Monday Links
Not much news today here are a couple from today/this weekend:
- Momentum for Crisler Plans
Lacy with latest on practice facility - Carty: In long run, Udoh’s exit isn’t critical
- Hoops: Commitment Morgan continues to improve
Rivals $ Link - Hoops: When will Morris visit?
- Cactus Classic: Day One
Pledger, Appling mentions (Rivals Free link) - Kentucky staff checking out California point
Morris (Scout $)
Michigan Hosting Coaches vs Cancer Tournament
Michigan will be playing in the Coaches vs Cancer preseason tournament this year according to Fox Sports. This will provide 2 “easy” home games (Kentucky was upset by Gardener Webb last year in the CvC) and then a trip to Madison Square Garden where we would likely face Duke, UCLA, or Pitt/Rutgers:
Giles also said that the Duke, UCLA and Michigan are set as three of the four hosts for the Coaches vs. Cancer. The other host will likely be either Pittsburgh or Rutgers.
Interesting considering Duke and UCLA are already on the schedule for next year. I think the first rounds of the Coaches vs Cancer are usually the first week of November or so and then followed by a trip to New York City the next weekend. Two updates today, make sure you didn’t miss LLP winning his appeal.
Laval Lucas-Perry Wins Back Eligibility
Big news from Eric Lacy, Laval Lucas-Perry (transfer from Arizona) will receive eligibility back next year. He will still sit until December but will get his lost time back for a mid season transfer. This is big and essentially makes Lucas-Perry an 08 recruit who just can’t play the first half of next season. Props to Lacy for the heads up and being all over this and the Ekpe situation. Here are quotes from Laval’s father:
“I don’t know what they did or considered,” said Laval Perry of the NCAA’s decision. “All I know is that the result was in our favor. “We’re very happy about it, (Michigan’s) compliance office really helped.” Lucas-Perry, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard from Grand Blanc, Mich., left Arizona last December after completion of his first semester and won’t be able to play for Michigan until about mid-December. “We’re thinking his first game might be when Michigan plays Oakland at The Palace (of Auburn Hills),” Laval Perry said.
Updated Scholarship Breakdown. Here is some high school footage of Laval made when he committed to Arizona. I will go out on a limb and say that LLP will be our starting point guard December 20th:
Links 5-7-08: Ekpe Udoh Edition
Lots of reaction to the Ekpe Udoh transfer situation, here are some links to a few of them.
- When U-M player transferred, he ’stuck it’ to program
If Ekpe decided 6 weeks ago would we really have gotten an impact big man? - Borton’s Blog: McCormick on Udoh, U-M recruiting ($)
McCormick can always find a way to be pro-Michigan/Beilein - Udoh Says Leaving was his Choice ($)
Scout interview with Ekpe - Lacy on Udoh
Lots of blog entries from Lacy - Does Udoh leaving spell doom for Beilein era?
Michigan Daily….. - U-M hoops program a joke until basketball facility is built
- Kalamazoo County seniors to get career-education awards
Corey Person mention - Basketball coach moves from G.P. North to U-D Jesuit
New coach for Jordan Morgan next year - Video Highlights: Jordan Morgan ($)
Rivals with video of Jordan from Spiece last weekend. - APRs Out
Basketball APR drops…
One Step Forward Two Steps Back
Over recent history Michigan basketball has been so close to getting over the hump time and time again until something sets the program back again. Whether it is decommits from Joe Crawford and Al Horford, the injuries and suspensions following the NIT Championship, losing at home to Indiana and to Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament after a huge win over Illinois to fall short of the NCAAs, or Courtney and Dion’s collapse against Ohio State. It’s hard to deny that Michigan has been close more than once. You have to wonder when we can just catch a break.
Last season was undeniably awful but this coming year on paper looked like it would be a huge improvement over last year’s debacle. Losing Ekpe puts a considerable dent in next year’s chances of major improvement that I think many people take for granted. Sure Ekpe only averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds (although 6ppg was good for 3rd on the team) but his contribution to this team was anchoring the defense. Michigan struggled mightily defensively all year. Michigan opponents shot 44.8% from the field (3rd worst in the Big Ten) while giving up 67.6 points per game (also 3rd worst in the Big Ten). Ekpe was Big Ten all-defense and led the Big Ten in blocks and should have contended for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in my opinion. Taking Ekpe off of an already poor defensive team without adding anyone who is considered an above average defender or even athlete. This is definitely the patented Michigan basketball step back. Read more
Michigan Has Money For Practice Facility
A little happier news before I post my thoughts on the Ekpe situation. Mark Snyder of the Free Press is reporting that Michigan has the money together for a practice facility and plans to move forward with the project.
“We need to go through the approval process with the university, we have the resources to do it, we’ve hired an architect to start our preliminary planning,” Martin said. “We haven’t had the project approved through our administrative and regental process but I expect to be able to take that in the very near future and move forward with that project. And we need it.”
This is certainly encouraging, apparently its a multi step process before actual ground can be broken but Martin taking it on as a personal project and pushing it is definetely a big step. Martin also mentioned that U-M will “take on” Crisler after the stadium renovations. Proving that they are taking concrete steps and having the plans would be a boost to recruiting by itself I would think.
Video:
Ekpe Udoh Officially Leaving Michigan Basketball Team
Ekpe Udoh is officially leaving the Michigan basketball team. There has been talk about it for a long time now and he made it official today. Now the only question is where he goes next. Here are the quotes from Beilein and Ekpe:
“Ekpe is a fine young man and we thought he made tremendous improvements throughout the season,” said Beilein. “I will miss Ekpe as a person and as a player and we hope success will follow him in his future endeavors.”
“This was a very difficult decision for me,” said Udoh. “I just feel I need to explore other options right now. I had a wonderful experience at Michigan and I want to thank everyone for helping me the last two years. I wish them nothing but success in the future.”
I’ll have more later with what this does to recruiting, next year, post rotation, and other reactions.
Monday Links
- Is today the day?
Lacy thinks this might be Ekpe’s decision day. - Source: Tennessee’s Pearl dismisses Crews, Smith for failed drug tests
Can we stop asking why Tommy Amaker did not recruit Ramar Smith? - Bassett, Ellis, Thomas, Holman all leaving Hoosier program
Indiana is down to 3 returning scholarship players… - Freeman gets the hint, will transfer from Iowa
Iowa’s best player leaves for his senior year? Looks like Lickliter showed him the door which really doesn’t make any sense. - Hoops: Spiece Saturday with U-M recruits
Rivals ($) on Wolverine targets at Spiece this weekend. Got an e-mail from Chris Balas and he tells me that Morgan looked good this weekend and continues to improve. - Video: Morgan Talks Improvement
Scout ($) catches up with Jordan at Spiece for a video interview. - Dion Sims drops a surprise
Dion Sims chooses a sport (also premium) - Jones picking up Big Ten offers
More from The Wolverine on Carl Jones and his Michigan interest ($)
Darius Morris Mix
My old friends at BallIsLife.com put together a very nice Darius Morris mix. Hopefully Beilein can seal the deal on Darius.
Jordan Morgan Blog #3: Headed to Spiece
The past couple weeks have been pretty good. Denver was fun, although we didn’t make it that far. As a team, we really struggled with the altitude factor. We didn’t realize until our first game when we all seemed winded almost immediately. We played some good teams, beating the Las Vegas Prospects and Southern Cal Allstars Elite, but in the end were knocked out by a good team called Net Gain. I played well and I really felt that I improved on my explosiveness getting some easy dunks off of screen and rolls. At times it was hard to run the floor because the thin air made it hard for our bodies to recover. King James was not as eventful this past weekend. We only played three games getting put out in the early rounds of the bracket again. We were in an open pool, though, so a lot of the players we competed with were graduating seniors. I hurt my thumb, nothing serious, but it caused some problems for me offensively when it came to holding the ball. I bruised the joint at the base of my thumb on my shooting hand, but i still competed well. I ran the floor well, something that I feel I have improved a lot, and played good defense and went hard to the boards.
Right now I’m on my way to Spiece in Fort Wayne, Indiana. There are supposed to be a lot of Michigan teams there. We actually play the Hurricanes on Saturday morning. Once again we’re missing some players. Four of our players are going to prom, so we’ll be playing with seven this weekend. Chris Balas is supposed to come record my games on Saturday so it should be up on “The Wolverine” sometime this upcoming week.
I want to thank all the Michigan fans for their support and encouragement so far and for tuning in to watch me play on the internet. I’d also like to say congratulations to Donnavan Kirk (Miami) and Derrick Nix (MSU) on their commitments.
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