Another Verbal from Ohio

Isaiah Bell another DB/S from Ohio (Youngstown - Liberty) gives his verbal to Coach Rod to become a Wolverine next year. Isaiah is currently not ranked but most services speculate him to be a 3 star player. He is also a high school teammate of recuits LB Julius Ferrell and RB Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Liberty head coach Jeff Whittaker said. "Isaiah is a very good player, obviously, to be playing at Michigan. Probably his best asset right now is what Michigan sees him as – he's a very versatile athlete with very good speed, 6-3, 215 and has the ability to play a lot of different positions.

6-3 215 with good speed sounds pretty good to me. That's 3 commits in 3 days, nicely done guys, nicely done.

Cell Block News and Notes: It was a good weekend edition

Seems it was a good weekend to be a Wolverine and we haven't had too many good weekends lately. Let's have a quick recap of the good news.

• Michigan runs a 100 play full contact scrimmage on Saturday and the offense looked crisp.
  

  Rodriguez was encouraged by how quickly the team is picking up his schemes. Only 60% of his offense has been installed so far, and Rodriguez doesn’t expect that number to reach 80% by the end of the spring.



• Threet and Sheridan move ahead of David Cone as the starting QB. Nick Sheridan is pictured above.




• Michigan picked up it's third verbal and second of the weekend, from Cass Tech running back Teric Jones. Teric is 5"10 190 lbs. running back and Michigan was his first offer with interest from USC. Teric's put in the fastest time at this year Army Jr.'s combine. He is a 4.3 guy. As reported below 4 Star DB Justin Turner, from Ohio (Shawn Crable's HS) committed on Friday.




• Michigan Hockey goes 2-0 this weekend and is headed to the Frozen 4.




• For those that are interested here is Ryan Mundy's draft profile.



• Looks like Kevin Grady has a new knee and a new number. I guess it could change in the fall but he is sporting the #24 right now.

The New Uniforms Bowl: 8/30/08

So you thought those "Kickoff classics" and other August or early September Bowl Games were gone. Right?

Well hold on to your seats! We have got the The New Uniforms Bowl or The Ex-Nike Bowl on August 30th at the Big House.

Utah announces a new deal with Under Armor and as you know Michigan will be sporting the new Adidas uniforms. Both universities ended their relationships with Nike and has moved on to new suppliers. Wow, what a game: Coach Rod's first game as Michigan coach, a new offensive, a new defense, a new QB, a 1/2 finished stadium, and two teams with new uniforms.


Here's an example of the Utes new gear:




I'm hoping the players have faces and don't look this spooky when they come to Ann Arbor! We've have had enough opening day nightmares to last a lifetime!

Michigan gets it's second verbal for 2009

Coach Rod secured his second verbal commitment for the class of 2009 from a Defensive Back located in Massillon, Ohio named Justin Turner. Justin had narrowed his choices down to Michigan, Ohio State and Illinois.

Justin is 6"2 and 190 and plays Safety but will have a shot a CB with the departure of Morgan Trent next year. Rivals has Justin ranked as a high 4 Star and the #42 overall player in the nation. Michigan's has only 2 verbals for next year but both are in the top 50 high school players in the US.
_________________

Buckeye John said in a below comment that I should focus on Michigan and not OSU for topics for this Blog. Here is an example of a Columbus Reporter doing just the opposite. He is comparing RR to Bo. As this is the first "outside" coaching change in 40 years it's a valid comparison. But he also goes on to say that RR was just too tough on poor Boren. Well, Mr. reporter Boren was soft and didn't have the heart to do what it takes to take his game to the next level.

Oh, I almost forgot: Michigan 5 Niagara 1 in the first round of the NCCA Hockey Tournament.

Coach Rod Responds to Fat Quitters

Coach Rod had a conversation with the Ann Arbor News on Thursday and even though he didn't respond directly about Boren's departure, he responded to some of the comments Boren made through his statement to the media this week.

"Anybody who would make any comment about our values is way off-base," the coach told The News via phone Thursday. "The people who know the staff, who know what we're putting together here will tell you just the opposite as far as what's been reported. ... My players and my coaches are my family. They're coached that way.

"But we're not going to apologize for being demanding. We told that to the players. We also told them our job is to take them some place they can't take themselves, on the field and off the field, and I think the majority of our players understand that."

Coach Rod also talks about differences in the coaching staffs.

"I'm going to coach every player like I was coaching my own son," Rodriguez said. "That to me is the biggest testament. If my son was here, I'm planning on coaching him the very same way.

"I think sometimes players take things personally, but we tell them not to take it personally when we're trying to coach you. They have to adapt. Sometimes players get close to a position coach and if he's not there, there's a transition period. But our track record as far as treating players right and having a great level of mutual respect has always been there. This is not my first rodeo, and I think if you went back and asked the majority of guys about their experience playing in our program, they'd feel pretty good about it."

So Justin enjoy your time off and good luck at your next stop. The talk in the media is that your considering going to Ohio State. If I were you, I would check their work out and donut policy before you enroll. My feeling is the "Vest" has a similar commitment level to Coach Rod. I believe there is a rule about transferring within the Big Ten and having to pay your own way if you did. So I'm not sure Columbus will be your next stop. Maybe Dunkin Donuts is hiring.

Memo to CBUS

I have posted information like this before but watching the Dayton - OSU game last night, got me thinking about it again. Yes, it was an NIT game but why don't these teams meet on a regular basis? They are an hour away from each other. It's silly. It would be like Louisville not playing Kentucky.

I know a Michigan Blog shouldn't be giving a team that continues to "eat our lunch" advice but sometimes whats good for OSU can also be good for the Big Ten.

When it comes to football, Ohio State only gets criticized for one thing: It's schedule. Buckeye John will disagree and say that playing Texas or USC in two year spans are better then having a regular in state rival and OSU does play a lot of "in-state schools". I agree with one of his points, the Texas series and the soon to be USC series does make for some interesting Saturday Night Football but those are not rivalries when you play them in two year spans. It's not a USC-ND, Michigan - ND or a Florida - Florida State. I think Ohio State needs a 10 year+ contract with an in-state BCS conference school. That school would be the University of Cincinnati or Cincinnati University (for those TP fans). They are an up a coming program from a BCS Conference and happen to be located right in Ohio. Actually they did play for a 3 year span a few years back and the games were very competitive. This rivalry would be good for OSU, Cincinnati, high school recruits in Ohio, The Big Ten and The Big East.

I'm not saying you load up the schedule every year with tough non-conference games. We all know the Big Ten needs the MAC for wins. But playing Akron, Youngstown State, Bowling Green, and Ohio U does not an in-state rivalry make.

So what do you say Buckeyes? Are you in, make some calls to your athletic department! Make football in September a better place!

Update: Buckeyes to play Tennessee. OK, Buckeyes your not getting my point. These are good games but your not building rivalries with two year deals. Now go back to work!

Outside of USC, OSU plays (in their non-conference schedule) in 2008: Youngstown State, Ohio U, and Troy. What's good for the Goose..........Michigan's non-conference is: Utah, Miami (oh), ND, and Toledo.

Boren Ultimatum

Justin Boren released a statement yesterday about why he left the Wolverines:

“Michigan football was a family, built on mutual respect and support for each other from (former) Coach (Lloyd) Carr on down. We knew it took the entire family, a team effort, and we all worked together.“I have great trouble accepting that those family values have eroded in just a few months. ... That I am unable to perform under these circumstances at the level I expect of myself, and my teammates and Michigan fans deserve, is why I have made the decision to leave.”

"I regret leaving behind my friends and teammates, but I need to stand up for what I know is right. I wore the winged helmet with pride, whether we won or (lost), whether things were going well or times were tough.

Coffee is for Closers and Respect is for Winners. I'm sorry Justin but you continue to sound like a guy that didn't want to work to become a champion. Do you remember waking up on Sunday, September 2nd when "your family team" was the laughing stock of the entire country? Or how about a week later when Oregon came into the Big House and embarrassed you and your team again? Or when OSU came into the Big House again and beat you? How was the family then? Was everyone happy at the dinner table? I can tell you the supporters of your team family, was not!

I'm all for team chemistry and working together but there's a lot of hard work that goes in to becoming #1. I heard whispers that Jake Long was continually disappointed at the lack of work the other Offensive Linemen put in everyday. Justin, I thought you might have learned something from one of the best Offensive Linemen Michigan ever had. I guess you didn't. Yesterday, I didn't enjoy seeing that you left the team. Today, I'm happy you did.

BTW: For those of you that are worried about guys leaving the team because RR is too tough or the system is different. In 1969 before Bo was hired Michigan had about 150 players on the team (it was before scholarship limits). After spring practice/start of the fall they had about 75 left. This happens when there is a coaching change. Don't be surprised if there is a couple more.

Wolverine Recuiting Needs: Class 2009

Recruiting never sleeps. Just as the 2008 class has signed and even last week some QB from PA signed with the "vest". It's the high school Jr's turn to get heavily recruited and many are giving out early verbals. If your interested in who we have offers out to or who might be looking at Michigan visit the board at Varsity Blue .


Strong Needs:

1. Surprise it's at QB: The top dual threat QB Russell Shepard is off the board right now with a verbal to Les Miles (his not the Michigan coach right?). There still remains a number of good prospects out there including CA QB Tate Forcier and VA QB Kevin Newsome. Both are highly ranked and could be looking at Michigan closely. Tate last name may look familiar to Wolverines fans, his brother a former Michigan QB just transferred to Stanford last year (see Tate's offer letter from Michigan here). Tate is rumored to be looking at Oregon and Kevin is a heavy lean towards VT. Either way we need 2 strong QB's in the next class.
2. Defensive End: Is a close second to QB in Michigan's priority for next year's class. For some reason Michigan has not had a lot of luck the last two years in getting DE's. Michigan will need 3-4 in this class at a minimum. We do have one verbal this year from a 5 star Defensive Tackle who is the best player in Michigan, Will Campbell (but he's not DE).
3. Offensive Line: I wrote this post yesterday and had the O-Line in the "not bad could use a few". With Justin Boren going AWAL, O-Line has become a big need. We will now need 5 solid recruits next year. Here is what I wrote yesterday before the Boren Ultimatum: This is a position you recruit every year. We are never in too bad of shape on the O-line but you can pencil in 4 recruits for next year.


4. Cornerback/Safety: We have some strong young players with Boubacar and Warren in the mix for the next few years, but the depth chart looks pretty light at both CB and Safety. I look for 4 DB's in next year class.

Not bad but could use a few:

1. Wide Receiver: It depends were all the speed guys end up this year (RB or WR) but this is another area where you need guys every year. I expect at least 2 WR in next years class.


2. Running Back: See #1 and #2 above. We have a ton of top talent coming in from the 2008 class. McGuffie, Shaw, etc. Still Expect 2.


3. Defensive Tackles: got the one 5 star guy already, need maybe one more. Expect 2

Were good, thank you for your interest:

1. Tight End: we got a couple of high profile guys this year. Let's see how they play out in Coach Rod's offense. Expect goose egg.


2. Linebackers: have been a huge need in the past but with 4 high profile guys in the 2008 class, I don't see a big need for them next year. Expect 1.


3. Fullbacks: expect another goose egg


4. Kicker/Punter: goose unless there is a super kicker is out there.
   

Next years class won't be as big as the 2008 class, I look for about 18-20 guys in the 2009 class.

Justin Boren Gonzo

What is the worst thing you can do in sports? Ask Bobby Petrino. Yes, you guessed it. It's quiting on your team. I'm not sure what advice these kids are getting, but change in life, in their jobs, on their teams, is going to happen. You either embrace change or you don't. Justin Boren didn't and he is now back home in Ohio thinking about what to do next.


Am I being too tough on the kid? Maybe but you look at this quote and you make the decision if he thought practice was too hard after Day 1:

He also mentioned the difficulty the offensive linemen had constantly running back to the line of scrimmage in the no-huddle offense."We didn't know what to expect," Boren said that day. "A lot of screaming and yelling, a lot different, but we'll get used to it. It'll just take time."

I guess Justin gave up on the "take time" part. I"m betting he will call Bobby Petrino, so he can block for Ryan Mallet. Seems like a perfect fit. The 3 of them have something in common.

Academics and Athletes at Michigan

When I was on vacation Jim Carty from the Ann Arbor news broke a 4 day series of articles on Michigan athletes taking easy classes with a high number enrolled in general studies. Enclosed is the entire US News and World Report article summarizing the Ann Arbor News story. (Since I know most of us don't have time to read the "war and peace" size article that the A2 News put out)

My take: This isn't ground breaking information and why you are seeing very little nationally on this report. For us to think, athletes in football and basketball go to college to get a degree and job outside the NFL or NBA is just plain stupid thinking. These kids go to school to play professional basketball or football not to be a CPA. I don't agree with that approach but it's the truth and we all need to live with it. Sure they are wasting a very expensive college education and many of us would do it differently, but who are we to say to a 6'8 forward from Dayton that averages 21 a game that engineering is a better fit for them then professional basketball in the NBA or Europe. Again, I wish it was different, it just isn't.

We also have to understand that these athletes have a full time job outside of taking classes. They have full time commitments to their sport whether they are in season or out. So is the information below not factual? I'm sure it is. It's just not new or ground breaking which was exactly the intent of the article. So Mr. Carty as Brian from Mgoblog put it 6 months ago, stop trying to win a Pulitzer and continue making those delicious subs at subway.

or?

Here's the article:

Michigan Under Fire Over Athletes' Academic Integrity
March 19, 2008 06:45 PM ET

The University of Michigan has come under the harsh glare of its local paper, the Ann Arbor News, whose four-day journalistic bonanza investigates the eyebrow-raising activities of the school's athletic department as they pertain to student-athletes.

According to the News:

1. A large number of student athletes have been steered toward a psychology professor's independent study courses over the years. Since the fall 2004, the professor has taught 294 independent studies and 85 percent of those courses were with athletes. According to some students, the three- to four-credit courses met as little as 15 minutes every two weeks, while others admit the courses were used to boost the GPAs of potentially academically ineligible athletes.

2. The News chronicles how tougher curriculum in Michigan's kinesiology department—a former athlete dumping ground—led to a mass exodus of student-athletes to general studies degrees. The change was largely prompted by professors' concern over the growing disparity between athlete and nonathletes. "Who do you teach to?" asks a kinesiology lecturer. "Do you teach to the kids at the top of the scale, or the kids at the bottom? There was no middle."

3. A closer look at the general studies degree: "Of 18 recruited scholarship [football] players in the 2004 freshman class who remained at Michigan long enough to decide on a degree program, the lone exception to the general studies path was defensive back Doug Dutch, a psychology major."

4. And what do academic advisers actually do? Make sure student-athletes remain academically eligible, of course. How do they do it? Encourage the general studies degree, tell athletes which classes to take, and even use the student's password to enroll in courses for them.

The university, meanwhile, has attempted to defend itself, refuting a number of the claims and assuring that "there is no higher priority of the university than the academic success of our students," according to the university provost. The president also chimed in ("We did nothing wrong"), the Michigan Daily reports, and the professor under fire conveyed a similar sentiment directed toward the newspaper: "So after several months, they have put together whatever they could find—a net full of minnows."

_____

On Monday U-M president Mary Sue Coleman, provost Teresa Sullivan and athletic director Bill Martin released a joint statement:

"When the Ann Arbor News implies, through four days of coverage, that the academic experience for University of Michigan student-athletes does not meet our standards or expectations, we must cry foul. Our job as faculty and administrators is to help these student-athletes succeed academically, just as we are committed to the academic accomplishments of all Michigan students. As with their peers, student-athletes are encouraged to pursue any major and degree program they want, depending on their interests, ambitions, and abilities."

On the allegations that athletes were directed towards easy professors or have an easier ride then other students:

"Is there room for improvement?" the statement said. "Absolutely, and working with our coaches and faculty we continually strive to see more student-athletes earn their degrees. Through our own rigorous reviews, audits and assessments, we are constantly implementing changes and improvements to ensure that all standards are met as we support the success of our student athletes."

On the A2 news coverage:

"We were deeply disappointed in both the approach and tone of the coverage of such an important issue in the Ann Arbor News," the statement read. "The overall treatment did not lead to accuracy or balance and did not fairly represent the university’s serious commitment to the academic success of our student athletes."

Wolverines and Wonderlic

Every year the Wonderlic scores leak from the combine. For those that don't know. The Wonderlic is a non football test designed to rate fast thinking and intelligence. It's 50 questions in 12 minutes. Each NFL combine attendee takes this test.

Here are a couple of examples:

1. Paper sells for 21 cents per pad. What will four pads cost? 84
2. The ninth month of the year is: (1) October, (2) January, (3) June, (4) September, (5) May
3. Which number in the following group of numbers represents the smallest amount? 7 .8 31 .33 2

The answers are in bold

Below are some scores from this years combine. The Wolverines and other high profile other players are in bold. I couldn't find Mario's or Mike's scores. Will continue to look.

First number is the total score/second number is the number of questions answered in the test.

Matt Ryan 28/32
Brian Brohm 32/45
Joe Flacco 27/30
Matt Flynn 26/38
Josh Johnson 15/24
Andre Woodson 14/20
Chad Henne 22
Sam Keller 21/34
Chris Johnson 10/29
Tashard Choice 21/27
Justin Forsett 21/35
Lex Hilliard 24/50
Danny Woodhead 29/38
Matt Forte 18/25
Owen Schmitt 24/30
Jerome Felton 28/41
Andre Caldwell 8/14
Josh Morgan 19/26
Early Doucet 20/28
Keenan Burton 14/30
Harry Douglas 11/28
D.J. Hall 15/24
Luke Swan 25/34
Arman Shields 14/25
Donnie Avery 14/33
Jerome Simpson 17/23
Lavelle Hawkins 17/23
Tim Bugg 28/40
Joey Haynos 23/26
Martin Rucker 23/28
Jacob Tamme 34/34
Jake Long 26
Duane Brown 29/32
Devin Clark 11/29
Roy Schuening 26/45
Steve Justice 19/27
Jeff Otah 28/35
John Greco 28/36
Mike McGlynn 19/32
Chad Rinehart 35/42
Kory Lichtensteiger 29/36
Sam Baker 27
Chris Williams 32/37
Heath Benedict 28/39
Godser Cherilus 25/50
Brandon Albert 23
Mike Pollak 24/34
Ryan Clady 13
Quentin Groves 25/38
Darrell Robertson 30/33
Brian Johnston 16/31
Kenny Iwebema 22/28
Chris Ellis 14/22
Chris Long 34/45
Wallace Gilberry 17/50
Glenn Dorsey 21/26
Red Bryant 17/20
Carlton Powell 34/43
Kendall Langford 17/33
Xavier Adibi 13/20
JoLonn Dunbar 20/32
Spencer Larsen 25/33
Jerod Mayo 26
Vince Hall 14/23
Keith Rivers 16
Beau Bell 14/18
J Leman 31/34
Ezra Butler 17/26
Ali Highsmith 7/13
Philip Wheeler 29/42
Antoine Cason 16/28
Tracy Porter 4/23
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie 19/38
Leodis McKelvin 13/34
Chevis Jackson 15/30
Charles Godfrey 11/28
D.J. Parker 13/28
DeJuan Tribble 18/33
Travis Williams 4/19
Terrence Wheatley 21/38
Simeon Castille 19/30
Jamie Silva 29/37
Corey Lynch 31/41
Thomas DeCoud 24/36
Kenny Phillips 16
Jermaine Moye 15/32
Taylor Mehlhaff 27/45

A person of average intelligence is supposed to score a 20. Most teams prefer their QB's to score 30 or over, so Chad's 22 isn't going to help him much. Of course it is better then the 6 Vince Young posted a few years back.

Here are some other former Wolverines and other past scores:
U-M receiver Braylon Edwards (Cleveland Browns) scored a 27. MSU's Jeff Smoker 23; U-M's John Navarre 24. Quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger scored a 25; Michael Vick a 20. Craig Krenzel (Utica Ford/Ohio State) scored a 39, and U-M's Drew Henson (42).

Spring Practice Takes

So Michigan has been in Spring Practice for about a week now. With 15 total spring practices the players and coaches have a ton of work putting in two new systems on both sides of the ball. We all want August to start out better then it did last year. There is a ton of fluff coming out from the media on Spring Practice. I will try to sort through some of that for you and give you the good stuff.

• Coach Rod is saying that all QB's are getting equal snaps but Stephen Threet (aka Todd Collins) is getting the most snaps with the first team. I look for #10 to be the starter in August.



• Conditioning will remain an issue with the Wolverines. Coach Rod's practices fast and the Wolverines need to get used to the quicker pace. With new S&C Mike Barwis, I know the team will be in great shape in August.



• Greg Mathews gives us some great insight on Spring Practice and coach Barwis. The best quote from the video is that Coach Barwis used to be a cage fighter! Now that is the type of guy we need!



• Yesterday was the first practice in full pads.



• April 12th will be the spring game but Ford Field is booked so Michigan is looking at local High Schools to have the Spring Game. They should do it at Eastern.



• Carlos Brown rumored to maybe get some snaps at QB broke his finger lifting weights. That guy breaks his hand or finger about every 3-4 months. Carlos is out for the rest of the spring drills. Kevin Grady is back from a mild hamstring pull.



• Coach Rod says that Morgan Trent and Brandon Minor have become the leaders on Defense and Offense.



• Mario and Mike do better in Pro Day last week which might have helped their draft status. Mario is trying to stay in the first round by running a 4.38 in the 40 and Mike is trying to stay in the first day. Nothing on Adrian Arrington. If he is going in day two, turning pro wasn't the best idea. I'm sure he has signed with an agent but if he hadn't he should have come back to Michigan.



• More on injuries: Tailback Avery Horn, defensive tackle Will Johnson and Grady have all returned to practice after recovering from hamstring injuries. Wide receiver Zion Babb, a freshman last season, is still out with a hamstring issue. Rodriguez added the defensive tackle Renaldo Sagesse, also a freshman in 2007, will miss the remainder of the spring because of an injured shoulder.
• For those Buckeye fans that I have been taking mail from on getting beat on and off the field regarding Pryor. Here is a quote from Urban Myer on creating team chemistry this year:

  Along with finding some chemistry this spring, Meyer said the Gators are also in search of the chip they wore on their shoulders during the 2006 national championship season and during the four-game winning streak at the end of the regular season last year, before the bottom fell out with the humbling 41-35 loss to Michigan. "(The loss) is a hard one to swallow, but it's probably what the team needed," Meyer said. "We got beat. That wasn't a fluke. We got beat.

Remind me again how you did against the Gators? :-)

I'm back and TP is a Buckeye

I hate it when I'm right about things that don't have a positive affect on the Wolverines. Finally, the Terelle Pryor saga is over and he is a Buckeye with Michigan finishing a close second. Finishing a close second isn't much of a prize. Of course, TP made some stupid comments during his press conferee.

#1: Saying he was going to attend "University of Ohio State". Is that the UOS? TP I'm pretty sure its OSU or Ohio State University.

#2: Saying Ohio State gives him the best chance to be an NFL QB. I know Michigan has a new coach and a new program but The Buckeyes are not known as a program that sends a lot of QB's to the show.

Either way OSU won and the Pryor mania is starting in CBus. Who knows how his college career will work out. The list of top high school QB's since 2003 isn't very impressive, but TP has skills and I'm sure The vest will have him playing a role next year.

I was pleasantly wrong about Michigan basketball losing in the first round after beating Iowa. Then posting 34 points total against Wisconsin in the second round. What a terrible year, thank you Tommy. How was this 10 win team over looked for the NIT?

I will give my takes on Spring practice later on Friday. There is also a 4 part series by the Ann Arbor news on Michigan athletes taking easy classes. I haven't read it yet, but it sounds like some ground breaking journalism saying athletes like easy classes.

Enjoy the NCAA tournament.

Heading to the Basement for a week

If your a fan of the Jim Rome Radio show you know whenever he takes a vacation, he states: "I'm going into the Basement". Well, to steal his line, "I'm heading into the basement for the next week". Here are some of the guys that I could have given the reigns to for the next week:

Buckeye John: We all know that would be like turning over McDonald's to the Hamburgler but I really didn't want to come up from the Basement to find he had renamed this blog to: TheShoeBlog.com. The positives would be all the Bighouse readers would know how to hit a knockdown 7 iron into the wind on a short par 3.


Jacket Man: Is a Michigan fan but I would come back to see nothing but hunting & fishing takes, Q & A on the best way to purchase carpet, why tap Beer at home is the way to go, and a very deep piece on Georgia Tech's new Triple Option offense. Maybe he should do a couple posts on Beer and the Triple Option!

Augusta J: Loves Michigan football but is clearly getting ready for the Masters and not sure if the readers of this blog are interested in wall to wall coverage of Augusta State Athletics!

Big House John Sr: Would provide you nothing but professional "coaching" tips, many posts on why Tommy Amaker is the worst coach ever and the top 10 reasons why Michigan needs Bobby Knight. I can get with the Tommy Amaker takes!



Just kidding boys! Any of these gentlemen would have done a fine job in my absence.

_______________________________________


Here is a list of things that will happen while I'm in the basement.

• Michigan Basketball Team will get bounced in the First Round of the Big Ten Tourney




• Pryor will continue to play basketball, continue getting in fights, continue not to visit schools, and sign with Ohio State.




• Michigan Spring Practice will start and there will be a number of rumors on who is playing QB and how the team is adjusting to the new coaches and spread offense. Don't be surprised if Carlos Brown takes a number of snaps at QB.




• Someone will counter sue the other in the RR/WVU case.




• There will be more written on the OSU - USC game this year and why it's sooo important




• The Big Ten Network won't sign up anymore cable companies.




• Joe Tiller will have something positive to say about the Wolverines




• The Michigan Athletic Department will announce that "Snake Oil" will be sold at all home games




• JoPa will not retire




• The NFL Draft experts will have Jake Long going anywhere from #1 - #5. Mario anywhere between #20 to #79. Mike Hart and AA just hoping to make it in Day One.




• John Beilein will get a verbal from a 6"5 forward that is a a good shooter but isn't ranked by any Recruiting Services and mostly has offers from Eastern Michigan and West Dakota State.




• Kelvin Sampson will make 100+ phones calls to somebody

All most Big House?

I hope I don't' have to change the name of this blog for the next two years, but the Michigan Daily is wondering with the new Disability settlement yesterday that the Big House will be the second largest stadium in the US behind Penn State's Beaver Stadium. Let's hope the new construction company can find away to create more seats for disabled fans while the same time keeping Michigan Stadium the largest stadium in the US.

Former Michigan QB could be giving the Stanford starter a run for his money. Good Luck Jason, I hope you get the starting gig for Harbaugh. Have we had a number of QB transfer in the last 5 years or what? Just from my memory, Matt Gutierrez to Idaho State - good decision, Jason Forcier to Stanford - TBD, Ryan Mallett to Arkansas - TBD but a bad decision.

Another BTW: TP is able to play in his next basketball playoff game. Both teams got a slap on the wrist for the fight last week.

Tommy loses a top recruit for next year. I guess that whole New York Times piece didn't really help Tommy's recruiting effort at Harvard. Hey Frank Ben-Eze, Michigan could always use a 6-10 center. Think about it!

Catching up with Terry Mills. My man hasn't missed too many meals and is interested in getting into coaching. He also got his degree from Michigan last year. Nice work T Mills!

BTN coming to a Cable provider near you?

• Looks like Comcast and the BTN are very close in coming to agreement on a deal to provide the Big Ten Network to all Cable customers on the Comcast footprint. As most of you know, Comcast is the largest cable provider in the Big Ten area and the #1 cable company in Michigan. For us outside the Comcast area, there isn't any new news regarding Time Warner or Charter. With that said, a Comcast deal would go a long way for getting deals done with Time Warner and others. Both sides are in a agreement that a deal should be done before the Big Ten kicks off in late August/early September.
• The Big House will expand their seating for disabled fans.

  The agreement, a consent decree, was announced jointly on Monday by the university and the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America, a group that had sued the university in United States District Court.

  This is great news, all Wolverines fans should have a spot at the Big House!

• MSU gets another Michigan Jr. verbal commitment:

  Caper, a 5-foot-11, 210-pounder with power and speed, rushed for more than 1,400 yards with 14 touchdowns last season. Though he's a junior, Caper had seven scholarship offers, including Michigan, Purdue, Iowa and Stanford. Caper is ranked as a top 60 national recruit by the three major recruiting services.

• Is Michigan after a 6"8 Gonzaga Basketball verbal commit to play QB? The kid committed to Gonzaga as a Freshman. Nice. How about he dresses for Coach Rod but plays for Coach Beilein!

TP is Fighting Mad

This TP thing hasn't got out of hand, has it?

• The latest on the media giant Terelle Pryor is that he (and his team) keep winning PA State HS Playoffs games and he and his teammates continue to go WWF off the court. I really wish there was more off season stuff to cover. This TP saga is really really old. Even some old guy in Wisconsin says that TP visited Memphis this weekend. Looking at his article photo, I'm not sure if this guy really has the inside scoop on TP. In fact, I'm not sure I would let him use the TV remote.
• Michigan basketball got another recruit for next year. The commitment was from the 6 foot 5, 225 pound guard Zack Novak from Indiana. Zack had other offers from basketball powers such as Valparaiso, Colorado State, IPFW and Oakland University. Hell, after this years season any warm body that can shoot the three ball is a good thing.
  
• Michigan Football commit Mike Martin wins state wrestling title. If the football thing doesn't work out for him, there is always the WWF. Wow, two professional wrestling references in one post. (that has to be some type of record)

Hey Mom, do you want to go to Zingermans?

The latest on our infamous QB recruit Terrelle Pryor is that he would like his mom to see U of M, PSU, and OSU.

"I'd like my mom to see both places and Penn State," he said. "So we're talking about a day trip to both Ohio State and Michigan, and she'd come along with me on my Penn State trip."

Ok, whatever. I guess he is going to decide by April 1st. But maybe he will just wait and show up in Columbus or Ann Arbor the day before Fall Practice. As long as his basketball team keeps winning he keeps waiting. I suggest he take his Ann Arbor visit in June with his Mom, much nicer then January. On second thought wait until July and do the Art Fair.

• Michigan getting interest from another Mississippi player for next year.
• 12 year old from Conn. wanted to replace RR at WVU. Sounds like they should have given the kid a shot! No word on his buyout clause being his baseball card collection.
• Are you interested in Michigan's depth chart for the next 4 years? I am. Check it out here.
• BTW: It seems there are a number of teams with off field issues right now, LSU, Alabama, PSU, Iowa, and many more. We haven't had an off field problem in about 6 + months. Let's keep that streak going boys and stay out of trouble!

AAFL Says Hello and Goodbye

• Looks like the new AAFL isn't going to be able to get off the ground. Too many money issues for the league even before it gets kicked off next month. Too bad. Sounded like a pretty good idea.


• In the Huddle on Fox Sports, brings back a discussion that Buckeye John and I had a few weeks ago. 9/13/08 is a big day for the Big Ten if they continue to want a place at the Adult table.
  

Ohio State has been exposed, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better this season. Oh sure, the pollsters have the Bucks already in their preseason top five. Why? Their schedule, except for one game, dictates another glide path to the BCS game.

Bottom line is this; the Big Ten needs to get some respectability back. Fast. They can do this only one way- beat a quality team. That spells it out succinctly, but harder to implement. The Bucks get the Trojans in LA, no easy task. If they beat the Trojans, then pollsters might give them the benefit of the doubt and keep them in the top 5. If they lose by more than 7, the Bucks can kiss their season goodbye, even if they go undefeated in the Big Ten. They may go to a BCS bowl, but they will not be going to the Big Dance. The fans are tired of it. Other teams are tired of it. Even the sportswriters are tired of building up a game when they know all-too-well that a team which plays one big boy and loses, isn't up for the task. Again.

• Here is another story on MSU's 2009 Recruiting Class. Didn't we just finish the 08 class? I guess there is no resting when it comes to recruiting.
• The Chips hire Marcus Ray as a Grad Assistant.

2008 Big House

All the activity surrounding the stadium has many fans wondering what the facility will look like this coming fall. And thanks to the architects at HNTB and the remarkable capabilities of computers, the Athletic Department is able to offer a preview of how Michigan Stadium will look when September rolls around.

The most obvious additions are the massive steel superstructures that eventually will support multi-story masonry structures as well as elevated concourses on the east and wide sides of the "Big House." During the season, construction crews will fill in the superstructures with more steel and start boxing in the structures.

Visible in the rendering at the north end of the stadium are two new buildings. The one on the west (right) side will house a medical facility, the department of public safety headquarters and lavatories. The east building includes space for the M-Den (merchandise sales) and game operations as well as additional lavatories for men and women.

A large amount of earth was moved on the east side of the stadium when foundation and caisson work was done (seen in this photo gallery from January), but by the time football season arrives, the east concourse will have been restored.

While the stadium will be ready in September to welcome more than 100,000 fans each game day, construction work will continue Monday through Thursday prior to home games. "We will use Friday as a clean-up day for the game," added Stevenson. "When the team is on the road, we are going to work seven days a week."

Bobby Dodd and DeBord

Lloyd Carr accepted the "Bobby Dodd" coach of the year award on Tuesday night. The award goes to a Division I football coach who represents integrity, scholarship and leadership. It seems Lloyd is keeping busy helping Bill Martin launch his sailboat and finding his old coaches new jobs.

• Speaking of new jobs Mike DeBord is now a Seahawk. Not sure how they are going to use Mike yet, but he has a gig.
• ARIZONA: The Cardinals signed ex-Michigan tight end Jerame Tuman, who had spent his entire nine-year career with Pittsburgh, to a two-year contract. Maybe he can room with Gabe Watson, Alan Branch, and Steve Breaston.
• A good recap on Michigan's 2008 Recruiting Class from the Daily
• Pryor still in the playoffs and still a heavy OSU lean.
• MSU feeling for a QB in next year's class is "fair to Midland". Andrew Maxwell is MSU's latest commit for next year.

Way too early to be losing 5 Star kids

So how many of you thought that since Michigan doesn't seem to be in the running for Sir Terrelle Pryor any longer that we would land a 5 star QB in next years class?

Well, if he keeps his verbal we won't get 5 Star QB Russell Shepard of Cypress Ridge High in Houston. Russell committed to Les Miles and LSU yesterday. I assume the problems with Ryan Perrilloux who may or may not be enrolled at LSU had a lot to do with Russell early decision. Either way we had high hopes that Russell was coming to Ann Arbor in 2009.

How strange is it that the #1 QB in the Class of 2008 hasn't committed anywhere and now QB's in the class of 2009 are beating him to the punch?

• Brian Griese is traded back to Tampa.
• Michigan Basketball may have some recruits coming in this weekend.
• A good look at Chad Henne's draft profile

Tommy Two Time

Question for you: Which team is worse, the team Tommy Amaker left in Ann Arbor or his current 20 loss Harvard team?

Answer: A Push

When Rick Pitino, said no to Michigan and took the Louisville job, I was crushed. How close was Michigan basketball back to greatness? As close as Dicky V on ESPN saying Rick was taking the Michigan job. That close. At the time, I thought "Sailboat" Bill went out and got a good young basketball coach that was known as a great recruiter and a disciple of Coach K at Duke.

When Tommy Amaker got the Michigan job he called it his dream job. Well, this dream turned into a nightmare. Tommy showed he could only recruit one or two quality players a year and his teams lacked talent and depth. But a good college coach can take decent High School talent and make them into NCAA stars, right? Not under Tommy's watch. The Michigan basketball team lacked fundamentals in all aspects of the game and even when Tommy did have talent on the floor his lack of leadership and bench coaching cost him a number of games. See, Tommy never found his way back to the NCAA's playoffs in his 6 years at Michigan. You could say he was stuck in a NIT rut.

So now Tommy is gone and John Beilein has to live with what he left. This year has been a game or two away from the worst in Michigan basketball history. John knew he had his work cut out for him, but did he know this program had hit such a low? Who do we have to thank for the lack of talent and skill? Tommy. Who do we have to thank for one of the toughest non-conference schedule in the country? Tommy. Which coach even cost Michigan a loss in Boston this year? Again Tommy.

So now what? Both men need to start over and hit the recruiting trail to start building back each program. Coach Beilein has a couple of commits coming in next year and highly ranked transfer from Arizona. But Tommy is up to his old tricks again and has grabbed a top 25 recruiting class at Harvard.

What? Top 25 class at Harvard? That seems to be a little surprising. Since Harvard has some of the highest academic standards in the country and did I mention they don't offer athletic scholarships? Wow! Talk about snake oil salesman!

It seems Tommy might have stepped a little outside the lines on recruiting while the standard for enrollment has seemed to have dropped way down. Here are a couple of snapshots from a recent New York Times article on Tommy Two Times new moves:

But Scalise said he was not aware until told by The New York Times that Amaker’s top assistant, Kenny Blakeney, had traveled a long distance to play pickup basketball with a recruit during periods when the N.C.A.A. does not allow contact with prospective players. Blakeney said he had not been officially hired by Harvard when he visited that recruit and another prospective player.
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Another issue arose with the recruiting of Zack Rosen, a 6-1 point guard bound for Penn and sought by universities like Rutgers and Virginia Tech. Amaker saw Rosen’s father, Les, in a grocery store in Trenton during the Eastern Invitational tournament last summer. At the time, coaches were restricted only to watching recruits and saying hello to them or their parents if they bumped into each other.
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Yale Coach James Jones said he had seen an academic change at Harvard. “It’s eye-opening because there seems to have been a drastic shift in restrictions and regulations with the Harvard admissions office,” he said.“We don’t know how all this is going to come out, but we could not get involved with many of the kids that they are bringing in.”
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Looks like both coaches have their work cut out for them. Let's hope Coach Beilein takes a different path then Tommy Two Time.