Manny Being Manny, Johnny Being Johnny
By Ryan Feldman
rfeldman@thehoopsreport.com
Monday, November 24, 2008
Michigan basketball is back on the national map for the first time in a long time after a 55-52 victory over UCLA at Madison Square Garden in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic.
So, how has Michigan all of a sudden become relevant again? The answer is simple: Manny Harris and John Beilein.
Harris, a silky smooth sophomore guard, averaged 16.1 points per game as a freshman, but was overshadowed by players like Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin and James Harden in what may have been the best freshman class in the history of college basketball. All of the above-mentioned players reached the NCAA tournament last year, except for Harden, whose Arizona State Sun Devils were one of the last teams left out on Selection Sunday. But the Wolverines struggled in Beilein's first season as the head skipper in Ann Arbor, going just 10-22 overall and 5-13 in the Big Ten. With Michigan not on the national radar, neither was Harris.
The Wolverines haven't reached the NCAA tournament since 1998. Combine that with a multitude of NCAA sanctions, and it's been difficult lately for the Wolverines to recruit and consequently win games. That's why Beilein was brought in. He had some success at West Virginia before taking the Michigan job in 2007, so the Wolverines fans hope that he can restore the success they had in the Fab Five era. Beilein reached the Elite Eight in his third season with the Mountaineers and finished his five-year stint there with a 104-60 record, including two NCAA tournament appearances and an NIT championship.
And it looks like that success may be ahead. In a weaker than usual Big Ten, the Wolverines have a legitimate chance to make some noise and reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 years. Purdue and Michigan State are very strong teams, but after that it's wide open. If the Wolverines continue to play the way they've played in their first three games, there's no reason they can't get to the top half of the conference and perhaps the top three.
There isn't much difference between this season's Wolverines squad and last season's, but the team is a year older and Beilein and Harris, now both in their second year with the team, have a season of experience under their belts.
As a freshman, Harris scored at least 19 points in 13 games and had a season-high 29 points against Penn State. But he struggled in more than a few games and his had worst game in the last game of the season against Wisconsin, shooting 1-for-12 for just four points.
Harris is now averaging 23.7 points per game thus far as a sophomore. His first three games have all been exceptional. Against Michigan Tech, he scored a career-high 30 points. In the Wolverines' win over Northeastern, Harris scored 26 points, grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds and dished out a career-high-tying eight assists. Against UCLA, Harris scored 15 points, including some big jumpers down the stretch and a pair of clutch free throws, and notched his greatest victory as a Wolverine.
Harris deserves to be mentioned among the elite players like Griffin, Harden, Tyler Hansbrough and Stephen Curry. There isn't anything Harris can't do. He can shoot from deep, he can handle the ball, he's exceptionally athletic, he can pass the ball, he can certainly finish inside, and his freakishly long arms make him an asset on defense. The only thing holding Harris back from getting the respect he deserves is his team's success. Now that Michigan has a chance to be a contender in the Big Ten this season, Harris should finally get the respect he deserves.
"I'm not worried about the media," Harris said about being underrated nationally. But does he feel he deserves to be mentioned with guys like Curry, Griffin and Hansbrough? "You gotta feel that way."
"I don't care about where I'm ranked," Harris added. "I care where my team is ranked. When we're ranked, then I'll get more respect. One of the greatest things about beating the No. 4 ranked team is that now maybe we'll get some respect as a team, and that's all I care about."
In high school, Harris was selected as the 2007 Mr. Basketball of Michigan and was an all-state first team selection during his junior and senior seasons. He averaged over 33 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior and once scored 52 points in a December 2006 game.
UCLA head coach Ben Howland knows Harris well -- he tried to recruit him. But Harris chose Michigan, even after Tommy Amaker, who recruited Harris to come to Michigan, was fired. Howland was very aware of Harris's capabilities and focused heavily on trying to shut him down. But clearly it didn't work.
"Playing against UCLA and being the focus of their attention, that says a lot about Manny," said Beilein. "Manny's working hard. He was worn out (after the win over UCLA). If he continues to works hard, he has a chance to be a really good college player."
One of the main reasons Beilein has been a successful coach is his patient offense and his use of the 1-3-1 zone on defense. UCLA freshman guard Jrue Holiday attributed part of the Bruins' problems against Michigan to that zone.
"We didn't know what to do," said Holiday. "We hadn't seen a 1-3-1 defense yet. That's why we struggled so much on offense."
Harris has the tools to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft, especially if he continues to put up big numbers and his team continues to win big games. The Beilein-Harris combination at Michigan looks like it could turn the program around. It's safe to say that Beilein will be there longer than Harris, but exactly how long Harris stays in school may determine exactly how much success the Wolverines will have.
"Anytime you're trying to rebuild, at some point you need some positive reinforcement," Beilein said about the win over UCLA. Beilein knows this is his biggest win as Michigan head coach, but he's staying humble and he hopes his team will as well. "Handling success is sometimes more difficult than handling defeat."
The Wolverines lost in the 2K Sports Classic championship game to Duke, but they will have another chance to defeat the Blue Devils on December 6.
Who would have thought a year or two ago that Michigan basketball would be the talk of the town and Michigan football would be an afterthought?
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