B1G/NCAA basketball

[Hannibal]

I wouldn't put the dagger in Izzo just yet. But it is curious how recruiting has just tanked for them.

[WM Wolverine]

Beilein also needed to rebuild the basketball program when he was hired.

[WM Wolverine]

I'm not sure how fall Sparty will fall in the B10 though they certainly won't be in the top tier with M & Ohio.

[The Oracle]

Yeah, at least for the next few years. I like their '14 class better than most(like Bess a lot), but I think they're a .500ish conference team the next couple. They need a huge '15 class in the worst way, and it's not off to a great start with Davis.

[iam416]

Beilein also needed to rebuild the basketball program when he was hired.

So did Matta. It's not hard in CBB.

[hack]

It's a lot easier when you're working with Matta's slush fund. The Big Ten is a bunch of clean programs plus Ohio State. You'll be found guilty of something once again, probably sooner rather than later.

[hack]

I wouldn't put the dagger in Izzo just yet. But it is curious how recruiting has just tanked for them.

I think it's unlikely that Izzo goes to the Pistons (and whether that's good for the Pistons is a separate matter). But that succession process could be a serious issue there.

[Hannibal]

Izzo is two years younger than Beilein and he has been a head coach for fewer years. Succession will be an issue at Michigan soon as likely as at MSU. And MSU doesn't have a cerebrally-challenged meathead making the hire.

[hack]

Both of them have plenty of years left as coaches, if they want them. But this Gores/Izzo thing is at the point where Gores yesterday denied Izzo was a candidate. So there are current rumours about Izzo to leaving MSU, but no such thing with Beilein at Michigan.

[Hannibal]

Don't get me wrong -- I would love to see rumors of Izzo's departure damage that program, and I would breathe somewhat of a sigh of relief if he left. Realistically though, I expect him to be there a while.

Beilein is 61 and he has seen a lot of mileage. I don't know how many more good years he has left in him.

[hack]

I think that's most likely the outcome too. I think he's more likely to stay. Just saying there's an active rumor there that's part of the mix right now.

[The Oracle]

Man, not that I give a shit because F Indiana, but how the hell does Vonleh not get 15 shots a game? I've only watched a handful of games so I can't tell if Crean is just a dumb shit(well, I know he is, but...) or if it's Yogi's fault. Probably a little of both, but they have a lot of role players trying to do shit they're not supposed to try. Crean is severly wasting possibly Vonleh's only year.

[hack]

I've seen Indiana only once, but agreed. Ferrel+Vonleh should be enough to do more than they are doing.

[iam416]

Crean's efforts with last year's team is more of an indictment of his ability to get the most out of talent. They barely won the B10 regular season, then got housed in the BTT and had a shitty NCAA -- they were shaky in the 2nd round before looking like poop against Syracuse. That wasn't an OMG upset -- that was coming. They weren't playing well.

As long as he can still recruit, though, he should have, at least, respectable teams.

[hack]

The precise way they went down against Syracuse -- kinda frog in boiling water save for Watford -- was really interesting. They just continued doing the same thing, ineffectively, until time ran out.