The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/315684
2014 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS H ow things have changed since Michigan head coach John Beilein arrived in Ann Arbor in 2007. The Wolver- ines now regularly compete for Big Ten titles, having captured two in the last three years (2011-12 and 2013-14) and narrowly missing on another (2012-13). Making the NCAA Tournament is no longer a goal but an expectation for a program that's advanced to consecu- tive Elite Eights, including the 2013 national championship game, and Michigan is churning out NBA talent like Nik Stauskas nails triples. Being great developers of talent, though, can also come with a price. The Wolverines lost three sophomores to the pros from this year's Big Ten title team in guard Stauskas, forward Glenn Robinson III and big man Mitch McGary, all of whom are projected first-round picks by at least one ser- vice, expanding what might have been a small 2014 recruiting class to six. Once the master of developing four- year players into great teams, Beilein (with the help of his staff) is now put- ting together championship runs with squads that look different just about every year. "It certainly has changed," said Jeff Meyer, former longtime head coach at Liberty University and current U-M assistant. "Particularly for Coach Beilein and me, who have been at this for years and years, it's a different dy- namic, a changing landscape for us." The recruiting strategy, however, shouldn't change a lot. The staff is still seeking the best players who fit what they're looking for — high-character guys who can handle the ball and shoot it — and are "running through the doors to get to Michigan." If they happen to be NBA ready before four years, so be it. "I don't know if we try to anticipate that any more than we have," assistant LaVall Jordan added. "Were just trying to get good players that fit." A DEEP AND TALENTED GROUP They think they've done that well with a six-man recruiting class that was ranked No. 23 nationally by Ri- vals.com national analyst Eric Bossi. "They value skill and versatility and Kameron Chatman [6-8, 213, Rivals. com's No. 25 senior nationally] has loads of it," Bossi said. "He's a lefty wing with great length, can handle it and plays a complete game. D.J. Wil- Smooth Sextet Michigan's 2014 Group Is Bigger Than Expected And Versatile