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Beilein touched on a number of subjects Monday. Here’s the breakdown in News and Views format.
NEWS: Michigan’s two new assistants, Donlon and Washington, bring a wealth of experience on defense and big man coaching, respectively.
BEILEIN: “Go back six years ago and having Bacari and Vall walk in and Jeff Meyer, it’s like that time all over again where I can say this is what’s gone on the last six years, this is where the game has changed … have I changed enough? Then we just go from there. There’s a lot of trial and error still in practice in this six weeks, and I know we won’t have it perfect by the time of the first game. We want to be really good by the time we get to that Big Ten schedule.”
VIEWS: Beilein has adapted in the past, going from two lead guards to a ball screen heavy offense, for one, and now he seems willing to change again. Defensive coordinator is one way he’d describe Donlon.
“I am giving him a lot of responsibility,” Beilein said. “I probably should have given him more in the past, and I’m giving him a lot of responsibility for the defense. My eye and the detail we do for offense, I think he’s got a similar eye for defense. We’re trying to combine that without confusing everybody. That’s going to be the delicate point. We don’t want them thinking too much.
“But he’s probably -- and this is the adjustment I have to make -- spoken a lot more in practice right now than a lot of our assistant coaches were allowed to in the past … they were always allowed to talk, but maybe I didn't give them time. I’ve tried to really sit back and say okay, when people shot 47 percent like people did last year, we had to have a different mindset in practice, and our players have to have a different mindset.
“The biggest emphasis as this 30-second clock has come in is individual, guard your man, man-to-man defense. We have done it, we’ve worked at it … some of the principles he’s had, some of the help he’s had, some of the different angles he’s talking about will be really helpful.”
The goal is to get seven more possessions per game, which should add a handful of wins in close games.
Washington, meanwhile, had great success with big men at Oakland U. under Greg Kampe and has also been a great addition.
“When I interviewed Saddi and talked to Greg Kampe about him, he said Saddi has a presence about him, a commanding presence without being a guy that is intimidating kids,” Beilein said. “They like working for him, love what he’s done with our post guys thus far. Again, watch the Oakland guys -- they've done a really good job in post offense. It looks to me like we can play through there more.”
Another sign that Beilein is at least willing to consider changing things up to help make Michigan a contender again after two years of falling short.
NEWS: Michigan has the nucleus of an NCAA Tournament team returning, including seniors Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin, but modest expectations nationally.
BEILEIN: “We have experienced depth with the bigger guys at the center. Whether [sophomore] Mo [Wagner] or [senior] Mark [Donnal] wins that position we’ll see, but we’ll have one of those guys behind them. Whether D.J. [Wilson] or Duncan [Robinson] wins that other position, we’ll have one of them behind him. That’s really good to have that type of veteran depth, guys that have played for a full year at least.
“The backcourt’s a different story where we got the one, the two and the three have logged a lot of minutes. We have [freshmen] Ibi Watson and X [Xavier Simpson] coming in for them, so now we’ve got talent yet we’re very inexperienced. There are a lot of things that go into this outlook as we’ve found out. What is the bench going to play; what are the starters going to play? What’s the injury situation? There are a lot of things.
“But I like the team right now and the way we’ve been practicing and some of the things we’ve been doing that will be a change from what we’ve done in the past.”
VIEWS: How they fare in close games will determine whether or not this team is a contender, but pulling out close games is what Beilein and Co. do. There’s talent, too. Wagner could be a star, and Walton and Irvin are talented … redshirt junior Duncan Robinson might just be the best shooter in the country.
This is a team that shouldn’t have to sweat making the NCAA Tournament, barring injury, and could well be a contender, especially if the defense improves, as expected.
Irvin and Walton, meanwhile, have been terrific leaders.
“It’s natural today,” Beilein said. “There are not too many walking leaders. It just doesn’t happen. Like everybody else, they’ve grown into that role. Ever since this summer, I’ve seen tremendous growth in both those guys to be able to speak and lead and push and encourage and pull with the younger guys.
“Seniors just want to win. They’re done with all the other stuff, that noise they hear in the background. They just want to win. Given our injury situation, three tournaments in four years, hopefully having a great, great senior year where we’re in the championship hunt in the Big Ten all year long, that’s a pretty good career for both of them.”
NEWS: The freshmen have been very receptive to teaching, and at least three of them should play this year.
BEILEIN: "They love to practice. The summer is a very busy time for them, as well. Between our two big guys [Austin Davis and Jon Teske], Ibi and X, they are in the gym a lot and love basketball.
“What’s the learning curve going to be? We’re going to find out that a lot in the weeks to come, but right now they’re just good kids, very coachable, low maintenance off the court … now we’ve got to see what they can do on the court.”
Matthews falls into that category, too, though he can’t play until next year due to NCAA transfer rules.
“I would say he’s not 100 percent but pretty darn close to it,” Beilein said. “He’s been extremely receptive to coaching. He had a workout from 7 to 8 a.m. before his 8:30 class and did a tremendous job, him and Coach Donlon.”
VIEWS: Matthews could prove to be an absolute steal, judging by the little bit we saw of him in practice Monday. He’s long, athletic and a student of the game.
Simpson could help move Walton to the two guard in spells, and Watson has been shooting the lights out. Davis is an absolute man-child now, in great shape and as Wagner notes, “so strong,” while Teske’s length is unbelievable.
This will be a very good group when it’s all said and done.
H70an06lalswwamvc4yt
Michigan head coach John Beilein.
USA TODAY
NEWS: Wagner looks much bigger and looks ready to take the next step into becoming an outstanding NCAA big man.
BEILEIN: “We think it’s very important he got back to the homeland. He got back [to Germany] end of April, instead of coming back June 27 he came in June 1 so he could get another four weeks of workouts in. He had 12 weeks of intensive workouts. I’ve seen a big difference in that … his body, everything.
“He’s got to continue to work on things. If he’s in foul trouble every game again, he’s not making the right strides. He’s got to play defense without fouling, handle the ball without turning it over. But I like the progress he’s making. And what a terrific teammate and young man.”
VIEWS: He’s also a ridiculously high-energy guy, a Mitch McGary type in that sense. Look for him to do more out of the high post this year and to become much more of a scoring threat. He was knocking down threes with regularity the first two times we saw him practice this year and can put it on the floor from the free throw line the way McGary used to.
If the light truly has gone on for him, this team could be really good. The element he added last year in the NCAA Tournament made that team look much better.
Donnal, meanwhile, still needs to get in better shape. Beilein said he still was not guaranteed a fifth year.
“He’s a senior right now playing in his fourth year, has an extra year,” Beilein said. “We’re going to stop putting redshirt next to the year, but he’s in his senior year and been practicing okay, got to get himself in great shape right now, but we’ve all seen what he can do. We need about 35 games at least from him this year.”
NEWS: Beilein’s philosophy to not foul and Donlon’s more foul-prone defensive strategy seem to be at odds.
BEILEIN: “It’s the perfect scenario. The perfect world is we want five personal fouls going into the halftime with one or two minutes to go. Because of depth the last couple years, If Zak Irvin or Derrick Walton got their second foul in the first half, we didn’t have a whole lot of people coming in. Maybe we overdid that. We look at some of our guys’ stats, some of our guys didn’t average two fouls a game. So maybe we were a little bit too cautious.
“Somehow we’ve got to take Bill’s defense where they fouled more and still stay out of the one and one, keep our best players on the floor. That’s my job to get that done.”
VIEWS: Yet another way Beilein is showing he’s willing to adapt. Donlon was outstanding Monday in deferring to Beilein and talking about his success the last several years, but make no mistake – there’s a reason Donlon is here, and that’s to get this prolific offense some more possessions.
NEWS: Michigan’s two new assistants, Donlon and Washington, bring a wealth of experience on defense and big man coaching, respectively.
BEILEIN: “Go back six years ago and having Bacari and Vall walk in and Jeff Meyer, it’s like that time all over again where I can say this is what’s gone on the last six years, this is where the game has changed … have I changed enough? Then we just go from there. There’s a lot of trial and error still in practice in this six weeks, and I know we won’t have it perfect by the time of the first game. We want to be really good by the time we get to that Big Ten schedule.”
VIEWS: Beilein has adapted in the past, going from two lead guards to a ball screen heavy offense, for one, and now he seems willing to change again. Defensive coordinator is one way he’d describe Donlon.
“I am giving him a lot of responsibility,” Beilein said. “I probably should have given him more in the past, and I’m giving him a lot of responsibility for the defense. My eye and the detail we do for offense, I think he’s got a similar eye for defense. We’re trying to combine that without confusing everybody. That’s going to be the delicate point. We don’t want them thinking too much.
“But he’s probably -- and this is the adjustment I have to make -- spoken a lot more in practice right now than a lot of our assistant coaches were allowed to in the past … they were always allowed to talk, but maybe I didn't give them time. I’ve tried to really sit back and say okay, when people shot 47 percent like people did last year, we had to have a different mindset in practice, and our players have to have a different mindset.
“The biggest emphasis as this 30-second clock has come in is individual, guard your man, man-to-man defense. We have done it, we’ve worked at it … some of the principles he’s had, some of the help he’s had, some of the different angles he’s talking about will be really helpful.”
The goal is to get seven more possessions per game, which should add a handful of wins in close games.
Washington, meanwhile, had great success with big men at Oakland U. under Greg Kampe and has also been a great addition.
“When I interviewed Saddi and talked to Greg Kampe about him, he said Saddi has a presence about him, a commanding presence without being a guy that is intimidating kids,” Beilein said. “They like working for him, love what he’s done with our post guys thus far. Again, watch the Oakland guys -- they've done a really good job in post offense. It looks to me like we can play through there more.”
Another sign that Beilein is at least willing to consider changing things up to help make Michigan a contender again after two years of falling short.
NEWS: Michigan has the nucleus of an NCAA Tournament team returning, including seniors Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin, but modest expectations nationally.
BEILEIN: “We have experienced depth with the bigger guys at the center. Whether [sophomore] Mo [Wagner] or [senior] Mark [Donnal] wins that position we’ll see, but we’ll have one of those guys behind them. Whether D.J. [Wilson] or Duncan [Robinson] wins that other position, we’ll have one of them behind him. That’s really good to have that type of veteran depth, guys that have played for a full year at least.
“The backcourt’s a different story where we got the one, the two and the three have logged a lot of minutes. We have [freshmen] Ibi Watson and X [Xavier Simpson] coming in for them, so now we’ve got talent yet we’re very inexperienced. There are a lot of things that go into this outlook as we’ve found out. What is the bench going to play; what are the starters going to play? What’s the injury situation? There are a lot of things.
“But I like the team right now and the way we’ve been practicing and some of the things we’ve been doing that will be a change from what we’ve done in the past.”
VIEWS: How they fare in close games will determine whether or not this team is a contender, but pulling out close games is what Beilein and Co. do. There’s talent, too. Wagner could be a star, and Walton and Irvin are talented … redshirt junior Duncan Robinson might just be the best shooter in the country.
This is a team that shouldn’t have to sweat making the NCAA Tournament, barring injury, and could well be a contender, especially if the defense improves, as expected.
Irvin and Walton, meanwhile, have been terrific leaders.
“It’s natural today,” Beilein said. “There are not too many walking leaders. It just doesn’t happen. Like everybody else, they’ve grown into that role. Ever since this summer, I’ve seen tremendous growth in both those guys to be able to speak and lead and push and encourage and pull with the younger guys.
“Seniors just want to win. They’re done with all the other stuff, that noise they hear in the background. They just want to win. Given our injury situation, three tournaments in four years, hopefully having a great, great senior year where we’re in the championship hunt in the Big Ten all year long, that’s a pretty good career for both of them.”
NEWS: The freshmen have been very receptive to teaching, and at least three of them should play this year.
BEILEIN: "They love to practice. The summer is a very busy time for them, as well. Between our two big guys [Austin Davis and Jon Teske], Ibi and X, they are in the gym a lot and love basketball.
“What’s the learning curve going to be? We’re going to find out that a lot in the weeks to come, but right now they’re just good kids, very coachable, low maintenance off the court … now we’ve got to see what they can do on the court.”
Matthews falls into that category, too, though he can’t play until next year due to NCAA transfer rules.
“I would say he’s not 100 percent but pretty darn close to it,” Beilein said. “He’s been extremely receptive to coaching. He had a workout from 7 to 8 a.m. before his 8:30 class and did a tremendous job, him and Coach Donlon.”
VIEWS: Matthews could prove to be an absolute steal, judging by the little bit we saw of him in practice Monday. He’s long, athletic and a student of the game.
Simpson could help move Walton to the two guard in spells, and Watson has been shooting the lights out. Davis is an absolute man-child now, in great shape and as Wagner notes, “so strong,” while Teske’s length is unbelievable.
This will be a very good group when it’s all said and done.
H70an06lalswwamvc4yt
Michigan head coach John Beilein.
USA TODAY
NEWS: Wagner looks much bigger and looks ready to take the next step into becoming an outstanding NCAA big man.
BEILEIN: “We think it’s very important he got back to the homeland. He got back [to Germany] end of April, instead of coming back June 27 he came in June 1 so he could get another four weeks of workouts in. He had 12 weeks of intensive workouts. I’ve seen a big difference in that … his body, everything.
“He’s got to continue to work on things. If he’s in foul trouble every game again, he’s not making the right strides. He’s got to play defense without fouling, handle the ball without turning it over. But I like the progress he’s making. And what a terrific teammate and young man.”
VIEWS: He’s also a ridiculously high-energy guy, a Mitch McGary type in that sense. Look for him to do more out of the high post this year and to become much more of a scoring threat. He was knocking down threes with regularity the first two times we saw him practice this year and can put it on the floor from the free throw line the way McGary used to.
If the light truly has gone on for him, this team could be really good. The element he added last year in the NCAA Tournament made that team look much better.
Donnal, meanwhile, still needs to get in better shape. Beilein said he still was not guaranteed a fifth year.
“He’s a senior right now playing in his fourth year, has an extra year,” Beilein said. “We’re going to stop putting redshirt next to the year, but he’s in his senior year and been practicing okay, got to get himself in great shape right now, but we’ve all seen what he can do. We need about 35 games at least from him this year.”
NEWS: Beilein’s philosophy to not foul and Donlon’s more foul-prone defensive strategy seem to be at odds.
BEILEIN: “It’s the perfect scenario. The perfect world is we want five personal fouls going into the halftime with one or two minutes to go. Because of depth the last couple years, If Zak Irvin or Derrick Walton got their second foul in the first half, we didn’t have a whole lot of people coming in. Maybe we overdid that. We look at some of our guys’ stats, some of our guys didn’t average two fouls a game. So maybe we were a little bit too cautious.
“Somehow we’ve got to take Bill’s defense where they fouled more and still stay out of the one and one, keep our best players on the floor. That’s my job to get that done.”
VIEWS: Yet another way Beilein is showing he’s willing to adapt. Donlon was outstanding Monday in deferring to Beilein and talking about his success the last several years, but make no mistake – there’s a reason Donlon is here, and that’s to get this prolific offense some more possessions.
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