Monday, June 27, 2022

Michigan Monday: Basketball Thoughts

Since I was out late last week, I'm going to give you 2 posts today.   This will be your traditional Michigan post and I will also include a golf trip report for StreamSong, where I spent last weekend. 

2 Wolverines Drafted:

I'm a firm believer you don't leave college early if you're a 2nd round NBA draft pick.    Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate did just that.  Caleb was drafted early in the 2nd round to the Orlando Wolverines and Diabate was picked in the middle of the round by the Clippers.   Both will have to light up the Summer League to get a 2-way contract or they will be looking at least a year in the G-League.  I hope they're both successful!  Also, of note Eli Brooks has signed an exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers, which gives him a spot on the summer league team and a chance to make the G-League roster. 

Michigan finally filled the final spot on the roster on Sunday that was left by Caleb and Moussa.   With the 2022 recruiting class getting on campus for the first time this weekend, one guy jumped on the boat late and its international player Youseff Khayat.   Michigan was able to out recruit Maryland, Xavier, Wake, Georgetown, and DePaul for Khayat's services.  

I gave you a European scouting report last week, so here is another one:

"His main quality remains shooting, and even if his game is rather complete, he can already have a specialist role. His imposing physique also allows him a real hardness on the wings, which few players had this year in Espoirs. Very few have actually been able to put him in physical difficulty. Evolving most of the time away from the leather, he is able to go to the basket to finish in the circle, and this despite a dribble which remains one of the major areas for improvement. On a placed game, this dribble should allow him to navigate better, but in transition, he can already be impressive with the ball in hand and often appears difficult to defend once launched. We are waiting to see his progress next year, whether on the professional level in Europe or why not across the Atlantic, in the NCAA for example."

My favorite part of that report is, "his main quality remains shooting".  I love this pick-up and hope he fits into some playing time next season.  With the Duke transfer and this signing, I like how Juwan has filled the 2 openings. 

  • Instate super recruit 5-star QB Dante Moore visited Oregon over the weekend and the rumor mill is spinning that he is heading to Nike University.   With a QB recruit getting a reported $9.5M from Miami this NIL thing is getting out of hand and will hurt Michigan if it hasn't already.
  • Michigan Basketball will host Virgina in the ACC Challenge. 


4 comments:

Chowman said...

Look I know what Harbaugh said, but Michigan is going to fall by the wayside if they aren't serious about NIL. That's probably why he went to the NFL and was begging for a job. He saw that the university administration wasn't going allow the school to get involved in the NIL sweepstakes. Some of you are fine with that, but that just means you're fine with Michigan being a cute regional program.

Kid Adorable said...

No, it means I'm not confused about my university being a research and academic bastion and not an athletic entertainment enterprise. No one ever slighted Oxford's place in the world because they don't field a relevant sports team. My degree makes no reference to any sports team; I didn't attend the University of Michigan Athletics. If we choose not to buy students to play collegiate sports for us, I'm not ever losing sleep no matter the competitive consequences.

Cormac said...

I'm with Kid Adorable. I didn't attend Michigan at all, but I have been a fan since Rick Leach was a freshman.

Chowman said...

Kid you think your degree is going to be worth less cause Michigan help facilitate some 5 star QB or PG get a 7 figure NIL? Tell me how? And furthermore, having a football team is a national powerhouse makes your degree even more relevant. People know UofM for football more than that they have a world class business school, or engineering program or hospital. Sure people within the industry know those things but the general population couldn't give a squat. It's been proven, schools with great sports programs get a boost in enrollment. But then just reading your post, you're one of those stereotypical alums that think you're better than everybody else cause of your UofM diploma. It's why UofM and its fanbase are one of the most detested groups in college sports. Right up there with ND, both schools that believe they are a lot better than they really are.