Michigan Tuesday: Trying to De-code the Injury Updates and Some Recruiting Briefs

With a new coaching staff at Schembechler Hall you get new and different things.  One of the changes has to do with injuries.  I will give you an example:

Lloyd Carr when asked about injuries would smile and give a short response like this, "next question"

Rich Rodriguez:  Put out an injury report on Thursday night listing 3 level of injuries:  Probable, Questionable and Out.

Brady Hoke yesterday on the status of Troy Woolfolk:  Were you concerned about him being a little hobbled on his ankle? “He’s fine.”

It's clear Coach Hoke leans more towards Carr's policy then Rich Rod's.  Which some will argue is a good thing, "why give your opponent more news then they need?".  Others will argue the Vegas point, which was the reason the NFL made injuries public so betting insiders wouldn't have an edge. 

It seems Odoms, Cam Gordon and Brandon Herron continued to be banged up and probably won't play against Eastern.  I am willing to bet a beer we won't see Troy either.  That guy had more tape on Saturday then my first car. 

If we are not going to redshirt the likes of Blake Countess and Greg Brown, let's hope they get some good experience this weekend.   Blake has played on special teams and Greg looked pretty good in the spring game.

Craig Roh was suffering from Mono like symptoms during fall camp.  I don't think he is 100% yet as he has ZERO tackles in two games.

Fitz continues to get banged up in every game he plays. We didn't see him at all against ND and I would say he is questionable for EMU as well.

Back to Back Noon Starts

Michigan will have two back to back noon kick offs on the Big Ten Network.  Which seems like a big change coming off a 3:30 and 8:00 kick offs.   The one thing to consider is the "jet lag" of playing SDSU at noon.   I sort of thought that ESPN or ABC might pick up the SDSU game since there is plenty of intrigue playing Coach Hoke's former team.   BTW: SDSU beat Army 23-20 last week and has Washington State this weekend before heading to the Big House (they also play TCU the week after Michigan and Boise State in November).

• Denard was named the Big Ten Player of the week.

• Brady and Chad both played well last night on MNF.  Brady played better.  They nearly combined for 1000 yards passing.

• Sports By Brooks has photos from the charity event in question for the suspended OSU players.  It seems this "charity" event has been a good gig for OSU players for a number of years.  The NCAA spent 14 months in Ann Arbor and found a couple practice overages due to stretching and non-coaches coaching.  The NCAA is spending time in C-Bus and coming up with this type of stuff.  If Toledo had scored on the final drive last week, there would be a huge meltdown in Ohio right now.

• It  will be really strange for Mike Hart to be on the other sideline on Saturday as an EMU coach.  It's a great opportunity for Mike, just feels strange.

• Vegas isn't buying MSU right now as they are a 5 point dog to ND in South Bend.  MSU played three good teams last year and went 1-2.  The two losses weren't close.

Recruiting Updates

• 5 Star Mitch McGary spent the weekend on Tobacco Road at NC and Duke.  He enjoyed both visits.  
• One thing I hadn't considered is Michigan is recruiting lineman Zach Banner for Football and Basketball.  Michigan would let him play both if he is interested.  He is 6'9 310 pounds.  So, yes please!
• Brionte Dunn visited Penn State last weekend for the Alabama game as his cousin was committing to the Wolverines.  So it seems Brionte is serious about looking around as he stays verballed to the Buckeyes.

Michigan Thursday: Recruiting Updates

Big Weekend for the Big House, lights, camera's and football for the first time.

Here is some notes from the recruiting world:

• With TRich not taking visits and sticking with Michigan, the thought was that maybe Michigan was going to back off Yuri Wright.  Nope, they still want him in this class for sure.

• Danny O'Brien's recruitment continues to look positive for Michigan.  I think he still wants to take visits but the "pull" of the Big House at night might convince him to be a Wolverine.  He will be in Ann Arbor on Saturday night.

• Jordan Payton the former USC commit will be in Ann Arbor for his official this weekend.  He is down to Michigan and CAL.   The word on the street is Michigan should have WR commit in the next week or so. 

• Not coming this weekend is WR Powe and OL Garnett.  Both want to reschedule and it seems Garnett is going to take visits after the season.  Both are on the West Coast and hard to travel across country with a game on Friday.

• There continues to be rumors that Bri'onte Dunn's verbal to Ohio is a "soft one".  He is 50/50 that he will be in A2 on Saturday night.

• Amara Darboh's legal guardian wasn't real excited about Brian Kelly's rage last weekend: “I know how emotional it gets out there,” [Dan Schafer, the guardian] said. “I understand that’s part of the game. I really do. But it did shock me. You hold Notre Dame up a little higher than that. It made me wonder how I would feel if Amara was treated like that on national TV.”

• Wow it continues to look good for a match between 5 star center Mitch McGary and Michigan Basketball.  I still don't want to think about it, because the awesomeness of M2 coming to A2 would be mind blowing.

• Current verbal Eric Magnuson will be in town on Saturday.

• There should be plenty of 2013 guys and current instate commits under the lights as well.

Michigan Tuesday: Confidence = Good Defense

You can point to many successes in life in whether you are confident or not.  Think about some job interviews you have had.  The ones you were confident in you probably got an offer, the jobs you weren't quite sure about, you probably didn't do as well.   I have coached Little League Baseball for a number of years. The kids that go into the batters box knowing they are going to get a hit, usually do.   The ones that don't - don't.  A player in a slump just doesn't forget how to field or hit, the only thing they have lost is confidence.   The Michigan defense hasn't had confidence for the past 3 years.

That lack of confidence was evident during the first 3 drives of the ball game.  It was the same old story for the Michigan defense until Jake Ryan hit the Western QB and Brandon Herron took it to the house for a touchdown.  After that pick the game changed.

Sure some things changed like scheme and defensive personnel.  Greg Mattison also realized that Western wasn't going to even try to run the ball and started blitzing from all over the field.    Those things helped Michigan on Saturday but the big difference was confidence.   You could see it in effort and how the team started to stop Western on a regular basis.  Western came into the Big House having confidence they could move the ball on the Wolverines and it happened.   Michigan's Defense didn't have any confidence they could stop any offense and they didn't.   Then the game changed and so did the confidence on both sides.

Related to this topic is Brady Hoke and some of the chatter that he wasn't wearing a head set full time on the sideline.  Good leaders are confident leaders.  They also understand their own strengths and weaknesses. Brady is a defensive guy and respects Al Borgus decision making and lets him do his job.  Brady also has one of the best defensive minds in Greg Mattison and is confident he will make the right calls.   You can draw similar examples from the business world.  Bill Gates knew he was a technology guy not a company leader or a PR guy that would need to meet with the media and Wall Street.  Early on he hired Steve Ballmer to do that stuff while he focused on building products and future technology trends and vision.  That strategy helped Microsoft become one of the most successful companies in US history. 

Having the coordinators do their job is somewhat of a foreign concept to Michigan Football.  Go back to the Carr years, when Lloyd clearly had his hands on the conservative play calls on both sides of the ball.  Same with RR, he hired two defensive coordinators and didn't let either run the defense they knew best.  (we know Bo was very hands on every part of the program, but football was a different game back then)  I think a case could be made for the last 10 years or so that what Michigan Football really needed was a head man that just let his staff do what they do best.  I guess we will see what happens from here on out.    

Michigan Updates

• Woolfolk and Cam Gordon are expected to play against ND on Saturday.
• Special Teams is going to be a focus this week.
• Michigan won't change preparation for ND on their QB situation. 
• Fitz will continue to be the starting RB
• Focus on tighter coverage in zone and will have to do better in man coverage against the Floyd's of the world this week.
• Vegas has ND is favored by 3.5 points on Saturday right now

Recruiting Updates

• Terry Richardson was at the game on Saturday and has decided not to take anymore visits and will stick and stay with Michigan.
• This weekend will be one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the year for the 2012 and 2013 class.
• Does Michigan really have a legit shot at landing 5 star Center Mitch McGary?  He had a great visit to Michigan and the answer is YES!.  Michigan will have to fight it out with college basketball elite (Kentucky, Duke, NC, Florida and others) but Michigan has a very good chance to land this young man.    I think this would be Michigan's highest ranked recruit since Tractor Traylor.

Western Michigan Re-Cap

Rainy Day Saturdays always get me down.  I wasn't at the Big House on Saturday and I was sort of glad I wasn't.  What a mess.   My feed on TV was on ESPN2 and they did a terrible job keeping up to date on the delay and when the game would be on.  I switched to ABC to watch Minnesota vs USC and they said they were going back to the Michigan game at 53 minutes after the hour.  I turned back to ESPN 2 at that time and I had missed about a minute of game time.   After the second delay, ESPN 2 went to Nascar and we had no idea if the rest of the game would have been shown or if it was which channel.   I wasn't expecting that they were going to cancel the rest of the game.

(Photo from Detnews)

Now on to the game.  How did that first WMU drive taste to you?  It felt very familiar and very disturbing to me.  I am a big fan of Carvin Johnson and even got to meet him quickly at the Gator Bowl last year, he is a nice young man.  Unfortunately,  he was confused and out of position that entire drive.   I also don't understand why you cover the Slot WR 15 yards off the line of scrimmage with no LB help.   At least move up and look like you are covering someone. 

After that first drive my first thought was, we should have taken the ball after winning the coin flip.  I did like how the new offense moved the ball mixing the spread and pro sets.   The combo between Toussaint and Shaw look to be very good when the line gives them a couple of "motor home" holes to run through.  Denard looked pretty sharp throwing the ball most of the day.  It seemed like he wasn't on the field at all, with the two defensive touchdowns and two delays it seemed like Denard only had a couple of drives. 

The defense rebounded after the Ryan QB hit and the Herron pick 6.   Which was nice to see.  It was clear that Western wanted to throw on every down and spread the Michigan defense out.  That worked for the first couple of  drives, until Mattison figured out to blitz up the middle with Demens and off the edge with Kovacs. 

A win is a win but I wish Michigan had got more work in before ND next week. 

Now to the BHB famous Cheers and Jeers Section:

Cheers:

• Production out of the RB position


• Denard Robinson playing like Denard


• Defensive touchdowns from Brandon Herron


• Jordan Kovas, 2 sacks and breaking up passes


• Greg Mattison making adjustments and finding the right blitz package


• The Michigan offensive line

Jeers:

• Mother Nature


• EPSN/ABC lost the signal a number of times during the good weather


• To quote, Bruce Feldman from the network that still employes "Craig James"


• Kick off coverage


• Missed extra point


• Woolfolk's ankles (not expected to be serious and could have played if they needed him)


• Michigan DL, I didn't see the pressure I expected to see from the D-line.  Most of the pressure came from blitzers. 

I like the balance on offense and would have liked to have seen the wide receivers get into the action more.   I also understand why you have your best players on kick off coverage but Woolfolk is maybe the most important player on defense and doesn't need to risk injury being on special teams.

What to expect next week?  The Weather Channel Bowl

I thought South Florida would play ND tough in South Bend, which had longer delays then the Michigan game.  ND probably won't turn the ball over 5 times at the Big House and they will be very hungry not wanting to go 0-2.   The Fighting Irish will be very dangerous next weekend. (they have MSU at home the week after).  The good thing is Kelly didn't get a ton of tape of Michigan's offense from Saturday.

A win is a win but Michigan sill has plenty to work with two ND and SDS coming to Ann Arbor.

Side Notes:

• It had been rumored for weeks that Hopkins would be suspended for game 1.  He was.


• Ricky Barnum was reported suspended but it came out today it was an injury. 


• Cam Gordon didn't play due to a back injury that flared up before the game.


• Freshman Brendan Beyer played and I think Clark and Countess were on special teams.  Wile kicked off and punted. 


• Michigan only punted twice


• Evans who was transferred back to Michigan this year was also suspended for a team matter. 


• Brent Musburger must be color blind.  He wore his Easter suit on Saturday night.


• Les Miles really has a hard time finishing a thought during an interview.  It's almost painful to watch.


• College football place kicking is just terrible right now, across the board.


• 5 star basketball recruit Mitch McGary watched the game with friend Zack Novak and seemed to have a good time (reported by fans sitting near them).


• Danny O was also at the game.

Michigan Tuesday: Wonders Why our 5 Star DB's are in Community College?

To follow up on the theme from yesterday, I was thinking about Michigan's Defensive Backfield is 2 of our recent 5 star DB that signed with Michigan either got to Ann Arbor or stayed in Ann Arbor. 

We all know the story of Demar Dorsey after he signed with Michigan didn't get in, tried to go to Louisville and the NCAA said no.   Demar is still in the State of Michigan playing for Grand Rapids CC.  Let's hope he gets his academic situation clear up and makes it back to D1.  (No MSU or Big Ten please).

Then comes the news that former 5 star CB/Safety prospect JT Turner has resurfaced with Scottsdale Community College.   (I would have picked Scottsdale over GR as well!).  If you remember, JT struggled with life on and off the football field at Michigan.  He really never played any quality time during games and even struggled to get time during the Spring Game.  The rumor was JT had some personal issues going on which lead him to leave the Wolverines at the start of fall camp in 2010.

JT bounced around a bit, originally trying to transfer to West Virgina (a reverse RR?) which didn't seem to work out then a small college in Ohio.   He now is at Scottsdale CC, with reports that Hawaii and ASU are interested in having him join their teams.   Good luck to JT!

These guys got me thinking about a Defensive Backfield this year with:  Dorsey at one corner and Woolfork at the other.  With JT Floyd and JT Turner at Safety.  That could have been a great backfield.  I guess it's time to move on.

Camp Buzz......................

•  Jeremy Gallon seems to be having a strong camp at WR.  I hope he can bring some big plays to  the Michigan offense and the return game. 

• Thomas Rawls continues to get praised for his effort.   Maybe he is the guy to set up at RB.  I still think the other guys in front of him will get more carries.  I am a little torn because with no running back in the 2012 class, I was hoping for a redshirt.  On the other hand if he really has Mark Ingram skills, he needs to be playing.

• Special for Uncle Ron:  A walk on making news on the defensive line is Nathan Brink who seems to be pushing Big Will for playing time.  The knock on Nathan was his weight (being too skinny).  His weight is now up to 263 pounds and is 6'5.  The buzz is he has great effort and has very good DLine skills.   Nathan is from Holland, Michigan and it would be great if he could contribute this year.  

• Highly ranked 5 star Basketball player from the 2012 class Mitch McGary will be visiting Michigan for an official visit in September.  

Michigan Tuesday: The Basketball Train Keep Rolling

This time of year, is usually reserved for Football Camp opening (less then a week away) and recruiting making decisions before their senior season starts.   Michigan has 22 players committed (including Clark the gray shirt) and it's the Michigan Basketball team that has gone back to back days with 2 commits to the 2013 class.  

Monday, 6'0 point guard from Harper Woods, Michigan - Chandler Park Academy Derrick Walton picked the Wolverines.  Derrick is obviously at instate product be another top 100 guy in the nation.  Rivals has him 88th.  DW averaged 24 points a game last year.  

Michigan now has 4 commits to the 2013 class which include:  PF Mark Donnal, SG Austin Hatch (who is recovering from a plane crash in Northern Michigan), SF Zak Irvin and now PG Derrick Harper.  

• TomVH catches up with WR Jehu Chesson who enjoyed his visit for the BBQ.  He also confirmed Michigan is looking to take two WR's in this class.

• OSU will wear Nike's new Pro Combat uniforms this year but this time against Wisconsin and not against Michigan.   The new uniforms include things like "thermoregulation" and "Deflex".  Let's hope Michigan's include things like winning and toughness.  

Wolverine Weekend Update: The BBQ Brings A 2012 Verbal for Football and One for Basketball

The Worm has finally turned as 2012 4 Star DE Chris Wormley picked Michigan over Ohio State today at the Big House BBQ. 

Chris Wormley seemly had Michigan as his #1 school for what seems like a year and he finally pulled the trigger today.   Chris is 6'5 and 250 pounds and plays fast for his size.  He is a 4 star prospect to Scouts, 24/7 and ESPN.  He is 3 stars to Rivals.    It seems some services think he is bit of a tweener on which position he might end up at.  He is a DE prospect right now but could end up as a tackle as he adds some more weight and strength.

The recruiting insiders that cover Ohio have been high on Chris for awhile and as you know a Ohio State offer is what most kids in Ohio hope for.   Chris other offers seem strange for a 4 star player of his caliber which include the likes of Indiana, Illinois, MSU, Cincinnati and Toledo.   So either the other schools didn't bother to offer a guy who was either heading to Michigan or OSU or they were unsure of his position. 

Either way, Chris has been high on Michigan fans wish list for a long time and it's nice to have him on board.   Chris will be the last DE Michigan takes in this class, unless Washington wants to commit. 

The needs still remain at DT (probably 2), 1 more offensive lineman, and a couple WR's.  With this commit, Michigan has 21 guys wrapped up in this class and will take 5 more guys.   So I assume the coaches will be pretty selected.



Michigan fans had hoped for 1 or 2 2013  commits today and one highly ranked 2012 DT whose name rhymes with Ripken.   Still could happen but nothing yet.

• Michigan Basketball also got a commitment from Zak Irvin from Indiana who picked Michigan over the likes of Butler, IU, Tennessee and Purdue.   Zak is a 6'6 small forward and a commitment to the 2013 class.   Zak is pretty much a top 100 player to all the services and the third commitment to the 2013 class.

Michigan Tuesday: Waiting is the Hardest Part

Michigan seems to be on a 3 commit watch with 3 Ohio prospects. 

First is Chris Wormely from Toledo, the rumor mill is saying he could commit at any time now.  

Second is Kyle Kalis from Cleveland, who just de-committed from OSU and the Buckeye fans are not happy.  I wonder what they are going to think if he goes to Michigan.

Third is Jarrod Wilson from Akron who is scheduled to announce on 7/8.   


Austin Hatch Update:  From Hatch's CaringBridge.org page a recent CT Scan shows no worsening in his condition, and the major objective is to minimize stimulation to allow him to heal. His Care Team is limiting visitors to immediate family only to aid in his healing.



Dr. David Bojrab, a family friend, confirmed Hatch was still in a drug-induced coma Monday. Along with a head injury, Hatch also suffered a punctured lung, a broken collarbone and fractured ribs.


"They're not going to wake him up for a few days," Bojrab, Stephen Hatch's medical practice partner, told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

Michigan is working with the NCAA on what they can and can't do.  Since Austin hasn't signed there are NCAA rules regarding his name being mentioned and how many visits he can have from Michigan coaches, etc.  They will make some type of special agreement to allow Michigan to get involved in his care and future well being.

• Great story about Michigan RB recruit Greg Garmon and beating Cancer. 

Big House Prayers Out to Austin Hatch

Austin Hatch a Michigan 2013 basketball recruit is in critical condition after a plane that his father was piloting crashed in Northern Michigan. The crash took the lives of Austin's father and step mother. Tragically, this isn't the first plane crash the Hatch family has had to deal with. In 2003, Austin lost his mother, sister, brother and family dog when a plane Austin's father was piloting hit an electrical pole in Indiana.

The Hatch family had a summer home in Northern Michigan and would travel by private plane from Ft. Wayne to Boyne. Both of Austin's parents graduated from U of M.

The latest updates on Austin's condition from mgoblog is that he is in a medically induced coma.  He suffered a broken clavicle, ribs and a fractured leg.  Along with that, both of his lungs were punctured and his skull was fractured.  There is minor swelling in his brain, but doctors claim to have it under control.  He is in critical condition, but doctors do believe they have control over the situation.  

This is time for the Michigan nation to come together and take care of one of it's own. I don't care if Austin ever plays a minute of basketball in Crisler Arena, he has lost his entire family. He is now part of the Michigan family and has a million family members looking out for him. Keep your prayers and thoughts for this young man to heal his body and mind after two un-thinkable tragedies.

Michigan Friday: Gray Shirts and Big Visits

Michigan added a "Gray Shirt" commitment from Jeremy Clark a 6'4 185 pound safety from Kentucky.   Jeremy was at Michigan's camp this week and impressed the coaches as a lock down safety.    Jeremy had a number of MAC offers and 1 BCS offer from NC State. 

Some of you might be wondering what a "gray shirt" means?:  It means that Jeremy will join the 2012 class but he will pay his own way until January or maybe even the next school year.  After that they will give him a scholarship or earlier if one becomes available.  

This is a nice find for the Wolverines.  "Yes, I'm a Wolverine," he reported. "After talking with my dad last night, we kind of knew where we were going."



Clark says after camping at Michigan, he knew it was the right school regardless of when the scholarship would be there.

"I felt at home at Michigan. The coaching staff was good and I fell in love with it there."


As far as what the plan would be for next year and beyond, Clark simply stated, "We haven't talked about that yet."

• OL Eric Olson that visited Ann Arbor recently, committed to Northwestern today.

• It seems that Kalis had a good visit to Ann Arbor today but did not commit.  He is headed back to home now.  No word on Wormley yet.

• There are rumors flying around that Michigan could get commitments this weekend from Kalis, Wormley and Jarrod Wilson.  Now that would be a recruiting "Hat Trick"!  Update:  Jarrod Wilson has set his announcement for July 8th at 2:30 at his high school.

• Walk on News:  Michigan has accepted 2012 walk on from Lake Forest (Ill.) WR Bo Dever.  Bo was named after Bo Schembechler and his dad played at Michigan. 

Congratulations to Darius Morris on getting drafted.  I know he was upset that he was drafted in the second round but he has a great opportunity to go home and play for the Lakers that need a point guard.  I wonder if Darius will get advice on an agent from Kobe and hire former Wolverine Basketball Player now agent Rob Pelinka.

Michigan Thursday: Now The Basketball Team in Doubleing Up

If your in Ann Arbor these days maybe you should buy 2 lottery tickets or maybe 2 ice cream cones (I recommend the Washtenaw Dairy) .  It seems recruiting for Michigan's two major sports continue to happen 2 by 2. 

Wednesday was no exception as John Beilien's squad added two 2013 recruits with the commitments of Austin Hatch a 6'6, 214 pound wing from Canterbury, Indiana and Mark Donnal a 6'9, 200 forward out of Wayne, Ohio.

Austin is your classic John Beilein "sleeper" recruit that is pretty much under the radar on the recruiting sites but a guy with a skill set that Beilein loves.  Mark on the other hand is pretty well known and is ranked in the top 100 by ESPN. 

Both gave their verbal commitment today, which also happened to be the first day they could receive and accept offers.   Look for Michigan to add at least one more player to this class and the smart money is on Flint's Monte Morris.

Monte, Mark and Austin were all at Michigan's elite camp last week. 

• TomVH says that Stanford but not Washington will make it to Ann Arbor this weekend.

• Mass Offensive Lineman, Eric Olsen is near a decision on his future school

• Jordan Diamond was in town for the Sound Mind and Sound Body camp and stopped by A2 for a quick visit with the coaches.  He is planning to be back in Ann Arbor later this week.

• Remember Ron Thompson? The guy that was very high on Michigan before 2 guys took his position.  Well it seems Ron is back on Michigan's radar and he might even visit this weekend.

Michigan Thursday: Big House Briefs

• Ray Small former OSU Buckeye says: "They have a lot (of dirt) on everybody," Small said, "cause everybody was doing it." Regarding selling rings and getting good deals on cars.  "It was definitely the deals on the cars. I don't see why it's a big deal," said Small, who identified Jack Maxton Chevrolet as the players' main resource.  Tic Toc Coach Tressel, Tic Toc.   The NCAA isn't going to reduce USC's penalties, which is another sign that OSU will not get off easy.  This isn't going away like the Clarett situation did.

• Michigan Offensive Line recruit Jordan Diamond, canceled his trip to Auburn.   Let's hope that is good news for Wolverines!

• Ohio DE Tom Trobel's Ann Arbor visit reaction: I'm starting to narrow schools down now. Michigan's in the top with schools like Ohio State, Stanford, and Notre Dame. Academics are big for me.

• Jalen Rose, pleads guilty to DD in Detroit.

• Purdue Game is Homecoming and set for 12:00 kick.  Expect ESPN to cover it on TV.

• Michigan Basketball signs a home/home with Iowa State. 

Michigan Friday: Hopes They Look Better at Night

Michigan has some "Night" News

Michigan will play Northwestern at 7:00 CDT on the BTN in October.  The game is at Northwestern.

The older news is that Michigan and ND will wear "throw backs" jerseys for the first night game at the Big House.  Per the Freep, here are possible mock ups. 

I'm not so sure about these.  Maybe they will look better on Roy Roundtree at night?  Right now, I think these shirts should be worn at night but as pajamas. :)

• David Molk is on the Rimington Award Watch List.
• RIP Tractor a story on how emotional his service was. 
• The Michigan Regents approve the schematic designs of the new Crisler Arena.  Check out the photos here, it looks really cool!
• Seems 2012 CB Armani Reeves has a top 2 of Michigan and Penn State.   

Michigan Friday: Big House Briefs

• Thanks to reader Richard:   Mike Barwis has opened a new training facality in Michigan.  Here is a link to his new blog.

• Gus Johnson seems to be leaving CBS and maybe headed to Fox/Big Ten Network.  That would be a huge win for the Big Ten.  Gus has made it known he is a Michigan fan and I would love to hear him do some Michigan Football games.

• TomVH reports that Michigan has offered 2012 Illinois DT Jaleel Johnson.

• Michigan's incoming freshman Trey Burke went from the future point guard to potenital starting point guard and he hasn't even tried on his Michigan jersey yet.   

• Mallet's dad said that Lloyd Carr told Ryan and family to look at other options once RR got the job at Michigan.  I find that hard to believe.   

• Threet is still suffering from his concussions he suffered last year.  He is helping the team as a student assistant for ASU. 

• 5 star RB and soft verbal to OSU Bri'onte Dunn is expected to be in Ann Arbor today for a vist. 

Wolverine Wednesday: Wishes Darius Good Luck

Reports on many sites are saying that Darius is planning to stay in the draft and not return to Michigan.  Which is really bad news for John Beilein's club.   Darius was one of the most improved players in the country this year from his Freshman to Sophomore year and he feels he is ready for the NBA.  
Initial reports are that Darius is still outside of the first round (or maybe a late first rounder) so this information is still a head scratcher for me.   The NBA is looking at a lock out and many top players are deciding to stay in school rather then risk months of not playing ball.   Don't forget, this isn't the NFL draft and if your not a lottery pick you could struggle to make a team.  I think playing at Michigan would be a much better option then the possibility of the D league.


With that said, I hope Darius makes a team and has a long NBA career.   It's just too bad with the upside the Wolverines would have had with him in the fold next year.  Good luck D Morris!

• If your interested in the NCAA Compliance Letter that Tressel signed which will probably cost him his job, here it is from Sportsby Brooks.

• Michigan continues to be in Armani Reeves top group.  Armani is a 4 star CB out of Mass.
• TomVH has a interview up with 2012 Athlete DJ Foster.

• If your wondering, Justin Boren was not drafted and will be looking for a free agent offer when the lock out is lifted. 

Michigan Tuesday: Old Faces New Places

We all knew that Kaleb Ringer is releated to former MSU star Javon Ringer.  Here is what Javon had to say about Kaleb committing to the Wolverines:  I tried (to get him to MSU). I definitely wanted him to do what was best for Kaleb. I wanted to make sure that he took all his visits and went to all the different schools so he could find the best fit for him and to go to a place that he could get some playing time right away.


I do not like that it is Michigan and I don’t have a problem saying that. I’m not a big fan of Michigan with me going to Michigan State. I have a lot of respect for Michigan. No matter how much you dislike them, they’re a great team.


I still know some of the players who played there. I will support my nephew. I hope that he does great. I pray that I left a good enough legacy at Michigan State and I’m pretty sure that Kaleb will do that same thing at Michigan.


Whatever happened to Michigan's Walk-on QB from Pioneer Nader Furrha?  Well, he didn't last long at Michigan.  He was a back up at Riverside City College last year and now has accepted a scholarship offer to play at Morgan State next season. “I thought I was going to get more opportunity (at Michigan), it didn’t work out so I moved on,” Furrha said. “It was hard leaving, but it was a move I had to make for myself.”

UMass rode the wave of their good performance at the Big House to a invitation to the MAC Conference.   The official announcement is expected tomorrow at 5:00.

We knew Michigan's Basketball's 2011/2012 incoming recruiting class is strong but is it really this good?  MaxPreps did their top 100 and look how Michigan did:  #62 Carlton Brundidge - PG,   #82 Trey Burke - PG, and #100 Max Bielfeldt, PF/C.  Carlton and Trey are not big surprises but Max wasn't even rated by Rivals or Scouts - zero stars and he is a top 100 player on MaxPreps!  Sounds good to me! 

Michigan Thursday: A Wolverine at Augusta National

Rarely do we get a chance to cheer for a Wolverine at the Masters.  Even if your not a golf fan, this week you can support Lion Kim a U of M golfer that will be one of six amateurs in the field today at Augusta National.  Lion earned the invite by winning the 85th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship last summer.  "Obviously, I'm extremely excited," said Kim, who ranks second all time at U-M with a career scoring average of 73.30 strokes per round. "I feel my game is at a good place right now and I'm getting to where I can compete at The Masters. It's exciting but it's also pretty nerve-wracking to know that you're playing on the biggest stage in golf."  Lion is playing with Davis Love and José María Olazábal today.

If your a golf fan you don't need another reason to watch the Masters.  If your not, please tune in and support Lion and maybe you can see why so many of us love this sport.   Augusta National is a special place and I got chance to be at the tournament 3 years ago.  It's a perfect golf course and that pretty much sums it up. 

On a side note:  Maybe this is the guy RR kept talking about when he kept referencing the Lion King movie? :)  Good Luck Lion and Go Blue!

• From a good news to sad news:  The Michigan Men community lost a member yesterday, with the passing of Vada Murray to his fight to cancer.   Vada as you know was a Wolverine Safety from 1988-1990 and then a Ann Arbor Policeman after he graduated.  RIP Michigan Man, RIP.

• The Michigan Hockey Team is in the Frozen 4 Tonight.  Go Blue!

• Michigan Football Walk On News:  Michigan has added a new offensive line recruit for the 2011 class.  Gary Yerden has accepted a invitation to be a preferred walk-on at Michigan.  Gary is a 6'6 330 pound offensive lineman with only one year of football under his belt at Portage Northern.  Gary has a high upside with his lack of football experience but guess what?  The kid is strong!  He is the 3 time State Champion in weightlifting by dead lifting a state record 630 pounds.  Wow! Sounds like a great pick up.

• ESPN is saying Michigan's Basketball preseason ranking should be #16.  I would agree if Darius Morris stays in Ann Arbor.   

• TomVH has an interview up with 2012 TE prospect Evan Baylis.

Super Saturday: Michigan Gets Two More Commitments

Michigan got it's first verbal commitment to the 2012 football class on Thursday.  The Basketball Team also got it's last 2011-2012 scholarship filled on  Friday when Max Bielfeldt hoped on board the Beilein train.

You would expect a boring day from both programs, right?  Wrong.

Both picked up verbals again today. 

Basketball:

Nik Stauskas joined Glenn Robinson III as the second commitment for Michigan's 2012 class.  Nik is a 6'4 shooting guard that is rated 3 stars by pretty much every service but has a very nice offer list that includes Butler, Kansas, Iowa State, and Wake Forest. 

UMHoops has a complete write up on Nik and his potential.


Football:

Remember when Michigan didn't have any commits and needed a ton of offensive lineman?  Well, that was Thursday morning and now Michigan has 2.  The latest is Caleb Stacey a 6'4 280 pound offensive lineman from Cincinnati.  "I just got back from a visit to West Virginia, me and my parents sat down and talked about everything. We just decided that Michigan was the right place for me. It was just the place I felt best and I felt comfortable."

Caleb isn't ranked by any of the services yet but still had a decent offer sheet that included pretty much every MAC school, BC, NC State, Wake, WVU, and South Florida. Michigan is looking to take maybe 5-6 offensive lineman in the 2012 class and they are now off to a flying start.   With Ben Braden late on Thursday and now Caleb on Saturday.


More News:

• Darius Morris has decided to file for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent.  If he doesn't sign with an agent or sign an endorsement deal he can come back to Michigan.  I think "the butterfly" could use one more year at least.  Darius really improved his game this year, but still needs to work on his jump shooting skills.   If he adds a "J" he will be a more complete NBA prospect.

• An update on Matt Godin's recruitment from Matt's brother:  Just got off the phone with my dad, who is at EMU today with Matthew for a track meet.  Tom Lemming is in Ann Arbor this weekend, and he made it out to EMU to meet my brother.  Lemming told Matthew that he'll be recommending him for both the Army and UA All-American games.  My dad also told me that he and Matthew are probably heading over to Ann Arbor after the track meet to visit with the coaches.  Let's hope Matt is Michigan's 3rd commitment.

Max is Blue!

Max Bielfeldt 6'8 220+ pound forward from Illinois has picked the Wolverines, just seconds ago. 

He is a 2011- 2012 recruit and will be playing for the Wolverines next year.  He felt comfortable with the coaches and players in Ann Arbor. 

Welcome Max!  Too early for the Mad Max nickname?  Michigan Max?  :)

Michigan Thursday: Spring Football Information

Brady Hoke had a press conference yesterday and updated the media mostly on injuries:

-Christian Pace is doing individual drills only.
-Molk has a hamstring tweak.
-Troy Woolfolk is doing a little group work, mostly individual.
-JT Floyd doing less group stuff than Troy.
-Mike Shaw is doing alternate conditioning things, more next week.  (broken hand)

Team Stuff:
-Need more full backs
-Stephen Hopkins will do some duty there and in a two back look
- DL he spoke about Big Will, Richard Ash, and Quinton Washington.
-Probably won't play a full game for the Spring Game.
-Practicing at 5:30 AM in the morning right now

• Ray Vinopal is transferring to Pitt which is an hour away from his home.  Also where his former Michigan coaches are at.
• Former 4 star QB recruit out of Saline Joe Boisture who committed to BC then changed to MSU has decided to retire from football due to back problems. 
• Michigan Basketball 2012 incoming freshman Trey Burke has been named Ohio's Mr. Basketball.
• Here is a Detroit News Article on Sheldon Day a DT out of Indy.
• One of the top RB's in the country Brionte Dunn and a 2012 OSU commit, is planning a visit up to Ann Arbor soon.  Brionte was an early commit for OSU but the Wolverines have been recruiting him very hard.   
• 2011 Basketball Recruit Max Bielfeldt a 6'8 220 pound power forward will announce his decision on Friday at 3:30.   Down to Michigan and Illinois. 

There are rumors that Michigan Football might get it's first 2012 commitment today or tomorrow.   I will have it when the news breaks.