Wolverine Wednesday: Time to Dust Off The "Rest vs. Rust" Analogy

Michigan Basketball was under a self imposed two week quarantine after a participant in another sport came back from the UK with a very contagious strand of the COVID 19 virus.   Yes, by all means protect every Michigan athlete but its time to get back to basketball.    

How is this different then what the football team went through?  Well, the men's basketball team did not have any positive tests and they are ranked #3 in the country.   I love watching Michigan Football but even I didn't want to see the product that Harbaugh and staff where putting on tape by the end of last season.   I actually think cancelling those games, saved his job.  If he gets embarrassed by OSU and Iowa, I'm betting he would be on the Ravens staff right now. 

So back to basketball, Michigan practiced on Sunday and now will play its first game back at Wisconsin on Sunday.  The Wolverines cancelled the Illinois game that was scheduled for Thursday, I assume due to conditioning issues and lack of practice.   I'm also hoping the team didn't sit around and order Domino's and play Xbox for 2 weeks.   I hope there was some player lead games at some closed gym somewhere in Ann Arbor.    

For rust I worry about things like basketball shape and shooting.   Losing your legs and a your jumper go hand in hand and that is what Michigan must try to fix before Sunday at Wisconsin.   On the rest side, I hope the coaches and players got some extra time to scout the rest of the Big Ten.    Michigan is probably going to have to make up some games and play in some very tight windows for these past 2 weeks of quarantine.  

Time to make the final run, at least we know the team is well rested.  

• Michigan is in a large final group for 4 star TN LB Keaten Wade.  As you know, Michigan was able to land 2 commits from TN last week. 

• Rutgers legacy 2022 4 star LB Jaeden Gould is interested in Michigan, visited before COVID, and has been re-offered by Michigan's new staff:  “I could definitely see myself going there,” Gould said. “They got a new defensive staff who made me a priority. As soon as they got the job we were on the phone, so I still feel like they are a top option for me.”