What are Jackson, Collins and Bufkin thinking?
They’re thinking they’ll have to compete for minutes, which is the way it should be.
So many people on these boards are so fucking soft.
Every transfer and its worrying about how fragile the current guys on the team are.
Bowman comes in and replaces Milton and some people lose it.
We just had a couple of key transfers last year, why is this any different? What if Smith would've come back?
Playing time is earned. Too many of you all are participation trophies posters..."what'll happen to JJ if they bring in this Bowman kid?" "What will the other guards think?"
Have you all played sports after 6th grade when they start cutting people?
Sure sure, but in a world where transfers are common, wondering whether a player passed up for an expected starting spot might decide there's more playing time -- and a better chance to develop/show off his skills -- elsewhere, isn't unreasonable, and I don't know why it makes the poster "soft."
It may even be fine if they transfer. Good for them. But geez, man, someone wonders how having an unexpected upper-class player take a player's PT away might affect our team, and you start attacking him.
It’s sports, the best person plays.
See we're getting in early with the NBA draft talk around these parts.
Considering it’s the next sport on the radar Michigan is good at after baseball/softball end, I think the talk can’t start soon enough.
Personally I bet theyre thinking..
"Championship"
I wonder if you feel slighted by all of the appropriate negs for this trollish speculation?
My question is speculation but not trollish. Let's say you are one of 3 highly regarded young recruits. You look at the situation and maybe favor Michigan because it looks like playing time will be available. You realize you will have to compete for time - that's a given. But before you even get to campus your coach brings in a guard who likely will be plugged into starter minutes.
I tend not to feel slighted by anything that happens to me on an anonymous message board although I did feel embarrassed one time by titling a thread "David DeJulius".
But I have redeemed myself for that one by being the first to post "Justin Fargas" in todays "Ben St Somebody" thread title.
Good answer. Learning the norms is part of the fun - and I have learned slower than many. Sometimes it’s worth breaking the mold with a fresh take, but it doesn’t always work out.
You've also learned another lesson. Posting something to the Board usually means down votes. Not sure why but it seems to be a rule.
So then if you are recruit, you think "Oh, I'll just go to a school that never accepts a transfer." Then your friend informs you there is no such school these days.
So then you wonder, why did I waste my time thinking about this?
And where are these schools that aren’t accepting transfers??? There are over 1000 people in the portal and nearly all of not all big ten teams have accepted someone in the portal. At least our admissions effectively tends to restrict us to grad transfers most of the time, leading to 1 year transfers as opposed to traditional multi year transfers.
Look how many Bama football players who sat behind other pros for a few years were just drafted. The top schools in every sport have depth and competition. In regards to basketball stars usually shine regardless. I don’t think Hunter hung his head when he heard Davis was coming back.
Teams looking to compete for a national championship, aren't doing so with talented incoming commits at the guard position. Name the last National Championship contender with a true freshman starting at PG...it just doesn't happen.
We knew as soon as Mike Smith announced his departure for the NBA that a PG transfer was coming...which does actually make this post appear a little trollish.
“Name the last National Championship contender with a true freshman starting at PG...it just doesn't happen.”
Alex, who is...Jalen Suggs?
(Gonzaga, 2021)
However, I’ll concede it doesn’t happen often, and a high level of success seemed unlikely with anyone on the current roster (Eli included, as he’s a better fit at the 2).
Steel sharpens steel. They can count on good practice games at a minimum. Beyond that it's up to them.
Honestly they're probably not putting too much thought into it at all and allowing the coaches to build the most competitive roster by their judgement.
They came to play for Juwan Howard and compete for championships. I'm sure they understand that requires a highly competitive environment to achieve that. If they decide another situation at a another school is what works better for them, then wish them luck and let them move on.
The coaches are concerned with winning as many games as possible obviously, and I'm sure the players understand that.
I hope they’re all thinking they are the best in the bunch and are working to prove it.
“Those are my minutes”
The same thing that the 20 5* players who commit to Alabama’s football team every year think. I’ll compete like hell and get my chance in my second or third year.
When the recruits signed, they had to know there was a solid chance that Smith and/or Eli would return or that JH would add an experienced transfer. I'm actually surprised Smith didn't -- he's not an NBA guy.
They should be thinking that he hasn't won the job. Get him on the court and compete. Any 1 of them or Zeb could beat him out still.
And let's be real, as much as we love our incoming class, they weren't all going to contribute in their freshmen year before Jones so nothing's changed for some of them.
8.7.3Looking back on Zeb’s freshman year, he wasn’t taking much in the way of minutes from upperclassmen. Can’t say that about many freshmen, either. Juwan and Eiisley know the value of experience in guard play, and I’m sure they are communicating that to all involved parties.
“Banners, baby. Banners.”
Well, they're teenagers, and it's a Saturday night. So they're prolly thinking about girls.
Hey, I’m old and that still what I’m thinking about most nights
In other transfer news, former Illini guard Adam Miller has transferred to LSU
It didn't make sense to me why he was leaving? Now it does!
What were you thinking posting this take is what we all really want to know. Actually, never mind.
Collins and Bufkin are true freshmen; not sure if they are that entitled to think they are automatically going to get minutes.
Zeb didn't look ready last year - but he'd better raise his game a notch this season.
Michigan is looking at winning championships, so bringing Jones on makes tons of sense, and I am sure they probably communicated this as a possibility to the team, specifically the guards.
There's no guarantee Jones is going to be as good as Smith either - everyone is going to earn their minutes, as it should be.
They're probably thinking "damn I can't wait to play for Michigan!"
They're probably thinking about the banner(s) they're going to raise next season.
Oh, and I can tell you what we're all thinking:
They will have to earn clock like everyone else. They need look no further than Dickinson, an All American that wasn’t even starting until Davis got hurt. Granted Dickinson still got a lot of run but he earned everything in practice and games.
I don’t speak for them but my guess is “I’m heading to a national title contender and have a chance to make a meaningful impact in my first year here.”
Adrian Nunez might also suck up those minutes.
Off topic, but just saw on 11 warriors that Jameson Williams (WR) is transferring from OSU and has Michigan as a finalist of schools that he’s considering. Will be deciding soon.
Legit deep threat who scored a long td against Clemson in the semifinals. He’s a casualty of their war room being so deep, but he has potential to be a first rounder in the nfl someday.
I am 100% certain Juwan is capable of handing a group of freshman who think they are more talented than the upperclassmen on the roster.
Man, if I am them, I’ve got only one thought: “it’s 10pm, ya think Cottage Inn on Packard is still delivering?”
I bet you they’re all kicking themselves for being so stupid as to never ever having thought that Mike Smith might’ve stayed or Juwan might get another guard in the portal… You know what I bet you? Juwan Howard gave them assurances he wouldn’t have holdovers at guard… Dastardly
The best player will play the most minutes. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that any of Zeb, Collins, or Bufkin could challenge Jones or even Brooks for minutes. Even if they don’t play a lot right away, having a year under their belt being mentored by top tier player like Brooks is big for their development.
They are thinking they trust their coach who has played A LOT of basketball , played in the biggest of games , won an NBA title, was apart of the freakin fab 5, coaches up whoever is in font of him, makes kids turn into great men....should we go on?
Come in and compete. Nothing is guaranteed.
I wonder what Xavier Simpson thought when we brought in Simmons and then Brooks started the opener at PG? He competed and led us to a NCG.
Adversity reveals character.
Jackson and Bufkin are 6'5 and 6'4 respectively. Collins will be a true freshman. Jones is a grad transfer. This is normal depth building.
They should be thinking.... " We now have a great chance to win national title as a true freshman "
Impressively negative take from good news today. I’m all in favor of devante and think he is the ideal addition, but let’s not pretend he is a all American either. If the freshman or Zeb are amazing and ready to roll (unlikely all 3 will be), then devante will miss out on minutes. He even recognized the dynamic with the incoming class and that they all want to make each other better. Juwan is building something here that everyone wants to be a part of and even in current climate some college athletes can understand that there are some benefits from not being thrown to wolves as freshman for a high stakes team with championship aspirations.
Bufkin is thinking. man I should not have had that cheese burrito for dinner. It smelled a little off and now his stomach is confirming it.
Jackson is thinking, if there is an infinite number of universes will every non-zero probability event occur?
I can't get a good read on Collins right now. I'll circle back later.
No different then if players weren't leaving early for the nba
What else would they be thinking?
