Wolverine Wednesday: A Duke, A Pharaoh, A Rich and a Urban

Walk into a bar............... Just kidding.

Michigan played hard last night but couldn't get by a cold shooting first half and lost to Duke.   Most basketball people thought Michigan had a chance but wasn't favored to win the game.   So a realistic expectation for Michigan on this trip was 2-1 and they could hit that mark with a win over UCLA tonight on ESPN at 7:30.   Duke by the way, shoots the basketball like an NBA team.  When any team shoots that well, they are going to be hard to beat. 

• Pharaoh Brown, tweeted some things yesterday: "For everybody who wants to know I never de-committed from Michigan. They said they don't consider me a commit because my official visit (to Oregon). That's their policy."   "Yes I am changing my position and will be weighing all my options."  We sort of knew all this but it was confirmation, from him.  Look for Michigan to take another position player to replace Brown in this class.  It seems playing TE is what Brown wants to do in college.   It was said he would of had a shot at that position at Michigan. 

• The Urban Meyer news to OSU keeps leaking out.  Funny how that works during Michigan week.  This is no mistake folks.   Luke Fickell is said to have a job on the current staff.  Meyer is said to also be taking a number of Florida assistants.    I still don't know how you go from Florida to OSU after citing health concerns and wanting to spend more time with your family. 

• Memo to Big House Blog inmates:  Don't be concerned about this hire.  We want OSU and Michigan to be the elite programs in the Big Ten.  The Big Ten Championship Game should always have these two teams playing a re-match.  Also don't forget we had the "hottest' coach in the land come to Ann Arbor 3 years ago.  You can find him today in the desert.   Yes, some top players from Ohio will go to Columbus, but don't forget that Hoke probably has a better reputation with HS coaches in Ohio right now then even Meyer does.  Sorry Mark Dantonio that you didn't get the job.  (Don't be fooled, he would have taken that job in a New York minute)

• I watched Rich Rodriguez press conference yesterday to Arizona.  Sounded and seemed very familiar.  I like Rich Rod and thought his heart was in the right place.   I also think he can coach offense like probably only a few people in the sport.   With that said, he does not communicate with the press very well and after what we know now, he was never a good fit in Ann Arbor.   I think he will do fine in Arizona, I think his biggest challenges will be Defense and recruiting out west, which has not been a big strong point from him.   He did mention pulling the top two guys from Arizona in the past (Lewan and Roh) and will recruit AZ hard.  Coach Graham at Pitt is clearly concerned that RR will be poaching his staff.    Graham said he is not worried about Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez luring assistants Calvin Magee, Tony Gibson and Tony Dews away from Pitt. Rodriguez, hired by the Wildcats on Tuesday, was coach at West Virginia with those three assistants and brought them with him to Michigan in 2008.Gibson, who is Pitt's pass defense coordinator, also played and coached for Rodriguez at Glenville (W.Va.) State. "You hire good people, and sometimes, you have people come after them," he said. "We really pride ourselves on how we take care of our staff and the commitment we make to them. You can't worry about things you can't control. I'm not worried one bit about it."  Clearly coach is concerned. 

• If your an assistant coach and want to coach at Pitt, Florida or Arizona.  Get your resume ready.