Showing posts with label CBS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBS. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Nik Stauskas - CBS 2nd Team All-American

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit
Check out the info here:

Nik Stauskas - CBS 2nd Team All-American
Posted by at 11:02 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Which Team Will Draft Tim Hardaway, Jr. On Thursday?

Photo Credit: WXYZ
The NCAA and NBA seasons are wrapped up, which means everyone's talking about the NBA Draft and what's going to happen next season.  Yesterday, we did a short breakdown on Trey Burke and his NBA Draft status.  Today, we're going to look at Michigan's second major candidate to be drafted on Thursday night: Tim Hardaway, Jr.  Both were great players for the Wolverines and Michigan fans surely want to see them rewarded for their efforts by the NBA scouts.  Hardaway is not as highly projected as Burke, but he still could easily be higher than any Michigan draft pick in years.  There have been just two Michigan players drafted in the last 12 seasons and neither have went in the 1st round.  With that in mind, let's take a look at where the "experts" are projecting Hardaway:

  • Adi Joseph (USA Today) - #20 by Chicago
  • Matt Moore (CBS) - #34 by Houston
  • Gary Parrish (CBS) - #36 by Sacramento
  • NBADraft.net - #18 by Atlanta
  • Draft Express (DE) - #20 by Chicago

The crazy thing here is that Hardaway is all over the board.  Some guys think he's going to go really high and others see him dropping somewhere in the 2nd round.  To start, it seems pretty clear that Hardaway will indeed be drafted.  To project otherwise would just be crazy at this point.  He also looks to fill a role occupied by many NBA prospects.  He's clearly good enough to go in the 1st round, but it will take a team dedicated to Hardaway and his future to actually gain that selection.  He's just as likely to be snagged in the 20s as he is to drop somewhere early or deep into the 2nd round.

For NBA agents, this makes it very difficult.  There's a desire to grab guys like Hardaway when they come around the first time, but if they do indeed drop, it's a lot easier to trade up for the #35 pick than the #20 pick.  By that time, every top prospect is off the board and all the guys that are considered "guarantees" to go early already know where they're going.  Needless to say, it can easily turn into a "high risk, high reward" pick.  Compare a Hardaway #20 selection to a guy like Michael Carter-Williams or Shabazz Muhammad.  Nothing against either of these guys, but one of the players projected in the teens will undoubtedly fall deeper in the draft order and these are just two of the guys I'm highlighting.  A team may want a guy like Hardaway, but there won't nearly be as much skepticism if they select a Carter-Williams or a Muhammad instead.  Again, this is just a hypothetical, but it shows why it's so difficult to project a guy like Hardaway because of the concern about missing out on a guy with the hype and projections.

Frankly, there's no predicting who will draft Hardaway, but if I had to make an educated guess, I would say Hardaway ends up going in the 1st round (Chicago?).  I think the strong NCAA Tournament run, the Big Ten name brand, and a great NBA Combine performance will be enough to merit at least one believer.  And remember, that's all it takes, just one believer.  If he does slip out of the 1st round, it isn't too big of a deal as Hardaway will certainly get a contract, but it will be a bit disappointing considering all the positive momentum he has going his way right now.  Either way, stay tuned as it will surely be an exciting night.
Posted by at 9:48 PM 0 comments
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Which Team Will Draft Trey Burke On Thursday?

Photo Credit: ESPN
With the NCAA and NBA seasons now wrapped up, the basketball focus on the nation is now fully turned to the NBA Draft this Thursday.  This is a day that is both adored and hated by fans across the nation.  Some of the most exciting moments in the NBA have started here, but some of the worst blunders have started here as well.  Just take a look at the 2007 and 2008 drafts.  Greg Oden (now considered a colossal flop) was taken #1 in 2007, but Derrick Rose (2011 NBA MVP) was taken #1 in the next season.  It's become almost unpredictable, which makes the night incredibly exciting.

For Michigan, there are two prospects that have the focus of the fans.  First and foremost is point guard Trey Burke who won the National Player of the Year last season at the college level (the other is Tim Hardaway, Jr).  Many Wolverine fans are looking for a big night from Burke, but what will ultimately happen?  Will the NBA teams respond to the hype and select Burke in the first few picks or will they agree with the criticisms and drop him lower in the selections?  Let's take a look at what the experts are predicting:
  • Chad Ford (ESPN) - #8 on Big Board
  • Matt Moore (CBS) - #6 by New Orleans
  • Gary Parrish (CBS) - #2 by Orlando
  • NBADraft.net - #6 by New Orleans
  • Draft Express (DE) - #6 by New Orleans
I'm not going to go through every prediction, but the popular logic is that Trey Burke will be going one of three places: Orlando, New Orleans, or Detroit.  If he goes anywhere beyond the Pistons it will certainly be one of the biggest draft night falls in recent memory.  All three of these teams would make for interesting landing spots for Burke.  First, Orlando could use a point guard and being drafted #2 would say a lot about their confidence in Burke for the future.  New Orleans does have Austin Rivers on the roster, but having Burke and Rivers in the backcourt could give them a dynamic lineup similar to the one seen from the Golden State Warriors in recent years and one that could lead the Pelicans (yes, they are now the Pelicans) to a bright future.  Finally, the Pistons would be an exciting drafting spot for most Michigan fans as it would allow Burke to remain in the state of Michigan and also give the team a talented prospect.

It's not hard to see the Pistons as the best landing spot for Burke with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe already on the roster, but any of these places would be alright.  New Orleans could turn into something special with Rivers and Anthony Davis to potentially play alongside Burke.  Can you imagine Burke feeding Davis down-low or running offensive players into Davis' waiting hands on defense?  It's a fun thing to imagine.  My suspicion is that Burke will end up in New Orleans.  The NBA Draft can be nearly impossible to predict, but it seems like the agents and "experts" are talking Burke down to replace him with guys like Alex Len (Maryland) and Anthony Bennett (UNLV) because of their "potential" (that wasn't all that visible in their college days).  Either way, look for Burke to wind up in one of these three places to begin what should likely be a successful NBA career.
Posted by at 10:10 PM 0 comments
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Friday, April 19, 2013

2013 Michigan NBA Draft Hotboard

Photo Credit: Laura Pratt
Michigan's roster has been experiencing the full weight of the NBA and the NBA Draft since their National Championship game appearance against Louisville.  As of now, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr. have declared for the NBA Draft.  Everyone else has either made no inclinations of their desire to go to the NBA this year or verbally announced (McGary & GR3) that they would be returning to Ann Arbor next season.  Until April 28th, players can still declare for the NBA Draft, so things are not 100% guaranteed until then.  There are still many interested in not only the impact of those who stayed, but also the impact of those who left on the team and their status in the draft.  In order to help, I've made a short post that should keep you updated on what is going on with the NBA Draft and its relation to Michigan.

HMM Coverage:
National Coverage:
General NBA Draft Coverage:
Posted by at 3:39 PM 0 comments
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