The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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"It's become obvious in talking to some NBA players that they do not do a good job developing in the NBA," Brumm said. "Player develop- ment at that level is up to the player. Mitch is a great talent — I mean a great talent. "I read the other day where a coach said, 'I can't coach what God didn't give you.' For a lot of kids, God may not have given them passion and heart. When Mitch plays basketball, he literally plays with every fiber in his body. That's unique. It shouldn't be, but today it is. "But there's still so much he needs to learn, and I really think he's fo- cused on Michigan. Knowing Mitch, he wants to experience college. If you saw him at the football game [on his official visit], that's a part of his life he's longing for. He wants to experi- ence that." It would be tough to overestimate his impact at Michigan, Rivals.com's Jerry Meyer said. "Michigan basically beat out ev- ery school in the country for the top post player in the 2012 class," Meyer said. "Just like in a game of basket- ball, momentum is a critical factor in recruiting. McGary's commitment and the highly ranked recruiting class he is a part of, coupled with the suc- cess it had on the court last year, give Michigan great momentum moving forward. "The thought of Michigan consis- tently landing athletic prospects who meet Beilein's criteria to be recruited is a scary thought for Michigan's competition." McGary thinks so, too. He knows what some of his future teammates can do, having played with them on the AAU circuit, and he watched Michigan closely last year. He was back in Ann Arbor to see the Wolver- ines beat Ohio State in football, and soon he, too, plans to be on the win- ning end of the rivalry — only on the hardwood. "Football is a big sport there, but next year, basketball is going to be just as big a recruiting story," he pre- dicted. "Everybody is saying that this is the best recruiting class since the Fab Five days, and I believe it. "I believe we can get back to Fab Five success and be a national con- tender next year. If we work at it as a team, we can win a championship." That, after all, is the ultimate goal. ❑ Highly Ranked U-M Signees Of The Last 20 Years Everyone knows of Michigan's heralded Fab Five recruiting class of Chris Web- ber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson in 1991. Here are some of the other top signees of the last two decades and how they fared: Jerod Ward (1994): Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons' No. 1 recruit in the coun- try, Ward, a forward, played through knee injuries to average 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for his career. He averaged 13.1 points and shot 38 percent from three-point range as a senior to lead U-M to the inaugural Big Ten Tourna- ment title. LaVell Blanchard (1999): The hometown hero out of Ann Arbor Pioneer, Blanchard chose the Wolverines over Virginia in an 11th-hour decision despite looming NCAA sanctions. The Parade and USA Today All-American averaged 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for his career, and led the Wolverines to a 10-6 Big Ten record and 17 wins overall as a senior. Daniel Horton (2002): Michigan's last McDonald's All-American, Horton made a huge impact as a freshman, leading the Wolverines to a 17-13 record after an 0-6 start. Rivals.com's No. 7 shooting guard in the country played the point and averaged 17.6 points and 5.3 assists as a senior in 2005-06. Manny Harris (2007): Rivals.com's No. 34 player nationally, Harris averaged 17.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game during his three seasons at U-M. He led the Wolverines to the NCAA Tournament in 2009, U-M's first appear- ance since 1998. — Chris Balas Celebrate your school spirit with a Fossil watch made exclusively for the University of Michigan • Textured blue dial with gold "Block M" Michigan logo and date display • 3-hand quartz analog movement • Rotating Top Ring (men's only) • Ships in a free Fossil collectible tin • Water resistant: 100 meters (men's), 50 meters (women's) • Stainless steel case with comfortable contour bracelet • Limited 11-Year Warranty $79.95 each plus $6.50 shipping MI, NC, an IN Residents please add sales tax CLOSEOUT SPECIAL COMBO DEAL! One Michigan Men's Fossil Watch #1408 and one Women's Fossil Watch #1409 for $118.65 plus $6.50 shipping You save $47.45! FOR FASTER CREDIT CARD ORDERS, CALL WWW.COMANPUBLISHING.COM THE WOLVERINE • PO BOX 2331 • DURHAM, NC 27702 DECEMBER 2011 THE WOLVERINE 73 Women's #1409 Men's #1408 1-800-421-7751