UM Hoops.com

18 Responses to “Ekpe Udoh Transfer Rumors”

1. 1 Ky Fox
   April 8, 2008 at 8:20 pm

   If we do in fact lose Udoh than we are going to ROYALY SUCK!! theres no where else he could go and improve more than here under JB! I i i just dont know! I really hope he stays! If he infact does than if im JB i do everything possible to real in Riley!! Ive watched a couple vids on him and it looks like he could be quite versitale! But without a high profile “recruiter” at UM it might be wishfull thinking!

2. 2 NVE
   April 8, 2008 at 8:20 pm

   I don’t see how losing a transfer would set the entire program back a year or two. It will be a disappointing blow to lose a key cog, no doubt, but firing a coach and bringing in one with a completely new style is the type of move that sets a basketball (or football) program back a year or two.

   In other words, we’ve been set back a year or two already. There is nobody on the current roster that would undo the progress that’s already been made.

3. 3 Kevin in GR
   April 8, 2008 at 9:00 pm

   There were rumors last year around this time (a little earlier) about Udoh transferring. He squashed the rumors then…..Hopefully he’ll do the same now!

4. 4 Dylan
   April 8, 2008 at 9:02 pm

   If Ekpe leaves. Zack Gibson becomes our starting center for the next two years and Cronin, who I think should RS plays next year. It would not be a good situation. I really feel like we can’t burn these years with Manny, Ekpe, and Peedi together.

   We’ll see. Hopefully good news breaks tomorrow.

5. 5 Ky Fox
   April 8, 2008 at 9:30 pm

   we will not be competitve this upcoming season without Udoh! Thats just the fact of the matter! We will not have near enough down low! He was the one guy that could really erase shots and defend people. And i felt like his offensive skill set sstarted to develop the second half of the season! But like dylan said…hopefully Udoh will wise up and realize that Beilein can make him a much better player and stick around and be apart of something special here at UM..bottom line I think this will be a very good, if not the most important recruiting test in Beileins short regime so far here at UM!

6. 6 Brick
   April 8, 2008 at 9:35 pm

   While I really like Ekpe and hope he stays, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. He is a terrific shot blocker but not a great man to man defender and he is not a primary option on offense. How many plays do they run for him?

   I must have more patience than most for the rebuilding because I really am looking forward a few years to when JB is playing with a team he put together. Until then, what happens happens and anyone who doesn’t want to play for Michigan is free to leave.

7. 7 cwood
   April 8, 2008 at 9:51 pm

   Whether or not we are competetive next year will not have that much to do with whether udoh stays or goes. Its going to be based upon shooting a better percentage and cutting down on turnovers (2 areas that absolutly killed us this year)

   That being said, losing a starter is never a positive. However, I dont thibk it will be as big of a deal as it may initially appear to some of you, especially in this system.

8. 8 old fan
   April 8, 2008 at 10:00 pm

   Losing Udoh would be a big set back. Maybe not two years of a setback. However, we will be very good in two years. Without him, there would need to be a tremendous recruit down low to make up the difference. This can not be framed any other way but negative.

   Don’t go Ekpe.

9. 9 UMbballDC
   April 8, 2008 at 10:38 pm

   I love Udoh, but I don’t think that it would be as huge a setback as some others seem to. As cwood said, us getting better next years is dependent on better shooting and fewer turnovers. While it would be nice to see Udoh get better as a shooter, he is not the guy we are depending on to improve in these areas.

   While being one of our greatest assets on defense, he was also a liability on the offensive side of the ball and never a what I would call a great rebounder. So in the end I don’t like the idea of him leaving, it would not be such a huge loss in my mind. Gibson developing as a offensive player over the off season would cut into Udoh’s play time anyway.

10. 10 Ky Fox
    April 9, 2008 at 12:31 am

    very good points! I just think Udoh would be that 1 glimpse of athletesiscm down low that i think we would need to be a complete and balanced team! I agree shooting the ball better and handling it better will really help us…im sure we will be better in those areas anyway, especially under Beilein! I also think that Udoh could be a saftey net if you will, while the offense comes around! You have to imagine that its going to take a little time for Novak and especially Douglass to adjust to the big ten! If he does leave i hope Cronin can step in and be better than advertised! I also agree that JB getting all his players in here will take some time…but lets hope we can win some games while were at it! And lets hope he finds some players that will be some sort of an impact!

11. 11 Dylan
    April 9, 2008 at 12:47 am

    Ekpe was the 2nd highest rebounder, .4 rpg behind Peedi.

    Ekpe was the 3rd leading scorer and while he has some offensive deficiencies I would never call him a liability. I feel that he can hit the mid range face up shot very well and that he could have been used better this year.

    Ekpe led the Big Ten in blocked shots by a full block more than Koufas.

    Ekpe played nearly 30 minutes a game and probably even more than that down the stretch. That shows that the coaches certainly aren’t comfortable with Gibson in there so much…

    Shooting definetely killed us this year and of course improving that will make the team better. But I really don’t think turnovers were a huge problem besides a couple individual games. Michigan was 5th in turnover margin and only averaged 12.9 turnovers per game.

    The defensive stats all across the board for the team were near the bottom of the barrel. Take Ekpe off the defense and it gets 10 times worse for next year. That’s a scary thought.

12. 12 Ky Fox
    April 9, 2008 at 1:11 am

    i agree with dylan. Losing Udoh is a bigger hit than most think. Even though JB doesnt have his slew of players in here yet…I would think that a Udoh type player should be on the team at all times anyway. Once again i go back to looking like the badgers…we will have a bunch of lumbering centers and forwards joggging up and down the floor while teams like MSU, OSU, duke, and georgetown run up our backs! A guy like Udoh will at least sustain a team like that and prevent us from looking prehistoric! But….. we all shall see!

13. 13 NVE
    April 9, 2008 at 2:00 am

    Nobody wants to see that guy go, and his contributions to the team have been very tangible.

    I just don’t subscribe to the notion that losing Ekpe sets the entire program back. His absence would be felt significantly on the defensive end, but would not limit what we’re trying to install offensively. As far as intangibles, it’s also a bummer because he’s tight with our two best players and gives max effort every night.

    Let’s hope this is all moot and he sticks around.

    I think another reason the perceived blow would be bigger than the reality of it is our desire for positive news surrounding the hoops program. There’s been a heavy supply of negativity surrounding this team for 10 years now, and we desperately want the tide to change. This would be another negative for fans, rivals, etc. to dwell on.

14. 14 sid
    April 9, 2008 at 6:46 am

    Would Udoh really get more playing time at any other D1 school than he’s getting here? Seems unlikely, so I’m not sure why he would transfer – unless there are non-bb reasons.

15. 15 BL11
    April 9, 2008 at 7:13 am

    Former recruit Trevor Mbakwe is leaving Marquette. I wouldn’t think he would “fit the system” but he would be a possible quick fix if Udoh were to leave town. He’s got less height, possibly less OFF game, less defensive presence, but maybe stronger?

16. 16 RB
    April 9, 2008 at 9:55 am

    Assuming Udoh is never going to be able to develope a post game due to his body frame, I think it’s in his best interest to stay here. If he can develope a quality outside shot to go with his shot blocking abilities, it would greatly improve his chances of a perfessional career.

17. 17 Dylan
    April 9, 2008 at 10:23 am

    Mbakwe definetely doesn’t strike me as a “Beilein fit” but he was a former Michigan recruit under Amaker.

    I think Udoh made strides this year but he didn’t really start making strides in his development until later in the year.

1. 1 Michigantailgate.net » Blog Archive » Ekpe Udoh Transfer Rumors | UMHoops.com
   Pingback on Apr 9th, 2008 at 9:43 pm