 2 post test trial tomorrow in order to keep 4 better athletes on the floor. 

Defensively, Arkansas continues its fast pace of play by relentlessly pressuring their opponents.  I am not worried about Trey Burke struggling to break it down, but the Razorbacks will try to keep the inbounds pass out of Burke’s hands.  The remaining ball handlers will be pushed out of their comfort zone.  The one area that does concern me is that when Michigan does break the press, they cannot fall into the trap of always attacking which can lead to quick forced shots.  The Wolverines need to offset the Pigs on Wheels by running their offensive set and making Arkansas play defense for around 27 seconds a possession. This will allow us to find the best shot possible, and also give our bigs a rest of running suicides.  The lengthy Razorbacks might also try a little zone tomorrow, which will make Stauskas’ eyes light up.  Michigan will limit its focus on offensive rebounding in order to get back and stop transition points. I think Michigan will be forced into a few quick possessions where Burke or Hardaway take some ill-advised shots, but the key will be to limit these. 

I expect the Razorbacks to focus on Nik Stauskas, and try to prevent him from getting the ball at all.  Michigan will need Hardaway, Burk, and Robinson to carry this team offensively which should free up Molson Ice for some open looks.  Arkansas is a better team than their record shows, and could even be in the bubble consideration at seasons’ end.  I think the Michigan bigs will struggle to adjust to the fast pace of play, but the guards should have no problem.  If Burke continues his amazing stretch of around 8 assists and no turnovers, this game will get out of hand quickly.  I do think Hardaway, Stauskas, Robinson, and Albrecht will make their share of mistakes in this game though which will likely push the turnover totals around 15.  I can see Arkansas hanging with Michigan to start the game, but Michigan is just too much better than the Razorbacks to lose this game at home.

Michigan High School Basketball Preview

High school basketball officially kicked off last night with the first game of the season for most teams across the state.  Last year I did a class by class preview of the season, but sadly I do not have the time for that this year.  However, I will break down a few candidates for the political Mr. Basketball award that is awarded to the state’s top senior player.

James Young Rochester

Young is a top 10 player nationally based on talent level, but there is a lot more going on below the surface so that both Michigan State and Michigan limited their recruiting efforts with him.  Young transferred from Troy Athens to hopefully go deeper in the state tournament next March.  This guy is an athletic 6’7” wing that likes to score.  He will likely score 24+ points per game, but the supporting stats are what interest me this season.  A player this athletic on the high school level should be pulling down at least 7 rebounds a game, and if he is serious about leading his team to the Breslin he should be dishing out 4 assists as well. James Young has committed to Kentucky as part of their 2013 reloading campaign.

Martez Walker Detroit Pershing

The Doughboys have two preseason all-staters, but I think Walker has the better chance at bringing in the end of the year honors. He is a 6’5” shooting guard that thinks he is in range at half-court and in.  Pershing will likely be one of the best regular season teams in Class A this season, but they will likely have to get through other power, Romulus, just to get to the Breslin.  Walker will average around 20 points, but could be looking to increase that this season since Pershing plays at one of the highest tempos in the state.  Martez is being recruited all around the Midwest, and seems likely to end up at a Big Ten school.

Derrick Walton Harper Woods Chandler Park

As most of you know, Walton will be the starting Michigan point guard next season. Walton leads Chandler Park in a wide open Class B race this season.  He has steadily climbed up the recruiting ratings to a mid-40s national recruit at this point. He is a smooth 6’ guard that continues to improve the smaller details of his game that will really benefit him being college ready sooner.  Yes we know he can shoot and score, but he has worked hard on his ball handling and defense.  At this point, I believe he is the best player in the state of Michigan, regardless of what the recruiting rankings say. 

Byron Zeigler Detroit Community

At one point Zeigler was a top 10 national player along with James Young, but he didn’t impress as much over the summer on the AAU circuit and has steadily dropped.  Zeigler is a 6’7” scoring wing that has a very big tendency to take plays off and just stand in the corner of the court.  He is not as polished as Young, and by playing in Class B he is forced inside more than he is comfortable with.  Community is a very talented team, so if they can have a 18+ win regular season Zeigler will be on a lot of ballots.  Zeigler has committed to South Florida.

Monte Morris Flint Beecher

Morris has single-handedly led his Bucs team to at least the semi-finals his first 3 seasons, finally winning the title last year.  I really like complete players, and Morris is the definition of that.  He averages close to a triple double as a 6’1” point guard.  Flint Beecher is the favorites in Class C again, and with Morris putting on a show in the Breslin last year he has an upper hand at winning Mr. Basketball.  The problem is the Iowa State recruit plays in a small division and that will be used against him.  Morris sees the floor extremely well and has a very good mid-range jump shot.  I don’t think he is as college ready as Walton, but he sure is fun to watch right now. 

Underclassmen to watch

While there are quite a few juniors to keep an eye on across the state, I like looking ahead to the youngsters around the state that made a splash over the summer in AAU ball.

Eric Davis Sophomore Saginaw Arthur Hill

Davis is one of the top prospects in the country in the class of 2015.  He is a 6’3” shooting guard that will likely grow 2-3 more inches and put on 20 more pounds by his senior year.  He could very easily lead Arthur Hill to a deep March run this year.

Trevor Manuel Sophomore Lansing Sexton

Manuel is a 6’9” skilled big man that is looking to continue Sexton’s Class B dominance.  At this point he is a little more of a finesse player, which is expected from a 15 year old.  He will need to assert himself more down low and keep getting stronger to be a top 50 player, but he definitely has the ability. 

Joshua Jackson Freshman Detroit Consortium

Jackson is currently rated as the second best player in the class of 2016, which I mean these kids are 14 years old so a lot will change in the next 4 seasons.  Consortium is Beecher’s toughest competition in Class C, and it is frustrating that these two teams will meet in the Regional Final.  Jackson is a 6’6” athletic wing that will be helped out by a lot of talent around him. 

Michigan Basketball Weeks 2 & 3 Recap

This entry is a little overdue, but I guess late is better than nothing.  Over the past 2+ weeks the Michigan basketball team has been busy.  They have moved from likely over-rated to an early Final Four favorite.  I will exclude recapping the games before the Wolverines got to New York over Thanksgiving for the preseason NIT.  The Maize and Blue have discarded an under-rated Pittsburgh team, Kansas State, NC State, and a MVC team on the road.  While there is room for improvement, I cannot get over just how fun this team is to watch. 

I would like to see Michigan improve their defensive intensity as the conference schedule moves closer.  It looks to me that most of the players are average or above average defensive individuals, but there seems to be some mental lapses at different points in the game.  A lot of these guys are still very young, but they need to continue to learn that defense is the key to winning another B1G championship.  They cannot just outscore everyone and expect to hang with the big boys.  The biggest issue I am seeing is the mismatch when Glen Robinson III is slotted in the 4 position.  Defense in college is a much different animal than in high school, and this challenge becomes even harder when you are put in a position you are unfamiliar with and might be undersized. I have no doubts that he will continue to improve with each game, and I am very excited to see him matched up against Christian Watford or Brendan Dawson.  The other area I have been a little disappointed in is the help side defense.  Too many times I have seen the on ball defender be overly aggressive with the understanding that he has help behind him if/when the ball handler gets past him.  The help defender has been late in rotation on many different occasions.  The problem with this is either the ball handler can get into the lane for a high percentage shot, or it sucks the defense towards the ball to allow for wide open 3 point attempts.  Michigan is not the only team with good shooters. Of course it helps when you have NBA talent big men, most teams in college basketball will struggle against these teams. 

Yes, this is the most talented team I have ever seen assembled in Ann Arbor, but there are times when the offense becomes stagnant.  In these times they seem to settle for long 3 point attempts as the shot clock winds down, and with each bad shot the opponent gains confidence.  If Michigan would put together a solid 40 minutes of basketball there is one team on their schedule that can compete, and it makes the Wolverines in the conversation for a 1 seed.  Beilein lets his team play, which means he lets them get into trouble and try to find their own way out of it.  I cannot fault a coach for trusting his players.  These offensive lulls need to be fixed before Michigan gets into the B1G schedule, and at this point I have little doubts that they will be.

I have been really impressed with how well this team has taken care of the ball this season.  While Michigan State has a lot of youth and are struggling to keep their turnovers under 18, Michigan is averaging less than 10 a game.  Trey Burke is front and center in this discussion because he has the ball in his hands more than anyone else.  I definitely think he made the right decision in returning to school for one more year, and he is looking like the best point guard in all of college basketball right now.

The balanced scoring might be this team’s greatest strength.  Last year the key to slowing down Michigan was to lock up Trey Burke.  So far in this young season most teams are trying that same technique.  Burke has been held scoreless in 2 first halves already.  This season the pressure is not on him to lead the team in scoring.  Tim Hardaway is in All-American form at this point in the year, GRIII is the definition of an efficient scorer, Jordan Morgan demands attention down low, and Nik Stauskas is one of the purest scorers I have ever seen at 18 years old.  Oh yea, I forgot to mention B1G All-Freshman Mitch McGary.  This team is loaded folks. Even though Beilein runs a slow tempo style offense, Michigan should be near the top of the B1G in points scored per game. 

I know we are only 7 games into this new season, but I can only be impressed with the results so far.  Michigan has won these 7 games against a variety of opponents as well.  Pittsburgh is a big and physical team that is at the top of the Big East in rebounding and defense every year. Kansas State runs a post oriented offense, forcing the Wolverines to focus on post defense.  NC State is likely the most athletic team Michigan will face this season, outside of Indiana, and they play a very high tempo style. It is giving me confidence that the Wolverines can be successful against any style an opponent wants to play. 

Looking forward, Michigan plays an over-achieving Western Michigan tonight and then a disappointing Arkansas team on Saturday.  I will be looking for a complete outing on both ends of the floor to give the Wolverines their first blowout win since before New York.  Then on Saturday, Trey Burke and company will be looking for revenge against the Razorbacks.  It will definitely be an exciting week where the big blue cagers hopefully stay undefeated.