Great write-up Dylan. You’re right, there is really nothing to criticize about this team or this season. I think if you go back to your preseason posts I predicted this team to go around .500 and play well in the NIT. That was probably the common assessment of a team that has two NBA type players but completely unproven talent around it, and yet this team propelled itself to new heights this year. For this team to be so competitive, so thrilling, and so likable is exactly what Michigan basketball has needed for so many years. How sad is it that the last Michigan player I actually liked was probably Travis Conlan? Hopefully this team can build on its momentum and do it again next year.

P.S. Hopefully Zeigler and Regan were watching.

Great post Dylan!

As a former manager of the team during the last decade who never got to experience the tourney first-hand, I must say I am extremely ecstatic that we have once again become relevant in the basketball universe. It truly is great to be a Michigan Wolverine!

I am very proud of the program from top to bottom and already cannot wait for next year!!

GO BLUE!!!

Great stuff, Dylan.

Glad you made it back home safely.

Go Blue.

GREAT ARTICLE AS ALWAYS!! The thing that isnt mentioned much about making the tourny ( people always mention the recruiting side of it) is the young fans. The reason I fell in love with michigan was watching Glen Rice in the tourny and then when i watched the fab five in the tourny. I wasn’t able to watch every game back then but I knew my team was in the tourny and i could watch them there. This years team making it back will also let the little ones see michigan back where they belong and create a new group of fans.

Thanks again Dylan for the excellent site and for another great article. I knew I could count on you to eloquently put everything in the proper perspective. This season was so much fun, almost magical. And with a great coach, new facilities on the way, and a deep roster of talent, the future is even brighter.

My buddy JustinC and I were looking at who’s coming back in the Big Ten next year and we should stack up very well. Only MSU and Purdue could argue for better rosters. We should be in the hunt for the Big Ten title and I think with Beilein at the helm we could potentially make a Final 4 run.

Thanks for putting everything in perspective, Dylan. The one thing that was really frustrating in the middle of the year were the expectations (mostly from “bandwagon” fans) after the UCLA/Duke wins. All of a sudden people were focused on “where are we going to be ranked?” and “what seed could we get in the Tournament?” and when the grind of the Big Ten season began to take its toll, people were upset because the team was falling short of their new lofty expectations. The bandwagon definitely got lighter after games like @PSU, MSU, and @Iowa.

But when you take a step back, like you did in this post, it really shows just how much this team overachieved.

I’m super excited for next year, if nothing else just to see the effect of this year on Crisler attendance, student ticket purchases, recruiting, and national exposure. But I really hope that everyone keeps their expectations for next year realistic. I think it’s fair to expect a return to the Tournament, but not much beyond that. Anyone saying “Sweet 16 or bust” should look at all the great teams that didn’t make the Sweet 16 this year (okay, there aren’t that many, but you know what I mean).

And bravo to all the fans who made it to KC. The Michigan fans were the best of those teams not seeded #2 and even then it was only because of sheer numbers. Nice work out of everyone, it’ll be an experience I won’t soon forget.

Go Blue!!

Great Season..I cannot complain, I hope from this game Ant gets his confidence back and builds on it for next year. If we can get that Ant Wright who believes in what he is doing, then I cant wait till next year. I’ve been trying to figure out lineups for next year, and I believe he will be back in the rotation (if he plays aggressive, Coach B already believes in the kid as you seen how many games he stuck with him early). Coming off the bench with Novak, Ant and the freshman next year will be a great boost.

“As a fan there was no way that I could miss Michigan running out of the tunnel in the NCAA tournament. The emotions at Crisler Arena on Selection Sunday and in Kansas City on Thursday were more than just the joy of victory — it was pride, relief, and happiness but mostly a validation of the suffering of the last decade.”

so true

Good piece, I’ve enjoyed reading everything on here all year! Just like everyone else, I’m so glad to see U-M back from the lows I saw from the Maize Rage (e.g., 0-6 start in ’02-’03 including the game when Chris Kaman went for 30 and 21). Looking forward to watching them build on it next year!

Dylan,

Great job this year with the blog, especially during the post-season. Your articles were better than almost all the stuff on MLive. Now that the AANews is going down, I’m sure you’ll get read even more. Maybe you should get yourself a press pass or something next season, so you can get even more in-depth. I bet the U would let you do some of this for class credit, even. Plus, it’d look great on ye olde resume. Keep up the good work!

Great post Dylan! Looking forward to next year! Jordan is already in the gym preparing!

Meredith

I just want to make sure I give much respect to Zack Novak for being manly enough to try and take that charge on Griffin. Let’s see JJ Reddick try to do that!

Udoh. I was just wondering about him. It seems to me that he made a bad decision–not that he should regret it or second guess himself. But as I watched the last game, it occurred to me that he would have been quite valuable.

Dirtgrain,

Michigan is better off without Udoh when talking about Chemistry. I’ve heard that he is a bit disruptive and could cause discontent among other teammates.

Physically, Michigan needed him. They miss his size and shotblocking presence.

I made the road-trip to KC and echo the sentiments that seeing the team run out on the floor with ‘Queme Los Barcos’ on the back of the warm ups was amazing. Also, to see them play with that much heart and intensity down the stretch and in the tourney solidified them as my favorite team in memory. The great stories of the players’ hard work and determination, overcoming literally tall odds to make the tournament and have a chance with 6 mins left to go to the sweet 16…wow What a great roller coaster ride the season was. Thanks for being the bus driver Dylan and keeping us informed. Is it next year yet?

Btw – If that really is Jordan’s Mom, 1) that’s awesome and 2) I can’t wait to cheer for him, it sounds like you have raised a great young man!!

I echo bball’s statements. If that is mrs. Morgan, I look forward to hearing any insight she can provide moving forward to next year. I hope these guys remember the fact that they were 5 or 6 minutes away from a matchup with ‘Cuse. So excited to see what Coach can do with some ‘big’ talent next year.

Thanks Dylan, just pick out the things stated by others above that you like best and consider them my comments.

I love the fact Mrs. Morgan reads this Blog. Nice. We will need Jordan next year to bang….

is “leap of faith” a reference to Russel byrd? or am did I miss something. just wondering

I think one thing that makes this blog stand out among other Michigan sports blogs is not only smart writing, but smart commentary as well. Dylan’s posts are always quality reading, but I almost always find myself reading the comments for additional stimulating, intelligent discussion and commentary.

That goes for Jordan Morgan’s mother, too :) Go Blue!

sorry for that repost

Yes Tommy I was referring to Byrd and Lubick who expressed similar sentiments.

Great post, Dylan. I couldn’t agree more with this team, and have never been more proud of being a Wolverine. As a basketball fan at a football school, I definitely had a senior year worth remembering.

Question for anyone reading this: I’m planning on coming here for grad school next year… does anyone know if there’s a way I can get legit tickets for the maize rage as a graduate student or will I have to buy them through an undergrad? Thanks!

You can get Maize Rage tickets as a grad student.

To the UM Hoops community: it was a FANTASTIC season. It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine.

I’m not sure about sharing this, and don’t want to ruin the retrospectives, but I’m going to anyway because I like the cameraderie of this site…
My wife was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm today. I’m hoping and praying that the UofM Neurosurgeons can take care of this.

So please send some positive thoughts/prayers to my wife Beth.

chat with you all next season, GO BLUE
JimC

Prayers sent for Beth.

Regarding basketball, I loved this season. I’m already looking ahead like most. Initial four hopes: 1. Manny Harris develops more as a ball handler and driver. He needs more than one speed and the ability to change direction. I know some of the charge calls were off, but he still should have a clue that it might get called–he needs to be able to try a plan B in those cases (change speed and direction, have a secondary move). A better outside shot would help, as well. 2. Deshawn Sims develops more small forward skills–ball handling, face-up moves off the dribble. Of course this would help him get to the NBA, but it would help the Wolverines too, especially in crunch time. 3. Douglas and Novak become more consistent shooters. They’ve impressed at times, in many ways, but this needs to be their strength. 4. Our big players to develop for Beilein’s system.

Great post Dylan – as another long-suffering fan, I wholeheartedly shared your sentiments. (I only wish I could’ve made it to KC for the tourney.) Your blog has been a must-read for me all year, and what a year it’s been! GO BLUE!

Baskeball Team To Do List
1. Ben C. put on 15 – 20 lbs
2. Manny H. learn to not get frustrated when shot isn’t falling
3. LLP learn to finish on the drive to hoop
4. Kelvin G.practice defense, practice defense, practice defense
5. Ant W. Stay positive
6. Puls same as above, your time will come
7. Stu D. practice threes with hand in your face
8. Zack N. practice shooting without leaning back

Congratulations Blue – Great Season. Prays to you. JimC

Beautifully written. This has been a great year, couldn’t ask for anything more. Good work Dylan, this website was my homepage all year long.

My prayers go out to your wife, JimC.

No offense to Puls or people that like him, but why do I hear random comments here and there about him being a factor in the future? Do people honestly think he will ever receive minutes outside of garbage time? If he does that means our recruiting was absolutely awful over the next two years. Just funny to hear. I didn’t know he was a project waiting to bloom.

Knowing that players parents are sometimes on this blog, we should always be tactful in our criticisms of players, especially during emotional games. That being said, sorry Mrs. Puls.

nice quote

Thoughts and prayers to Beth.

Reading Andy Katz on ESPN, he talks about marquee teams Kentucky will play next season:

“Kentucky is expected to play in the Big East-SEC Invitational in New York next season, possibly against Connecticut. It also will host Louisville and North Carolina and play at Indiana next season. Kentucky is willing to go on the road for another big-time game.”

Anybody know if we have any big ones already set besides Duke? Obviously the ACC/Big10 Challenge will be a good one, but what other games are possibilities?

I’m working on getting an early “schedule notes” page up and running again.

Hi, first time poster, but long time reader here.

I am an Michigan alumni from Hong Kong. I remember couple years ago when I was still in Ann Arbor, students I talked to all didn’t care about the team, some of them even laugh at the team of how bad it was.

As an international student, I was the only one I knew who bought basketballl season ticket. Without a car, I travelled all the way from North Campus to the stadium, sometimes even in snow, just to watch a game.

The stadium, as everyone here knows, often was half empty with not that many students. The team always seem to be close to making to the tournament, but always came up short at the last second. It was disappointment after another disappointment every season.

Thanks to Internet, I gotta watch live Michigan basketball game through webcast….and witnessed the amazing ride this year. All the disappointments in the past made this year so special, thanks Coach Beilein and the team for such a great season and memory.

Dylan, also thanks for this blog, I can’t say how much I appreciate your effort for creating such a place. I check your site many times a day, reading people’s comments. You did an excellent job, thanks.

Yes, it really is Jordan’s mom! First, thoughts and prayers to JimC’s wife Beth. She is going to see the best neurosurgeons around, so I have faith she will be fine.

Second, Congrats to the team, as an alum and long time fan it is indeed Great to be a Wolverine!

I too am looking forward to cheering for the team (of course Jordan too)in the years to come. Jordan is aware of the need for his “paint cleaning” presence and that the next season is a mere 8 months away, that is why he is already working out! I will keep you updated on his progress. Of course, he reports to campus in June.

Dylan’s site is one of the best fan sites I have ever seen, but that is not surprising given he is a U of M student!

GO BLUE!

Alex,

I’m pretty sure that they get Duke, UConn, Big Ten/ACC challenge and the Old Spice Classic which includes with the likes of FSU, Xavier, Creighton, Iona, etc. At first glance, it’s a pretty tough non-conference schedule and the Big Ten are expected be solid just like this season. I’m expecting the SOS to be in the teens.

JimC

My prayers and best wishes to you and your wife. GOD bless!

Dylan,

Hopefully you can make a living off of this site. There is a need and you fill a whole in the market. With the death of the Ann Arbor News, more people will be looking for on line content.

If we can help in any way make this the spot for U of M basketball content, let us know. We will help you.

Alright, this is going to be a long one. First and foremost; JimC you and your wife are in my prayers.

Looking back on the Oklahoma game, there are so many things that I’ve wanted to say, but I haven’t had a chance to post, so chances are I’ll forget some.

Anthony Wright and Zach Gibson were definitely both unsung heroes in the game. If Ant can keep his confidence up, he could be a weapon coming off the bench next year. Gibson played with a tenacity that we haven’t seen from him before. He’ll need to bring that next year as well.

I’m not one to complain about officiating, and I don’t think it cost us the game, but it was bad. Maybe not B10 conference bad, but they were definitely giving Oklahoma the calls. Every bang-bang call went their way. Add to that the fact that we had 3 or 4 threes rattle out, and they had a couple that took ridiculous bounces and went in and it just wasn’t meant to be this year. Definitely proud of the effort the guys put forward.

It was a great year. Special thanks to C.J., Dave, & Jevohn for their efforts. I believe all of them had moments where they contributed this year and will have fond memories of this season for the rest of their lives. Thanks to all the players for a great effort this year and finally getting the proverbial monkey off of the programs back. LET’S DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR! GO BLUE!

It’s very cool that Mrs. Morgan is reading the blog. Greetings, ma’am. :)

Alright, now the discussion of next year. This is going to be long-winded and might be a bit unorganized, but I’ll give it a shot anyway.

With the news that Manny & DeShawn are coming back, I definitely believe the talent will be in place for at least a Sweet 16 type of run next year. I’m going to go through player by player and then give my impressions for the starting five, etcetera.

Ben Cronin – This guy is going to be a big X-Factor. Assuming he’s fully recovered from his surgery, I can see him being a starter, or at least the first big man off the bench. In the limited action he had this year, I thought he looked pretty decent, considering the hip and everything. We didn’t get to see if he can step out and hit the 15-foot jumper, but if he can do that, he’s going to be hard to keep off the floor.

Stu Douglass – I think Stu’s handle is a lot better than he gets credit for. He’s definitely got a basketball IQ higher than what I’m used to seeing on the floor for UM. I still have the bad memories of watching the terrible Michigan teams when State used to beat us by 50. I definitely don’t believe he can play point full time, but in spots he could handle the duty and get the ball up the floor. He needs to work in a mid-range jumper to his arsenal, because players are going to be flying out when he has a decent look. His passing skills aren’t mentioned much, but he is probably the best on the team when it comes to post entry.

Zach Gibson – With the added post depth that we’ll have next year, I think Gibson could very well be the starter at the 5. The main thing is he’s got to bring the effort like he did in the tournament this year and do the little things. The biggest thing was he played with confidence. He did a very nice job of defending the other team’s bigs when he was in. He needs to keep working on his shooting and knock down those open looks with consistency.

Kelvin Grady – Defense, defense, and more defense. He’s got to get over whatever mental lapses he has, etcetera and become a better man-to-man defender. He’s small, but he’s a one man press breaker and is the best 3-point shooter on the team percentage-wise (with significant attempts). If he can break through on the defensive end and stay away from the occasional “dumb turnover,” I believe he could be the starter at point.

Manny Harris – I agree with the above poster that said that Manny needs to work on having a change of direction move. He definitely seems to struggle with that. He’s got a quick first step, but once he goes, he’s going that way. If you turn him, you’ve stopped him. I’d also like to see Manny improve his handle and keep working on his shooting. There’s always room for improvement and Manny’s going to have to continue to grow. Probably the most important part of his development though, is going to be from a leadership standpoint. With C.J. & Dave gone, this team is now going to look to him and Peedi for leadership.

Laval Lucas-Perry – The biggest thing with Laval is confidence. He had a big lapse in the middle of the year. He broke out in the Minnesota game, and didn’t really get a chance to show whether the confidence was there or not during the tournament. I don’t recall him shooting very much, if at all. He’s got to keep that confidence high. By all accounts, he’s lights out more often than not in practice. He just needs to bring that to game days. He needs to spend the offseason working on his handle, since he and Douglass might spend some time on the floor at the point if Grady isn’t ready to go. He’s got to be able to bring the ball up without it being an “adventure” for lack of a better term. I look for LLP to step it up next year and become that third scorer that we were looking for this year.

Blake McLimans – I can’t say too much about this guy, as I’ve never seen him play. He could be that prototypical 4 man in Beilein’s offense that can step out and knock down the open look. He needs to make sure his passing is up to snuff, and that he develops some sort of back to the basket game. He also needs to be able to help us on the boards if he sees the floor.

Jordan Morgan – Once again, I haven’t seen him play yet. From what I hear, he’s a banger and could be that physical presence we’re looking for down low. I’d love to see him do all the little things; rebounding, hustle plays, “junk” baskets underneath the hoop. Even though he’s a little undersize, I see him playing the 5 in Beilein’s offense. If he can come in and do that, I’ll be happy. Over time, he needs to develop a back to the basket game and hopefully be able to step out and knock down the 15 footer.

Darius Morris – If Grady isn’t ready, he’s going to be the man at the point. Stu & LLP may be able to handle it a little bit when neither he or Grady is on the floor. I’m really excited about adding this piece to the puzzle. He’s another option to be that 3rd scorer that we need, but I don’t believe it will come to that, at least not this year. He’s definitely got the offense to do it. If he has a solid handle, can knock down the open jumper, and can make the smart plays, we could be looking at a star in the future. Just don’t ask too much of him his freshman year.

Zack Novak – I definitely see a reduction in his minutes next year. He played so much this year out of necessity. I think he’s going to be a lot more effective, because he’s not going to be exhausted by the end of the season. He’ll also move back to his natural position instead of playing out of position at the 4.

Matt Vogrich – I was the one that went to see him play against Barrington in the regionals a few weeks ago. I still stand by my initial reaction. Obviously things can change, but I really think he’s a likely redshirt candidate next year. Between his slight build, and the depth that we have at the 2-3 positions, I don’t see a reason to throw him into the fire before he’s ready. Obviously I could be totally wrong, just my opinion based on seeing him play one time. For what it’s worth, I can see him being a star later on in his career.

Anthony Wright – Let’s see more of the Ant that we saw in the Oklahoma game. He battled on the boards, knocked down his open looks, and really kept us in the game in the first half. I really believe it’s all about confidence with him. I don’t know if there’s a spot in the rotation for him with all the depth that we’ve got at the 4 now, however.

Alright, now that I got through that, here’s my projected starting five/two deep:

1 – Kelvin Grady/Darius Morris
2 – Stu Douglass/Laval Lucas-Perry
3 – Manny Harris/Zack Novak
4 – DeShawn Sims/Blake McLimans
5 – Zack Gibson/Ben Cronin/Jordan Morgan

I really think Grady puts it together. Morris provides solid minutes off the bench. I can see them splitting minutes evenly if they both perform to expectations.

Either one of these guys could start at the 2. I give Stu the nod here basically because of his basketball IQ. I also like having LLP in the game when Manny’s not, because he’s our 2nd best penetrator (this could change depending on what Morris’ game looks like.

Manny obviously is the starter at the 3. I like how he’s rounded out his game to include rebounding, etcetera. With all the added bigs, his numbers on the boards may drop a bit, but it will be good for the team. Novak’s the sub here.

Peedi at his natural 4. He needs to work on his handle. If Gibson starts with him, he can still bang in the paint like he did this year, just with a more favorable matchup for him in the post (potentially). McLimans needs to be able to come in and knock down the open jumper and feed the post on a possible high-low situation.

Gibson starts at the 5. Cronin & Morgan provide depth. I’m really unsure about the 4′s and 5′s and just how to combine them works best, but I definitely see all 5 of the guys mentioned getting minutes.

Well, there it is. My extremely long-winded look at this past year, miscellaneous items, and a way too early preview of next year. I have to say that I really like the pieces that we have and I’m confident that our puzzle-master JB will compile them into a winning puzzle. Here’s to a return to the dance next year! Go Blue!

Grady definitely looked better on defense in the tournament, with more energy on defense AND not losing his man on screens. I hope, like Ant Wright’s amazing shooting, they can bring it throughout next season.

All the best to JimC and his wife. And to the moms of any players reading, I hope your feelings haven’t been hurt by anything anyone’s said about your boys.

Beilein should have a great recruiting story to tell potential recruits. And with that, hopefully Beilein will land some gems for 2010. The key now is to build consistency and an inside presence. I will argue the biggest thing is that inside presence and the hope that Ben Cronin gets back to health as quickly as possible. I believe he is the key to help kick this team up a notch.

I think we will see a surprise starting 5 next year….remember our starting 5 at the beginning of this season? Who was it? Merritt, Stu, Manny, AWright, and Gibson? Who saw that one coming?

To Tom Too, who indeed. It looks like with Coach Beilein’s player development we are going to have the deepest teams from now on. He seems to get everyone to improve. Remember Merrit and Lee a year ago? No one could have thought they’d play as well as they did this year. It’s like that all up and down the roster.

OK — I moved the site to a VPS (better and faster) so it should be up and running. There may be some lagging DNS issues though.

JimC -

I work for a company that is directly involved with monitoring for the neurosurgeons and interventional radiology at UofM. I can say without hesitation that they are the best and most competent you can find and your wife is in excellent hands. As frightening as her diagnosis is, they see plenty of them and are experts with conventional and cutting edge methods for treatment. I can also say that the nursing care is outstanding at UM. Wishing for the best for you and your wife.

Best of luck to Beth and Jim C.

My thoughts are with JimC and Beth.

One of the biggest things I look for next year is more/better penetration from guys other than Manny. I really think some combo of Morris, Grady, and LLP have to contribute by driving to the basket and either finishing inside or kicking it out to shooters like Novak and Douglass. Manny was the only guy who did ANY of that this year and he was fairly successful at it. It may not be the main component of Beilein’s offense but it is huge to get some easy baskets off penetration.

Hopefully, the addition of Morris and the big bodies inside will help this team tremendously and cement us as a top 25 team that is in Big Ten contention with the likes of MSU/Purdue. Can’t wait til next year!

My prayers go out to Beth and Jim C.

MaizeNBlue- Great write up. I agree with most of the stuff you wrote. But I don’t believe the addition of Gibson to the starting lineup will cause Sims to see a less skilled defender. Gibson doesn’t really provide anything in terms of low post scoring so I would still expect to see the best low post defender on Sims. Also, was LLP bringing the ball up that muchh of an “adventure”? I don’t recall him playing much PG this year and how much success he had.

Kevin,

I wasn’t trying to imply that it was an adventure this season with LLP. Actually, you’re right, I don’t recall him bringing the ball up much. Maybe I worded it wrong. I guess I should have said that he needs to make sure his handle is ready, in case he’s called upon to play at the point at some point.

I agree that Gibson doesn’t provide much in the way of scoring on the low block. However, the potential for a more favorable matchup is there. If he has a 4 guarding him, instead of the 5 man for the other team, it might be a preferable matchup in the post. If he’s got the 5 man, then I would think we could take advantage of Gibson being guarded by a 4. Either way, it gives us more options and makes the other team pick their poison. If the 5′s continue to be the choice, Peedi needs to pull them out away from the bucket.

Thanks for the comment on the writeup.