John Beilein may not be coaching the Michigan Wolverines anymore but that does not mean he is not paying attention (as much as he can bear) from afar.
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This past Saturday, Michigan hosted Oregon and though Beilein said he couldn’t watch it fully, he did follow it along the way.
Following the game, analyst (and former Wolverines player) Tim McCormick spoke to Beilein about the Oregon game and Beilein singled out three players who have caught his attention this season.
“I had a really interesting conversation with Coach Beilein after the Michigan-Oregon game on Saturday,” McCormick said. “We spoke at length, it was really fascinating. I have no spoken with him since the first game of the year. I asked him after the game, ‘What did you think of Michigan-Oregon today?’ And he smiled and said, ‘I couldn’t watch it.’ He said it was really similar to when his sons were playing. He had a hard time watching them as well. He said he went for a long walk during the Michigan game and kind of followed it along the way. He said his Michigan guys are like sons and he just cannot watch them. He did mention that he’s paid really close attention and he’s incredibly proud of how they’re doing. He specifically acknowledged Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns and David DeJulius, those three. He pointed out that each of them could’ve left but they’ve been resilient and they continue to grow and develop. He also put a lot of emphasis on the importance of developing those foundation players, the guys that become juniors and seniors. One of the things that he really noticed on college basketball, everybody is so focused on one-and-done’s and bringing in high-rated freshman recruits. He really thinks that it’s important for coaches around college basketball that those juniors and seniors are the guys that gets you to the NCAA Tournament and beyond. He said he’s really enjoyed his NBA journey so far and really misses everybody in Ann Arbor.”
— Quotes courtesy of The Michigan Insider — Link
