The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN BASKETBALL He marvels at Beilein's flexibility. "I respect the fact that, after years of having success with three- and four-year kids, to get where we want to go and where we have been recently, we know we're probably going to have a couple of two-year kids," Meyer said. "We've not had one-and-dones yet, but we're pretty close. "When I first joined Coach on the staff here as an administrative as- sistant, he said, 'I want you to be my eyes, my ears. You've had a lot of experiences. Let's think outside the box. Let's don't just get comfort- able with where we've been. Let's continue to grow and think outside the box.' " T h a t h a s b e e n o n e o f h i s strengths, his ability to be innova- tive on the court, but as it relates to people and the whole recruiting pro- cess. He's been very, very willing to adapt, without changing his bedrock principles." This season represents a challenge in that the Wolverines feature a host of performers who have not set foot on a college court in a regular-sea- son game. It says something about where Beilein has brought Michi- gan's program that the Wolverines are still regarded as a lock for an NCAA spot and most likely among the top five Big Ten squads. Meyer noted it's not always easy to transition with brand new play- ers, but he likes what he's seen this fall. Between the opportunity to go to Italy and perform with the new- comers and the experiences of Mich- igan's juniors and sophomores, he's encouraged. "The year we won like six games at Liberty, we had five freshmen, and they played a lot, too," Meyer noted of his stint there as head coach. "It was a tough transition. But the guys coming back [to Michi- gan], they've got expanded roles. They need to embrace the respon- sibilities they have as being the veterans of the group, even though they're still young. "They've kind of seen it all. They've been to the big stage. They've played, and played well, in those moments. Their ability to em- brace their responsibilities as lead- ers, and teach, is important. "It's going to be a season where we as coaches have high expecta- tions for the kids, and I know our kids have high expectations for themselves. We've just got to be able to maintain our core values, and our veterans need to lead." The Wolverines feature a num- ber of freshmen that can make an impact, including 6-9 forward D.J. Wilson and 6-7 wing Kameron Chat- man. Meyer has seen enough of both to know they can contribute. At the same time, he's preaching patience right along with Beilein. "Our freshmen kind of get the whole listen, learn and apply quick [approach]," Meyer said. "They're very good with that. To this point, we're very encouraged with the ver- satility as perhaps an opportunity to stretch the floor even more. "Kam being left-handed, D.J. and