Nik Stauskus blasts MBB team
Good. He's right
https://www.wane.com/sports/sports-illustrated/3c426d2/former-michigan-basketball-standout-lays-into-team-on-instagram-after-32-point-loss-to-purdue/
January 24th, 2024 at 12:16 PM ^
Skip "Wane" and go straight to Tony Garcia's Twitter (with a working link):
https://twitter.com/RealTonyGarcia/status/1750014913282441650
I enjoyed watching Nik play at Michigan, but he made a blanket statement there and indicted the whole team. I don't think that's fair or reasonable.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
How dare he have an opinion!
January 24th, 2024 at 12:20 PM ^
I wasn't questioning his right to have an opinion.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:27 PM ^
How dare you comment on Nik's opinion. /s
January 24th, 2024 at 12:32 PM ^
How dare you comment on his comment on his opinion about Nik's opinion! /s
January 24th, 2024 at 12:57 PM ^
If anyone has any opinion about anything, I will call the thought police.
January 24th, 2024 at 6:33 PM ^
If I only had an opinion. (I guess now I will read the article.) I can't say I was happy when I checked the half-time score.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:11 PM ^
Here's my opinion of you, Karen. You're a whiny snowflake.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:29 PM ^
Have you watched this team? My kids and I have talked about this for a few years now, There's no pride in being a Wolverine. Who has recently shown the love of Michigan basketball like Mo Wagner or Zack Novak? The culture is broken.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:34 PM ^
That's what happens when your coach abruptly abandons your program without a succession plan in place.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:47 PM ^
It's been five years since Beilein left. We're still blaming him?
January 24th, 2024 at 1:04 PM ^
How long did it take the football program to rebuild after Carr left without a succession plan?
January 24th, 2024 at 1:17 PM ^
I was disappointed that JB did not stay one more year and leave a coach in waiting, but he left a program that was in the middle of a golden age coming off a Final Four and a Sweet 16. There was a lot there that was already working, a returning all Big Ten point guard and an established center with a future NBA player in Livers. Howard could have searched the face of the earth and not found a better situation for him to come into, particularly as a former Michigan player.
He created a positive culture during the Covid year, and for that he should be commended. However, Michigan's basketball team is completely lost right now and is not being coached. I feel bad for the players to be honest. They have no direction or sense of purpose. It is particularly egregious because they had both of those things with Martelli at the outset of the year.
They are just playing out the string at this point and they know it. Frankly I don't think Llewelyn should be playing. His knee is not OK and IMO he could seriously injure it again.
I defended Howard for as long as humanly possible. But this is his work and he needs to go.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:19 PM ^
The team looked just as listless and rudderless under martelli.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:50 PM ^
I disagree with that.
They blew the Long Beach State game, I will give you that. But that was largely the product of going up 20 and then forgetting a game was happening. However, the team was playing with a lot more effort and cohesiveness to begin the season. Howard's return at Atlantis saw the team go into essentially a depression that it has not come out of.
January 24th, 2024 at 4:01 PM ^
I agree. I thought they started the season — even in their losses — with a lot of energy and passion. It seemed like night & day from last year. What happened?!? I sure don't want to tie it to Juwan's return, but ... man, at least chronologically, that's about when things just fell off the cliff.
It's really disappointing. Juwan's got to know it, got to sense it, but he's apparently unable to do anything about it.
I'll never stop cheering for the guy and hoping he can turn it around, but right now, if Warde does make a change, I can't say I'd blame him.
January 24th, 2024 at 4:50 PM ^
It took the football program that long to rebuild because they hired two shit coaches in a row.
It's not the previous coach's responsibility to have a succession plan. That's on the AD.
Nick Saban retired and Alabama in THREE DAYS had a new coach that had just coached in the national title game.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:49 PM ^
I dunno. At what point did we stop blaming Ellerbee or Amaker?
January 24th, 2024 at 2:54 PM ^
It only took Beilein two years to get in the tournament (which Amaker never did) so there was no point in blaming Amaker after that.
To be blaming Beilein in year five is insane.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:48 PM ^
Are you indicting Beilein?
I think Beilein is WHY the team performed as well as it did - and, the expectations were where they were. Beilein didn't field a "one and done" team (for the most part) - it was fundamental basketball - control - possession - movement - with some creativity - and - DEVELOPMENT of the roster.
I admired Beilein's approach - and the team's results during his tenure.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:01 PM ^
Beilein had a great culture and truly developed players. I was excited when Howard landed Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan. ...and for that matter Jett Howard. But, none of them really had a positive impact on the team relative to any other player. It has been discussed on here several times that Michigan was better with Jett Howard not playing. The one and done players are truly transactional. The sport of basketball (NBA and college) would be better off if these guys would develop for a couple of years in college. I had to look up Diabate's name because I have no memory of him other than the fact that he existed. He's not going to get me to watch the clippers.
January 24th, 2024 at 3:25 PM ^
The L.A. Clippers have a record of 30-8 versus the Lakers since 2014-15. That’s enough to get me to watch the Clippers.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:11 PM ^
I'm not indicting Beilein. I loved Beilein, and he earned the right to do whatever he wanted to do. However, he also left abruptly and without a succession plan, and that's a large part of why the program is where it is. If he was still here, we'd probably be in better shape. If he had an exit plan with a coach-in-waiting, we're probably in better shape.
Howard can also be blamed. Both things can be true. But Howard probably doesn't even happen if Beilein hadn't left the way he did.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:41 PM ^
I can't recall who Beilein's assistants were when he left - so, I can't honestly say whether there was a capable assistant on the staff who could have "moved up" - whether Beilein took his assistants with him - or - something else took place (e.g. the search that resulted in Juwan being hired).
In business Succession Planning should be a "regular" activity - with clear succession plans noted for all key members of a staff. In an Athletic Department - it might be slightly different, but - not too far off from that. SO, Warde should have had a "short list" of internal candidates who could have replaced Beilein - as well as thoughts about potential external candidates. It's very possible that Juwan was at the top of the external candidate list. IIRC, there was a lot of excitement when Juwan was hired - his NBA experience as a player and coach - etc.
I have no doubt that Juwan loves Michigan. Where the question comes in is - scouting and finding young players with potential - development - teaching / coaching at the college level. In the NBA - he worked with players on a roster and, IMO, scouting & finding young players didn't enter the equation - since he had the roster the GM provided and "worked with that".
Beilein was a journeyman head coach - which I say in nothing but a support and complimentary way. He was experienced, successful, and understood the three most important things in a college head coach - 1) scouting / identifying / signing talented players, 2) developing those players' fundamentals, and 3) analyzing opponents with game planning to face them.
I'm sure Juwan wishes the results over the past two seasons were different - we all do. The question becomes - what's next?
January 24th, 2024 at 2:42 PM ^
succession plan is totally on the AD. No way should he be expected to have a coach in waiting.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:51 PM ^
A Beilein succession plan may not have been that successful. His highest-profile assistants have all been mediocre-to-bad at their head coaching stops:
LaVall Jordan: 94-98, 6 yrs, Marquette (1), Butler (5) - 2 winning seasons & only made the tournament in his first season at Butler
Luke Yaklich: 43-60, 3+ yrs, UIC, currently 8-11 this season
Bacari Alexander: 16-47, 2 yrs, U of D
January 24th, 2024 at 3:09 PM ^
I thought Saadi Washington was on that staff too. He and Sanderson were the ones I thought came through to Howard's staff. Maybe?
January 24th, 2024 at 6:37 PM ^
It appears to me that Howard looked awesome for two years based on the shooting skills Beilein left with his players on the roster.
January 24th, 2024 at 6:55 PM ^
Shooting this season has been a pleasant surprise, it's the defense in my opinion that's a trainwreck
January 24th, 2024 at 12:48 PM ^
Are you indicting Beilein?
I think Beilein is WHY the team performed as well as it did - and, the expectations were where they were. Beilein didn't field a "one and done" team (for the most part) - it was fundamental basketball - control - possession - movement - with some creativity - and - DEVELOPMENT of the roster.
I admired Beilein's approach - and the team's results during his tenure.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:08 PM ^
Jesus Christ enough of this. We can't blame Beilein for Howard. Coaches leave programs all the time, sometimes in abrupt manners, almost always without succession plans in place. The fall off is should never be from nationally relevant to irrelevant in the span of 5 years. Juwan was left with a foundation of elite college players who could play defense with Wagner, Livers, and Brooks with whom he got to the Elite 8.
Ever since he has show absolutely no ability to locate or develop elite talent or manage a roster. None. Being given two years with another coaches' developmental successes is not a burden. In today's college sports, it's a massive advantage to start your coaching career.
January 24th, 2024 at 4:45 PM ^
It what happens when your AD doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
Oh, I've seen some games. It's rough at all levels.
How you know there's no pride in being a Wolverine? That's a little too "feelings ball" for my taste. Maybe the coaching staff doesn't have what it takes. Maybe the players aren't good enough. There are many possible reasons for the poor performance.
I don't think every single one of the guys on the roster lacks respect for Michigan basketball, but that's exactly what Nik said. I think he made it unnecessarily personal.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:46 PM ^
The coaching is sub par.
The talent is subpar.
The motivation is subpar.
The defense is just terrible.
The roster management has been a D- for two plus seasons.
Culture, toughness, identity are all words used when a team cant win. The more you cant win the more those words are used. If these kids won the Big Ten Tourney and went on to make it to the sweet 16 would we have good culture again? Yeah that aint happening but if it did?
January 24th, 2024 at 12:34 PM ^
I saw this in the replies. Hopefully it's true
January 24th, 2024 at 1:13 PM ^
This seems like huge news.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^
It absolutely was huge news.
Last year I mean when he signed it. This "news" is almost one year old, the person posting it must be a regular around here.
January 24th, 2024 at 5:34 PM ^
It was deleted. What did it say?
January 24th, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
I want to believe but who the hell is "Tabs"?!
January 24th, 2024 at 1:45 PM ^
Praise be to Herbert!
January 24th, 2024 at 12:37 PM ^
Serious question, would you rather Stauskas indict specific individual players? I'd be OK if he wanted to criticize the coaches, but if he's criticizing players, I think it's less of a bad look to do so collectively than to say "this 19 year old is a real bum!"
January 24th, 2024 at 12:44 PM ^
Reasonable question. No, I'd rather not hear him target individual players.
See my response to St Joe Blues in this thread. I didn't mention this initially, but I think Nik got into "feelings ball" when he mentioned respect. If he'd pointed at the whole team and focused on the objectively bad performance (and maybe even suggested something needs to change), I think that would've been better.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:58 PM ^
Just stop man, Nik has juuuust a little more skin in the game than you. He won us titles, hung banners, played incredible TEAM ball, worked his tail off to earn to wear the M, was BTPOY, he can say whatever he wants about HIS program.
January 26th, 2024 at 4:28 PM ^
No he can't. This isn't his program. Has he done any mentoring for this iteration of his program? Has he even been involved in anyway to try and have developed it? If he was a "Michigan Man" he wouldn't be dumping on the character of the entire team. He didn't say their record sucked. Instead of going after the man in charge of the program he took the little bitch move and went after the players.
January 24th, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^
i don't know, man. have no doubt that they're working hard, and trying to win games - i would never suggest otherwise.
i but i do think it's fair and reasonable to suggest that they don't seem to show a lot of passion out there. they don't take a punch well, and they don't seem to have stretches where they try to impose their will on the game.
they just seem to be playing out the string.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:00 PM ^
I would. I think it's pretty clear they don't work hard. A lot of defense is working hard, and they are terrible at defense
January 24th, 2024 at 1:08 PM ^
that's part of it, sure, but coordination and communication are at least as important. and talent. we don't have any really good wing defenders.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:02 PM ^
Defense boils down to effort, we have more than enough athletic players to do so. If Stu Douglas, Zack Novak, Jordan Morgan, and John Teske (all average athletes) can learn to play good defense, so can anyone on our roster. It's a choice, most of those choices are made in practice and the team's execution shows us just that....
January 24th, 2024 at 8:37 PM ^
"they're not working hard enough" is the laziest take out there.
January 25th, 2024 at 9:08 AM ^
You put it in quotes like I said those words, I didn't say anything close to it. Also, as a coach for 20 years, you could not be more wrong. They aren't working hard enough on defensive rotations. They are working hard enough on closing out. They aren't working enough on communicating on defense. They aren't working enough at conditioning and it shows late in games. Not working hard in practice plants a seed of doubt in each players mind, that is why they are losing so many close games, at least they were before Dug was out.
Talk about lazy takes....do you know what quotation marks are for?