2011: Johnny B's Make-or-Break Recruiting Class

Most people can foresee that the upcoming 2010-2011 Michigan basketball season will be a struggle. If you didn't know, allow me to refresh you with a simple equation:

Losing Team+ a bunch of decent freshman- leading scorer - leading rebounder= _________


I hate to sound too much like the kid who screams out answers before the teacher asks the class, but acceptable answers here are: uh-oh, damn it, a worse team, and do we really have to talk about the 2010-2011 Michigan Wolverines basketball team?

No. We do not have to talk about the 2010-2011 Michigan Wolverines (not yet anyway), because I believe that a true reflection of where a John Beilein coached team is headed is not exemplified by next year's team, but rather, is captured in the 2011 recruiting class. In essence, if you haven't been following basketball recruiting for the class of 2011, then you should. Currently, Beilein has only one commit, but is in the hunt for some premium talent. If all goes well, it could be the beginning of a flowering Michigan Basketball program under John Beilein.

What we have committed(according to scout):

6'1" Shooting Guard- Carlton Brundidge **** (Southfield, MI)
- Carlton is a scorer unlike any other we've seen at the University of Michigan in the past few years in the sense that does not have a lanky build like Manny Harris or Deshawn Sims. Sure, we've seen the undersized David Merritt drain the occassional 3-pointer, but this kid is a SCORER. He can't grab rebounds like Manny Harris, he isn't as tall as Darius Morris, but he puts the rock in the circular file. Remember this name, because he will surely impress when he sports the maize and blue.


What we have a decent shot at:

6'9" Center- Amir Williams **** (Beverly Hills, MI)
- While it is true that Michigan is competing with basketball powerhouses such as UNC, Duke, and Michigan State for this kid, Michigan still holds a few wild card factors that could play into its favor when attempting to land this kid. 1) He is a local kid. 2) He is friends with Carlton Brundidge (see above), and has done interviews with Carlton in which Carlton openly admits that he constantly recruits his AAU teammate Amir to come to Michigan. 3) He goes to Detroit Country Day. Now, the last time I checked, Michigan got a 6'9" center from DCD about 20 years ago and he went first overall in the NBA draft (I'm just saying...).

7'0" Center- Marshall Plumlee **** (Arden, NC)
- How John Beilein has found a way to maneuver Michigan into being one this kid's 3 "high interest" schools continues to baffle me, but I won't complain. Marshall Plumlee, whose two older brothers Miles and Mason just won a title at Duke, is a kid with size, versatility, and scoring ability. As mentioned, I'm not sure how John Beilein has slid Michigan into the race for this kid, but whatever he's doing, I like it.


What we have an outside shot at:

6'10" Power Forward- Cody Zeller ***** (Washington, IN)
- Yes, Michigan is in the hunt for a 5 star (according to scout) recruit. Much like Plumlee, I have no answers for how Beilein got into this position, but I do know this: Michigan is one of this kid's top 7 schools, and he has said in an interview that John Beilein is a guy that he could see himself playing for.



Yes, there is a still a lot of work to be done, and yes, star ratings are not perfect determinants of a player's potential. However, if your maize and blue heart is empty after a fruitless basketball season last year (and potentially one this year), I encourage you to look to the future. There is no guarantee that Michigan will land any of the non-committed recruits above, but if it could land one to compliment Brundidge, along with a 3 star supporting cast, John Beilein may be ready to take this program to the next level.

Listen: Michigan Softball in the NCAA Super Regionals

The Round of 16 for the NCAA Tournament has arrived and Michigan will be hosting the Super Regionals. Listen in live as the Wolverines host the Lady Vols of Tennessee for a ticket to Oklahoma City and the Women's College World Series!!

To listen to each broadcast, click HERE! Click on the WCBN Sports Stream link
Thursday (7:30 P.M.)

Friday (4:30 PM)

Saturday (7:00 P.M.): If Necessary

Go Blue!

Listen: Michigan Baseball vs. Iowa

Due to the impending weather on Sunday, Michigan will play a doubleheader today against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Wolverines enter play tied for first place in the Big Ten with a 6-3 conference record.

To listen to each broadcast, click HERE!

Friday (2:30 P.M.): RHP Alan Oaks (4-4, 3.60) vs. LHP Jarred Hippen (2-3, 3.86)

Friday (Game Two): LHP Bobby Brosnahan (4-3, 4.26) vs. RHP Nick Brown (2-4, 7.27)

Saturday (1:00 P.M.): TBD

Go Blue!

Listen: Michigan Baseball vs. Bowling Green

Tune-in to WCBN Sports for the only way to hear Michigan baseball's mid-week contest vs. the Bowling Green Falcons!

Goodbye Mr. Fresh?

News has recently been surfacing that suggests that junior guard Manny "Fresh" Harris is ready to leave the University of Michigan Men's basketball program for the NBA. According to sources, Harris will observe his draft prospects in the near future and, by the deadline of April 25th, is likely to declare for the NBA draft. If Harris decides to declare for the NBA draft, however, as long as he remains agent-free, he has until June 14th to change his mind.

While it seems like Harris, a Detroit native with a big family, could obviously use the financial comforts that come with being an NBA draft pick, I question whether Harris was impressive enough last year to even be an NBA draft pick at all.

Let's start with some statistics: 18.1 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, 6 rebounds per game.

I will acknowledge that these numbers are good, but are they NBA worthy? Even if the reader's response is yes, let's also consider the fact that Harris' team went 15-17 last season (ouch), Harris made slightly over 30% of his three pointers (yikes), shot 80% from the charity stripe (solid), and averaged 2.8 turnovers per game (what if every starter did that?).

Yes, Harris is a great slasher. Yes, in the last 10 minutes of the season, Harris showed great poise against Ohio State. Yes, Harris can create off the dribble. But does anyone else get the impression that last year, regardless of the numbers, he just wasn't as "Fresh" as the Ohio State game at the end of the year evidenced he could be?

Is it possible that NBA scouts saw the same Manny "Stale" Harris on a 15-win Michigan Wolverines basketball team that I did in 2009-2010? The one who jacked up 3-pointers at inopportune times all season long, punched his teammate in practice (which lead to a suspension), and turned the ball over constantly?

Even a "maybe" here still gives hope that Manny Harris will return to Michigan for his senior season to regain his "fresh" form. Without Harris' friend and stud teammate DeShawn Sims, it could be a tough road. But if Harris gets honest feedback about his draft position and the NBA does not come calling as I believe it will not, Harris will have no choice but to accept the challenge of turning around a sub-500 Wolverines basketball team.

My greatest fear, however, is that Harris will have poor draft prospects, declare for the draft anyway, not be drafted, and never make the big money that he has worked hard for his entire life. I would hate to see Harris in Europe or as a mainstay in the NBA development league.

For a kid with such high potential, it would be a shame to not watch him at least attempt one more year of college, where I strongly believe he can only improve his draft position and capitalize on the monetary award that will come with the draft position improvement.

Thoughts? Feel free to share you views about the future of Manny Harris in the "comments" section.

Game of the Week Tonight

Call-in to Game of the Week on 88.3 WCBN-FM Ann Arbor from 7-10 P.M. tonight at 734-763-3500.

We'll be discussing March Madness, recapping home-openers for Michgan baseball and softball, and previewing the NCAA Fort Wayne Regional.

Michigan Softball Home Opener

Check out Michigan Softball's Home Opener vs. Bowling Green tomorrow at 3:00 P.M. on the WCBN Sports Stream and MGoBlue.com!

Michigan Softball is #5 in the nation entering play, fresh off a 4-1 effort at the Judi Garman classic. Bowling Green, out of the MAC, features junior pitcher Zada Lines, who tossed her first career no-hitter earlier this season in a 3-0 win over Dartmouth.

2010 CCHA Tournament Finals

LISTEN HERE to WCBN's call of the CCHA Tournament Finals, as Michigan seeks an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Hockey Tournament against Northern Michigan. With a win, the Wolverines would extend their streak to 20 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and become the first team with a seed worse than #4 to win the CCHA Tournament.

2010 WCBN March Madness Picks

WCBN Sports' Podcast

Michigan-LSSU Game Two Highlights

WCBN Sports' Podcast

CCHA First Round Continues Tonight

Listen live to WCBN Sports as the Michigan Wolverines hope to finish off a first round sweep of the Lake Superior State Lakers in the CCHA Tournament tonight at Yost. Use the link in the post below or go to WCBN.org and navigate to the WCBN Sports Stream.

Game Time: 7:35
Venue: Yost Ice Arena
Broadcast: WCBN Sports Stream

Listen: CCHA Playoffs First Round - Michigan Hockey vs. Lake Superior State

We are LIVE at Yost for tonight's Hockey game between Michigan and Lake Superior State. Michigan swept the Lakers over Halloween weekend in the Soo and look to repeat that performance starting tonight in the first round of the CCHA playoffs. Michigan will be playing in the first weekend of the CCHA playoffs for the first time EVER, with a trip to Munn as a reward assuming no upsets of UNO or Alaska by the two worst teams in the CCHA.

Listen Live HERE on WCBN.org's sports stream.

Andrew Seid and Jeremy Kreisberg on the call.

Go Blue!

CCHA Standings Update (2/25)

After a feel-good night at Yost featuring the final regular season home game for five Michigan seniors and a shutout performance from Shawn Hunwick (not a typo), Michigan is one win closer to a first-round bye in the CCHA Tournament...

Current Standings

1. Miami: 26 GP, 66 Pts., 20 W

2. Ferris St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

2. Michigan St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

4. Alaska: 28 GP, 45 Pts., 11 W

5. Nebraska-Omaha: 28 GP, 44 Pts., 13 W

6. Michigan: 27 GP, 43 Pts., 14 W

7. Northern Michigan: 26 GP, 42 Pts., 11 W

8. Ohio State

9. Lake Superior

10. Notre Dame

11. Bowling Green

12. Western Michigan

Michigan Hockey Begins Push Towards CCHA Title

It begins tonight. Michigan Hockey has one more shot at lengthening its streak of 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances -- the longest in the sport. We are still one week away from raising the curtains on the 2010 CCHA Tournament, which represents Michigan's lone opportunity to qualify for a tournament that will surely not afford an at-large bid to this year's group of Wolverines. But it begins tonight. Michigan welcomes Notre Dame to Yost Ice Arena in the first of a two-game, three-day home-and-home to finish the regular season. In order to receive a bye in the first round of the CCHA Tournament and a home series in the Quarterfinals, Michigan will need to win twice and get some help...

Current Standings

1. Miami: 26 GP, 66 Pts., 20 W

2. Ferris St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

2. Michigan St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

4. Alaska: 28 GP, 45 Pts., 11 W

5. Nebraska-Omaha: 28 GP, 44 Pts., 13 W

6. Northern Michigan: 26 GP, 42 Pts., 11 W

7. Michigan: 26 GP, 40 Pts., 13 W

8. Ohio State

9. Lake Superior

10. Notre Dame

11. Bowling Green

12. Western Michigan

Tiebreakers: 1. Conference Wins; 2. Head-to-Head Record; 3. Head-to-Head Goal Differential

CCHA Series' This Weekend: Notre Dame vs. Michigan, Bowling Green vs. Michigan State, Western Michigan vs. Ferris State, Lake Superior at Northern Michigan, Ohio State vs. Miami

So, what does this mean for everyone else?

1. Miami has the top spot locked up

2. Michigan State and Ferris State are playing this weekend for the number two seed. If their respective series' this weekend don't settle things, Ferris State will get the number two seed by virtue of a 6-4 goal differential in the teams' only series (played last weekend).

3. Alaska and UNO are done playing CCHA games - UNO cannot get a first-round bye, and Alaska would be the beneficiary of failures from Northern Michigan and Michigan

4. Northern Michigan can clinch the #4 seed with five points this weekend at home against the Lakers

What does Michigan need for the #4 seed?

1. Two wins - In order to jump Alaska and UNO, Michigan needs five points. Michigan would win a tiebreaker over Alaska by virtue of Michigan's 13 conference wins, so Michigan could receive the #4 seed with one regulation win and one shootout win

2. NMU must lose at least one game - if Michigan picks up all six points available to them against Notre Dame, NMU would be forced to gain at least five points against Lake Superior, as Michigan owns the conference-wins tiebreaker over the Wildcats. If Michigan wins once in regulation and once in a shootout (five points), NMU would need four points (one regulation win and one shootout loss or two shootout losses).

And then we're in?

Not even close. But, in order to have a chance at making a run in the CCHA Tournament, Michigan would be greatly aided by a first-round bye and a home series in the Quarterfinals. If Michigan can get to the Semis, they'll need two wins in front of a favorable crowd at Joe Louis Arena in order to extend their streak of consecutive tournament appearances to 20.

It won't be easy, and it's far from likely. Miami is one of the best teams in the country, and Michigan has been tremendously inconsistent this season. But this is a talented team with the best coach in the country, and our job, as fans, is to keep hope alive.

Soccer Facility Update

Via Twitter, a new set of photos popped up online today that show some progress on the new soccer facility being constructed and slated to open in Fall 2010.

New soccer facility set to open Fall 2010

The coolest thing about the new facility, though, is the inclusion of a new press box. With wireless internet, this press box would potentially allow WCBN to begin broadcasting UofM soccer and tap into a whole new audience. We'll stay with this developing story and certainly do our best to be bringing you Michigan soccer in Fall 2010.

Who Dat?

As Tracy Porter raced 74 yards for a Pick-6 with a little over 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter, you knew the game was over. You could feel the excitement all the way down in the French Quarter. These Saints are 'Aints no more: the New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl champions. Drew Brees earned the MVP honor by completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns to tie the Super Bowl record for completions. Peyton Manning had a good game of his own, going 31 out of 45 for 333 yards and a TD, but his one mistake cost the Colts the game. Does this end the discussion of Peyton Manning being the greatest QB of all time, at least for now? Did Sean Payton have the greatest Super Bowl coaching performance in history? Does Drew Brees now belong in the same echelon of QBs as Tom Brady and Manning? Who are the favorites for 2010? Listen in to Extra Points at 6:00 pm tonight as we analyze Super Bowl 44 in vivid detail.

So Rich...who exactly is this negative recruiter?

During today's football press conference, when asked about the difficulty of recruiting this year in contrast to the the past, Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez brought up the topic of negative recruiting. Negative recruiting, characterized by insulting other schools as a means of promoting one's own program, is something that is consistently present in only one school in the Big Ten, according to Rodriguez. When asked what school he was referring to later in the press conference, Rodriguez wisely responded, "I'm not gonna tell you." He then retracted his statement with, "You mean the one in the Big Ten?", he paused and smirked, "I'm not gonna tell you."

So who was it? Currently there are 9 possibilities, as Rodriguez was adamant that he was not talking about Ohio State. Too bad... there's always room for more bad blood in that rivalry. Nonetheless, there are still nine candidates to think about, and with some common sense, it's plausible to narrow it down.

Rodriguez claimed that he heard about this school recruiting negatively through the recruits that he was pursuing.And if Michigan was in the running for the same recruits as this other school, then the program must be decent. Let's face it- Michigan doesn't exactly recruit along the same lines as Indiana, Illinois, and Northwestern.

Down to 6.

There are two other clues:

1) The first, and it's an admitted stretch, is that Rodriguez, based on his hesitation and simply the fact that he brought up the topic of negative recruiting, seemed like deep down he wanted to tell the media who the school was, but knew it wasn't in his best interest. And if he wanted to tell the media, then he probably had negative feelings toward this school.

2) Rodriguez mentioned later in the press conference that there are "guys" that complain that he's trying to steal guys that are already committed.

Conclusion: Purdue

Purdue is a solid football program that has been at odds with Rodriguez ever since he "stole" Roy Roundtree from then Purdue head coach Joe Tiller in his first recruiting season with the Wolverines. Not to mention the incident last November when head coach Danny Hope approached Rich Rodriguez at midfield after the football game and confronted Rodriguez for being responsible for getting one of his players suspended.

A good program + negative feelings on both sides= a likely candidate


Please feel free to theorize any other schools that coach Rodriguez was targeting by posting your ideas in the "comments" section.

Demar Dorsey commits to Michigan

Safety Demar Dorsey has faxed his letter of intent to the University of Michigan. He is the number 2 rated safety according to ESPN. With Dorsey's commitment, Michigan's class is now complete. For a more in-depth look at Michigan's class of 2010, listen in to WCBN today at 5:15 for a special signing-day version of the Daily Sports Report.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/18960/michigan-gets-huge-boost-with-dorsey

UPDATE:

WCBN Sports would like to take this opportunity to introduce the "DREAD the DREADS" campaign. With eight players on the roster with dreadlocks - including Dorsey, Denard Robinson, and Vincent Smith - it's time Michigan built up a dreadlocks cult. I want to see this phrase on t-shirts, posters, and I want to see the Michigan Stadium student section complete with scattered dreadlocks wigs. We all know dreadlocks are a sign of superior athletic ability and general awesomeness, and it's time Michigan supports its dreadlocked demons. When opponents step onto the field at Michigan Stadium on Saturday afternoons, they WILL DREAD THE DREADS.

- Andrew G

Rashad Knight to choose Rutgers over Michigan

According to Sports Illustrated.com, FL S Rashad Knight will sign a letter of intent to play with Rutgers, after narrowing his field to Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights and Rich Rodriguez's Michigan Wolverines. Rashad Knight, a four-star defensive back, is the highest-ranked recruit from the state of Florida to commit to Rutgers. Knight is ranked as the 19th best safety in the country and the 46th best prospect in the state of Florida.

...but the real issue at stake is whether we want a player who is quoted as saying this...

"I really like what they're doing there and how they do things," Knight said about Rutgers. "I like coach Pinkham and coach Schiano a lot. In fact, coach Schiano reminds me a lot of my mom."

...and do we really want a coach who posits himself as a motherly influence on our recruits? i think i'll pass. two more cracks at a top safety come tomorrow with california's sean parker and florida's demar dorsey...

The SI.com story reads as follows:

One of the top remaining uncommitted prospects from Florida, Rashad Knight, will sign a letter of intent for Rutgers, SI.com has learned. A 5-foot-10 and 181-pound safety for Trinity Christian in Jacksonville, Knight is rated as a four-star player by Rivals.com. Knight will choose Rutgers over Michigan, where he took official visits. He also made an official visit to Auburn in December.

"I sat down with my family and talked about it -- I called the coach at Michigan to let him know," Knight said. "I just felt too comfortable at Rutgers to not go there."

Knight played safety in high school but says that Rutgers envisions him as a cornerback. Among his many offers were Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Purdue and West Virginia. He said that the recent trend of Rutgers producing NFL players helped sell him on the program. It didn't start very well, however, for the Scarlet Knights in trying to land Knight.

"A lot of coaches from a bunch of schools called here and there, but he [Rutgers' secondary coach Ed Pinkham] kept calling me so much, it started to get annoying," Knight said. "Then, after awhile, I began to feel real comfortable with him and what he was saying and our talks."

Listen: Highlights of Last Night's Classic at the Joe

A new chapter was added to college hockey's fiercest rivalry last night, as Michigan and Michigan State fought to the finish at Joe Louis Arena. After State took a 4-3 lead with four unanswered goals, Michigan had six minutes to save their season...

Listen to the highlights from WCBN Sports!