How about that dunk contest?
-Nick Mattar, October 9, 2009

Manny, Peedi, Novak, and Darius Morris are going to be in the dunk contest next week at Midnight Madness. In all honesty, it's probably going to be Manny or Peedi to walk out as the winner, but there is no reason to believe that Zack or Darius won't give them a run for their money. Not only will Novak get the sympathy vote (see: Savannah State, November 2008) but Darius will undoubtedly have the element of surprise on his side. Nobody knows what to expect from him, and while we all know that he is really athletic, do we really expect him to take home the dunk contest crown? Rumor has it that Peedi can touch 11'6" on the vertical leap, and Manny is the second most athletic player to grace the halls of Crisler since the Fab Five (yeah, yeah, Brent Petway will always be the greatest athlete in the history of the world. We know.). But what can the underclassmen bring to this contest? A sense of excitement? Something fresh and unknown?

I have always been of the mind that "he who puts on the best show wins" as far as dunk contests are concerned. I have seen a lot of high school, college, and professional dunk contests, and it's usually the man who can balance showmanship and dunking that wins. Petway's performance in 2007 was one of the funniest things I had ever seen, but his dunking took a hit because he was so caught up in his own dancing/haircut/sunglasses/running into the stands/anything else you can think of. As far as showmanship goes, I think Peedi is going to be the most entertaining. Based on what I've seen from him the past two years, he is going to make for some great entertainment. I'm guessing Manny is just going to do what he does best: dominate. But that may not be enough on Friday night. I have no idea what kind of charisma Darius has, but one thing I do know is that if Zack shows any sign of personality, he should be able to pull off the upset. He garnered a majority of the Maize Rage vote in our last meeting, but Darius was a close second. Apparently, it was only sexy to pick one of the underdogs, since picking one of the superstars was just too easy.

And how about that skills competition? Each team will include a men's player, a women's player and a Maize Rage member. If I'm lucky enough to get in on the action, you should definitely pick a team other than mine to win. I was strictly a big man in high school, and while my handles have improved tremendously since then, don't think I'm going to pull of some mad abilities. However, if there is shooting involved, you should consider picking me... but that's all I'm good for. It also depends who is on my team. If I have Stu and Courtney on my team, that contest is going to be over before it starts (but I'm going to feel like the third wheel; at least the chemistry will be good between those two). If I'm with Novak and Veronica Hicks, I'm gold.

So that's about it for now. I'll probably post again after Michigan Madness is over, and I either have a trophy or am extremely embarrassed.

Michigan Football is back!
- Nick Mattar, September 18, 2009

So it's that time of year again, with basketball pretty much on the back burner, everybody here in Ann Arbor is focusing squarely on football. And for the first time in my three years here, I am legitimately excited about our team.

First off, let me set the scene for you. As a freshman in the fall of 2007, I entered the school year with the highest of hopes for our senior-led team. Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and a slew of other great pro prospects had everybody in town pumped for a great season. And then Appalachian State came to town. And then Oregon came too. Within two weeks the team was unranked and the town was in shambles.

Fast forward to 2008, when Rich Rodriguez put in his spread offense with his pro-style offensive players. Of course, that was a total failure, as we started off with a tough loss to Utah (which at the time seemed like an upset...) and a later loss to Toledo. Couple those two losses with losses to all three rivals (Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State), and the team looked straight awful.

But now in 2009, Rich Rod has his athletes in place, a quick/smart quarterback, and a national ranking for the first time since 2007 (I think). Sure the victory against Western Michigan was great, but it wasn't until the end of the Notre Dame victory that I thought this team was back. The fans are back on board, the quarterback problems are a thing of the past, and the offense looks more like it's supposed to (compared to the stagnant screen-pass-heavy offense that we saw last year). This team is definitely not the same as it was last year. The right players are clearly here, and they are clearly buying into the system. Suddenly, the Michigan Wolverines are looking like the Big Ten power that they were in the past. While inexperience will no doubt take a toll on this team down the road, at least we have a team to cheer for now that will go out, play hard every week, and always give us a good chance to win.

A way-too-early roster assessment
- by Nick Mattar, June 25, 2009

     Returning their top 5 players from last season, Michigan will not be missing anything next season from a statistical standpoint. While their two captains and leaders will be missed, their roles as leaders will be filled (hopefully) by the likes of Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, who are now in charge of this team. Harris is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Big Ten, and Sims is a workhorse in the paint who looked unstoppable during stretches last season. Both players have multi-dimensional games, and they are both among the best athletes in the grind-it-out Big Ten.

As for role players, Beilein has a plethora of 3-point shooters, led by sophomores Stu Douglass and Zack Novak. Each is a threat to catch fire from beyond the arc at any time, and they are both tenacious at the defensive end, as well. While Douglass will probably start the season at point guard, I expect him to move to the off-guard by the new year where he will be able to flourish as a pure shooter. Novak, on the other hand, is a fiery competitor who moves well without the ball and can knock down the corner 3-ball as well as anyone. Joining them on the wing will be incoming freshman Matt Vogrich, whose range extends out to about 30 feet.

The low-post game is where the rotation will really get interesting, with Zack Gibson probably starting at center. Though he showed flashes of brilliance last season, Gibson is still a work in progress, and in my opinion took too many shots from beyond the arc. If he can bulk up and solidify himself as a good low-post option, he can be the second option in the post, though Ben Cronin will be competing with him for minutes at the 5. Also look for either Blake McLimans or Jordan Morgan to get some minutes down low, while the other is redshirted next season.

At the point guard spot, I think the team will miss Kelvin Grady early on, since Douglass will have to take most of the minutes at the point to start. But the wild card here is Darius Morris, the incoming freshman point guard from California. Widely considered the team’s top incoming freshman, I think Morris will need time to adjust to the Beilein system and the college game in general, but I also think that by the end of the season he will be this team’s third best player and a great option at point guard. He reportedly has an extremely high basketball I.Q. and is a phenomenal passer, both integral skills to great point guards.

So, even though a few questions remain for the Wolverines going into the 2009-10 season, in general I think this is turning out to be one of Michigan’s strongest teams in recent memory. Now they just need to prove it out on the court.

Nick Mattar (class of '11) - "Born three weeks before the championship of 1989 and raised in a family split between Wolverines and Spartans, I have always been loud and proud in my support for the University of Michigan. It has always been my dream to see the Michigan basketball team win another National Championship, and I plan on being right there when it happens.

Chris Grant (class of '07) - "I've been a Michigan fan my whole life, but really began to fall in love with Michigan basketball after going to Crisler and witnessing freshman Daniel Horton lead the team to a miraculous comeback win against Wisconsin in 2002-03. Since my freshman year (2003-04), I have only missed two home games, traveled to numerous road games, and had the honor to write the Full Court Press/Rage Page for two years."

Sam Sedlecky (class of '12) - "Since the day I knew what basketball was, my love for Michigan basketball has been unfailing. Having been just a young child at the time of the Fab Five's uprising, I have never thoroughly experienced the joy of a successfull basketball season since last year, and I hope these feeling will be sustained for many years to come."

Dave Juhlin (class of '10) - bio coming soon