B1G/NCAA basketball

[WM Wolverine]

Sparty's boosters are really good at keeping guys from leaving early as Dawson is returning. I think he'll be a really good college player (especially as a senior) but not a great NBA prospect...

Sparty's starting lineup looks pretty solid, better than I thought earlier in the season: Trice, Valentine, Kiminski, Costello, Dawson. I don't see much if any depth behind that starting five, I like M's roster by a good bit assuming MM returns.

[hack]

That looks like shit. With Dawson or without.

[The Oracle]

Eh, not too bad. WM is right, their depth is going to be shit. All those guys have at least played, and had their moments.

[hack]

Izzo will certainly get what he can out of that group, but we should expect a sweep.

[Hannibal]

Hopefully GRIII keeps Darius Morris and Manny Harris in his contact list on his cell phone. he'll need A good financial advisor too since those 3-4 years of NBA salary will have to sustain him for a long time.

[The Oracle]

I'm sure that's what he'll be doing. Contacting Manny Harris and Darius Morris. Good shot.

[WM Wolverine]

Sparty has a solid starting five but next to nothing after that. Valentine is underrated and could blossom next season, Kiminski is one of those pesky players that helps you more than his stat sheet shows. Costello should be pretty solid plus Izzo is a really good coach... It's a team I could easily seeing bombing like Indiana this season if they have any injuries but probably are a bubble team if Izzo can scrape together a 6th/7th man. That '15 recruiting class needs to be excellent for them to sustain their recent success.

[Hannibal]

Has Izzo ever proven that he can get mediocre talent to overachieve? If McGary stays, then the 2014-15 season will be the first time since 1998 that he has faced Michigan with decidedly inferior talent.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Robinson. Will be just fine. He has the athletic ability to have a decent nba career if he can put it together. If not he will bump around the NBA for a few years and play in Europe for 10. And he can always finish up his degree when he's done.

I know if I was going to get a degree in computer science and after my sophomore year google came calling because I was such a genius, very few people would question my choice to go to work.

[The Oracle]

Yup. He'll get 18-25ish and set after one contract. He'll have a long NBA career, probably not spectacular.

[hack]

I think that's a best-case. I can see it turning out poorly too, but there wasn't an overly strong argument for him to stay.

[hack]

Sparty has a solid starting five but next to nothing after that. Valentine is underrated and could blossom next season, Kiminski is one of those pesky players that helps you more than his stat sheet shws. Costello should be pretty solid plus Izzo is a really good coach... It's a team I could easily seeing bombing like Indiana this season if they have any injuries but probably are a bubble team if Izzo can scrape together a 6th/7th man. That '15 recruiting class needs to be excellent for them to sustain their recent success.

Depends on how strong the league is, but when I say that lineup looks like shit I do not imagine them as an NIT team. It's still MSU;still a tournament team. I think some of those guys are limited as defenders and that's an issue, but Izzo is a great coach and that team will find its identity and roll with it. Trice is a vet. Valentine has good experience too.

No doubt about it though, we need to sweep them. Reasonable expectation. Cement the new narrative.

[The Oracle]

Correct. Sweep is a must.

[Hannibal]

but there wasn't an overly strong argument for him to stay.

Darius Morris would like to have a word with you.

[hack]

I'm unlikely to convince you, as you think Michigan is the poster child for leaving too early and I disagree, but if I was looking after GR3's interests I'd be awfully worried about what happens to his draft stock next year when he's the third option or even fourth in the offense once again, cementing the narrative that he's too passive.