A Michigan basketball team that can run with the "Running Rebels?"

That may be a reality for next year's Wolverines, who lose most of their size but gain several quick and aggressive recruits - leading many to believe next year's group will adopt a "run-and-gun" style of play.

"They're going to have to be creative," said Theinsiders.com recruiting analyst Vince Baldwin. "They're going to have to play to their strength. If they don't have a legitimate big man, they have go more up tempo.

"They may turn out to be a '40-minutes-of-hell' type of team."

It's a style of play that Amaker had previously stated that he wanted to instill, and his Wolverines showed signs of it in their two Big Ten Tournament games. A usually stoic Amaker vehemently yelled at Bernard Robinson and other Michigan guards to jump into a fast break right after they grabbed a rebound.

The first-year coach also gave Robinson and junior LaVell Blanchard, who was finally able to bury his outside shots, the freedom to take the ball from the wing and create for themselves or teammates - resulting in two of Michigan's top offensive performances of the year.

And next year Michigan will welcome a potential superstar point guard in Daniel Horton, along with swingman Lester Abram, who Baldwin said is a "tremendous slasher with an uncanny ability to finish in the lane."

Horton improved his stock dramatically over the summer by going head-to-head with some of the top guard prospects in the country, and as Baldwin says, "coming out on top against nearly every one of them.

"His presence alone should make them win a few more games next season. (Point guard is) a position where they've been hurting" in the past few years.

"He has a bulldog tenacity - especially on the offensive end of the court to carry his team to victory," Baldwin said.

But the problem for Michigan next year is that it has no "bulldog" in the paint, as Amaker said that "any more than one post player will be a luxury."

"On the front line, we're going to need any and all guys in a Michigan uniform to help us out," Amaker said. "We need guys up front. Size, strength and numbers on the frontline are crucial."

And while the three big men Amaker recruited - Graham Brown, Chris Hunter and Amadou Ba - are all over 6-foot-10, analysts agree that none of them is ready to make a major impact in the paint right away.

"Hunter has tremendous talent level, but needs to be stronger," Baldwin said. "Brown has strength, but needs to play better competition on a routine basis. Ba has the longest way to go of any of them."

HoopScoop recruiting analyst Clark Francis agrees: "Brown has potential, but ideally you may need someone else better. They still need a big guy or two."

Unless freshman Chuck Bailey bulks up and learns a few more post moves, Michigan will be without a go-to-guy in the post - which will put some extra pressure on the outside shooters to knock down their shots.

Apparently, Horton - just like Dommanic Ingerson - has the range to do just that, which should improve Michigan's last-place finish in field goal shooting.

Horton is a "deadly - and I do mean deadly - offensive player with range past 3-point range," Baldwin said. "They better pick him up when he crosses half-court."

Even if the lack of post presence is Michigan's Achilles' heel next season, Amaker has found some "team-first" players that he needs to rebuild the program.

Baldwin compares Abram to former Detroit Piston Joe Dumars as far as character is concerned, labeling Abram as a "tremendous locker room player" who is essentially a "superstar with a role player's mentality."

"That's a key to any program's success," Baldwin said. "You have enough things to worry about as a coach other than kids not being prepared."

Having program-orientated kids "kills 33 percent of the stress. And maybe it will help Michigan stay away from the off-the-court antics that plagued the program for the past few years."