MMBB: Who returns next year?
I think we get Jones and Diabete back with Diabete, T Will, Howard, Bufkin, Jones in the starting lineup. Frankie plus transfers and maybe another sophomore provide a nice bench. What do you think?
March 24th, 2022 at 10:03 PM ^
You are joking right? Frankie will be starting for sure.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:24 PM ^
Clearly the entire starting five is transferring….or going pro. Why would anyone want to stay in such a wreck of a program.
I mean really…just tapping on sweet sixteen every year with no summit in site. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start all non scholarship players next year.
In fact I have been looking at my old Jack Purcells and thinking about my Covid year.
If Diabate leaves, and Michigan doesn't get a better big to transfer in (and I consider Hunter's departure a foregone conclusion), Johns would be the de facto starter at center. We wouldn't start Tariss Reed, at least not at the beginning of the year. Juwan didn't even start Hunter in the beginning of this freshman year.
Please no on Jones unless he’s a bench player. Unbelievable no Bufkin tonight.
What have you seen from Bufkin this year that tells you he was ready to play tonight?
Not much less than I've seen from Houstan and his inexplicable 30 plus minutes per game.
I have no memory of Houstan being in the game. People aren't usually top 10 recruits for nothing, but he wasn't a difference maker this year. Hoping he stays and busts out next year.
March 25th, 2022 at 12:38 PM ^
I don’t get the Houstan hype train either. No athleticism, not a great shooter, looks like he is in molasses out there. I’ve been trying to figure out why he is on the court so much. Nba loves athleticism in their houstan sized prospects. Where is the athleticism???
I don't think the point is what Kobe has done this year. The point is that Kobe was a top 50 recruit who was also underweight and with a year to develop should begin to show what all the potential was about.
Again, Jones is 24. He impressed at last year's NBA pre-draft combine. That's likely going to be enough for him to give it a try.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:45 PM ^
If I were Jones I would hire personal protection walking down the sidewalk. With the consistency he gets injured, I wouldn’t feel comfortable walking down the street.
March 25th, 2022 at 10:39 AM ^
What have you seen from Jones that makes you think he should be starting? This team goes through stretches where it is just horrible offensively and Juwan puts a team of Jones, Johns, Twill, Diabete and Collins out there for a stretch. Where are the points going to come from? Bufkin needs to play so that he can have some experience. Houstan was lost, Diabete can’t catch a pass, Jones can’t make a layup. Nobody can make a free throw. Tell me why he Wasn’t playing.
So....you didn't watch the team at all this year? Jones was consistently the team's second best option / creator on offense and was outstanding as the guy in games Dickinson was unavailable.
Frankie has a lot of potential but was a disaster most of the year. He had an absolutely abominable 75 Ortg in conference play - that's hands down Disaster Factory of the year candidacy. Jones was an outstanding 112 in conference play. That's a HUGE difference.
Yes, Frankie had an outstanding final three quarters against an overmatched Mountain West team to propel Michigan to the second round and the future could be bright for him. But he otherwise nothing more than a shaky backup all year.
But the biggest reason Bufkin wasn't playing is that Brooks is a better player right now and he's fit enough not to come out. And he's not strong or knowledgable enough to be a good defender right now so there's nowhere else to play him.
I agree that there are zero NBA players on this roster, but I would guess Dickinson leaves
There are also other leagues outside if the NBA.
We act like it's a bad thing to play overseas.
If you're Jones, and you can go make $90K/year playing basketball in Greece (for example)...there are far worse things in the world.
Now it doesn't make sense for someone like Dickinson or Diabate, but Jones gains nothing from coming back other than more education and a run at another Sweet 16. He's not going to get better like those other guys...try your hand at the NBA and if it doesn't work out, he'll find somewhere to play pro ball and earn a very solid living.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:16 PM ^
Hunter is making way more from NIL than he would make in any non-NBA league.
March 25th, 2022 at 12:54 AM ^
Thanks, I was going to say this. All of these guys have long careers playing pro overseas ahead of them. And you can sometimes make a lot more than $90K... 2, 3, 4, 5 times that.
Jones is gone. Diabetes isn't draftable. I hope Houstan is gone . . . Bleh. Franky, Diabetes, Twill, Bufkin, and probably a transfer is my guess at the starting 5. Maybe Isiah Barnes or one of the incoming freshman like Jett Howard.
Ya"ll crazy to say you WANT Houston to be gone. He's the one outside threat on the team with Brooks gone. The kids a freshman people! Here's a thought, he stays and gets better with an off-season of college development? Nah, not interested. Insane, just an insane thought process.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:05 PM ^
Have you watched Houstan this year. He is absolutely unplayable. Can't shoot, can't drive, can't defend, can't pass. Why does he get any minutes?
March 24th, 2022 at 10:27 PM ^
Nope, hadn't seen a single game
March 24th, 2022 at 10:41 PM ^
Don’t bother. It’s prolly the same ignorant dipshits who wanted to run Eli out of town a couple years ago.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:57 PM ^
As inconsistent as he was , he still ended up with franz wagner freshman numbers
Not even close.
Franz shot 61% (!!!) from two his freshman season which is a much better predictor of something sustainable / his ability to create. He was 83% from FT so his 3 pt shooting was obviously just unlucky. His other indicators of future success were also much better: assist, block and steal rates were all twice Houstan's which is a BIG deal. Rebound rates were 50% better than Houstan's.
They were not close. Franz was an obvious NBA player as a freshman that was just unlucky from three.
Houstan was Just A Shooter that didn't show an ability to do anything other than hit open threes.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:57 PM ^
As inconsistent as he was , he still ended up with franz wagner freshman numbers
Hopefully that is autocorrect. Otherwise, grow up.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:06 PM ^
Ugh. My phone does it every time. Worst name for auto correct. Houstan was just so far from expectations. I didn't project unreasonable higher expectations on him. Almost every analysis said he was an elite shooter. He had some terrible games. I mean terrible. Sure, he could improve and be that guy in 2 or 3 years, but I think scouts missed on him and he'll leave right before the light turns on. I doubt we get a full season of elite shooting from him. I guess he can't possibly be less consistent so improving seems a guarantee. He shot 0 - 3 or worse from 3pt land In 9 games! That doesn't count a 1 - 7 game a 1 - 8 and a few 1 - 4 games. He had 11 games shooting .500 or better. Feast or famine. If you can smooth that out then we get 3 or 4 more wins at least.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:42 PM ^
He had all those poor shooting games and still shot 36% from 3. That's why you want to see what he can do with a year of Sanderson.
March 25th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
Exactly. Houstan is nowhere close to ready for the pros but I think he could be a solid college guy if he sticks around. But the kid has no athleticism and that is something you can’t coach. Liability on defense and offense at this point but he’s a freshman. Look at Eli, he improved leaps and bounds over the years. Same can happen for Houstan.
March 25th, 2022 at 12:48 PM ^
He can learn from another year under Juwan.
March 25th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^
You are mean, Joe!
Whomever returns needs to make sure they hit layups and FT's.
Do that in this game and we would have won.
As far as who comes back, I think the ones in question are Hunter, Diabate and Houstan, though it shouldn't be, they all need to improve their games.
Hunter should return 1 more year . Try to improve his athleticism and his 3point shot .. Right now he’s projected as a 2nd rounder and possibly not drafted .. Make money in college and enjoy your time at UM
I have a better question...if you could only get one back next year. Who would you take?
Dickinson, Diabate or Jones?
(For one more year, so forget about extra eligibility).
Big Dickinson energy.
That's really tough. Probably Dickinson.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:06 PM ^
Stupid question, Dickenson without debate.
Lol tough question followed by "stupid question."
That's MGoBlog.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:16 PM ^
1) Dickinson
2) Dickinson
3) Dickinson
March 24th, 2022 at 10:18 PM ^
Only one of guys is consistently good, so…
March 24th, 2022 at 10:29 PM ^
Hunter, not even close for me to be honest.
Diabate and it's not close.
Dickinson is who he is and that's on the whole not a significantly plus college player. He's great on offense but he gives back almost everything on defense that he gains on offense.
Diabate is a bit of a wildcard but his potential gives him a chance to be a massively plus college player. There's a reason the NBA is already more interested in him than Dickinson. If he can make the kind of sophomore improvement that he should make, he'd be a much better overall player. Especially because he'd play his more natural, better position with Hunter gone.
Sam Webb seemed to imply today that Diabate and Dickinson are both likely to leave.
And that is a total indictment on how ridiculous the NBA has become. Back in the glory days neither one of these guys would even be looked at at this point in their careers
March 24th, 2022 at 10:31 PM ^
Hunter would have been an easy lottery pick back in the 90's. You could get away with bigs with his athleticism back then.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:36 PM ^
Hunter plays.like a 80s big man. He.has no lateral quickness and no defense.
If Diabate and/or Houstan leave I’d rather Howard stay away from the one and dones
March 24th, 2022 at 10:25 PM ^
Agreed. I used to think it would be awesome to have one-and-dones.
March 24th, 2022 at 10:57 PM ^
Go for 1 a year, not completely stay away.
So if he could get a Paolo Banchero type player…you want him to pass because these 2 were not as good as you thought?