MGoBlog: The MGoPodcast

Things Discussed:

Pre-Show: I came on early to discuss the U.S. Senate's NCAA bill.

Proposal: A provision that every game that's broadcast is available for free. You can put it on a streaming network but not behind a paywall. The guys say it's impossible for the people to get anything out of a bill, but I argue this might have enough juice with the public that a senate candidate (we know you're an MGoBlog reader, Abdul) could get some run out of it.

Proposal: Michigan Coney Dog Playoff, with Only in Monroe's host as judge. Fun fact: Jim Abbott's dad invented the Flint-style Coney.

Fears returns, which was the way to go; he's a college player through and through but a denuded Draft was the time to test his value and jack up his return cost.

MSU vs Michigan next year: MSU fixed their frontcourt but have a ceiling in their shooting, Michigan's ceiling is higher but they need big steps from Trey, Cadeau, and someone at the three to offset their frontcourt losses.

Cadeau growth potential is real.

What we see from Reed (caveat: healthy). Opportunity to grow the threes while he's healing, but the ability to add another 6'10" forward down the stretch makes M an elite D.

Football recruiting: Feels like competency. Feels like a Lloyd Carr class juiced by NIL. Some guys are really underrated; Seth likes Xavier Muhammad and Tavares Harrington, who's that tall nickel the defenses running switch coverages want; the football equivalent of giving Dusty May a 6'10" guy at the three.

Lundon Hampton is also underrated: Hassan Haskins but Fast. Runs very upright but he's supremely agile and a tackle-breaker with breakaway speed.

Things Discussed:

Marcus Moller is cancer-free! Comps? Uh...develop and see, but Chet-ish. Not expecting to see him this year as he needs to bulk up for a year.

Ricky Liburd: ready to go? Maybe a 14-15% usage guy but defensive force, Grady leaving is a sign Liburd was better.

Costello/Liburd/Cosby at the three: Dusty likes that size on the court. Imagine if Beilein had this flexibility at the three.

Will Wade: Will it work? Oppositional defiance disorder. How else can I piss people off? Ed O as the LSU basketball coach!

24-team Playoff? Pettiti's only principle is make money. You want to stop this: make it an issue this fall in all of the regents/trustee elections. How many garbage pail kids can I get in my athletics department?

Chipping away at the value of college football. Reason for it this time is ESPN has the CFP and Fox gets inventory if they go past 14. That's it; that's the entire reason for this.

Seth brings back the Showcase idea to replace conf championships.

New idea: Play the bowl games in August! (saving this for a hot take later).

Brian goes off on the conference commissioner class.

Things Discussed:

VALIANT!

Craig shares the story of the nadir of Michigan basketball: Northwestern-Michigan.

Combine: Michigan rosters do not lie: Bare feet measurements were the real measurements. Meanwhile Alabama is adding 4 inches.

Brandon McCoy—needs to make free throws but he's going to lead the B10 in steals.

Quinn Costello: remarkable shooter, is a true jumpshot. Does he have a left hand? Does he have any post-up game? Skinny right now.

Jalen Reed is VERY interesting. Fluid at 6'10, can defend and shoot and should be healed after a year from an Achilles.

Will Wade just invents new ways to be the villain of CBB.

Football: Zack Marshall and four OCs in four years.

Bryce in the offense: Going to use his legs more than his arm. Should create more explosives because you're taking away a free hitter from the defense. Will also feature the tackles in space more.

To run this you have to beat what stops it, IE Don Brown man defense. JJ Buchanan could be a breakout guy.

Is that the way to get 5-star QBs? No, but maybe you should be looking to the portal nowadays.

(No Brian today)   

Things Discussed:

Dusty: Are the Magic a threat?

Is the NBA a threat? Eventually. If they come at him like the Chargers came at Harbaugh, but May isn't there, has zero indication he wants to leave now.

Sam shares how the whole Juke Harris thing went down. Shares Xavier Stanton was coming to Michigan at one point.

Michigan's admissions policy: Get the best. Standing on 60 credits as THE LINE between academics and not.

During break: Skyler Bell's recruitment relived. He was right to stay at UConn.

Bryce concern: Overblown. Spring game was hardly representative. Some concern, though, because it's important to develop him and he looked like he lost a year of development.

Passing game needs to be better. If he's not a better passer they're doomed in 2027.

Things Discussed:

Jalen Reed, longer and switchable.

Thiam: Shot selection is abominable. He's mobile, not fully a switch guy, can hedge. Offensively intriguing, takes fadeaways but was 48% away from the rim. VERY strong—gave as good as he got against Krivas—but didn't post up very much. His left hook looks more natural than his right hook. Closer to switchable than Mara.

Craig: four guys on the roster not playing.

Reed: Think as the season progresses he is going to make a difference, because he can give you a lot of different things. A 6-10 guy who can guard guards: yes please!

JP Estrella: Noticeably positive impact as an offensive rebounder on the #1 OReb team when he was rotating with offensive linemen.

Sam wants Trey to watch Late Michael Jordan the post player, which will make him more dynamic in the mid-range.

Cadeau is the guy who gets you good shots, McKenney is the guy who makes your bad shots.

Swing guy: McCoy. Shooting is questionable but instantly project him to a Roddy role. Gets downhill, has that wingspan. Could be the starting three: Yaxel-like ability to guard up and down the roster.

Ceiling? If Reed can be healthy for a season they're another 1-seed, otherwise 3-seed? Think other basketball teams have gotten much better.

Quinn Costello: Year as a bench shooter, needs that year to learn to play defense.

This is the least popular idea in sports history. NOBODY likes it except the major conference commissioners who've never filled out a bracket in their lives.

Hockey: no updates, except Denver picked up a defenseman. Michigan preseason #1 likely, except voters just vote the order of last year's F4. There will be guys on the 4th line who are like 3rd round+ picks.

Cockamamie ideas for renovating Yost.