Archive for the 'Nate Lubick' Category

Football Friday: Wisconsin & Hoops Visits

Published
by
Dylan
on September 26, 2008
in Brandan Kearney, Football Friday, Nate Lubick, Recruits, Trey Zeigler and Uncategorized
. 8 Comments

I am more excited and hopefully about the basketball visitors this weekend than the game itself. So much so that I’m going to talk about the visitors more than the football game. First lets take a look at who is due in town and what we know:

  • Nate Lubick (PF - 2010)  - Big time power forward prospect has been to Ann Arbor several times and appears to be favoring the Maize and Blue.
  • Austin Carroll (SG - 2010) - Lubick’s teammate appears to be becoming a more serious target and will move to the class of ‘10.
  • Jordan Morgan (PF - 2009) - U-D big man and Michigan commit Jordan Morgan will be on hand selling Michigan to the other visitors.
  • Trey Ziegler (PG/SG/SF - 2010) - Dynamic 2010 guard is regarded in many circles as the best player in Michigan regardless of class. Already his second Michigan football visit this fall. Michigan, UCLA, CMUand Michigan State appear to be the main teams involved.
  • Brandan Kearney (PG - 2011) - Big 2011 point guard has been interested in Michigan for a while. Connection to the Edwards family. Tennessee, Kentucky, MSU, Syracuse, and Ohio State are all involved in his recruitment. 
  • Other young visitors like Christian Vaughn, and Percy Gibson are also going to be on campus in what should be a huge recruiting weekend for Michigan. 
  • I don’t think Lubick will drop this weekend but it’s still a huge weekend getting arguably the top three targets on the recruiting board on campus together. Maybe the dominos start falling but predicting that might be getting a little ahead of ourselves. Hopefully the atmosphere is great though, Big Ten opener, Michael Phelps, and maybe a win??
Now for some football links:
The Wolverines are huge underdogs at home against Wisconsin obviously but I think that the offense looked miles better against Notre Dame than the rest of the season. The defense… not so much. Hopefully the team can win one for the hoops squad but I’m going to have to go with Wisconsin 24 - Michigan 13. My player of the game: Travis Beckum. Let’s hear your predictions and thoughts about the hoops visitors.

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Wednesday Notes

Published
by
Dylan
on September 24, 2008
in Brandan Kearney, John Beilein, Matt Vogrich, Nate Lubick, Recruits and Trey Zeigler
. 7 Comments

Beilein: Better days ahead for U-M men’s basketball

The Grand Rapids Press covers Beilein’s talk with local high school coaches on the west side of the state. There are a couple good quotes from Beilein as he talks about the future of the program.

Failure is a fertilizer for growth, so we have to embrace failure,” Beilein said. “You will love the product we will eventually put out there. If you have one eye on yesterday and one eye on tomorrow, we will get cross-eyed today. You have to seize today.

It also appears that Beilein is happy coaching here, even after the rough start:

“I have finally come to a place that I love,” Beilein said. “I have said that there are only two places I would rather coach at. One is an orphanage, because I wouldn’t have their parents bothering me. And second, a prison, because I wouldn’t have to worry about the alumni coming back.”

There is more good stuff in the article so read the whole thing.

Hoops recruiting notebook: Several updates ($)

The Wolverine takes a look at Matt Vogrich’s recruitment and has updates on a couple new big men targets.

Big Visit Weekend

I’ve mentioned this recently but this weekend is setup to be a huge recruiting weekend for the hoops team. Lou Dawkins is reporting that Nate Lubick, Trey Ziegler, Brandan Kearney, Christian Vaughn, and Percy Gibson are all due in Ann Arbor this week (Austin Carroll will also visit with Lubick I believe). I had heard Kearney was due in for the Illinois game but he could be coming for both. It would have been great to have Darius on campus this weekend as was originally planned but we will have to settle for Michael Phelps to generate excitement. Hopefully the football team can win one for the hoops team.

Millen out as Lions president, GM

Finally.

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Recruiting: East Coast Update

Published
by
Dylan
on September 21, 2008
in Brandan Kearney, Cameron Ayers, Matt Vogrich, Nate Lubick and Recruits
. 1 Comment

The Hoop Group has a great update on the Fall Jam Fest, an annual tournament which includes teams from across the northeast. There were quite a few Michigan targets in attendence including a few we have heard plenty about and a few who have been a little off the radar. 

You can’t talk Michigan east-coast recruiting without Nate Lubick. Lubick’s New England Playaz team was in attendence at the Jam Fest however his play was restricted by an early ankle injury.  When talking schools Lubick listed Georgetown, Michigan Virginia, Stanford, and Wake Forest as the ones “coming on him the hardest”.

The most interesting quote for me is that when asked if Lubick had a “dream school” he answered  “not really“, of course he doesn’t say who but Lubick has been rumored a Michigan lean for a while now… The 2010 power forward is due on campus for the upcoming Wisconsin game. 

Pennsylvania top 100 (2010) shooting guard Cameron Ayers also lists Michigan as one of his top 2:

 “I like Georgetown [and] Michigan so far. That’s really it.”

Ayers is injured and didn’t play this weekend but Google stalking yielded some video of his Germantown high school team and a post game interview. Also an ESPN scouting report:

He doesn’t force shots, knows when to push tempo and protects the ball with his life. Newcomers will take notice of his range from the permiter, but followers will notice his mid-range game is great. A bonifide shooter, Ayers reads defenses well and comes off screens with a vengance.

Austin CarrollAnother guy mentioning U-M was Nate Lubick’s teammate, Austin Carroll. Carroll is a guard who plans to reclassify to the class of 2010.

“I’m [going to PG for] a year too, so I’ll be in the class of 2010 . . . somewhere in Class A in New England,” said Carroll, with his reasoning being that he has “been injured since March . . . [and] wants to get another year [and] it won’t hurt either.”

Carroll listed Michigan and Davidson as his favorites and mentioned a late-September visit (planned for this weekend with Nate Lubick). Here is some jerky video of Carroll’s (#22) team against Devin Ebanks’ team. Here is what ESPN has to say on Carroll:

Austin, the son of former Celtics’ coach John Carroll, is an excellent spot shooter, especially coming off screens. His court IQ and passing ability makes him comfortable at either guard position. Plays his best in a structured offense although his transition game shows progress when he sees the floor on the move. Plays with a lot of determination and savvy.

Austin has a great basketball IQ and makes everyone on the floor better. This combo guard see’s the floor well and play’s hard. A real team player who is also a good shooter and displays great passing skills. He lacks explosiveness on moves to the glass but having said that he is not afraid to put it on the floor and take it to the hoop. Overall, a great teammate who is very unselfish.

Beilein has been hitting both coasts hard, the east coast makes sense because that is where his roots are all the way up the ladder from Erie CC, Nazareth, LeMoyne, Canisius, Richmond, to West Virginia. Beilein is also still working hard on the west coast including recruiting 2009 PF Anthony Stover ($) who just transferred to play with Darius Morris at Windward (he can dunk).

Hopefully the knock that he hasn’t been recruiting Michigan will start to wear off. Especially when you read the recent updates on in state players like Brandan Kearney ($) and Trey Zeigler ($) who are both due in for visits. The only bad news is that Darius Morris had to alter his visit schedule ($) and won’t be in this week with Zeigler and Lubick as was originally planned. Still there is no need to worry about Darius wavering because the kid is true blue.

And finally a don’t forget about me video, this is an interview with Matt Vogrich from this summer:

One more note, the hot board is being redesigned and will be back this week including a complete hot board for the 2010 class.

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Thursday Links & Notes

Published
by
Dylan
on September 11, 2008
in Manny Harris, Nate Lubick, Recruits and Will Barrett
. 0 Comments

One more note, I talked to Bill Martin at CAA Insider and he gave me his overall opinion of Will Barrett’s game:

Will is a player who has a lot of potential. From the first time I saw him he stood out because at 6-8 he could handle the ball and take it to the hoop. He is also fairly athletic and can shoot from the outside.

That being said, when I have seen him he has not played up to that potential. He does not dominate a game like he should with his size and skill set.

Right now I see Will as a high mid-major range player. He is definitely not a player I would expect to come in right away and significantly contribute at Michigan’s level. He could develop into a high major player, but I do not believe he is at that level yet.

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Recruiting Notes: Introducing Will Barrett and Other Notes

Published
by
Dylan
on September 8, 2008
in Brandan Kearney, Matt Vogrich, Nate Lubick, Recruits, Trey Zeigler, Uncategorized and Will Barrett
. 17 Comments

Will BarrettA new name on the radar, Will Barrett, a 6-8 class of 2009 combo forward from Central Bucks South HS in Pennsylvania. According to CAAInsider, Barrett has an offer:

Barrett has now narrowed his list down to, Michigan, Princeton, Columbia, Davidson, Bucknell and William & Mary. All 5 schools have already extended scholarship offers.

Here is what Hoopville had to say on Barrett’s play at the Summer Classic East:

His stock probably rose more from this event than anyone else, and justifiably so as he had a solid day on Friday. The lanky combo forward showed some promise early, as he was active, blocked shots and showed ball skills and the ability to finish getting the ball off of a cut. Then he turned up the volume on each and scored on drives and from long range, going for 23 points in his last game of the day. Big East coaches are paying attention, although he might not quite be at that level as a high-major minus prospect.

ESPN also has a very positive opinion on Barrett’s game, giving him a 72 rating:

Barrett has effectively made the transition from a face-up four man to a true three man. He has tremendous size for the perimeter and is a huge mismatch problem for opposing defenses. Although his jump shot remains somewhat streaky with skewed mechanics, he has improved to the point where he is a legitimate threat from behind the three-point line when his feet are set, as well as off the dribble from 12-18 feet. His ability to handle the ball has also noticeably improved in recent months as he handles it in the open floor, is rarely rattled by pressure, and can put it on the deck to get to the rim. Although he isn’t explosively athletic he is very efficient getting to the basket, because he has a long first step and strides out all the way to the rim. His back to the basket pedigree is a huge advantage when guarded by smaller players as he can score over either shoulder on the low post. Barrett also does a number of the little things well on the offensive end as he shows his high I.Q. and good feel for the game by passing well and moving without the ball. His size and length makes him a solid defensive player, although he still has plenty of room for improvement. He also rebounds the ball very well from the perimeter. Physically, he has a cut body, but plenty of room on his frame for more muscle mass.

Barrett was on campus this weekend and reportedly had a great time. Looking at the offer list, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Barrett jump on the Michigan offer very soon. We will have to see in the next couple weeks if Barrett set’s any time frame for his decision.

Underclassmen. I also got an email from Jamal Richards who is starting a new scouting service in Michigan called We Fly High Ballers. They will be ranking the top kids in Michigan from 2009-2012. He also forwarded me a list of visitors from this weeks football game and tailgate which included: Brandan Kearney 6′4 CG 2011 Detroit Southeastern, Trey Ziegler 6′5 CG 2010 Mount Pleasant, Anthony Fields 6′0 PG 2010 Detroit Southeastern Transfer from Lake Orion, Percy Gibson 6′8 PF 2011 Detroit Southeastern, Carlton Brundidge 6′1 2G 2011 Southfield High, and Ray Lee 6′0 2G 2012 Robichuiad. Some big names in the list including Trey and Brandan who we have talked a lot about.

Continue reading ‘Recruiting Notes: Introducing Will Barrett and Other Notes’

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Friday Links

Published
by
Dylan
on September 5, 2008
in CJ Lee, Matt Vogrich, Nate Lubick and Zack Novak
. 2 Comments

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Schedule, Tickets, and Recruiting

Published
by
Dylan
on September 2, 2008
in 2008-2009 Season, Matt Vogrich, Nate Lubick and Schedule
. 2 Comments

First off, the schedule still has not been released and according to an e-mail I received this weekend won’t be for some time. For the time being we will have to just stick to what we know so far. I also got a email that claims we will open the Big Ten season against Wisconsin and confirmed UConn, Seton Hall, and Duke games.

Another note about next year, there has been changes to the student ticket policies. According to Michigan Sports Center, there will now be new student sections. The configuration this year will be student tickets in the bleachers behind the benches for $99, tickets behind the basket with the band and in the gold section will be free.

Recruiting notes from Saturday’s game. Lou Dawkins of BOTB Scouting reported this visitor list before the game: Trey Ziegler 2010 6′5 G Mt. Pleasant, Ray McCallum 2010 6′1 PG Country Day, Alex Gauna 2010 6′9 PF Eaton Rapids, Matt Kaminiecki 2010 6′8 F Clarkston, Evan Smotrycz 2010 6′9 F New Hampton Prep (NH), LaDante Henton 2011 6′5 F Lansing Eastern, Tommie McCune 2011 6′8 F Saginaw High, Amir Williams 2011 6′10 C Country Day, Matt Poches 2011 6′4 Wing Hartland, Christian Vaughn 2012 6′2 PG St. Mark’s (Mass), Ray Lee 2012 6′2 SG Robichaud, Jordan Hare 2012 6′6 Wing Saginaw High, Kevin Marshall 2012 6′6 F Saginaw High, Dorian Dawkins 2013 5′10 PG Saginaw Central Middle. However after the game he noted that Trey, Gauna, and Lee didn’t make it in.

A few more recruiting notes:

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Recruiting Notes: Push for 09?

Published
by
Dylan
on August 24, 2008
in Matt Vogrich, Nate Lubick, Recruits and Uncategorized
. 6 Comments

Note: I finally got internet setup and working at my new apartment so updates should be a little more frequent again.

First, an update on 2009 Illinois shooting guard Matt Vogrich. Illinois Prep Bullseye is reporting that UCLA offered shooting guard Matt Vogrich a scholarship.

Ordinarily we don’t make a big deal over a particular school extending a scholarship offer or receiving an official visit from a prospective recruit, but in the case of 6′4 shooting guard Matt Vogrich from Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, IL we are making an exception. We cannot possibly overemphasize how significant we feel it is that UCLA has offered Vogrich a scholarship and even more importantly that they will receive Vogrich’s final official campus visit at the end of September.

Vogrich is really starting to blow up and this one looks like it will be a long battle. UCLA having the last visit certainly isn’t encouraging but Vogrich is a midwest kid so hopefully he stays close to home.

All things considered I’m starting to feel like Beilein will really try to use both of the two remaining scholarships in 2009 rather than bank one or two for 2010. While Beilein was at West Virginia from 2002-2007 he didn’t appear to be scared to use alot of scholarships year in and year out. Here are the number of commitments per year while Beilein was at West Virgina:

  • 2002: 4
  • 2003: 6
  • 2004: 3
  • 2005: 2
  • 2006: 7
  • 2007: 1
  • Avg of 3.8 recruits/year.

Here are the class numbers for the current kids that are here (by graduation year/after redshirts):

  • 2006: 2 (Gibson, Sims) [Amaker Class]
  • 2007: 3 (Wright, Harris, Grady) [Amaker/Beilein Class]
  • 2008: 4 (LLP, Douglass, Cronin, Novak)
  • 2009: 2 (Morris, Morgan)
  • Avg of 2.75 recruits/class.

2008 and 2009 were the first classes Beilein really recruited at Michigan, in his first two years at West Virginia he used 10 scholarships, compared to the 6 that he has used here at Michigan. Of course part of this has to do with class balance and what he inherited at West Virginia compared to in Ann Arbor. But when you see Beilein taking 6 or 7 guys in a class it doesn’t appear he is one to save scholarships for the future. I think it’s clear that Beilein is a firm believer that a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.

Here’s what Beilein had to say about a year ago when asked about adding another recruit to the 2008 class (when it consisted of only Ben Cronin):

We would like to take an 08. And if we find two kids we like in 08, we’ll take them. We’re going to plan on seeing who we recruit first. If we don’t get what we think is the right fit, then we’ll move onto 09.

In the end he added two more players to the 2008 class and also signed Robin Benzing before that situation fizzled. And about a year ago I believe people were still wanting to bank scholarships for the 2009 in-state class that was “loaded” (nearly everyone in-state in the 09 class saw their rankings plummet this summer). The bottom line is that things like transfers, non qualifiers, decommitments and whatever else can happen.

The two targets in 2009 appear to becoming focal points are Vogrich and Crump. Their recruitments should become a little more clear after visits start picking up. Both have moved into the Rivals top 150 this summer and seem to be “Beilein fits”.

A couple other links on 2009 names, Kelly Olynyk is playing well in Canadian Nationals, Ethan Wragge ($) , and a new 2009 top 100 from Scout (no Morris, Vogrich at 100).

The issue is that there is a lot of positive movement in regards to the 2010 class. We have talked about 2010 power forward Nate Lubick a lot here and his relationship with the program and Darius Morris. Just today Lou Dawkins from Best of the Best Scouting reported that Michigan is looking “really good” for both Nate Lubick and 2010 combo guard Trey Ziegler.

There are 4 remaining scholarships for the next two years combined, how would you use them? Personally I take a combo forward and the best remaining player on the board in 2009. That way Beilein still has two to work with for 2010 and as we learned this year you never know what else can happen to make more scholarships available. Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.

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Friday Notes & Links

Published
by
Dylan
on August 15, 2008
in Crisler Arena, Nate Lubick and Recruits
. 12 Comments

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Recruiting Notes: Who’s Next?

Published
by
Dylan
on August 3, 2008
in Darius Morris, Givon Crump, Kelly Olynyk, Nate Lubick, Recruits and Roger Franklin
. 14 Comments

Now that Darius Morris is Blue, it’s time to refocus on the rest of the recruits on the board.

Givon Crump (SF/PF 2009). Givon Crump appears to be climbing Michigan’s recruiting board quickly. This article is from early July when Crump played very well at the RBK All American camp but I missed it then.

Crump’s father, Gino Crump, advised Arizona Preps that he received a phone call from Michigan Head Coach John Beilein immediately following the game, advising him that his son has climbed the recruiting ladder with their coaching staff significantly. While Crump has already received an official offer from the Wolverines, he could become their top recruit in the very near future.

From the same camp, the NBE Basketball Report had this scouting report on Crump:

Based on Crump’s performance against Team Rajon Rondo on Wednesday, one might draw the conclusion that Crump is one of the best shooters in the country. You would be right. Crump,a 6-foot-7 wing, has an unbelievable shooting stroke from anywhere on the court; he also has a high release which makes it unblockable. He can shoot it from deep, well behind the three-point lane. Crump also moves well without the ball, trying to get open for shots. He runs the pick-and-pop extremely well, but can also cut to the basket for open finishes in the lane. He has a good vertical leap, but does not rely on his athleticism like some other players do.

It is looking more and more like Crump is the main target on the board now that Darius verballed. We all know Beilein’s eyes light up when he sees anyone with an “unbelievable shooting stroke”. The next step with Crump is to get him on campus, a fall football Saturday visit would be nice. (Update: Here are Crump’s junior year HS stats)

Kelly Olynyk (SF/PF 2009). Beilein appears to be looking north of the border at Kelly Olynyk from Kamloop, BC.  Olynyk is a forward who is “one year from graduating” (I believe this would put him in the class of 09 but I know there have been some odd issues in Canadian high school eligibility) and missed most of his junior year with a broken arm from playing football. According to the Kamloop News, Olynyk recently got a call from John Beilein’s staff:

Earlier this week, the University of Michigan Wolverines gave him a call. It came on the heels of talks with the San Diego Toreros and the Gonzaga Bulldogs, as well as a few other programs.

Olynyk sounds like a guard who has grown into a forward and college coaches want him on the wing instead of in the backcourt. This reminds me a little bit of a guy like Robin Benzing who had more of a guard skill set in a bigger body. It has been pretty well established that Beilein values ball skills before anything else even in his forwards.

“It’s been tiring, but it’s fun,” Olynyk said. “It’s a good experience, with the travel and the games against international competition.”

In the past, Olynyk has played mostly guard for the Titans. Considering he’s still growing, his NCAA suitors are hoping to move him up to forward. “They want me to play more of a wing position,” Olynyk said. “This season, I want to play more wing. But we’ll see what we have to do to get the job done.”

USBasket lists his height at 6′8 but the Kamloop article mentions that he is “approaching 6′10″.  I would leave Olynyk on the watch list until we hear more but he is worth mentioning.

Baylor, Wall, and Udoh. The #1 player in the class of 2009, point guard John Wall is set to commit to Baylor this week. Of course Wall’s AAU coach Dwon Clifton was hired as Directory of Player Development on Thursday. Not that the hire has been made Wall “expected to announce his college decision early next week according to Brian Clifton, the director of D-One Sports and Dwon Clifton’s older brother”.

Baylor was apparently not the only school that had a job offer from Clifton, according to Rivals:

Dwon Clifton was offered coaching positions by other Big 12 schools as well as schools in the Big East and SEC.

The rumors were so strong in Vegas that Wall (and Clifton) were headed to Oklahoma State that Rivals’ Jerry Meyer claims it may have been a “smoke screen” to take attention away from Baylor hiring Clifton.

This kind of practice is far too common, just last year Texas A&M hired DeAndre Jordan’s AAU coach Byron Smith. His coaching experience includes coaching the Houston Swoosh AAU Program and interim head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters. This has been common practice for a long time, Steve Fisher hired Perry Watson because he was Jalen Rose’s high school coach.

The reason this story caught my eye is because Baylor is involved. Ekpe Udoh recently transferred to Baylor in a decision that left many Michigan fans scratching their heads. It was also pretty clear that Mitch Malone, Ekpe’s former AAU coach was the driving force in his selection.

Malone takes offense to AAU coaches being called “street agents and thugs”:

“For some reason, people think we’re street agents and thugs,” said Mitch Malone of the Texas Bluechips. “We’re not thugs. The main group of guys who have done this for years have families and deeply care about the kids in their program.”

However it’s hard to ignore that this wasn’t the cleanest situation and that Baylor has little to no problem with doing what ever it takes to land a recruit. And not just the transfer happening at all but the fact that Ekpe didn’t goto Arkansas (where coach Pelphrey loves Snoop Dogg) or seemingly natural fits of Oklahoma State (closest to home) or Oklahoma (Ekpe’s best freind from high school).

So while I don’t think we will see Malone hired at Baylor anytime soon, it is clear that Malone ran Ekpe’s re-recruitment and that Baylor will “play the game” with anyone. But at this point all you can do is shake your head but the whole ordeal still leaves a dirty taste in my mouth. The Wall commitment just makes it a little more clear what kind of things were going on behind the scenes.

Roger Franklin (SF 2009). Roger was named one of the top 15 players in Vegas by the NY Daily News. USAToday has an article with a mention of Franklin and Arizona but also mentions that Roger is a long way from a decision.

More on recruiting after the break.

Continue reading ‘Recruiting Notes: Who’s Next?’

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