The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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16 THE WOLVERINE JUNE/JULY 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2012: Michigan put a capper on John Beilein's best recruiting class at Michigan, getting Caris LeVert out of Pickerington (Ohio) Central and away from Ohio University, where LeVert had originally signed. Ohio released him from his commitment when coach John Groce left for Illinois. That left LeVert free to join Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas, Glenn Rob- inson III and Spike Albrecht in a crew that would help take the Wolverines to the national cham- pionship game in the spring of 2013, but McGary, Stauskas and Robinson left early for the NBA. Beilein spoke exclusively to The Wolverine after the completion of that class, acknowledging his ap- preciation for veteran performers. He noted even then, though, that the incoming talent would be a boon to his U-M program. "Part of me loves a senior-laden team, because that's really a lot of fun to coach," he offered. "I've had a couple of those. There was a great trust that they knew what it took to win. "However, this puzzle aspect re- ally intrigues me. Putting together this young 2012-13 team, which has a great deal of talent, will be interesting. That's what makes our coaching staff click. We love put- ting the pieces together regard- less of the age of the team." 10 YEARS AGO, 2007: Michi- gan's hockey program continued another of several impressive streaks when incoming fresh- man forward Max Pacioretty was chosen by the Montreal Canadians in the first round of the 2007 NHL Draft. It marked the seventh straight year the Wolverines boasted a first- rounder in the draft. Michigan was also working on a 17-year streak of NCAA Tournament appearances, and Pacioretty figured to help extend that accomplishment. The 6-2, 203-pounder was named the United States Hockey League Rookie of the Year in 2006-07, with 63 points in 60 regular-season games. "His size, power and skating really stand out," Michigan assistant coach Billy Powers said. "He's as skilled as any of the forwards we currently have on our team. Last year, he jumped into the USHL and in year one made an impact most kids take at least two years to make. "As the year progressed, he just kept getting better and better, and he continued to climb the charts for the scouts. The way he played this season, he really deserved to be drafted where he was." 25 YEARS AGO, 1992: Michi- gan football welcomed Greg Mattison, Fred Jackson and Mike DeBord to Ann Arbor, replacing the combined 55 years in the Michigan football system they lost when Jerry Hanlon, Tirrel Burton and Tom Reed left the scene. The newcomers were expected to hit the ground running, Jack- son having coached in the Big Ten at Wisconsin and Purdue, DeBord coming in from Colorado State and Mattison leaving Texas A&M's "Wrecking Crew" line to coach in Ann Arbor. "A staff is a team, and the human element of a staff is important," noted Cam Cameron, Michigan's quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. "How our guys work to- gether is probably more impor- tant than what somebody knows about the game of football. "We're together from seven in the morning until midnight. If the human element isn't there, where guys can get along, then your team is going to suffer. I don't think any of these guys come in feeling like we're lucky to have them. They feel like I do, and like the rest of our staff does — we feel really fortunate to be at Michigan." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY Incoming freshman forward Max Pacioretty was tabbed as a first-round selection in the NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadians in 2007, marking the seventh straight year U-M had a player picked in the opening round. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS BY RYAN TICE The 11 draft picks for Michigan in 2017 (our full recap of the group can be found starting on page 30) was more than any other class in its history, break- ing the record of 10 selections set in 1972 and 1974. However, those drafts featured more than double the number of rounds (17) and 189 more picks (442) than this year's seven-round edition that had 253 selections. However, the raw number of draft picks doesn't always tell the whole story on the quality of the class. Here's how Michigan's five classes with the most draftees stack up with a deeper look: THE WOLVERINES' FIVE BIGGEST NFL DRAFTS Total Highest Top Picks By Round Top-100 Picks Year Draftees Pick 1st 2nd 3rd 4th (Overall Selections) 2017 11 25 2 0 4 3 5 (25, 28, 74, 92, 96) 1972 10 18 2 2 2 0 6 (18, 20, 27, 47, 57, 64) 1974 10 20 1 2 0 1 4 (20, 36, 37, 83) 1975 9 26 1 0 0 0 1 (26) 1948 8 38 0 0 0 0 2 (38, 97) Comparing Michigan's 2017 NFL Draft To Its Previous Best Classes