The Michigan Insider

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Colin Castleton, Jace Howard and scholarship openings Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we break down the significance of two key decisions pertaining to the Michigan men’s basketball team: Colin Castleton’s decision to transfer and Jace Howard’s decision to walk on with the Wolverines in lieu of a scholarship.

We open by discussing Castleton’s decision to depart, and why the move makes a lot of sense for the same reasons David DeJulius’ departure did. We look into Castleton’s career with the Wolverines, why the coaching change did him no favors and why he still has professional potential with the right fit.

We then look into what we can glean from the two decisions. We discuss Michigan suddenly having two scholarship openings, the latest with Josh Christopher and graduate transfer targets and more on potential attrition or lack thereof.

What David DeJulius' transfer means for Michigan Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we unpack the most significant transfer loss the Michigan men's basketball team has suffered in recent memory, as David DeJulius entered the transfer portal Monday afternoon. We break down the series of events that might have played a role in his departure, and we discuss why the decision might make more sense to DeJulius than it does to a number of fans.

We also spend some time reading between the lines, and deciphering how this might impact other decisions — or how other decisions might have impacted this one. We look at what a transfer means in today's college sports market, why DeJulius and Michigan should both be fine and how this transfer differs slightly from typical transfers.

We close with a brief look at ongoing situations with Isaiah Todd and Josh Christopher, what to make of social media and the theatrics that come in big-time basketball recruiting and what expectations to have in the coming weeks.

Michigan recruiting in a global pandemic Mar 22, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we break down what to know about Michigan football recruiting during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

First, we break down how things change now that spring visits are postponed until at least the summer. We discuss how teams are getting creative with their recruiting pitch, what the keys to succeeding in contact periods are, how Michigan specifically has altered or remodeled its approach so far and what the Wolverines can do differently.

We also discuss how a nationwide quarantine might impact recruits’ approaches to the process, including whether the quarantine might speed up commitments, entice players to stay close to home for college or want different levels of communication from prospective schools.

Where no spring practices hurts Michigan the most Mar 22, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we look at how the mass cancellation of all sports activities, including the Michigan football team’s spring practices, most hurts the Wolverines.

Breaking the impact into four parts, we first begin by looking at Michigan’s quarterback battle. We discuss why the battle hurts one competitor more than the other, how the Wolverines approach the contest now that there are 15 fewer practices and what each competitor must do now.

Then, we break down how the lack of spring practices hurts Michigan’s early enrollees. We discuss the three incoming freshmen it hurts the most, and where the freshmen go from here. We also discuss position battles that will be delayed a few months, and how Michigan must make up for that lost time.

We close with a discussion about the Wolverines’ new defensive coaches — and potentially major tweaks to Michigan’s defense — and why losing the opportunity to experiment and work on things in the spring is costly.

Michigan basketball early offseason questions Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

Reacting to the Michigan basketball team’s sudden lack of an offseason, we break down five immediate questions that come to mind regarding the Wolverines.

First, we break down what has typically been the most pressing offseason question, discussing if Michigan will lose any prospects early to the NBA Draft. We make the case for Franz Wagner and Isaiah Livers to go pro, but also break down the reasons why returning for another season might make more sense.

Then, we dissect what to make of Michigan’s potential transfers, why certain players stand out as potential transfers more than others and why transferring is hardly an indictment on the Wolverines or the players.

Working a bit more quickly with our final three questions, we look at the impact Michigan’s heralded 2020 recruiting class will impact what is a rather connected core upon its arrival. We also look at stylistic changes Michigan’s coaching staff may look to change and just exactly where we would rank the Wolverines heading into the summer.

COVID-19 took over March Madness, now what? Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

Recapping one of the most unorthodox sports weeks of our time, we break down our experience covering the Big Ten Tournament, our reaction to the swath of news and break down our thoughts.

Episode 19 with Saddi Washington Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

Tim McCormick interviews Michigan assistant Saddi Washington about his four years in Ann Arbor, the development of Austin Davis and Jon Teske, and more. Plus Tim breaks down U-M'swin over Nebraska and loss to Maryland with Sam Webb. Plus discussion of a possible breakthrough in Jon Teske's postgame, Dave DeJulius' career-best performance, and previewing the Big 10 Tournament.

Austin Davis to return and other news Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

In a news-related episode, we spend the bulk of the episode discussing Wednesday's announcement confirming that redshirt junior center Austin Davis would return to Michigan for his fifth season — becoming the first Wolverine to do so since Jordan Morgan in 2013-14.

We break down the rationale behind the decision, how unlikely it seemed, how much Davis has improved, what he could bring in his fifth season and more. We also look at Michigan's scholarship situation, and how Davis' news might impact that.

Finally, we close with brief discussions on a few news items that came up this week, looking at Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske's senior night and their legacies and the recent staff changes involving Joe Bolden and Mike DeBord.

Episode 18 with Austin Davis Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

Tim McCormick interviews Michigan center Austin Davis, and breaks down U-M's recent losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State with Sam Webb. Plus discussion of Isaiah Livers' struggles, further assessment of Jon Teske's post game, and previewing this week’s matchups versus Nebraska and Maryland.

Michigan basketball is no longer on fire. Now what? Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

In a near polar-opposite of last week's podcast, we break down a rough week for the Michigan basketball team, looking at what went wrong against Ohio State and Wisconsin and what's next for the Wolverines.

Guided by listener questions, we first look at two potential starting lineup changes that involve getting Brandon Johns Jr. more minutes, and what the pros and cons of each of them are. We then look at the Wolverines' rapid decline in performance, and discuss just what went wrong and how it can change.

We take a brief look at how Michigan's NCAA Tournament prospects change, zero in on perimeter shooting and break down why this is such a critical week for the Wolverines in the scope of the season, even if the stakes in this week's games might not be as high.

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