The efforts to win a national title have become the primary focus of the huge number of Alumni (and their progeny) is to bring in the kind of talent that can win a national title.  When you are talking a campus of almost 50,000 students and an endowment pushing 20 Billion these guys mean business.  The days when kids chose Universities due to how good the academics are so they can pursue a chosen career path after they finish playing (and there are two kids on this roster that fit that bill) are long gone.  These kids want cash and for now that is not legal but when a group of people want something as bad as the powers that be behind this program are ‘motivated’ and willing to whatever is necessary to achieve their goals well then all bets are off.  The Wolverines also have an advantage of being able to recruit all of Michigan (plus the rest of the world when needed) including the Detroit area which has brought them more than their fair share of productive players. 

Now how they get these kids to Ann Arbor is anybody’s guess but they do keep a coming in droves.  Last year the hype around the incoming class was enormous but it pales in comparison to the propaganda being sent out of Ann Arbor.  Dubbed the ‘Fab Five’ this freshman class is getting more ink than a biker who hit an all nude tattoo shop owned and operated by the Swedish Bikini Team on their way to Sturgess.  Will this be enough to get the Wolverines to the top of the heap and finally get bragging rights over them Buckeyes again?  Well if recruiting guru Bill Frieder can game coach as well as he brings players to town then this Michigan man might become a legend in Ann Arbor!

The impact of the superb wing man on this campus and this University cannot be overstated.  Senior Cazzie Russell basically put Wolverine basketball on the National Map after years of playing Tiddlywinks in the tough Big Ten.  Through his incredible ability to score and his dynamic personality the kid from Chicago made the Wolverines real contenders for a conference title and beyond.  The excitement this created led to AD Schembechler increasing the budget of the program and they built a new building to seat all of the rabid fans.  ‘The House that Cazzie Built’ or the Crisler Center seats 13,000 plus (depending on the renovation) was one of the first state of the art basketball only venues in the country.  It might not be the Big House but it has become a huge plus for this program with the rabid ‘Maize Rage’ as the Wolverines almost never lose their and has become a huge recruiting tool as if they need any more reason to get the kids here.  After all when your alumni is as diverse and recognized as Madonna, Darth Vader, Jerry Ford (who also played center on the football team), Iggy Pop, Gilda Radner, Arthur Miller, Sam Weber, Mike Wallace, Lucy Liu, David Allen Grier, Dr. Sarah Cooper, Darren Criss, Rich Eisen and of course the guy who invented the car from Back to the Future then you know you got something going right.  You also know you got some checks being mailed to Ann Arbor.  Russell is back for one more year and one more attempt finally getting the belt.  Russell is a 6’5 218 pound wing from Chicago.  He is one of the best mid-range players the game has ever seen.  When Cazzie pulls up from 15 feet it feels about as automatic as a layup and the fans are disappointed if it hits the rim at all.  He can also get to the hoop and draw fouls with a nice first step and is a solid corner shooter though the three point shot has not been his friend so far.  Russell is a solid all-around player though he  is not quick enough to keep up with some of the athletic two guards that are entering the Big Ten nowadays and is better suited as a three.  He has led the team in scoring both years he has been eligible with almost 20 a game.  He will be sharing more of the wealth this year with the young guns coming in but he will still be the marquee player for the Wolverines and the one guy the other team knows they must stop.  Leading the way this year as he has done since he arrived in Ann Arbor was senior swing man Cazzie Russell.  The Best Player to ever wear the Maze and Blue, Russell is as gifted a scorer and as charismatic of a player as there has been in the Big Ten.  A tremendous offensive player who has all the tricks, Russell has been a consistent scoring machine since he entered the University of Michigan.  He can shoot and drive equally well and uses his strength to dominate smaller players.  The streaky and notoriously flat shooting wing can flat put the ball in the hole when he gets rolling.  ‘When Cazzie gets hot he could score from a locked room” were the words of one Lew Alcindor after he torched the Bruins last season in their epic battle when he scored 45 on the Bruins.  He put the Michigan basketball program on the map almost singlehandedly when the program was down and will be missed next year.  Crisler Stadium was built just so the fans could have the opportunity to see their new hero played and has been rightfully dubbed the ‘House that Cazzie built’.  Russell, who is one of the great mid-range shooters in the country, can also handle the ball and has a knack for finishing.  This was the first time in his terrific college career he did not average more than twenty points a game as he took far fewer shots.  Once he got into training camp with all of this new young talent he realized this team had a chance to be great and became much more of a team player.  He may have been the spark plug to get this engine going but he was now just another piston moving this sleek automobile forward.   Russell, who has almost average 20 a game since he got here, showed how much of a team player he could be by actually finishing third in scoring behind Rice and Russell.  His willingness to step back (Russell went so far to volunteer to come off the bench for a few games for instant offense for the second unit) and share the duties for the betterment of the team showed what kind of man Russell and how great a leader he has become.  Cazzie might not be the greatest Russell in College basketball but in Ann Arbor he is the GOAT!

Every great showman must have a sideman and Russell’s partner in crime is fellow Senior Bill Buntin.  Buntin has played the position of Center every year next to Russell and was a vital cog in the Wolverine machine.  Russell may get all of the publicity but Buntin has been every bit as important to the development of this program into a superpower.  This Detroit kid’s determination makes up for his lack of height and he did a good job matching up with players much bigger than him.  It doesn’t hurt that Buntin has a reported 50 inch vertical jump which helps as he is only Six Seven.  Still, Frieder has some new young studs down low and Buntin has been known to eat a few too many burgers and is not quite the 250 he is listed at.  And as good as he is he is not exactly the rim protector teams covet at the five.  Buntin relies on his athleticism almost singlehandedly and might be the best inch for inch rebounder in the Big Ten.  These shorter wide bodies have a way of eating up missed shots and Buntin is no exception.  He must get better on the block offensively though he does have a nice little baby hook he can sky above anyone even seven footers and nobody sticks an arm out when he throws one down.  One thing for sure is that Buntin will give it all he has as he has the heart of a champion.  He might not be the tallest guy playing the center position in the Big Ten but he does contribute and one thing is for sure, nobody will outjump him.

As talented as these two studs are the heart and soul of the team is fellow Senior Rudy Tomjanovich.  Rudy T comes into the season as the starter at the four spot though he is a bit undersized for the battles in the paint.   Tomjanovich is 6’8 228 and hails from Hamtramck Michigan.   6’8 228 is not exactly small but when your center is 6’7 and most of the league is starting a pair of posts 6’10 then you get the picture.  In reality Rudy T is more of a tweener forward but for now at least he will be a primary offensive option either on the block or with his mid-range game.  As smart and as completive as they come Rudy T will be a productive part of this team this season whether it is hitting open J’s or coaching his teammates from the sidelines.  After all as Coach Frieder says ‘Tomjanovich knows more of how to play this game at 22 then I will at 80!’ 

The Wolverines might be undersized on the post with their starting duo but they have plenty of size and girth coming off the bench (and down the pike as they say).  For example the enormously talented sophomore Roy Tarpley will get some big minutes up front.  A gifted rebounder who can block shots and score a little (he picked up the baby hook from Buntin), Tarpley is a wide body who has become the defensive presence the Wolverines need.  His tenacity and his ability on the boards (he uses his rather large backside very well) are only matched by the elite.  Tarpley has some problems off the court as he missed a few games last year with some legal problems but when he is on the court he is a gamer. If he can get his life straight and become a little more constant he could be special.  Fellow sophomores Terry Mills and Loy Vaught are almost carbon copies of each other and both bring size and muscle to paint.  Both go about 6’9 230 and are looking to become major parts of the rotation this season.  Vaught was a stud last year on the JV and his sidekick Mills did not even get to play due to the new requirements for standard test results which is bias as hell against people of color.  Mills actually brings a bit of a perimeter game with his inside toughness and might have a shot at getting some minutes if he transitions well after missing that year.  He and Vaught did get to scrimmage often against each other last year and let me tell you those workouts were wars for the close friends.  

Russell may be the best mid-range player in the Big Ten but the name of the game now is the three and the Wolverines have found one of the best up and coming wings in the country.  Sophomore Glen Rice is a shooting machine.  He loves the three point line.  He has the size (6’8) to shoot over people but can also handle the rock.  This Flint native came on strong at the end of his freshman year and will be starting next to the legend this year. Rice is also a solid board guy and has the girth (228 pounds) to guard bigger forwards but his forte will always be his ability to extend defenses away from the paint.  He is a human magnet who draws the defense away from his brethren in the paint.  His future is so bright he should be wearing Raybans.  Rice like Russell is not the quickest dude on the planet so the Wolverines might have some issues guarding athletic two guards but I am sure Frieder will trade off that for having the best pair of offensive wings in the Big 10.  If not the entire country!  Yes, they are that good. 

The biggest question entering the year will be point guard.  The returning starter is senior Bob Harrison but he lost minutes as the season progressed last year to a trio of first year studs.  Harrison (a rocket from Toledo) is 6’1 190 and brings solid defense and can run a team but he is not exactly dynamic or even athletic and his days seemed numbered in Ann Arbor.  Sophomore Gary Grant had a huge first year splitting time with Harrison as he is a much better scorer, distributor and defender.  The ‘General’ (yes there are two in the Big 10) will almost assuredly take over the reins of this high octane offense this year with his biggest challenger being his classmate Rumeal Robinson.  Robinson was the star of the JV team with his ability to create shots for himself and teammates and will challenge for minutes this year.  The Cambridge Mass (really) sophomore might not be quite as dynamic as Grant but he is not far behind.  Turner was the biggest recruit of the three from just up the road in Flint.  An excellent table setter and defender and a gifted athlete at 6’3 180 Turner’s ability to score is not quite up to par with his sophomore brethren.  Yet!  He will get another chance this year and if any one of these three proves to be the quarterback this team needs to go to the next level that will finally get them that championship they believe they deserve.  This entitled bunch does seem to make some strange decisions with their programs right when it seems they are on the verge of glory.  After all the greatest QB ever (TB12 anyone) sat on the bench here for most of his career in Ann Arbor behind a baseball player! 

As for depth for Frieder he definitely has some different options to choose from.  Speaking of those kids who choose colleges for the education the Wolverines have a pair of studs in that situation.  Seniors MC Burton and John Tidwell both who have contributed immensely to this program but who are both seeking higher levels of education in Medicine.  Burton, who was also the first hip-hop DJ, holds the distinction of being the first Wolverine to average a double double in a year.  That was when he was a sophomore and his playing time has went down as his studies have increased but this 6’5 204 undersized post player from Muskogen Heights Michigan will surely be there if needed.  Tidwell is a 6’4 shooting guard from Herrin Illinois who was a huge recruit from across the border even though he led his team to a state championship.  He chose Michigan for it’s medical school and has been a high scorer here starting next to Russell even though he has a twisted up left arm from a gridiron injury (this stud was the quarterback of the football team in High School as well) that prohibits his range of motion and forces him to take a much lower shot.  It never affected his accuracy but with Rice around to play next to Cazzie Tidwell will fade into the background this year as a backup or perhaps deep on the bench.  I am sure whatever role these guys have this year will not affect them as they are getting what they came to Ann Arbor to get and that never included NIL money.  Of course a title would be nice to round out their phenomenal stories too.  Senior George Lee, juniors Campy Russell and Henry Wilmore and sophomore Mike McGee will be in an open competition for minutes behind Russell and Rice.  All four bring something different to the table.  Lee is more of a defensive specialist and at 6’4 200 has the size and toughness to get the job done.  This Highland Park kid is not all that athletic and does not bring much on offense (though he grabs more boards than most wings) but even a high octane team needs these kind of role players off the bench.  Russell, no relation to Cazzie astonishingly, has great size at 6’8 and 215 and can flat score.  This Pontiac kid is the favorite for 6th man this year as he gives the bench some inside-out flavor and diversity as a swing forward (unless of course Rudy T drops to that role) and helps in all facets of the game.  Wilmore is a scorer.  He does not do much else and is only 6’3 so like Tidwell looks like he is a man without a job in this bunch but you never know.  McGee is similar to Wilmore but a little bigger at 6’5 but looks like he will have another year of seasoning on the JV where he should shine.  This Omaha Nebraska kid can flat light it up but he must get better at all of the other parts of the game if he is going to have a chance of getting any minutes on the varsity in the near future.  The player that has the best chance of getting major minutes this year is junior Phil Hubbard.  Hubbard was unbelievable as a freshman earning a starting job at the four as Tomjanovich moved down but he tore up a knee last year and whether or not he will be all the way back is anybody’s question.  This Canton Ohio kid (strangely he is not the only Wolverine from the Football Hof town as the General hails from there as well) is 6’8 215 with a brilliant inside out game.  He can score, board and is a solid defender who has all the skills and has the perfect mentality for this game but a knee is a knee.  If he does not come back to full strength Frieder might consider redshirting him as this team has some potential superstars matriculating to town this fall.  Sophomore Tim McCormick did redshirt last year but he is coming back to a front line filled with potential all-world talent that this program has never seen before.  And the entire country now is eagerly waiting for the Fab 5 to arrive (cue Magnificent 7 theme music) ! 

The boys from Ann Arbor went into the year with High Hopes with not just a solid nucleus of returning players but one of the best recruiting classes in the country.  Frieder’s recruits include a fabulous freshman class led by stud power forward Chris Webber.  Hailing from Detroit Webber is one of the most highly recruited players in the country after leading his High School to three straight state titles.  Webber is as physically gifted as anyone who plays the power forward position though on this team he will play some center as well.  Webber is a complete player who has the strength of a giant but the skills of a guard.  He can shoot and board equally well and his range goes to 18 feet.  C-Webb can handle the ball like a point guard and loves to pass.  He sometimes lacks proper decision making but the kid has all the tools to be something special!  His sidekicks in the Fivesome may not be as talented but almost for sure will change the culture around here rather quickly.  Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King are not household names yet except for with their numerical moniker and they come from all regions of the country but one thing is for sure the number 5 will never be the same in this football town! 

Coach Bill Frieder has put together as much talent as anyone in the Big Ten.  He has brought in the most high profile group of freshmen the country has ever seen even going so far as gaining their own nickname.  This team will not lack for talent.  With a little more consistency and continuity this team can go all the way.  They definitely look like a team to reckon with for years to come if their players can learn how to play with each other and share the rock. Frieder has the depth and the talent to win the Big Ten for the next three years if he can keep the team together.  But then again ever since Cazzie Russell stepped on the hallowed grounds here the Wolverines have been a contender for the national title.  The window will for sure not be closed after this year as this machine keeps turning out world-class athletes but this is Cazzie and Bill and Rudy T’s last chance to take their legendary careers to a level of glory only the few ever get to.  And with a little help from these fabulous new kids that opportunity has never been more attainable than now!