Blake McLimans Update

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

One of the interesting notes from the offseason was the transfer of Blake McLimans from Michigan to Miami (OH) as a graduate student.  This would mean that he could receive immediate playing time for the Red Hawks.  Since McLimans would be entering his fifth year, Beilein had the option of allow Blake to return or transfer.  We can't say whether it was Beilein's decision or mutual since nothing really leaked, but considering that McLimans would be fighting for playing time, it was probably more of a mutual decision to transfer.

McLimans has played in 4 games for Miami this season and has almost matched the minutes he played in during any season at Michigan in just those 4 games.  Unfortunately, due to a family illness, McLimans opted to leave the team and would not return for the season.  Something that seemed quite promising took a turn for the worst unfortunately.  He had been playing major minutes and appeared like he could have a real impact for Miami.  Best wishes to Blake and his family.

The Fit of Blake McLimans At Miami (OH)

Photo Credit: Getty Images

A few weeks ago, it was announced that senior Michigan basketball player Blake McLimans would be transferring to play for Miami (OH) for what would have been his redshirt senior year.  McLimans was a member of Michigan's 2009 recruiting class and was rated as a 3* recruit by Rivals.  He played during 3 seasons for the Wolverines in a total of 71 games.  He will be a graduate transfer next year, so he will not be required to sit out anytime before playing for the
Miami Redhawks.  This means that he will be available for next season.

As fans, we don't know what occurred behind the scenes in terms of McLimans' relationship to Michigan and its coaching staff, but there doesn't seem to be any indication this transfer was for anything except playing time.  There was decent hope for McLimans to play a factor for the Wolverines, but during his 3 seasons, his minutes have actually decreased every year and last season, he only played in 16 games (the lowest of his career).  This isn't necessarily an indication of his talent level, but just the improvement undergone by the Wolverines' roster.  Michigan now has an experienced and talented frontcourt that will be adding even more pieces for next year.  The odds were pretty low that McLimans was going to get much playing time and for his last year of eligibility, he decided he wanted a little more playing time, so he opted to go to Miami.  Nothing to question about that decision.

Michigan Senior Day Thoughts

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Sunday is Senior Day for Michigan. Read about it below:

Michigan Senior Day Thoughts

Previewing The Roster: Bigs

Photo Credit: Todd White

Earlier, I did a preview of Michigan's wings and who I thought would contribute the most for the 2012-2013 Michigan basketball season.  This time, I will be taking a look at Michigan's bigs and how the position group is looking for the season.  In the past few years, this has been a pretty weak area for Michigan.  When Zack Novak is playing the 4 spot and players like Evan Smotrycz play with such inconsistency, it will definitely not be the strength of the team.  However, this year, things are looking different.

Not only is Michigan returning every true big man on the roster except one (Smotrycz), but they are bringing in one of the most heralded recruits in the country at the position; Mitch McGary.  It's rare that a freshman recruit can come in at completely redefine a team's play in the paint, but not only have there been several recent examples (Cody Zeller, Anthony Davis) of big men coming in and changing a team's dynamic in one offseason, but Michigan is also bringing back three very experienced big men and a redshirt freshman with a ton of potential.

Hot Topics: How Should Michigan's Backup Big Men Rank?

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Previewing The Roster: Blake McLimans

One of the fan favorites on the roster in recent years has been Blake McLimans from Hamburg, New York. He'll be a senior this year and despite making limited contributions during his career, he was an important piece for the Michigan team that won a Big Ten championship last season.  He's certainly not the most talented or the biggest contributor on the team, but bench players are a key piece of any team, especially for getting through some of the more difficult games mid-season.

One interesting thing to note about McLimans is that although he is a senior, he technically still has the option to come back for another year.  During his freshman season, he effectively redshirted, but with Michigan's incoming recruiting classes, it's pretty doubtful that he will be renewed for a 5th year.  This likely makes this year McLimans' last chance to make an impact at Michigan as a player.  Last year, McLimans actually played in 5 more games than he did the year before, but his total minutes and points decreased.  One could argue this was a step back, but part of it was the emergence of Jon Horford, which decreased his minutes, and the later injury of Horford, which meant McLimans played much of his time against the tougher Big Ten teams.  Despite these challenges, McLimans arguably improved his play and has the potential to be a solid player off the bench this year.