Hope he has some more promising highlight reels than this…

He’s an athletic big man. Very active and not awkward. However, he has zero touch on his inside shot and doesn’t seem to take full advantage of his size by dunking more. Intriguing prospect who seems to have a very high ceiling.

I have a bad feeling Zeigler’s going to state. 1.) He says he thinks MSU has the nicest facilities of all the colleges he’s been to. 2.) He is good friends with Draymond Green. (He was friends with manny, but…) 3.) He says he more than anything wants to go to the final four…and where is msu now?

Dylan, thanks for posting the highlights video.

He’s just a junior in high school, so he’s not a polished product yet. You can’t teach height, but you can teach patience, post moves and shooting skills. It looks like he needs to work on not bringing the ball down/dribbling in the post when there is traffic in the lane since that negates his height advantage and can let guards steal the ball. Learning to be patient and being aware of what’s around him will help. I’ve heard that what Marshall likes about Beilein is that he teaches shooting and that he would help Marshall develop his shooting skills.

Is the national team that Marshall is playing on for the tournament in Germany the same USA team that Kearney played on last year and that Beilein helped coach? I’m guessing not, but thought it was worth asking.

I much rather get Amir Williams than this kid…

Brian: Beilein helped coach at the USA U17 team during training camp out in Colorado. This was for a different tournament altogether and with a more official U17 national team. I believe Plumlee’s squad is bit more “makeshift” than that and not really a true national team.

Dylan, thanks for the help.

One thing to keep in mind when watching this is that they’re playing one of the best high school teams in the country, a long way from home and on national TV. I’ve seen a different video of Marshall, and he looked better that yesterday. He still has developing to do, though… If Brundidge can help convince Williams to come to U-M that would be fine with me.

Oops. That would be better “than” yesterday, not “that.”

This is completely off topic but Kyle Korver is 56% from 3 this year. That is absolutely absurd!

Article in the The Saginaw News has info about Trey and Tommie McCune. Just passing it along.

“Saginaw News boys basketball Dream Team members face difficult decisions”

http://www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw/index.ssf/2010/04/saginaw_news_boys_basketball_d.html

Article on Plumlee’s brothers, how they got to Duke, in the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/sports/ncaabasketball/03duke.html?hpw

Brief mention of Marshall.

Beilein bumped into some of his old players at a mall this week. Thought you might enjoy this from today’s freep:

A few West Virginia players bumped into their former coach in an Indianapolis mall this week: Michigan’s John Beilein.

“It was interesting,” Wellington Smith said. “It was kind of strange, kind of like seeing a family member you haven’t seen in a while, but it was good. I feel like he really misses us.”

“It was kind of like meeting up with your ex-wife you didn’t really get to finish things off with,” Joe Mazzulla said. “He was very complimentary of us.”

Four of the five players were recruited to WVU by Beilein. He hugged each and spent 10 minutes chatting with them.

Smith told the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail that he exchanges occasional text messages with Beilein. The players said his move to U-M wasn’t brought up during the chat.

The Mountaineers said Beilein deserved some of the credit for their successful season.

“He’s always going to be a part of the West Virginia basketball history,” Cam Thoroughman said. “Maybe he started some of this. He’s a great coach and a great guy, and he’s why I came here.”

Deshawn playing for the Portsmouth Sports Club next week:

http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-basketball/former-michigan-forward-deshawn-sims-to-play-for-portsmouth-sports-club-next-week/

Also, Coach Beilein will be part of a coaches clinic in Springfield, Mass. Be sure to stick around and ask Bill Self about Northern Iowa. :)

http://www.ballercircuit.com/new-england-coaches-clinic/

Sorry in advance if this question has been addressed already: how is this kid not a lock for Duke? Does Duke not want him? I know we’re “Michigan”, but they’re “Duke”, after all. Thanks!

There’s speculation that Duke might be after a couple other big guys in the class of ’11. Also that Marshall might be interested in “blazing his own path” rather than following his two older brothers. But you would think that if Duke really put the full court press on him, they would have as good of a shot as anyone.

It’s also worth pointing out that Beilein did a great job recruiting both of the previous Plumlees and the family loves and respects Beilein.

On the flip side, if Marshall goes to Duke, he’s going to spend his freshman year as the third string center behind his two brothers, and would be second string behind one brother as a sophomore. At Michigan, he’ll have a better opportunity to step in and play significant minutes right away.

That’s great to know that the West Virginia Players still hold Coach Beilein very much accountable for their successful season and playing career. It was meant to be that the two parties saw each other. There is a great spiritual story behind that. Don’t worry about Trey folks. There are still a good handful of top 50 players still waiting to see what the freshman at Kentucky are going to do before they make a commitment. Terrence Jones (top20) looks like a Beilein Player. It’s going to get interesting this next week for recruiting.

Kainkitizen, I don’t think there’s much reason to think that Michigan will be a player for any top 50ish players that we’re not already in on. Teams don’t jump into the fray for a top recruit at the last minute without the help of unsavory outside influences.

Yikes! He hustles but…yikes. The kid is all about awkward. His footwork is over stretched, over exaggerated, and bouncy. That baby hook is so bad, it really makes you question his athleticism and coordination. He looks like he can move, but his rebounding awareness and skill set is very weak. Didn’t his brothers work on him, beat him up a bit, but teach him something? I think he can be taught, but this video is disappointing for sure. Coach B. could work it through, but…Gosh Dylan, what did you think?

Go Butler

butler………prime example of why you play tough defense every possession………10 plus mins no field goals but are still going to the national championship

Just stopped the video after 30 seconds…child plz!! I know he has two brothers that are D1, but seriously?? He look like a big stiff! Really Beliein??

I finally got around to watching Amir Williams in the State Championship game. Amir is way way ahead of Zeller or Plumlee in terms of strength and being able to finish at the rim.

Unless Zeller and Plumlee improve greatly in the next year, I don’t see them contributing as freshman in a major program. Amir Williams physically could come in and contribute at Michigan tomorrow.

As an aside Ray Mccallum, it is a shame we are not in on this kid, he will be an asset to some college team right away. It will be nice when Belien finally whups Izzo’s butt for a recruit. Here is to hoping it happens with Trey Ziegler.

I’m still not quite sure how Butler draws so many fouls. As for MSU, I figured turnovers were going to be a big problem for them today.

In any case, I think we’re about to watch the de-facto National Title game right now.

Defense keeps you in games. Duke nor WVU is good enough to roll over Butler IF Mack and Howard can go. If they can’t… this might be it. Butler did beat Syracuse, Kansas St., and MSU though…

Just watching this game, Duke looks like a more talented version of Butler. I mean only 1 team has won a national title in the last 30 years without any McDonalds All Americans. MSU, Butler, and WVU don’t have any but Duke has 5.

lol @ all of the MSU fans blaming the refs on mlive. All MSU did all year was hold and grab on defense and constantly get away with it.

No, not like this. Da’Sean Butler deserves better than this.

Agreed AG2….I really like the West Virginia kids…especially the way they still give credit to Beilein. I feel really badly for Butler…anytime you see the knee buckle like that it’s usually an ACL/MCL. Poor kid…

Hopefully this doesn’t hurt DeSean’s draft potential. I have to imagine Butler will give Duke a better run than this though. Guarantee they won’t give up as many easy looks. Second chances could be an issue, not sure if Howard will be able to hang with Zoubek. Regardless, I agree that Duke has/does everything Butler has/does except better. Blah.

I don’t mind calling a tight game but when Green gets clotheslined catching a pass like the Butler guy is Jack Tatum and it’s a no call, that’s frustrating. Call it however you want but call it even.

for the people judging plumlee on 1 damn game…its 1 game. relax. He wouldnt be rated as a top 50 recruit right now for nothing.

LMAO, Izzo didn’t like officiating, now he knows how his opponents felt all year! Good run by State, but glad to see Butler end it!

Horford was named to the Lansing State Journal’s Dream Team.

http://m.lsj.com/news.jsp?key=318978&rc=pre

Cedar Village had off night after last night’s MSU game. No couches were torched; no riot police were called to the apartment complex.

Last night was awful. Butler and MSU stunk it up miserably in the first game–a war of attrition, with many of the best players sidelined.

And Duke. . . if America is still hating on Coach K because having five McDonald’s All Americans isn’t fair. . . then I still hold out hope for America.

Take any of Duke’s individual pieces and examine them and you get fine upstanding blah blah. Put them together, I hate them.

MSU Live by the sword die by the sword. Anyway I thought the butler kid made a great play on Green. Izzo thought it should have been a foul but he leaned back to avoid the contact and timed it perfect. Be nice if Evan Smotrycz developed in to this kind of player.

“Green gets clotheslined catching a pass like the Butler guy is Jack Tatum ” DeShawn and Manny can probably talk about the same experience. I saw way too much one sided officiating this year it’s kinda nice to see it go against them. Be nice if no team had to deal with it but the NCAA doesn’t seem to care.

Still, I thought MSU could have given Duke more of a game. I am not at all surprised that the line is Duke -6.5

The more I saw of last night’s game, the more I felt Monday night will be a coronation for Duke.

Ann Arbor.com talked to David Brandon on the Michigan basketball program, facilities, etc.:

http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-basketball/michigan-athletic-director-david-brandon-sees-promise-in-the-michigan-basketball-program/

If Deshawn wasn’t fouled at the end of the MSU game at Crisler when he was held/hacked, then Sparty shouldn’t complain about last night. Refs swallow their whistles at the end unless it’s blatant; it sucks when your team is on the wrong end.

I’m rooting for Butler, but Duke will be too much for them most likely.

Agreed that Duke is more talented…but wasn’t Syracuse pretty talented?

Anyways, this guy doesn’t seem like the immediate OFFENSIVE guy that we want, but he does seem like a 6’11 kid who we need on DEFENSE. That being said, I’d still take Williams. I hope Brundidge recruits him too (aren’t they on the same AAU team?)

same aau team, close friends, etc etc

after watching the Plumlee and Amir Williams videos I hope Williams is #1 priority then Plumlee!!!

When comparing videos… Amir is playing against Pioneer and Southeastern… Not quite the Winter Park team that dominated Florida competition all year and was in a tournament of the top 8 HS teams in the country.

That being said, Amir’s offensive game seems a little but further along and his body is also more developed physically at this point.

It will be interesting to see how they play this summer.

I watched the game and thought that Plumlee looked pretty fundamentally sound on the defensive end. He moved his feet pretty well for a man his size. He also looked pretty good running in the open court. Offensively, he looked pretty bad. His post moves looked really mechanical and not fluid in my opinion.

Something to note is that his team runs a VMI style run-and-gun offense. In fact, the Holmes twins (they graduated from VMI last year) were graduates of Plumlee’s school.

Not meaning to be disrespectful but where the recruiting Knucklehads rank Plumlee or any prospect doesn’t mean squat to me. I look at it but ultimatelt it comes down to the kids skills– I guarentee Plummee would be higher ranked at the end of next year if he goes to Duke or Carolina as opposed to Michigan, that’s a fact. Those services are based down in the triangle area of North Carolina and cater to the “Regal Society” of college basketball.

That being said I would love for Michigan to lock-up a commitment from Mr Plumlee as soon as he returns from Germany but Marshall is far from a finished product. He’s raw offensively, he’s weak in the upper body but he has good quickness, appears to be coordinated and he runs the court well. The question remains how quickly is he going to mature at the college level ? But at the very least Plumlee is going to be a force on the boards and on the defensive end of the court and a valuable garbage man offensively.

Whats the old adage ? You can’t teach someone to be 7-foot, either they are or they aren’t. Plumlee is going to be a significant three year contributor wherever he goes– hopefully thats to U-M !!!

Semi off topic, but where do you guys think UM basketball will be at in three years? If we do get one of these big guys, and CB, and next year’s recruits, you guys think we could make a run for 2nd or st place in the big ten in a few years?

Not knocking Plumlee at all just feel Amir would be more help right away!

3 years michigan is going to be very good……….they are going to be a team full of upperclassmen meaning plenty of game experience and physically more capable than any michigan team in a very long time…….im expecting michigan to be very very good in 3 years

Getting Amir with CB would be big in different ways. Not only are they good players, but the whole winning an instate battle on a kid that REALLY matters would be big. Izzo has been able to pick who he wants, while the other kids just leave the state. If ..and I say IF, JB can land Trey, and Amir I believe the critics (especially locals) will lay off of him not being able to recruit the state.

[...] Plumlee’s Christ School team lost in the Rise Invitational (video), Plumlee hopped on a plane and headed straight to Germany to play with team USA in the Albert [...]