U of M Basketball Recruiting Discussion

[jaadam4]

In his defense he didn't know McGary was going to be forced into the draft because the kid was smoking. He had the rug pulled out from under him on that one.

[Hannibal]

In his defense he didn't know McGary was going to be forced into the draft because the kid was smoking. He had the rug pulled out from under him on that one.

He also didn't know that McGary was going to get injured to miss most of his sophomore year, which is the only reason why he considered staying in the first place. Best case for McGary from the day he set foot on campus was "two and done". Belein did a terrible job of planning on it.

[Da Geezer]

Beilein should have known

1) McGary was going to be injured and

2) McGary was dressing for an NCAA Tournament game in which a random drug test was administered and

3) The NCAA would impose an absurd penalty.

Beilein should have known all three items, and planned for it. Really???

[lineygoblue]

FIRE BEILEIN! !!

[Hannibal]

You start recruiting years ahead of time. I was waving my arms, jumping up and down, and screaming about recruiting a quality replacement before Mcgary got injured. This problem did not catch us off guard. Beilein should have been looking for a stud 5 for 2014 before McGary played his first game. And if not a stud, preferably a Plan B.

[WM Wolverine]

JB would love to have another McGary but those type of players you can't pick and choose, they have to want to play for you and there aren't many of those types.

[hack]

He's not a bad recruiter. The ability to spot unheralded talent on the wing is very impressive. But the bigs situation is very frustrating and avoidable. After a coaching career squeezing the most.out of underdogs he has adjusted very well to being at a school where he can get top-shelf talent at positions 1 through 4. But not at 5.

[WM Wolverine]

It's frustrating but not sure about the avoidable part. I wish M had top 50 overall 'bigs' that wanted to play for JB but they don't, there aren't many of them and they get to choose wherever they want and they don't want to play for a program that emphasizes its guards and wings. I don't believe M's lack of elite 'bigs' is because M isn't trying to land them.

[froot loops]

Yeah I'm not sure its avoidable. Izzo spends most of his recruiting time trying to get those kind of bigs and generally rolls a snake eyes on it.

[*JD*]

Michigan didn't make Miles Bridges' final 3. It's Kentucky, spartie & IU. Not a big surprise there.

[iam416]

OSU is the likely landing place for a top 20 national player....unless UK decides they want him. F Kentucky.

[hack]

I think with Beilein though, you notice that he doesn't stop pursuing elite wings, no matter how packed the current roster is. Doesn't treat bigs the same. That's why I say he need to put more emphasis on recruiting bigs. I'm sure he's out there trying. There's little to suggest he's trying as hard as he is at other spots. And, bottom line, Michigan's losses are rarely because the wings weren't good enough. They are usually because the bigs are way overmatched.

I think the other thing he's got to do is maybe consider getting those bigs a big more involved. If he gave his starting center a token possession or two as the featured guy on offense, he'd be far from the first coach to do that. Most coaches do appreciate that if you get the big guy the ball even just a little bit, he'll reward you in all other phases of the game. We can only imagine what a difference it would have made to have Horford for 20mpg last year. Horford made it clear when he left that Beilein didn't throw him enough bones, in the way that most coaches do with their bigs. IMO it's something for Beilein to think about.

[Da Geezer]

I guess this is similar to elite wide receivers not wanting to play for Harbaugh. If you are a running team, why would a receiver want to come. Same deal with a 5. But, if you look at the publicity McGary got, and the way Beilein included him in the offense, it surely seems to me some elite big would want to give it a shot, particularly if the Big was not a huge offensive player.

There was a kid named Looney from Milwaukee a couple of years ago. He ended up at UCLA, one and done. First round pick this past year. He is the kind of player UM needs to get.

[hack]

Beilein definitely recruited Looney. But I agree with you -- I think Michigan has a good story to sell to a 5 who isn't a back-to-basket player. If you come to Michigan you will play with guards who know how to get you the ball on the roll. You won't suffer that common fate of playing with guards who can't or won't.

[Da Geezer]

And running the high pick and roll is what the pros want you to be able to do. You will also learn to pass the ball. I don't think it is that hard a sell to a kid who wants to be noticed for defense, rebounding, passing, and pick-and-roll decisions. Heck. that is all Andre Drummond does, and they are talking that he is going to get a max contract this coming year.