November 17, 2009

Notebook: Frontcourt plays bigger than advertised as season begins

BY GJON JUNCAJ

In big-time men’s college basketball, there are few tangible benefits in playing sub-Division I teams. The opponent is often overmatched. Crowd attendance is seldom high. Worse yet, the typically easy victories are not counted in the RPI rankings, which in March help determine seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

November 15, 2009

Ariel Bond/Daily

Harris' triple-double highlights Michigan men's basketball season-opening win

BY NICOLE AUERBACH

A triple-double is arguably the rarest of feats for a Michigan basketball player. For 22 years, Gary Grant was the founder, president and lone member of the club. Make room for Manny Harris.

November 12, 2009

Michigan's point-guard battles slowly shaping themselves up

BY GJON JUNCAJ

Now in his third season coaching the Michigan men’s basketball team, John Beilein started each year by addressing a problem.
Two years ago, it was transitioning a woefully inexperienced team from a motion offense to a perimeter-shooting attack.
Last year, it was convincing players they could compete in the Big Ten under a system that many thought didn’t match the roster’s makeup.

November 11, 2009

Max Collins/Daily

KNOCK, KNOCK: Why the Michigan men's basketball team is at the doorstep of the nation's elite and how it got there

BY NICOLE AUERBACH

It’s easy to let your guard down when talking to John Beilein. It’s easy to trust Beilein when he sits you down and tells you he’s turning around a program. That confidence — and the comfort — in Beilein’s words is one of the oft-overlooked parts of his magic.