Here is a look at these four (4) Michigan's starters - all first-year portal transfers !!

[megablue]

Yaxel Lendeborg College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Yaxel Lendeborg - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Morez Johnson Jr. College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Morez Johnson Jr. - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Aday Mara College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Aday Mara - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Elliot Cadeau College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Elliot Cadeau - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Can Pope land this kind of difference-making talent this year from the portal ??

 

[PoopooPeePee]

Before you ask that question, you should ask; Is Mark Pope still the coach? If yes, the answer is no.

 

[megablue]

Before you ask that question, you should ask; Is Mark Pope still the coach? If yes, the answer is no.

He needs to get at least four (4) players that can start and improve our overall ability to be successful. There is no question about it !!

 

[ChocoChicken]

He has yet to show he can. With new assistant coaches? We’ll see. We won’t know ‘till it happens. I have my doubts but it ain’t over ‘till it’s over.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

So much for the dominant argument around here, "You've got to have player retention!"

Looks like there's a ton of ways to win it all.

 

[megablue]

If Moreno can show anywhere near the kind of improvement that Mara did over the past year, we might be somewhat solid at the 5-spot.
Mara's improvements is pretty damn impressive, to say the least !!

Aday Mara College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Aday Mara - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

 

[peterpiper09]

Lendeborg is a hell of a player, but I really think what made Michigan what they were was Mara. He’s a game changer. When they played Duke, they called two fouls on Mara in the first five minutes of the game. Completely changed the game and Duke was able to take full advantage. Imagine that.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

That portal class may never be duplicated.

So to answer your question, no Pope won’t lol

 

[CUJO_1970]

These guys were introduced to a superior staff and were coached up significantly.

 

[AllBall]

Lendeborg is a hell of a player, but I really think what made Michigan what they were was Mara. He’s a game changer. When they played Duke, they called two fouls on Mara in the first five minutes of the game. Completely changed the game and Duke was able to take full advantage. Imagine that.

Morez Johnson is a brute do it all down low type of player every team needs.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

He has yet to show he can. With new assistant coaches? We’ll see. We won’t know ‘till it happens. I have my doubts but it ain’t over ‘till it’s over.

I asked Vince Carter, he said it’s ova!

 

[TALtruthatlast]

Lendeborg is a hell of a player, but I really think what made Michigan what they were was Mara. He’s a game changer. When they played Duke, they called two fouls on Mara in the first five minutes of the game. Completely changed the game and Duke was able to take full advantage. Imagine that.

maybe he shouldn’t have fouled? Controversial take I know. I only saw part of that one. (2nd half)

 

[theBlues]

Looking at the prior year stats for Mara, Johnson Jr., and Cadeau we can easily get players with that level of performance or better but can we get as much out of them is the question.

 

[true-blue1]

I hope he can

 

[Wildcat_in_DC]

every year the narrative changes.....

michigan wins.....get really great big man
florida wins......need tough guards
unconn wins......need shooting and older players
baylor wins......need transfers

maybe there is no pattern. maybe there is no template. maybe its just mostly luck and hoping the team you assemble gels and plays at a high enough level.

 

[Goingfor9]

Yaxel Lendeborg College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Yaxel Lendeborg - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Morez Johnson Jr. College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Morez Johnson Jr. - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Aday Mara College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Aday Mara - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Elliot Cadeau College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Elliot Cadeau - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Can Pope land this kind of difference-making talent this year from the portal ??

A big chunk is coaching. 80% of athletic performance is between the ears. If your players have no idea what you’re saying there’s no point

 

[20MRoster]

every year the narrative changes.....

michigan wins.....get really great big man
florida wins......need tough guards
unconn wins......need shooting and older players
baylor wins......need transfers

maybe there is no pattern. maybe there is no template. maybe its just mostly luck and hoping the team you assemble gels and plays at a high enough level.

The pattern is talent (talent comes in many forms and specialties) and good coaching. Other than that, there is no pattern. We've had freshmen singlehandedly will their team to a title like Carmelo Anthony. We've had teams that had a collection of elite skillsets, even if the players were not necessarily 5 stars. We've had cases where, on paper, there didn't seem to be much high end talent, but intangibles of certain players "lucked" their teams to victory (looking at Clayton and UF). The data people here never get anything "right" but still have hordes of people sucking up to them because they're too stupid to deconstruct anything that's being presented.

 

[#1 cat fan]

I wonder how Michigan would have finished had cadeau got hurt before season started?
Sweet 16 maybe?