The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/678402
ing an interview on local radio. "He has to be a good teammate, have the attitude that we look for and we'll do everything that we can to get a guy that can help us immediately as an im‑ pact starter or what Aubrey was, that sixth man." Because they need wings who can score and they need to improve their defense, one of the reasons Beilein brought in former Wright State head coach Billy Donlon to help replace as‑ sistants LaVall Jordan and Bacari Alex‑ ander. Former Oakland associate head coach Saddi Washington was hired to add to the Wolverines' recruiting prowess, but Donlon is here specifi‑ cally to shore up a defense that was lacking last year. "We wanted regional guys who also can really teach," Beilein said. "That was the big thing … they can teach and bring me new ideas. We won a lot at West Virginia, the game changed … bring me new ideas and let's imple‑ ment them. Now we're a different team than we were six or seven years ago, but the game's changed. "What [Donlon] has done in the ball screen defense is use some different schemes against it at different times. He's also from the gap type of defense we play. They play in the gaps as well, but different messaging. They have different methodology and different angles for it. "All I know is that was my heart‑ burn for years … 'How are we going to score against UNC Wilmington [under Donlon]?' I would never play Wright State because I know it's tough to score on them." It's called adapting, and despite the conjecture that somehow Michigan is alone in having to, it's far from the truth. The NCAA recently released a report that 40 percent of all men's bas‑ ketball players who enter Division I directly out of high school depart their initial school by the end of their sophomore year. Just down the road, in fact, Michigan State recently lost a pair in Marvin Clark and Javon Bess, while assistant Dwayne Stephens finished second to Alexander for the University of Detroit job. "The good news is we have five starters back," Beilein said. "The bad news is that sometimes those guys be‑ hind them know they want to play." So they leave. It happens. The last time the Wolverines lost a trio in the offseason (Carlton Brundidge, Colton Christian and Evan Smotrycz), they made it to the national championship game. And only the spin doctors could make the promotions of two assistants to head coaching positions appear to be a bad thing, though Sporting News tried in saying it was a big reason why "Michigan's offseason looks turbulent, at best." Turbulent, no … evolving, yes. Beilein has proven many times over he's willing, one of the reasons it wouldn't be wise to bet against him. ❏ Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997, working part time for five years before joining the staff full time in 2002. Contact him at cbalas@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter at Balas_Wolverine.