Breaking Down: The John Beilein 'System'

When you talk about Michigan, you always hear about the 'John Beilein system' and how its so difficult to defend and prepare for.

But what, exactly, is the Michigan attack all about? How is Beilein able to so consistently take a group of over-achievers and turn them into a nationally competitive basketball team? What is it about this 'system' that has been so good to Beilein at so many different stops?

In the latest edition of our Breaking Down series, we dive into the attack of the Wolverines.

Past Breaking Downs:

- How Jared Cunningham defended John Jenkins
- The breakdowns in the Pitt defense

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about John Beilein is the 1-3-1 zone that his employs. And while that zone is effective, its rarely used by the Wolverines. According to Synergy Sports database, Michigan has operated against a zone offense on fewer than 13% of their defensive possessions. While that number can be a bit misleading because of how often teams will use their man offenses against zone -- it helps create movement, as teams unaccustomed to playing against a zone have a tendency to get stagnant offensively -- the fact of the matter is that Beilein uses his zone defense as nothing more than a change of pace, the same way that any other coach will throw on a full-court press from time to time.

There are situations where the Wolverines will go almost exclusively zone. Against Memphis, 24 of Michigan's 63 defensive possessions were played in zone. Against UCLA, however, the Wolverines only played zone on four possessions. Another thing to note is that the 1-3-1 is not the only zone that Michigan is able to play; 20 of the 24 zone possessions that Beilein played against Memphis was in a 2-3.

But the 1-3-1 is effective, and its worth discussing because there will be times this year that Michigan will go almost exclusively to that defense depending on their matchup.

Beilein's zone isn't much different than a standard 1-3-1. He uses one of his bigger wings -- in this case, Tim Hardaway Jr. -- at the top, with two guards on the wings, the point guard under the basket and the center in the middle. Hardaway's job is to force the ball-handler, in this case Lazeric Jones, to pick a side. When Jones crosses half court, Hardaway and the strong side wing, Eso Akunne, will put a soft trap on the dribbler. Stu Douglass, who is on the baseline, hedges out on the baseline to be able to get to the man in the corner, while Zack Novak, the weak-side wing, drops on the opposite wing to protect a lob pass (click on the images to enlarge):


When the ball gets rotated to Jerime Anderson, Novak and Hardaway get another soft trap to prevent dribble penetration while Douglas rotates over to the other side of the lane and Akunne drops to protect the lob:


When the ball eventually makes its way to the corner, Akunne, the strong side wing, and Douglas, the baseline defender, trap the ball. Novak, the weakside wing, drops all the way to the rim while the center, Jon Horford, matches up with the opposing big man and Hardaway drops to the foul line to protect the high-post:


Here's the full video of the possession, which ends with what was very nearly a steal:



And here's another example of a possession in the 1-3-1 zone from the Memphis game:



On the offensive end of the floor is where Beilein's coaching style gets so interesting. Michigan has so many different plays and wrinkles off of those plays that they run, but their offense is fairly simple. It starts in a 2-1-2 set, with the two guards up high, a big man at the high-post and two more wing plays in the corners. From there, a play is called and the offense in initiated by one of the guards passing to the strong side wing. In this example, Trey Burke passes the ball to Novak while Douglass and Hardaway are on the weak side of the floor and Horford is at the high-post:


This is when it gets fun.

Out of this set, the Wolverines have a number of different options and reads that they use, but they all center around the idea of cutting hard, off-ball screens and rolls to the rim. In this particular example, Burke clears to the corner after passing the ball to Novak. Horford flashes out to rotate the ball while Douglass sets a screen for Novak at the high-post, and as Novak cuts across the lane using the screen, Horford swings the ball to Hardaway:


Horford than steps over and sets a ball-screen for Hardaway. Since Novak wasn't open on the cut, he and Douglass set a double back-screen for Horford as he rolls off of the Hardaway ball-screen:


The defense is so focused on defending Horford that they lose track of Novak, who is left wide-open on the three point line:


Here is the full play:



The beauty of this play design is that just five minutes of game-time earlier, Michigan ran a similar set that ended up in a wide-open layup for Horford. As Akunne passed the ball to Novak, both he and Douglas, who was the other guard at the top of the offense, cut through:


Novak, instead of swinging the ball, dribbled over to the other side of the floor. Hardaway, who was the opposite side wing, cut through as Douglass came up to receive the pass:


Horford set a ball-screen for Douglass while Novak set a down-screen for Hardaway, who curled through and popped to the top of the key:


As Horford rolled off of the ball-screen, his defender -- Josh Smith -- lost track of him in the confusion, and Hardaway found him for a layup:


Here is the full play:



The majority of Beilein's sets start with the guards at the top cutting through. Here's a perfect example from the Memphis game, where Novak sets a back screen for Hardaway before receiving a downscreen from Jordan Morgan:



And since Beilein is the king of the counter option, here is Douglass taking advantage of guards anticipating his cut through the lane and using a flare screen from Evan Smotrcyz:



John Beilein is the ultimate tactician when it comes to designing plays at the college level, and this is just a fraction of the playbook that he has given his Michigan team. When his offense is run correctly, it truly is a pleasure to watch.
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Hoops Housekeeping: DeQuan Jones, Ian Miller, David Foster out for extended periods

There was only one basketball player that was named in Yahoo's explosive report about Nevan Shapiro and the improper benefits that he provided University of Miami athletes.

DeQuan Jones.


If you've forgotten, Shapiro alleged that a member of Jones' family had asked an assistant coach for $10,000 to ensure that the player, a top 25 recruit in the Class of 2008, would follow through on his commitment. On Thursday, Miami announced that Jones, a 6'7" senior that has never lived up to the hype he had coming out of high school, will not play this season as the university continues their joint investigation into Yahoo's allegations.

This is another blow for a Hurricane team that was expected to contend for third place in the ACC this season. Over the summer, potential all-ACC center Reggie Johnson tore his meniscus and will be out until at least December recovering from surgery. Julian Gamble, the 'Canes next best big man, tore his ACL in September and will be out for the season. With Jones now out as well, Jim Larranaga is going to have to rely even more on his starting back court of Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant.


Ian Miller to miss the semester: According to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports, Florida State sophomore point guard Ian Miller -- who sat out both of the Seminole's exhibition games -- will sit out the first semester of this season. He'll be eligible to return to the team in December. Losing Miller is a big blow to Florida State, a team that is completely devoid of offensive creativity and explosiveness this year. Miller came into the program with the reputation of being a capable creator, but he struggled to find a rhythm playing behind Derwin Kitchen last season. It will be interesting to see if he is able to work his way back into the lineup when he returns; he's an important piece for Leonard Hamilton's team.


Reeves Nelson has a bum ankle: Something to keep an eye on out west -- Reeves Nelson injured his ankle on Tuesday, but its not a sprain. According to Ben Howland, he changed his shoes and is having an issue with a part of his foot that he feels is giving out on him. He also said the injury "could be serious", which is not a good sign for Nelson. The good news? UCLA has enough front court depth that Howland can afford to sit Nelson against Loyola Marymount in the opener.


Roger Franklin cleared: North Texas already was considered one of the mid-major powers, but they just got even better. Roger Franklin, a transfer from Oklahoma State, was cleared to become immediately eligible to play for the Mean Green. He'll be teaming with Tony Mitchell, who was expected to be an impact freshman at Missouri and played on the USA's U-19 team this summer, and Justin Patton, an all-conference performer at Grambling, as UNT's impact newcomers.


Trey Burke to start: The biggest question mark for Michigan heading into this season is at the point guard spot. With Darius Morris entering the NBA Draft a year earlier than expected, the Wolverines were left with a freshman point guard and a senior off-guard to battle over the starting spot in the back court. It looks as if the freshman won out, as John Beilein announced that Trey Burke will be the starter and Stu Douglass will come off the bench. Burke played basketball with Jared Sullinger in high school.


Utah is in big, big trouble this season: The Utes lost eight players from the program after Larry Krystowiak was named the new head coach in the spring, which means that Utah will not only be heading into a new conference with a new head coach, but they'll be doing it with what nearly amounts to a new roster. Thing got worse last week. Not only did Utah lose to Adams State in an exhibition, they lost guard Chris Hines for 2-4 weeks with a rib injury and center David Foster -- a 7'3", shot-blocking machine that won the 2010 MWC defensive player of the year award -- to a foot injury that will require surgery. Its going to be a long year for the Utes.


JJ Moore suspended: Pitt's sophomore wing JJ Moore was suspended for the first game of the season against Albany. Moore participated in an unauthorized summer league (because, you know, we want to limit how much basketball a basketball player can play in the summer) which led to the suspension. It shouldn't affect his status with the team too much; Moore will still be battling Lamar Patterson for the right to replace Gilbert Brown as a Pitt's starter at the three.


Steven Pledger to miss a game: Pledger suffered the same fate as Moore, getting suspended for the first game of the season against Idaho State for playing in an unauthorized summer league. Pledger is the second-leading returning scorer for the Sooners. How did Pledger get caught? A compliance official saw a tweet from Pledger about playing in the game and self-reported the violation.


Chrishawn Hopkins is back: Hopkins has quite a bit of hype heading into the season, but he missed both of Butler's exhibitions has he battled a concussion. The good news? He's back on the court and should be ready to go in Butler's opener.


Quick hitters:

- Siena's Rakeem Brookins' will miss the season due to persistent back problems.

- Ken Holdman, a senior point guard and a defensive stopper for Oral Roberts, will miss the season after tearing his acl.
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2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: Nos. 30-26

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.


30. Creighton Bluejays:

Last Season: 23-16, 10-8 (Missouri Valley)

Head Coach: Greg McDermott

Key Losses: Kenny Lawson Jr, Kaleb Korver, Darryl Ashford, Wayne Runnels,

New Additions: Grant Gibbs, Geoffery Groselle, Avery Dingman, Nevin Johnson, Austin Chatman, Mogboluwaga Oginni, Alex Olson

Projected Lineup:

- G: Antoine Young, Sr.
- G: Jahenns Maginat, So.
- F: Grant Gibbs, Jr.
- F: Doug McDermott, So.
- C: Gregory Echinique, Jr.
- Bench: Ethan Wragge, So.; Josh Jones, Jr.; Will Artino, Fr.


Outlook: The Bluejays are, without question, the most talented team in the Missouri Valley. There's an argument to be made that they have the best player in the conference at three positions. Antoine Young is a playmaking point guard that also happens to be a lock down defender; Greg Echinique, a transfer from Rutgers, is a massive presence in the middle; and Doug McDermott is a potential all-american and will likely be the pick for MVC Player of the Year by many, if not all, publications. That core alone makes this team one to keep an eye on, but what makes them scarier is that they are deep. Junior Josh Jones and sophomore Jahenns Manigat both showed flashes of being quality scorers in the MVC as well. Throw in redshirt freshman center Will Artino, Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs in the back court and a quartet of incoming freshmen, and McDermott has as deep of a roster as anyone in the conference. He'll be looking to increase Creighton's aggressiveness on both ends of the floor, so don't be surprised to see the Bluejays in and around the top 25 all year.


29. UCLA Bruins:

Last Season: 23-11, 11-5 (Pac-10)

Head Coach: Ben Howland

Key Losses: Tyler Honeycutt, Malcolm Lee

New Additions: David Wear, Travis Wear, Larry Drew II, Norman Powell, De'End Parker, Khalid McCaskill, David Brown, Nick Kazemi

Projected Lineup:

- G: Laz Jones, Sr.
- G: Larry Drew II, Sr.
- G: Tyler Lamb, So.
- F: Reeves Nelson, Jr.
- C: Josh Smith, So.
- Bench: Travis Wear, So.; David Wear, So.; Jerime Anderson, Sr.; De'End Parker, Jr.; Brendan Lane, Jr.; Anthony Stover, So.; Norman Powell, Fr.


Outlook: Ben Howland has an interesting team this season. Their strength is going to be in the front court, where they will be as deep as anyone in the country. Reeves Nelson is an aggressive and athletic four that sets a tone for this club. He's aggressive around the rim and a monster on the glass. If he can add a consistent perimeter jumper, he's got a chance to be a first-team all-league player. And he's not even their best big man. Josh Smith is. But Smith's issue is that he can't stay in shape. He ended the year weighing over 300 lbs and reportedly put on weight this summer, which isn't a good thing. Even with the weight, he's a best on the block. The question is whether or not he'll be able to stay on the court for an extended period of time. Throw in the Wear twins -- sophomore transfers from UNC -- and returners Brendan Lane and Anthony Stover, and minutes in UCLA's front court will be quite valuable and hard to come by. The perimeter is the question mark for this team. There are three point guards on the roster, and none of them blow you away. Laz Jones will most likely be the primary option, but he can be inconsistent at times. Larry Drew and Jerime Anderson were hyped recruits that fizzled in their three years in college. Will Tyler Lamb develop as a sophomore? Can De'End Parker and Norman Powell -- who got a concussion late in September and is reportedly unhappy already -- fill the void left by the departures of Malcolm Lee and Tyler Honeycutt? Finding consistency on the perimeter will be the difference between UCLA being a tournament team and a legitimate threat in the Pac-10.


28. New Mexico Lobos:

Last Season: 22-13, 8-8 (MWC)

Head Coach: Steve Alford

Key Losses: Dairese Gary

New Additions: Demetrius Walker, Dominique Dunning, Hugh Greenwood, Kory Alford

Projected Lineup:

- G: Jamal Fenton, Jr.
- G: Kendall Williams, So.
- F: Philip McDonald, Sr.
- F: AJ Hardeman, Sr.
- C: Drew Gordon, Sr.
- Bench: Cameron Bairstow, So.; Demetrius Walker, So.; Tony Snell, So.; Hugh Greenwood, Fr.; Dominique Dunning, Fr.; Alex Kirk, So.



Outlook: New Mexico has a chance to be very good this season. They return all but one player from last year, although that one player is a big one -- Dairese Gary, their star point guard. That will hurt, but there are pieces in place to help weather the blow. Sophomore Kendall Williams has a chance to be a big time player for Steve Alford's club. He averaged 11.5 ppg and 4.0 apg and won the MWC Freshman of the Year award while playing as the third and fourth option offensively. Gary missed the final two games after hurting his knee, and Williams stepped up and scored 18 points in both games. Throw in junior Jamal Fenton, who had 12 assists and just four turnovers in those two games, and the Lobos should be fine in terms of playmaking. They should also have one of the best big men in the conference in Drew Gordon, a double-double machine that should become a monster playing a full season. New Mexico will also be quite deep this year. Seniors AJ Hardeman (at the four) and Philip McDonald (at the three) should fill out the starting lineup. Cameron Bairstow and Alex Kirk -- if he comes back from back surgery in August -- are talented sophomores in the front court, while classmates Demetrius Walker -- a transfer from Arizona State -- and Tony Snell will provide depth on the perimeter. Don't be surprised in a couple of freshmen see minutes as well. The Lobos will compete for the MWC title and should be in and out of the top 25 all year.


27. Temple Owls:

Last Season: 26-8, 14-2 (A-10)

Head Coach: Fran Dunphy

Key Losses: Lavoy Allen, Craig Williams

New Additions: Will Cummings

Projected Lineup:

- G: Juan Fernandez, Sr.
- G: Scootie Randall, Sr.
- F: Ramone Moore, Sr.
- F: Rahlir Jefferson, Jr.
- C: Michael Eric, Sr.
- Bench: TJ DiLeo, Jr.; Khalif Wyatt, Jr.; Aaron Brown, So.; Will Cummings, Fr.


Outlook: Once again, Fran Dunphy has his Temple team in a position to make a lot of noise in the Atlantic 10. On the perimeter, the 2011-2012 version of the Owls is loaded. Point guard Juan Fernandez, who feels like he has been in college for a decade, returns for his senior season. His numbers dipped a bit as a junior, but don't be surprised when he has a big senior year as this team's leader. Ramone Moore turned into the Owl's go-to scorer as a junior, and should once again fill that role as a senior. Throw in a healthy Scootie Randall, talented junior Khalif Wyatt and a couple of hungry and capable youngsters in sophomore Aaron Brown (who performed well when moved into the starting lineup to replace the injured Randall late in the season) and freshman Will Cummings, and Dunphy will have plenty of options at his disposal. I would go as far as to say Temple has one of the best perimeter rotations in the country. Up front is a bigger issue, as Temple will have to replace Lavoy Allen, who was so important to this team's defensive attack. Michael Eric should be healthy and will be counted on for a big season defending the rim and cleaning the glass. Rahlir Jefferson should also see a bump in production as a junior and will be a factor rebounding the ball. Depth is the biggest issue on the front line. Behind Jefferson and Eric, Dunphy only has two big men in Anthony Lee and Jimmy McDonnell, both redshirt freshmen that still need to add weight and strength. Even with the front court question marks, Temple should give Xavier a run for their money at the conference title.


26. Michigan Wolverines:

Last Season: 21-14, 9-9 (Big Ten)

Head Coach: John Beilein

Key Losses: Darius Morris

New Additions: Carlton Brundidge, Trey Burke, Max Bielfeldt

Projected Lineup:

- G: Zak Novak, Sr.
- G: Stu Douglass, Sr.
- F: Tim Hardaway, So.
- F: Evan Smotrycz, So.
- C: Jordan Morgan, So.
- Bench: Matt Vogrich, Jr.; Jon Horford, So.; Carlton Brundidge, Fr.; Trey Burke, Fr.


Outlook: Had Darius Morris decided to return to school instead of enter the NBA Draft, the Wolverines would have been a borderline top 10 team instead of a borderline top 25 team. Morris was that perfect point guard for the system that John Beilein runs. But the great thing about a John Beilein offense is that the sum is greater than the parts, and while having a playmaking point guard like Morris -- a kid that can pass and score -- makes the offense that much more dangerous, its not essential. Zack Novak and Stu Douglass will be the elder statesmen, the seniors tasked with leading a team made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores. Both are quality players that do a lot of things well, but they are going to have to up their production next season to help make up for the loss of Morris. Junior Matt Vogrich will provide some shooting off the bench, while Carlton Brundidge and Trey Burke -- who may end up taking over the point guard spot -- should have an impact playing a role. The x-factor of this team will be Tim Hardaway Jr, a 6'6" sophomore wing that became a dangerous scorer at the end of his freshman season. He reminds me a bit of Mike Gansey, who played for Beilein at West Virginia. The front court could end up being an issue. Jordan Morgan had a couple big games as a freshman, but he got overwhelmed at times against bigger front lines. Fellow sophomore Evan Smotrycz should see more minutes as a stretch four-man, but he will be counted on for more contributions on the glass. Keep an eye on Jon Horford. He's put on some strength this off-season as he's now listed at 250 lb. And breakout sophomore years run in his blood -- his brother, Al, went from a seldom used freshman to a potential lottery pick as a sophomore.
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UPDATE: Michigan recruit injured in a plane crash; father, step-mom killed

UPDATE: Instead of writing a new post, we figured just updating this one would be easiest. Austin Hatch is currently in a medically induced coma. He's suffered broken ribs, a fractured skull, two punctured lungs, and some deep facial cuts. He is expected to survive, although just how good that news is can be debatable.

The other information that came out about this case is that the only reason Austin survived the first plane crash -- which happened eight years ago and killed his mother and his big sister and little brother -- is that his father threw him out the winder of a burning plane.

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Sad, sad news coming out of Charlevoix, MI, today.

The father and stepmother of Michigan recruit Austin Hatch -- class of 2013, he committed last week -- were killed in a plane crash Friday night ay 7:45 pm. Austin is currently in serious condition in the ICU in Traverse City. The family was on the way to their lake house when the plane reportedly started experiencing engine troubles and crashed into the garage of a house in Charlevoix.


This story is sad enough, but it gets worse. You see, this isn't the first time that Austin and his family have been involved in a plane crash. Eight years ago, Austin's dad clipped a telephone pole while flying, which resulted in a plane crash that killed Austin's mother, 11 year old sister, and five year old brother.

Send one up for Austin tonight.

If he makes it through, he'll have no family left.
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NBA Draft Profiles: Darius Morris, Michigan

Bjorn Zetterberg of SwishScout.com will be helping us out with all of our NBA Draft Profiles this year. You can follow him on twitter @swishscout.

To browse through the latest prospect profiles, click here. To see a complete list of the players we have profiled, click here.

Stats: 15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.7 apg, 2.9 t/o's, 25.0% 3PT

Age: 20, sophomore

Size:

• Listed: 6'5", 190 lb
• Official: 6'3.25" (no shoes), 6'5.25" (with shoes), 6'7.5" (wingspan), 8'6" (reach), 190 lb

Strengths: The NBA loves big point guards, and Morris is the biggest pure point guard in this draft. At over 6'5" in shoes, he has the size to disrupt on the defensive end of the floor and the strength to hold off a defender. He's not an overwhelming athlete like a Kyrie Irving or a Kemba Walker, but he is deceptively quick and understands how to use a change of pace. He's a very good ball handler as well. Morris also happens to be arguably the best pure passer in this draft class. He has terrific vision and a knack for getting the ball to his teammates in a position for them to be effective.

Weaknesses: The biggest knock on Morris is ability as a shooter. He finished his sophomore season as just a 25% three point shooter, a number which has to improve for him to become a starter in the NBA. He doesn't appear to be a great standstill shooter, and his shot selection off the dribble leaves something to be desired. He also turns the ball over at a fairly high rate -- 2.9 per game last season. While he doesn't appear to be a great decision maker, a lot of that can be attributed to the fact that he was the primary ball handler and play maker in Michigan's offense. The Wolverines relied on him to create off the dribble on an overwhelming majority of their offensive possessions, which forced him into situations where he had to over dribble, take tough shots, and make tough passes.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Andre Miller. A classic PG who has a lot in common with Morris, as both love to post up smaller guards, have a solid midrange game, do an excellent job incorporating their team, and can’t hit the backside of a barn from 3-point range. Both are savvy playmakers who can carry their team during stretches if they must, but are pass first players who loves to set up their teammates.


• Worst Case Scenario: Poor man's Antonio Daniels. Bigger, athletic guard who has had a decent journeyman career in the league as a back up. Morris has potential, like Daniels did being the 4th overall pick back in 1997, but he also has to work to reach it if he wants to be the PG of the future for a team.

Outlook: Morris has the potential to be a starter in the NBA, but it will require some work. First and foremost, he is going to have to put in the work to make himself a consistent jump shooter. While his numbers are up from his freshman season, he still has a way to go before he can really be considered a true threat from the perimeter. Morris is also going to have to learn how to be more of a facilitator, taking a lesser role in the offense. He's not going to be a point guard of the Deron Williams or Chris Paul ilk, where the offense is centered around him. But there is no questioning his ability to create points and shots for himself and for his teammates, and that is a valuable skill to have. There is a spot for him in the NBA, and there was talk that he could have played himself into the back end of next year's lottery with a good year as a junior. If Morris can make those developments at the next level, he should have a bright future in front of him.

Draft Range: Late 1st Round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "While he's not an elite athlete, he's quicker with the ball than you think and shows great control with his handle. Morris also showed off a terrific midrange jumper in drills. His NBA 3-point shot was solid but still needs work. Morris has elite size and may have the best court vision of anyone in the draft. Add in his defensive abilities and a great, supportive family background, and I can see Morris sticking in the first round."


• Draft Express: "Morris can become even a much more dangerous player if he can continue to improve as a perimeter shooter. His 3-point shooting is up slightly to 27.9% this season, from a miserable 18% as a freshman, and his free throw shooting has risen from 63% to 77%. Clearly he put in some work shooting the ball over the summer. With that said, he still has plenty of room for improvement. He isn't particularly effective as a shooter with his feet set, and while he's more comfortable shooting off the dribble, he still takes some bad shots and doesn't have great range. If he can become a reliable shooter from 3-point range, it should really open up his slashing game and make him an even tougher matchup for opposing point guards."


• Swish Scout: "Natural point guard with great size, build, court vision, passing, and creating ability off the dribble. Doesn’t have a great perimeter jumper and turns the ball over quite a bit, but Morris is an excellent penetrator who loves drive and post up smaller guards, and has all the makings of an NBA starter."

Highlights:




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Michigan loses, but looks good for next season

After Nolan Smith missed a free throw with 8.7 seconds left, leaving the door open for Michigan to potentially win the game on their final possession, Darius Morris took an outlet pass and went coast to coast.

He got free and found himself in the middle of the paint, but his eight foot floater traveled long, missing off the back of the rim, and the Wolverines were headed home with a 73-71 loss.

The loss is, of course upsetting.

But the comeback that Michigan made, from as much as 15 points down in the second half, is promising.


How promising?

If both Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. return next season (which they both should), Michigan is going to be a top ten team in the preseason. There is no doubt in my mind.

John Beilein has built a "John Beilein team" in Ann Arbor. He's got a dominant, penetrating point guard in Morris, who I said was one of the most underrated players in the country back in February. He's got a pair of freshmen in the front court that compliment each other very well. Jordan Morgan is the 6'8" horse on the block that can run the floor while Evan Smotrycz is the versatile, face-up four with three point range. Hardaway Jr. really came on down the stretch of the season, proving to be a smooth scoring wing with a dangerous perimeter jumper.

Then there are the veterans -- Matt Vogrich, Stu Douglass, and Zack Novak -- that can defend and keep the floor spread by knocking down threes.

The scariest part? Everyone returns. And with just two juniors and no seniors in their rotation, its safe to assume that the Wolverines won't just be intact again next season, they will be significantly better.

Eventally, we are going to have to start mentioning John Beilein in the same breath as Bo Ryan and Jamie Dixon. He wins games without NBA talent using what is slowly proving to be a foolproof system.

With all the talent leaving the Big Ten this offseason, don't be surprised is Michigan is the favorite to win the league come September.
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Tuesday's Pregame Beat: Michigan State and Illinois highlight a mediocre night

7:00 pm: No. 18 Michigan State @ No. 22 Illinois: Both the Illini and the Spartans were expected to contend for the Big Ten title, and while that is still a feat that is quite possible for either team, both have been disappointing early on in Big Ten play. The Spartans have redeemed themselves a bit with back to back overtime wins against Wisconsin and Northwestern at home, but they have yet to really be tested on the road. That will happen tonight as they travel to Champaign to take on the Illini.

Illinois has struggled of late. They've lost four of their last seven games, including Penn State and Illinois-Chicago. Throw in the personal issues that Jereme Richmond has been dealing with, and this Illini team is one that could certainly use a big game in front of a raucous home crowd. There will be two keys for the Illini tonight -- get Demetri McCamey back on track and match the physicality of Michigan State's front line. Draymond Green and company haven't exactly been the Michigan State of old, but Illinois' bigs are known for their lack of strength and finesse post game.

This is an important game for both teams. Illinois cannot afford to fall three games behind Ohio State in the loss column, while the Spartans are looking to reestablish themselves as a legitimate contender. There's no way better to do that than by going into Assembly Hall and beating the Illini.

7:00 pm: Tennessee @ Georgia: Tennessee is looking to rebuild their resume -- and their confidence -- after a horrific stretch of games that saw them lose six of nine. The Vols are riding high right now, as Scotty Hopson and Brian Williams spurred on an impressive 17 point comeback against Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon. Like Michigan State, the way to prove that the Vols have finally figured it out is by winning on the road. Georgia bounced back from a tough loss at Vanderbilt to blow out Ole miss on the road. The Bulldogs already boast a win over Kentucky in Athens, but a win tonight would allow them to keep pace with Kentucky atop the SEC East standings.

8:00 pm: Clemson @ UNC: Want to hear an incredible stat? Clemson hasn't won at North Carolina in their last 54 games. Crazy, right? The Tigers are a bit of an unknown this season. They had a couple of solid performances early in the season, but then lost three straight games to high major competition. They've rebounded from it, however, winning eight in a row, including their last two in ACC play against Miami and Georgia Tech at home. That same Georgia Tech team is coming off of a 20 point win over these very Tar Heels, who have once again looked disappointing given the amount of talent on their roster.

No. 23 Georgetown @ Seton Hall: This is a bit of a make or break game for both teams. With a losing record as it stands, the Pirates cannot afford anymore losses this season, and with the return of Jeremy Hazell, they are finally at full strength as a program. Georgetown, on the other hand, has lost four of six to start Big East play and has looked, well, bad the past three weeks. Will the winner be able to turn their season around?

9:00 pm: No. 12 Kentucky @ Alabama: Kentucky should be able to roll through the Tide tonight, but the Wildcats better come to play for 40 minutes, something that they haven't really been doing of late. Alabama has a couple of talented forwards in JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell. If Josh Harrellson or Terrence Jones get into foul trouble, the Cats may have some problems.

7:00 pm: Colorado @ Nebraska: The Cornhuskers have been a tough out at home recently. They are also a big team, which could give the smaller Buffaloes some trouble. I'd recommend tuning in for at least a couple minutes of this one if you want to get a sense of whether or not Colorado is for real.

10:00 pm: TCU @ No. 9 BYU: The Jimmer Show.

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Laval Lucas-Perry kicked off Michigan's team

When John Beilein came to Michigan from West Virginia, he came with the reputation of turning around downtrodden basketball programs.

He turned an 8-22 Canisius team into a conference champion in just two years. He took Richmond from a five year streak of losing seasons to the second round of the NCAA Tournament -- via an upset of 3rd seeded South Carolina -- in his first year at the school. It took a while at West Virginia, but eventually Beilein was able to take what was an 8-20 West Virginia team and put them in the Elite 8 (in 2005), the Sweet 16 (in 2006), and to the NIT Finals in 2007.

That is why he got the job at Michigan.

Laval Lucas-Perry is the latest departure from the Michigan program.
(photo credit: daylife)

Because prior to Beilein's signing in the spring of 2007, the Wolverines had not been to an NCAA tournament since Brian Ellerbe led them to the 1998 Big Ten tournament title. (That season has since been vacated by the NCAA.)

Beilein looked like he had struck gold once again. After struggling to a 10-22 finish in his first season, the Wolverines shocked the world by upsetting two top five teams -- Duke and UCLA -- en route to a 21-14 record and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. With potential all-Big Ten members Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims returning, the Wolverines were a trendy pick for the top 15 prior to the 2009-10 season.

Well, we all know what happened.

Michigan never quite got untracked, finishing the season under .500 on a 35 footer from Evan Turner. This off-season hasn't been much better. DeShawn Sims and Zach Gibson both graduated. Manny Harris left for the NBA and didn't even get selected. Anthony Wright was not granted a fifth year of eligibility. Three assistant coaches have departed.

And as if to throw salt in the wound, Laval Lucas-Perry has been dismissed from the team for the dreaded "violation of team rules". Here's Beilein from the UM press release:

The University of Michigan and our men’s basketball program has established expectations essential to the success of all students and athletes. These university and team standards have been clearly communicated to the team and Laval on numerous occasions through meetings, conferences and mentorship. Unfortunately, Laval has violated our team standards. Therefore, I have decided that he will no longer be a part of our basketball program. Given the fact that Laval is near the completion of his degree, he has been extended the offer to remain on scholarship for the 2010-11 academic year and graduate in May with our 2011 class.

It was the end of a strange and disappointing career for Lucas-Perry. A Flint, MI, native, Lucas-Perry was a fairly-highly regarded high school player, signing with Arizona as a three-star recruit. But he arrived in Tucson around the same time as Lute Olson was leaving, and left after just one semester. A three point threat, Lucas-Perry was a welcomed midseason addition to the Wolverine's NCAA Tournament team, but after a month of lights-out shooting, he never regained his touch. In 58 games with Michigan, Lucas-Perry averaged just 5.6 ppg and shot 32% from deep. He reached double figures in each of his first six games in Ann Arbor, but only reached double figures eight more times in his career. Six of the last nine games in the 2010 regular season, Lucas-Perry went scoreless.

The bigger question is where Michigan is headed. There are just four returners that saw playing time -- Stu Douglass, Zak Novak, Darius Morris, and Matt Vogrich. They aren't bring in much, either. Evan Smotrycz, a 6'8" small forward from New Hampshire, is a top 100 recruit. Jordan Morgan is a three-star center, but he is undergoing surgery on his left knee. None of Blake McLimans, Tim Hardaway, and Jon Horford cracked Rivals top 150.

On paper, this looks like a team destined for a rebuilding year.

But keep in mind, this is the kind of team that Beilein succeeds with. A bunch of scrappy underachievers willing to buy into Beilein's system. I'm not saying that Michigan fans should be penciling in a Big Ten title. Far from it. All I'm saying is that maybe the loss of Sims, Harris, and Lucas-Perry will be addition by subtraction.

While a .500 season would probably be considered an overachievement in 2010-11, don't write this group off just yet. Remember, Beilein has a tendency for turning teams around.
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Manny Harris suspended against Purdue.

Umm, this sounds bad. Via USA Today:

Coach John Beilein announced the suspension Saturday ahead of the Wolverines' game at Purdue. Beilein said in a statement that Harris "used poor judgment" on Friday and it would be "best for Manny's future" if he didn't play. Details of the conduct weren't released by the team.

Michigan plays Purdue today, and the Wolverines really, really need this win if they have any thoughts of being a tournament team. Needless to say, losing Harris is a big blow to those hopes.

It gets worse though. Beilein said that he will meet with Harris and with the team after their Saturday trip to Mackey Arena to determine if Harris will be eligible for Tuesday's game against Michigan State, another one the Wolverines really, really need to win.

More info as it becomes available.

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Friday's Shootaround: Manny Harris, Minnesota, and Portland all shine while Oklahoma's struggles continue

Old Spice Classic

• Michigan 83, Creighton 76 OT: Manny Harris looks like he may give Evan Turner a run for his money as the most versatile players in the Big Ten. Harris went for 20 points, 11 assists, and 9 boards as he finished one rebound shy of his second triple-double of the season. This also happened to be the most exciting game of the day. A clash of styles (Creighton pressed all over the court, while Michigan played their typical 1-3-1 zone while spreading the floor offensively), a Stu Douglass three put Michigan ahead 67-65 with 1:30 left in the game. After trading free throws, the Wolverines found themselves up 69-67 with 5.7 seconds left before pg Antoine Young went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to force OT.
  
  
  Manny Harris nearly had a triple double to lead Michigan.
  (photo credit: SBNation)
  
  
  In OT, Harris took over. He had a three point play and a big dunk to help Michigan open up a 76-73 lead, and after a Wolverine stop, he found Zak Novak for a three to ice it. Creighton was very impressive, however. They are much more athletic than I thought they would be, and they pressed the Wolverines all over the court. Justin Carter had a career-high 21 in his first game back from a knee injury.

• Marquette 71, Xavier 61: Buzz Williams sure does have his kids believing they can play. The Golden Eagles of Marquette used an 11-0 run late in the second half to open a 64-55 lead as they held off Xavier in the OSC's first round. Lazar Hayward had 27 points for Marquette, including two threes in the decisive run, while Jimmy Butler added 15. Jason Love played great for Xavier, recording 21 points, 19 boards, and 5 blocks, as he made it obvious that Marquette is still suffering from a lack of size. Jordan Crawford, the kid who dunked on LeBron, looked out of shape and out of sync as he huffed and puffed his was to a 3-18 shooting night.
• Alabama 79, Baylor 76: JaMychal Green had 22 points while Mikhail Torrance added 20 and Senario Hillman 15 as the Crimson Tide got a win for Anthony Grant in his first game on national TV. The Tide looked impressive as they were able to handle a big, athletic Baylor team, opening a 10 point second half lead before some hot bears shooting made it more respectable. I was really impressed with Grant in one instance late in the second half, when he took the blame (the national TV audience could see and hear him say it) for a mistake on an in-bounds play.
• Florida State 54, Iona 49: Florida State, a much bigger and more athletic team, could not pull away from the gritty Gaels as Iona fought tooth and nail to keep this thing close. Everytime it looked like FSU was going to break this thing open, Iona would make a spurt to keep tie the game up or take the lead back. FSU opened the second half with a 10-0 run to push the lead to 35-24, but Iona came all the way back. After a 6-0 spurt to make it 45-39, the Gaels scored eight of the next ten points to tie it agai. Eventually, the Noles used a late 6-0 run to break a 47-all tie and close this game out. Derwin Kitchen had 16 to lead FSU, who have looked far from the team that some were predicting could make noise in the ACC.

76 Classic

• West Virginia 85, Long Beach State 62: Devin Ebanks dressed, but he never took the court as the Mountaineers jumped on the 49ers. Casey Mitchell hit three early threes as WVU opened up a 20-9 lead in the first 10 minutes. Mitchell finished with a career-high 18 points and Johnnie West added his over career-high of 11 as WVU his 12-24 from deep.
  
• Texas A&M 69, Clemson 60: The Tigers came out of the gates playing well, especially on the defensive end, as they were up 7-1 six minutes into the game. But all of a sudden Texas A&M woke up on both ends of the floor, as they used 12-1 and 15-2 runs during the first half to take a 33-20 lead into the break. The Tigers made a push in the second half, getting the lead down to 58-56, but the Aggies responded with a free throw and a BJ Holmes three to take push the lead back to six. Holmes led the Aggies with 20 points off the bench while reserve David Loubeau added 12 points and 9 boards. Trevor Booker scored 12 of his 18 points after the break, but the Tigers, who came into this game shooting 45.5% from three, shot just 34% from the floor and 3-18 from three.
  
• Minnesota 82, Butler 73: In the most highly anticipated game of the day, the Gophers played phenomenal defensively, holding Butler to just 33% shooting from the field and 21 turnovers. But still, in a testament to how good this Butler team in, the Bulldogs had a dog in this fight until Matt Howard, who scored 23 points, picked up his fourth foul with 14 minutes left and Butler down 39-38. Minnesota immediately responded with an 8-1 run, and Butler never got within four the rest of the way. Look, Minnesota is a good team, and more than anything Butler seemed to just have an off night. Those happen.
  
  
  Minnesota played very well defensively against Butler.
  (photo credit: AP)
  
  
  But if you are going to take anything out of this game, think about how good Minnesota truly is. Three starters went to the bench during the first half with foul trouble, but Minnesota didn't miss a beat as they put three reserves in double figures. The hero in the first half was Colton Iverson, who was everywhere, posting a first half double-double and providing Minnesota with a spark that they seemed to be lacking. Down the stretch, as Butler was trying to make a comeback, the heroes were Blake Hoffarber and Devoe Joseph, who both his two threes in the last five or six minutes of the game to help ice it. Damian Johnson led the Gophers with 18 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Shelvin Mack had 20 for Butler, but 7 turnovers, who Gordon Hayward had 13 and 10 boards, but was just 3-8 from the field with 6 turnovers.

• Portland 74, UCLA 47: This one was ugly. Portland never trailed, was up 36-19 at the half, and was 11-19 from deep. For more, read what I wrote here already.

Houston 100, Oklahoma 93: Kelvin Lewis had 28 points and Aubrey Coleman added 27 points and 11 boards as the Cougars used a late 19-4 run to put away Oklahoma. The Sooners, frankly, are terrible right now. They don't play any defense and are selfish offensively. Willie Warren had 25 points and 7 assists, but is he really enough of a leader to make a difference for this team?

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Saturday's Pregame Beat

The first weekend in the college basketball season officially kicks off today. For nearly 50 teams, today will be there season opener, and most of the Top 25 teams have cupcakes scheduled.

Unfortunately for us college hoops fanatics, almost none of these games will be televised, forcing us to to either a) listen to our teams play on internet radio, or b) watch another so-so week of unimportant college football games. I will be going with option a, and I hope you all do the same.

Now, lets get to today's schedule:

1 pm: Creighton @ Dayton: Creighton will begin the year shorthanded, as three of their front court players are either injured or sick - not good news when you are taking on a Dayton team known for their toughness inside. That said, none of the guys that Creighton will be missing played much of a role in last season's 18 point beat down of the Flyers. I think the Flyers pull this one out. Dayton is big, tough, and experienced, and they are playing at home where they are as tough as anyone in the country to beat. Guys like London Warren, Marcus Johnson, and Rob Lowery are good enough defensively that they slow P'Allen Stinnet the rest of the good Bluejay backcourt.

2 pm: Davidson @ Butler: This game would be a lot more intriguing if Steph Curry hadn't gone to the NBA. Despite Bob McKillop's coaching prowess, it is difficult to imagine the Wildcats hanging with Shelvin Mack, Gordon Hayward, Matt Howard, and the rest of the Bulldogs. But with guys like Ben Allison, Will Archambault, and Bryant Barr returning, Davidson may surprise some people this season.

2 pm: Mt. St. Marys @ Oklahoma: Willie Warren is a legitimate Big XII player of the year candidate, and he will look to keep the Sooners relevant in the best league in the country. There are two questions everyone wants answered: how good will the Oklahoma front line be in the post-Griffins era? And how good is Tommy Mason-Griffin? Will he allow Warren to play off the all full-time?

7 pm: Florida A&M @ Georgia Tech: True, Georgia Tech finished last season in the ACC cellar, but they finished last season on a strong note. The biggest issue for the Jackets at the end of the season was the inablility to close out games late. With Iman Shumpert and Gani Lawal coming back, and the addition of some excellent freshman, including Mfon Udofia and Derrick Favors, this is a team that some have predicted could make a run at an ACC title.

10 pm: Belmont @ Washington: Belmont is a very good low-major program. But they will be traveling across the country to take on a team that many believe to be the best on the West Coast. Washington struggled a bit last night in their win over Wright State, but Isaiah Thomas didn't, scoring 30 points as Wright State was unable to keep him out of the paint.

Other Notables:

• 2 pm: North Florida @ Notre Dame
• 2 pm: Marist @ Rutgers
• 2 pm: Bloomsburg @ Binghamton
  
• 2 pm: Cornell @ Alabama
• 2:30 pm: Seattle @ Oklahoma State
• 4 pm: North Carolina Central @ Miami
• 5 pm: UC Davis @ Oregon
  
• 6:30 pm: Bucknell @ Providence
• 7 pm: Northern Michigan @ #15 Michigan
• 7 pm: UAB @ Kent State
• 8 pm: Mississippi Valley State @ Gonzaga
  

UPSET ALERT!

The only ranked team that I can see losing today would be Dayton, but getting knocked off by Creighton, even if it is at home to an injury-plagued team, should not be considered an upset. But keep an eye on Cornell and Alabama. The Crimson Tide lost a couple talented seniors and bring in a new coach and thus a new system. Cornell is a senior laden squad led by point guard Louis Dale and sharp-shooting forward Ryan Wittman. If the Big Red can control JaMychal Green inside, the SEC West could see a second team fall here early in the season.
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No. 19: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Michigan Wolverines

2008-2009 Record: 21-14, 9-9 (t-7th)

Key Losses: Kelvin Grady (6.1 ppg), Zack Gibson (3.9 ppg)

Key Returners: Manny Harris (16.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.4 apg), DeShawn Sims (15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Zack Novak (6.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

Newcomers: Darius Morris, Eso Akunne, Matt Vogrich, Josh Bartelstein, Blake McLimans, Jordan Morgan

Manny Harris is one of the best natural scorers in the country.
(photo credit: UMHoops)

John Beilein runs arguably the most unique system in the country, and as would be expected, it took the Michigan players a season to get used to what Beilein was asking of them. In Beilein's second year at the helm, his guys became more accustomed to the offense and the Wolverines had their most successful season in a long time, reaching the NCAA Tournament's 2nd round. This year, Michigan will be one of the best teams in the Big Ten.

Michigan's offense will be based around the play of DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris. Harris is one of the most natural scorers in the country. Standing a lithe 6'5", Harris is at his best when he is using his quick first step to attack the rim. He is still a bit toolsy, as his jump shot and handle can still be improved. Where Harris made strides as a sophomore was with his efficiency. He greatly improved his shot selection and his decision making when passing the ball, an aspect that should become even better as he gets more comfortable with Beilein's system. The one place that Harris still could use some work is his perimeter jumper. He has made less than a third of his three point attempts during his first two seasons. Given Beilein's reliance on the three in his offense, improving this aspect of his game would greatly improve Harris's effectiveness.

While Harris is a bit of an imperfect fit for the Beilein system on the perimeter, Sims seems to be slightly better. At 6'8", he is able to hold his on in the post at both ends. He has a solid back-to-the-basket game, with a turn-around jumper as his go-to move. But Sims also has the ability to step out and knock down a shot from the perimeter. While he could still stand to improve upon his consistency, opposing bigs still have to come out and respect the shot, which allows the nimble Sims opportunities to put the ball on the floor and go to the basket. The biggest area Sims needs to improve is in his energy level and his work ethic. He looked lethargic at times last season, and as a result had a number of games where he didn't show up; while he has games like the 28 and 12 he had against Duke or the 29 he went for against Purdue, there is also the chance he goes 3-14 like he did against Illinois or 4-11 he shot against UConn.

As they did last season, I would expect Michigan to start four guards around Sims. There are four guys who will likely compete for those three starting spots - sophomores Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, and Laval Lucas-Perry and freshman Darius Morris. Novak, Douglass, and Lucas-Perry are all essentially the same player. Big guards that can do a little bit of everything, Lucas-Perry came in with the best reputation last season, but he was forced to play out of position for a lot of the season as Michigan struggled with their point guard situation.

That problem should be fixed with Morris. Morris is not the greatest offensive player, but he can penetrate and find shooters, he plays defense, and most importantly, he is an actual point guard. His biggest competition for playing time this season - Lucas-Perry and Douglass - both prefer to play off the ball. Speaking of Douglass, he and Novak should both be expected to have big sophomore seasons. They are both heady players that are good three point shooters and athletic enough to be a play maker in the Wolverines 1-3-1 zone. Also expect freshman Matt Vogrich, another 6'4" shooting guard, to have an impact this season.

The biggest problem for Beilein is going to be finding another big man that can provide quality minutes. With the strength of the Big Ten this season, being forced to have 6'5" guards like Harris and Novak as your second biggest player on the floor will make rebounding the ball very tough. Freshmen Jordan Morgan, Blake McClimans, and Ben Cronin are all possibilities to fill that role. Morgan is a 6'8" kid out of Detroit, and as you would expect, he is a blue collar type player. He will provide Beilein with a tough, rugged presence in the paint, fighting for rebounds and making opposing bigs work for their touches. Cronin, who is 7'0", is coming off of hip surgery last season and could provide an impact.

But the guy to keep an eye on in Blake McLimans. McLimans is 6'10" and athletic enough that he played volleyball and baseball in high school. He is the perfect big man for Beilein - he is an excellent three point shooter, he can pass the ball from the high post, and he is comfortable playing onthe perimeter 22 feet from the rim. McLimans doesn't have the same ring to it, but he could be the next Kevin Pittsnoggle.

Outlook: This may be the most talented team that John Beilein has ever coached. Manny Harris is a legitimate all-american candidate, DeShawn Sims could be a first or second team all-Big Ten guy, and their supporting cast can all play. But none of that matters, because the Wolverines will go as far as Beilein's system takes them. The ability of the team to make back door cuts, hit three pointers, and rebound out of a 1-3-1 zone is what will be the difference for Michigan. Will they once again finish in the middle of the Big Ten and get a nine or ten seed in the dance, or can they make that next step and stay near the top of the league standings? If Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, and Laval Lucas-Perry all continue to develop, and Darius Morris and Blake McLimans can come in and fill a (much-needed) role, Michigan is going to win a lot of games.
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Rumeal Robinson and his strip club addiction

You remember Rumeal Robinson, right?

When Michigan won the 1989 national title, he was the point guard that hit two free throws with three seconds left in overtime to give the Wolverines a 80-79 win. His junior year, Robinson would go on to average 19.2 ppg and 6.1 apg en route to being the 10th pick in the 1990 draft. The first contract Robinson signed was for four years and $4.29 million.

That's a long way from sleeping on the steps of the Harvard dorms.

Now, at 43, Robinson may be headed back to those same steps.

Last week, Robinson made headlines as news came out that he had scammed his adoptive mother out of the house that he and five other children were raised in. This caught the attention of the Miami Herald, who did some of their own research into Robinson.

Let's just say he doesn't seem like he is the best at managing his money:

He made more than $5 million in NBA salary alone, but blew much of it on a strip club habit that would have made Pacman Jones blush. "He would go on binges of two whole weeks where he spent $20,000 a night at a strip club," Barrows says. "Not only that, but he'd also have a bunch of the strippers come back to his place, get buck-naked, and clean his house for $500 or $1,000 each."

Robinson had spent the money on clothing and jewelry at upscale boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Bodega, and the Royal Shop. He had bought steak dinners, plane tickets, and expensive hotel stays at a Jamaican Ritz-Carlton, the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and the Abbey Hotel in Miami Beach. He had blown nearly $800 on smokes at Coco Cigar in Coconut Grove, and even bought a $10,000 M16 machine gun at Miami Police Supply in Little Havana.

He also leased at least three luxury Mercedes and BMW vehicles, and bought new Ducati motorcycles. When he didn't pay those bills, creditors demanded the vehicles back. Since 2006, Robinson has also been sued in Miami-Dade Court for not paying the leases on two Mercedes and a 2005 Maserati Quattroporte.

That's a long way to fall for someone once named Mr. Clutch by SI.
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John Beilein coaches track

To be a college basketball player, you have to be in excellent shape. Between the constant running on the offensive end to the toll that playing tough defenses takes on your legs, it isn't hard to understand why coaches hate when their players show up to the start of practice in something other than peak physical condition.

But have you ever wondered what these guys do to get into such great shape?

AnnArbor.com gives us a little insight, at least into what John Beilein has his Michigan team doing:

The players run two miles in shorter intervals. They run sets of two 400-meter runs, two 200-meter runs and two 100-meter runs twice. That’s it. In between are breaks of varying lengths, although Beilein has structured it similar to breaks players would receive in basketball games.

Some breaks are 30 seconds, equivalent to a short timeout. Others are longer, equivalent to a TV timeout. And others are 10 to 15 seconds, just long enough that a player would be at the free throw line or going in for a substitution.

And those are just the pre-season workouts.

Pretty intense, no?

And remember, this is for a team that doesn't play at the pace of, say, a Washington or a North Carolina. Imagine what those kids have to do to get into shape.
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College Basketball Week In Review: Life on the Bubble

With just a week left in the regular season for most teams, let's take a look at who can help themselves the most over these next seven days:

• Virginia Tech 17-11, 7-7, 59 (RPI), 36 (SOS): The Hokies have been the most snakebitten team in the country this season (more on this later today), but still have a chance to reach the dance because they play UNC (home) and Florida State (away) to close out the season. They may need to win both if they want to lock up a bid.
• Maryland 18-10, 7-7, 58, 22: The Terps have a couple really nice wins (@ UNC, Michigan State), but a terrible loss (Morgan State) and a 2-5 road record. While a win at UVA helps bolster the road record, they may need to beat Wake Forest at home if they want a chance to dance.

• Providence 17-11, 10-7, 71, 38: The Friars have one game left on their schedule - at Villanova. At this point, they probably need to win that game for a shot at making the dance. If they lose, the committee can easily turn down a 12 loss team, but can they reject a team that went 11-7 in the Big East this year, with a win over Pitt and a win at Villanova?
• The Middle of the Big Ten: Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan State are dancing, but there are five teams within a game and a half of each other in the Big Ten standings that still can end up in the field of 65:
  
  - Wisconsin (18-10, 9-7, 32, 5): @ Minnesota, Indiana
  - Penn State (20-9, 9-7, 64, 92): Illinois, @ Iowa
  - Minnesota (20-8, 8-8, 37, 47): Wisconsin, Michigan
  - Ohio State (18-9, 8-8, 41, 24): @ Iowa, Northwestern
  - Michigan (17-12, 8-9, 47, 10): @ Minnesota
  
  Penn State and Ohio State probably need to win out to reach the dance (Penn State needs the wins, Ohio State can't afford the losses). Depending on how the games play out, two of Michigan/Minnesota/Wisconsin should be dancing as well.
• Oklahoma State 19-9, 8-6, 31, 13: See below.
• Florida 21-8, 8-6, 42, 93; Kentucky 18-10, 8-6, 66, 64: The Gators go to Mississippi State on Wednesday and the Wildcats get Georgia at home. Assuming both teams win those games (far from a sure thing, especially for Florida, who is 2-6 in true road games), on Saturday Kentucky heads to Gainesville in what will most likely be a play-in game. Does a 9-7 SEC team go dancing?
• Dayton 24-5, 10-4, 27, 105: Dayton has a great record and a great RPI, but probably needs to sweep this week (@ Xavier, Duquense) if they want to ensure an at-large bid. The wins against Marquette and Xavier are nice, but an SOS in the 100's and losses to St. Louis (113), UMass (162), and Charlotte (183) are not good.
  

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Sherron Collins, Kansas Jayhawks
Much has been written about how young the Jayhawks are this year and how much they lost to graduation/NBA paychecks after winning the national title. But come March of 2009, the Baby Jayhawks are now all alone in first place in the Big XII, needing only to win at Texas Tech and to beat Texas at home to lock up a fifth straight conference title. This past week was huge, as KU knocked off both Oklahoma and Missouri. And as has been the case all season long, Sherron Collins was the best player on the floor for KU. Against Oklahoma, Collins shook off a bit of a slow start as he knocked down three huge three's late in the game, which helped to hold off a 20 point rally by the Blake Griffin-less Sooners. On Sunday, Collins scored 25 points and had 6 assists as Kansas jumped all over Mizzou early, winning the battle for first place 90-65. All told, Collins averaged 25.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, and 3.5 rpg, while shooting 50% from the field, 14-18 from the line, and 9-14 from deep.

Sherron Collins was on fire in two games last week.
(photo credit: Orlin Wagner/AP)

TEAMS OF THE WEEK:
Oklahoma State and LSU
OK State was not expected to be much of anything this year, especially not after their only legitimate post threat, Ibrahima Thomas, was kicked off of the team early in the season. Things looked bleak as the Cowboys lost six of eight early in the conference season, but they have responded admirably by winning five in a row, including two games this week - at Colorado and at home against Texas. The win against Texas was the most important win of the season, as it finally gave OK State a marquee win. The Cowboys are far from a lock at this point despite their very strong computer profile (31 RPI, 13 SOS), mainly because they haven't had all that much success against a very tough schedule (3-8 vs. top 50, 7-9 vs. top 100). But they still have games against Kansas State and Oklahoma. Winning one of those should get the Cowboys in, while winning both would guarantee a trip to the dance. For the week, the vastly underrated James Anderson led the Cowboys with 23 ppg, including a 30 and 10 board performance against Colorado. Marshall Moses averaged 11.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg this week.

LSU is leading the SEC with an impressive 25-4 record, 13-1 in the league. But they are far from getting the credit that record would deserve for two reasons: the general consensus is that the SEC is down quite a bit this year; but more so it is the fact that LSU has not been all that impressive on the road. They lost their first three games away from Baton Rouge (Texas A&M on a neutral court, at Utah by 30, and at Alabama). They have been much better on the road of late, winning, amongst others, at Tennessee, at Mississippi State, and at Arkansas (who, if you remember, beat Texas and Oklahoma in Fayetteville). If that still wasn't enough to convince you that LSU is for real this year, then maybe this week did. Not only did they beat Florida, but they won in Rupp, coming back from a ten point deficit to beat the Wildcats on a Tasmin Mitchell three pointer with less than 10 seconds left. The bottom-line, for me anyway, is that LSU passes the smell test - watching them play (I saw most of the two games this week, the first two I have seen the Tigers play this year, thank you very much Raycom Sports), they look like a team deserving of a top four seed.

Marcus Thornton hit five three's in a row in the first half against Florida
en route to 32 points in the Tiger's win.
(photo credit: Bill Feig/AP)

Marcus Thornton, when he is a hot, can put up points with the best of them (he averaged 27.5 ppg on the week). Garrett Temple ranks up there with Chris Kramer, Jerel McNeal, and Travis Walton as the best perimeter defenders in the nation. Tasmin Mitchell is a load on the block. Chris Johnson is an excellent shot blocker that will be a lottery pick once he can put on some muscle. Bo Spencer has turned into a good point guard that can protect the ball, make plays on both ends, and knock down a jump shot for you. The biggest problem? That is it for the Tigers. They might as well go just five deep, because there is not too much on their bench. They end with Vanderbilt and Auburn. If they win both, they will be 15-1 in the SEC. The league may be down this year, but 15-1 in any conference is impressive.

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:
3/3 - Florida State @ Duke: Duke tends to struggle against bigger, more athletic teams. What is FSU? Bigger, and more athletic than just about every team in the country.

3/4 - Marquette @ Pitt: Marquette was at a serious disadvantage size wise before they had to replace 5'11" Dominic James with 5'7" Mo Acker.

3/4 - Oklahoma @ Missouri: ESPN really blew this one. Two clashes of top ten teams on a Wednesday night, and neither lands on the worldwide leader (Pitt-Marquette is ESPN 2, while Oklahoma-Mizzou is not even on the family of networks).

3/5 - Dayton @ Xavier: Xavier looks to get revenge after Dayton smacked X in Dayton back in January.

3/6 - The WCC and CAA tournaments start on Friday.

The last weekend of the regular season ends with an absolutely fantastic line-up of games, headlined by UConn heading to Pitt to play for the Big East crown, while UNC hosts Duke for the ACC title. More on this weekend's games on Friday. Continue reading...

Tuesday Lay-up Lines

The game of the night is taking place in Philly as Marquette (20-3, 9-1) heads down to play streaking Villanova (19-4, 7-3). The Wildcats have won five in a row after losing at UConn, including victories over Pitt and Syracuse. Marquette, on the other hand, suffered their first defeat in conference play at the hands of South Florida. This should be a fun one to watch as both of these teams have great back court play. As much as I like Marquette, I think that Villanova wins tonight, as long as Dante Cunningham stays out of foul trouble. The Golden Eagles don't have an answer inside for Cunningham, who is turning into one of the best players in the Big East. I'm curious to see who Buzz Williams puts Jerel McNeal, the best perimeter defender in the conference, on defensively. The obvious answer in Scottie Reynolds, but do you risk putting the sometimes-flaky Dominic James on one of the Corey's?

There are a number of other good games on tonight as well:

• 7:00 PM: Michigan State (19-4, 9-2) @ Michigan (15-9, 5-6): Raymar Morgan will most likely not be playing (pneumonia), which is a break for the Wolverines who could really use this win. The Spartans are flying well under the radar right now. They are 7th in the RPI right now, 19-4 against the 7th toughest schedule, and have four losses (all to top 25 RPI teams) when they were missing either Goran Suton (first two) or Raymar Morgan (last two) in each. I don't see Michigan being able to handle the size, strength, or athleticism of the Spartans.
• 8:00 PM: Oklahoma State (14-8, 3-5) @ Texas (15-7, 4-4): The Longhorns have lost three in a row and could really use a win to boost a mediocre tournament profile. OK State, on the other hand, is one of those teams that just seems to keep hanging around the tournament discussion. They have an RPI of 31 and a SOS of 6, which means that if they can string together a couple of wins here late, they have an excellent shot at getting to the dance.
• 9:00 PM: Florida (19-4, 6-2) @ Kentucky (16-7, 5-3): Both of these teams could really use the win. Florida looks to be the safer bet to get into the dance right now, but Kentucky will be the more dangerous team if they do make it. Problem is, the Wildcats are a two man show with Jodie Meeks (who has struggled in the last three while being face guarded) and Patrick Patterson. If Florida can keep the ball out of Meeks' hands while making it difficult to get the ball inside to Patterson, the Gators should be able to pull out the victory in Rupp.
• 9:00 PM: Clemson (19-3, 5-3) @ Boston College (18-7, 6-4): All the credit Clemson recieved for beating Duke by 27 they lost after blowing a 19 point second half lead to Florida State at home. BC does own a win over North Carolina, but the Eagles still have a lot to prove to a lot of people if they want to reach the dance.

Other notable games:

• 7:00 PM: Virginia (7-12, 1-7) @ Florida State (18-5, 5-3)
• 7:00 PM: Providence (14-9, 6-5) @ South Florida (8-14, 3-7)
• 9:00 PM: Indiana (6-16, 1-9) @ Minnesota (18-5, 6-5)
• 9:00 PM: Seton Hall (13-9, 4-6) @ DePaul (8-16, 0-11)
  

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Friday Morning Shootaround

There was only one real upset last night as Wisconsin used hot shooting in the first half to build up a 12 point halftime lead. The Badgers would extend that lead to as much as 17 in the second half, and Illinois never got closer than 10 before losing 63-50. Jason Bohannon snapped out of a shooting slump by hitting his first six three's, finishing the night with 20 points. This was a huge win for Wisconsin, who came in on a six game losing streak. They are not completely out of the NCAA tournament picture just yet (not with the Big Ten having the #2 conference RPI and the #1 conference SOS), but they are going to need to win a lot of games the rest of the way if they want to earn an at-large.

Illinois's offense has really been struggling of late, especially on the road. They haven't broken the 70 point plateau since Jan. 10th (against Indiana), and their last three road games they are averaging 48 ppg (including a 36 point performance against Minnesota). I know they have one of the best defenses in the country, allowing just 56 ppg, but that defense doesn't help when you score just 50 points.

There was another big game in the Big Ten last night as Michigan got on a role in the second half, beating Penn State 71-51. The loss snapped PSU's four game winning streak, while it should help Michigan get out of their funk (they lost five of six coming in). The Wolverines blew the game open with a 16-3 run midway through the second half. Manny Harris (who finished with 28, 7 boards, and 6 assists) and DeShawn Sims combined for 13 of those 16 points. Jamelle Cormley had 25 for the Nittany Lions, but Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle, who average 32 ppg combined, were held to just 16 points.

The rest of the night's action:

• Florida State 62, Georgia Tech 58: Toney Douglas scored 10 of his 21 in the last five minutes as the Seminoles were able to avoid losing at home by hitting seven of eight free throws down the stretch.
  
• Vanderbilt 79, Alabama 74
• Davidson 75, UNC-Greensboro 54: Steph Curry had 29.
  
• Xavier 83, Temple 74: BJ Raymond scored 24 points, hitting 5-7 from deep, as Xavier used a 10-0 run early in the second half to blow open a close game. As a team, the Musketeers finished 11-18 from deep. Raymond's 24 was his fourth straight game of 20+.
  
• Western Kentucky 64, Louisiana-Monroe 55
• Butler 66, Detroit 61: Gordon Hayward scored 22 points as Butler was able to rebound from their first conference loss by hanging on the beat Detroit.
  
• Arizona 56, Oregon State 53: Chase Budinger had 17 and 8 boards to lead the Wildcats, who nearly blew a 13 point second half lead. With 1:41 left, Rickey Claitt hit a three to tie the game at 53, but the Beavers wouldn't score again. Roeland Schaftenaar had a three rattle out at the buzzer that would have sent the game to OT.
  
• Seton Hall 91, St. John's 81
• Utah State 78, New Mexico State 59: Gary Wilkinson had 18 and 11 as the Aggies extended their winning streak to 17 games.
  
• Stanford 65, Washington State 54: Lawrence Hill scored 20 and Anthony Goods added 13 and 7 dimes as the Cardinal avenged a 55-54 loss in Pullman earlier this year.
• Arizona State 66, Oregon 57: James Harden scored 36 points as the Sun Devils snapped a two game losing streak.
  
• Cal 86, Washington 71: Jerome Randle scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, sparking a 19-3 run that turned a nine point deficit into a ten point lead. The Bears would go on to build a lead as big as 19. Washington falls a game off the lead in the Pac-10, while Cal was able to win for just the second time in their past six games.
  
• Gonzaga 93, Portland 78: Matt Bouldin had 26 points and 8 assists and Jeremy Pargo added 22 as Gonzaga opened up a two game cushion in the WCC. Down by one at the half, the 'Zags used a stingy defensive effort to take control of this game.
  
• St. Mary's 79, San Francisco 58: Diamon Simpson had 23 and 9 as the Gaels won for the first time without PG Patty Mills.
  

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