Since we are getting into the summer months and Michigan's 2013 class is pretty close to full, I thought I would jump off the board a bit and propose a question to all the Big House inmates this week.
I got this idea watching the NBA playoffs the last few days. Kevin Garnett was having a big night for the Celtics in game 1 against the Heat and I started to think what if he had come to Michigan instead of going pro? Would he had been one of Michigan's best big men ever? Would he have been a one and done?
So below is my top list of guys that were considering Michigan but went the other way. I would like you to vote on who would have made the biggest difference in the Maize and Blue if they did come to Ann Arbor.
Kevin Garnett: Was the high school player of the year and McDonald All American in 1995. Instead of playing college basketball he decided to enter the NBA Draft and was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin was on record as saying, if he didn't pick the NBA he was headed to Ann Arbor to play basketball for the Wolverines. Could Kevin been the best center in Ann Arbor since Roy Tarpley? I guess we will never know.
Payton Manning: Many Michigan fans remember Payton at Tennessee for two things. Finishing second to Charles Woodson in the Heisman race and his Tennessee team getting destroyed by Nebraska to somehow earn a share of Michigan's National Title. Payton was in the 1994 recruiting class and was one of the highest rated QB's in that class due to his talent on the field and his last name. He stunned many by picking Tennessee over his fathers Alma mater Ole Miss. What many don't know is he seriously considered Michigan but choose the Volunteers instead. Michigan did win a National Championship during his college years with another legacy QB in Brian Griese but could you imagine Payton in the Maize and Blue?
Derek Jeter: When do you ever remember the State of Michigan having the best high school baseball player in the country? In 1992 they did (Kalamazoo), Derek won the High School Player of the Year Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association, the 1992 Gatorade High School Player of the Year award, and USA Today's High School Player of the Year. Derek was taken #6 in the draft that year by the Yankees, the Houston Astro's who held the #1 pick passed on Derrick for concerns he would want too much money not to go to college. His college choice was the University of Michigan. In fact, Hal Newhouser Houston's top scout quit after the draft because they didn't listen to him (he wanted them to draft Derek) and didn't draft Jeter. They ended up picking Phil Nevin.
Would Derek had been the best player ever in Michigan Baseball history? I think there was a very good chance at that!
Mateen Cleeves: Yes, the MSU standout guard from Flint was in the car for the famous accident that took down the Michigan Basketball Program and introduced us to Ed Martin. Mateen was pretty much a Michigan lean at the time of the accident and after that backlash/investigation, he took his talents to East Lansing. He gave Tom Izzo his first National Championship in 2000 and was named the MVP of the Final 4. His #12 is retired.
It's hard to argue with Mateen heading to East Lansing after the entire Ed Martin scandal started to come to light but if that accident never happen and he did come to Ann Arbor to play, would we ever really know about Ed Martin (probably would have after his number running case became public) or would have MSU's program really have taken off?
So please vote on the right side of the blog on who you think would have made the biggest difference in a Michigan jersey. I will keep the voting open for a week. If you have other guys that come to mind, put them in the comments and I will do another "What Might Have Been" next week.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Michigan Thursday: What Might Have Been
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Big Bob "I'm back" have been under the the weather with another knee replacement for the last 2 1/2 months. As an associate scout under Hal I know you are absolutely right, we both moved on too Colorado the very next year. Bar none Derek was the best athelete to come out of this state, he had it all, character, grades and atheletcism (sp).
From this list, the obvious answer is Cleeves. Based on the timing and how the bball program imploded at the same time msu exploded. manning is an interesting idea but his era was already during umich football dominance and we won a championship. No he gets cut. The jeter option is equally intriguing, but the very nature of NCAA baseball lack of prominence in our region results in cutting jester from the list. I live down in SC now and until I moved here I had noida how crazy certain parts of the country get over college baseball. The Big Ten is NOT that area of the country. Mno I quests the impact jeter would have had in real time had he played for umich,
Good Points guys. All the guys on the list have a great back story IMO.
I grew up watching a Michigan baseball team that had guys like Barry Larkin and Jim Abbott. I know it's hard to recruit to a "northern school" for baseball, but back in they day they had a pretty good program. I like the idea of the Big 10 Baseball leaving the NCAA and playing games all through the summer. Maybe even some wood bat games.
What about Drew Henson? Quite possibly one of the most talented Michigan QBs (I won't say ever, but he was darn close), he dropped football in favor of the Yankees, where he failed. By the time he returned to QB, he didn't have it anymore. What could have been had he stuck with Michigan...
Post a Comment