Michigan Tuesday: Basketball Bits

Michigan Basketball WON The National Championship!  I still find it hard to believe, but I know it happened.  Anyone else still in shock, like me?

Let's look at what's next:

Michigan's proposed starting lineup next year:

Cadeau
McKinney

McCoy
Estrella
Thiam

Not too bad coming off a National Championship where 3 of your top players are heading to the Draft.  The thought Rez might come back continues to be less likely as the latest mocks have right around the 15th pick range.  Damn those mocks! 

Does Michigan need a backup point guard?  I trust Dusty but he doesn't seem to be looking for one in the portal.  True freshmen Hartman and Brown are considered shooting guards over point guards.  Maybe one has really good handles. 

Speaking of Dusty, fear went through the Michigan fan base yesterday after the Magic fired their head coach on Monday and reports were they are very high on Dusty.  Shams and others don't expect him to move from Ann Arbor after winning a National Championship.   What a relief!  (Hey Warde, if you have any power left in the athletics department, ink the damn extension!)

McCoy was re-ranked by Rivals as the #3 player in the country.  He is very disruptive on both sides of the floor and a great defender.  He is a good finisher but needs to work on his shot.  With the proposed starting lineup above, I do see the possibilities of offensive slumps.  Which leads me to the the next portal prospects.

Word on the street is Dusty is looking at 6'8 Cal Poly Forward Hamad Mousa who averaged 20 points per game.  Can he be effective in the Big Ten?  Hard to say but its worth the risks for scorer/shooter   I heard Michigan's best player last season was from UAB. 

There seems to be a bit of a conflict for the Duke/Michigan Prime match up on who owns the TV rights as the Big Ten/Fox feel they own the TV rights for that game. 

Michigan Monday: No Lip Service

With Basketball bringing home the Natty and Football in between Spring Ball and Fall Camp, there isn't much to report on around these parts, until the Athletic Department investigation completes with the expectation that it either econerates Warde or walks him out.  

Both Basketball and Football are still recruiting.  Basketball in the portal and Football across the US.  Looks like Juke is either going Pro or to Rocky Top.  So he is out of the mix.  

Still Coach Whitt and his staff are doing work to catch up on the 2027 class.  They landed a local big fish this weekend in Jakari Lipsey a 4-star OT from KZoo.  Jakari is a pure athlete and a bit raw for OT right now but has a huge upside.  He is 6'5 290 and a 3 sport athlete in high school (Football, Basketball, and Track).  

His upside is clear as he is closer to his cellar then his ceiling at this point.  Many programs agreed and he had offers from the likes of LSU, UCLA, BC, Auburn, UNC, Tenn, Minnesota, MSU and many more. 

With Jim Harding in the Maize and Blue and considered the top OL coach in the country, I think its a perfect fit!  Welcome Big Man! 

• The Big Ten carved up $1.37B in revenue and sent it to the schools.  I don't think they need any outside funding/investing.

• No sponsorship of any kind but Dicks Sporting Goods has Basketball NC gear on sale now! 

• Coach Whitt calls for a Salary Cap, I'm sure that is in the works.

• I've been a fan of Duncan Robinson for a long time, I did not know about his brother's struggles until an ESPN report this weekend.  Duncan had a very poor National Championship game and now I know why, his brother went missing on that Final 4 trip.  Its a sad story and one that reminds us how important mental health is. 

• Cadeau and Trey Donaldson were not invited to the NBA Combine but the G-League Combine.  With a good performance they can get into the NBA combine, but probably a sign that Cadeau has a high percentage chance of returning to A2.

Michigan Thursday: Dusty Speaks

Dusty spoke about his team, freshman, and transfer yesterday and how they are going to put a team that competes to get to Detroit next year.  

Highlights:

• Deal is not signed yet, but Dusty considered it done on the handshake 

• On Thiam being like the other Michigan transfer centers: "He's a lot different. Obviously, he's a center and he's big, talented and skilled, but his game isn't like theirs. It is exciting to have another player with the talent he has we can tweak our system to and play through a little bit, but he's got a lot of tools in his toolbox. He's going to be fun to coach, but yeah, we're excited for him."

• On adding LSU Jalen Reed: "We thought he was a very good take because he can certainly outperform his expectations if he's healthy. If he's not as healthy as early as he hoped, then we will have the depth to overcome that. He's a talented young man and a great human being."

• Dusty feels like the right type of guys have been attracted to them this off-season. Really like the people they brought in and feel they're good culture fits as well.

• 7'3 big man Marcus Moller is doing well right now, but has one more procedure left.

• "We feel like Elliot is first and foremost a cheat-code in the pick and roll and he needs certain things for him to maximize his ability, so that factored into us targeting certain players."

• 5-Star CG Brandon McCoy will be a major contributor next season

• Still looking at a couple transfers

• Mara and Rez both have tough decisions to make with the NBA Draft or coming back.

Wolverine Wednesday: Lost One

Recruiting used to be about, facilities, fit, family values, tradition, education, and top coaches that can develop you into an NFL Draft pick.  A few programs also offered secret bags of money to an Uncle, a job for mom, a new house for grandma, etc.  Now, it's all about the bag.  

4-star safety Darrell Mattison was Coach Whitt's first committed recruit at Michigan last month.  He visited Ole Miss this weekend and de-committed yesterday.  If I had to guess, Ole Miss made a better offer.  

Nothing to worry about here, the new Michigan staff is working hard on the trail and will get talented players. 

• Brandon McCoy Jr. and Lincoln Cosby are offically Wolverines now.  Lincoln is going to redshirt as he recovers from an ACL injury.  Dusty had a big recruiting class. 

• Dusty also signed Moustapha Thiam a center from UC out of the portal.  Did you know, Cincy beat Michigan in a exhibition last October and Thiam had 15 points on 6-9 shooting, since then Michigan won a Natty and Thiam is now a Wolverine.  

• Reports are Juke is down to Michigan, Tenn, and the NBA Draft. It seems the NBA Draft is the leader in the clubhouse. 

• Brendan Sorsby having a gambling problem puts the NCAA in a tough spot, there are reports he did place bets on IU to win when he was their QB. If those reports are accurate, your in Pete Rose territory here. College Football becoming professional football is going to have professional problems.