Category: ESPN UP The Blog

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By Blake Froling

The University of Michigan just locked up the best coach in program history for a very long time.

John Beilein signed a new rollover extension today that runs through the 2022-23 seasons, according to the university. With the rollover, the contract will automatically be extended every year until Beilein or the university decide not to exercise the option. Essentially, Beilein has a lifetime contract.

“I am grateful for the opportunity the University of Michigan has given to me over the past 11 years,” said Beilein in a statement. “Kathleen and I love Ann Arbor, our University, our fans and the state of Michigan. We will continue to work very hard in the future to have our basketball team reflect the greatness of this University. I thank Mark Schlissel and Warde Manuel for their faith and commitment to our coaching staff and basketball program. The future of men’s basketball is bright and I am excited to be a part of it.”

Beilein, 65, recently flirted with the idea of leaving Ann Arbor for the Detroit Pistons, but ultimately pulled his name out of consideration when the news went public.

“I am thrilled to ensure John’s leadership of our basketball program today and into the future,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel. “I am very pleased with our shared dialog throughout the process, and I am extremely happy that one of the game’s great coaches is representing the University of Michigan.”

The Wolverines are fresh off their second National Championship appearance in the last six seasons and have the No. 16 ranked recruiting class according to ESPN. Michigan also returns Charles Matthews, who was the team’s second-leading scorer last season. Beilein is the winningest coach in program history.

Photo: Mark J. Terrill/AP

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By Blake Froling

Detroit Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah will not be getting a long-term deal before the deadline today at 4 p.m. ET, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Ansah will play the 2018 season on the franchise tag, which will pay him a guaranteed $17.1 million.

Ansah, 29, finished last season with 12 sacks but was still plagued by inconsistency. He had three sacks against the Giants in Week 2, then went the next 10 games with a total of three sacks, then racked up six sacks in the final two games of the season against the Bengals and Packers.

Injuries have also been a major concern during Ansah’s career. He missed almost all of training camp and preseason last year with knee and back injuries and they persisted throughout the regular season. In 2016, Ansah was limited by a high ankle sprain for the majority of the season and only recorded two sacks.

2015 was Ansah’s best season by far, his third year in the league. He generated 14.5 sacks and earned second team All-Pro honors and a trip to the Pro Bowl.

The Lions aren’t sure if Ansah can stay healthy enough over the course of a long-term contract to warrant extending him. Ansah believes he’s one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL and deserves to be paid like one. That’s why a deal couldn’t be done. Ansah and the team cannot negotiate a new deal until after the season ends once they pass the 4 p.m. deadline.

The Lions also have to look at their cap situation as a whole when evaluating the offer they might make to Ansah. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has a $26.5 million cap hit and the team invested heavily in the offensive line last offseason. Wide receiver Golden Tate is due for a contract extension as well, and he’s been one of the most productive wideouts in the NFL since he signed with the Lions in 2014.

If Ansah can stay healthy and be a consistent force on the edge, then the Lions will be happy to pay him top dollar. But he has to prove it first.

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By Blake Froling

Former Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker has agreed to a two-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Bucks officially rescinded Parker’s qualifying offer today, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Bucks GM Jon Horst tells ESPN that Bucks weren’t going to match offer sheet, and worked in good faith with Parker and his agent Mark Bartelstein to let them negotiate the unrestricted deal with Bulls. There was no harm for Bucks to make the gesture. https://t.co/MDdwleqExa

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 14, 2018

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Parker averaged 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 31 games last season with Milwaukee after recovering from his second ACL injury. In four seasons with the Bucks, Parker missed 143 games due to injury. A native of Chicago, Parker was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft.

Wojnarowski also reported that the second year of the deal is a team option, mitigating the risk for the Bulls.

The second-year of Parker deal is a team option, which lowers risk for Bulls because of Parker’s two ACL surgeries and gives Bartelstein and Parker a chance to negotiate a long-term deal with Bulls should he stay healthy and productive next season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 14, 2018

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By Blake Froling

READ THE ORIGINAL VERSION HERE

March 27 — Let’s start this by stating the obvious: the Tigers are going to stink. Unfortunately, that’s not a hot take. It’s a fact.

General Manager Al Avila spent the second half of last summer remodeling an aging and expensive team and actually did a decent job, as far as we can tell so far. The farm system is not barren anymore, and some might say it’s in the upper half of baseball in terms of talent depth.

But we’re not here to talk about the 2021 Detroit Tigers, we’re here to preview the 2018 Detroit Tigers.

It’s not going to be pretty, but what you see on the field this year is necessary to making sure the club returns to its former glory. As for when exactly that will happen is anyone’s guess.

ESPN writer Sam Miller described the Tigers’ upcoming seasonperfectly:

Everything the Tigers…do this year will be sad, the product ugly, the philosophy underneath it uncomfortably crass. Lots of things will happen that will nudge up their chances of being good in 2020 or 2021, but the rewards are so far off — not even “wait ’til next year” — and uncertain that it’ll be hard to be emotionally moved by them.

He’s referencing tanking in the first sentence. Yes, the Tigers will be tanking. Is it morally responsible to intentionally field a noncompetitive team in order to get a better draft slot? If it’s within the rules and you have a plan, yes. The Tigers appear to have a plan at least. The Marlins, who Miller was also referring to in that quote, do not.

Be glad you don’t root for the Marlins.

 Bright spot at the hot corner

Yes, believe it or not, there are a few bright spots on this Tigers team. One of them is Jeimer Candelario.

The rookie third baseman came to Detroit from the Chicago Cubs via the Justin Wilson/Alex Avila trade. Candelario hasn’t even played a full season in a Tigers uniform and I’m already confident Detroit won the trade.

Here are Avila’s stats in Detroit and Chicago last season:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/share.fcgi?id=Lgen4&output=iframeJustin Wilson’s splits were even worse:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/share.fcgi?id=RBCQi&output=iframe

Tigers fans got a brief glimpse at Candelario last season once he was called up from Triple-A Toledo and he didn’t disappoint, hitting .330 with three home runs in 94 at-bats. Candelario has already proven to be a far superior fielding third baseman than Nick Castellanos, who will be manning right field this season.

Some baseball pundits have even projected Candelario to be a possible AL Rookie of the Year candidate. The 24-year-old doesn’t even have to be that good to give Tigers fans hope. If he maintains a batting average above .280 and has a decent glove, that would be a win.

Candelario is projected to hit second in the batting order.

Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera are healthy — for now

The two sluggers both slogged through horrible seasons at the plate in 2017, largely due to various maladies, but now it appears the aging stars are finally healthy again.

Cabrera injured his back at the World Baseball Classic back in March and never fully recovered. His numbers reflected the pain he was fighting through all season, posting career-lows in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

Spring training numbers are not always a great indicator of regular season success, but Cabrera says he feels healthy and the numbers reflect it. In the grand scheme of things, Cabrera’s performance this year won’t add very many wins because of the lack of talent around him, but could help in a possible trade scenario, however unlikely that may be.

Martinez had heart problems at the end of last season and dealt with other injuries that kept him out of 55 games, the most he’s missed in a season since 2008 (not including 2012, when he missed the entire regular season due to a knee injury). When Martinez was in the lineup, he was devoid of any pop his bat, and don’t even get me started about his baserunning.

The best-case scenario for the Tigers would be for Martinez to rediscover some of the power he lost in 2017 and turn into a viable trade chip at the deadline. Worst-case would be if he posts similar numbers to last season and becomes a liability in the batting order.

Manager Ron Gardenhire will also have to decide if it’s worth keeping Martinez in the lineup if (when) the team is out of contention. Those at-bats would be better used by a younger player who might have a future with the team.

The tanking starts early this year

Jordan Zimmermann is starting on Opening Day.

Yes, that same Jordan Zimmermann who posted a 6.08 ERA last season. While this is largely a ceremonial title, it’s embarrassing that the Tigers have to trot out this guy on the only day Comerica Park won’t be half empty.

I do appreciate how Gardenhire wants to get the tanking started as soon as possible. This is a great first step in that regard.

All reports indicate that Zimmermann is again fully healthy and feeling confident, looking better blah blah blah. Insert all the spring training propaganda you want, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Zimmermann has been one of the worst free agent signings in franchise history, and he’d have to have one of his best seasons of his career to erase that.

As for the rest of the rotation

I am excited to see what new pitching coach Chris Bosio can do with the rotation. Bosio has earned a reputation as one of the best pitching coaches in the MLB thanks to the success Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks had under his tutelage. . He was with the Chicago Cubs when they won the World Series, so he has a pedigree of success.

Several Tigers pitchers have mentioned how he’s already helped them in the short time he’s been with the team. Maybe I’m falling for the spring training propaganda, but he’s got my hopes up.

As for the rest of the starting rotation, there is one bright spot and four or five question marks.

Michael Fulmer is healthy after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery last season. He should be poised to reclaim his spot atop the rotation and provide Tigers fans relief every fifth day. He also could be the most valuable trade chip Al Avila can dangle in front of other teams in July.

Francisco Liriano was brought in solely to be traded, that much is obvious. He had a fantastic spring and if he pitches well in the first few months of the season, he’ll surely have a one-way ticket to a contending team. That should be plenty of motivation.

Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris have been perennial breakout candidates ever since coming to Detroit. Both were up and down last season, both in performance and professional level, as both spent time in the minors.

Both had ERAs above 5 but both are dripping with potential. If one or both have decent years, the Tigers could have a fighting chance to not be the worst team in baseball.

Mike Fiers was brought in from the Houston Astros to be a veteran presence on the staff, but he’ll start the season on the DL and his spot in the rotation is far from safe, especially if Norris and Boyd get off to fast starts.

About that bullpen…

It’s going to be a disaster once again. Shane Greene will be the closer until he’s inevitably traded. After that, I honestly have no idea who will step up. All eyes will be on young flamethrower Joe Jimenez, who had a disappointing brief stint in the majors last season.

If the team accidentally gets a lead in the 7th inning, the bullpen will aid the tanking effort by promptly blowing said lead. Call it tanking insurance.

Bottom Line

You know what to expect this season with the Tigers. A whole lot of losing. Knowing this before the season should make it somewhat more tolerable. At least there’s a method to the losing, unlike back in the dark days before 2006.

Instead of focusing on wins and losses, focus on individual performances. There will be plenty of new faces you won’t recognize, but that’s OK! They could turn into the group that brings the Tigers back to relevancy. Or they could be shipped out in July, who knows.

It might be more worthwhile to check in on the Toledo Mud Hens if you’re bored on a summer evening instead of a Tigers game.

Predictions:

Record: 70-92, 5th in AL Central, not the worst in the MLB!

All-Stars: Nick Castellanos, Michael Fulmer

Trade candidates: everyone

 

So you think you’re a pretty good high school basketball player, huh? Good enough to play at the next level, right? Well you better listen up, because the transition isn’t a layup.

Ishpeming girls coach Ryan Reichel starred at the high school level for Westwood and went on to Northern Michigan University, where he said he was anything but a star. That switch from being the best player on the team to being a role player can be difficult for many kids to handle, and it sometimes derails careers.

“You gotta go in with the mindset saying ‘I’m gonna do whatever it takes to be a player for this program,'” said Reichel, “and if that means I’m just gonna play defense or I’m just gonna be a passer, you better enjoy that role. If you don’t you won’t get on the floor and your experience won’t be as enjoyable as mine was at the end of my career.”

Many players say they love basketball. But do you really love basketball? Would you dedicate every second of your life to basketball? Many people wouldn’t. If you’re not a part of that group, don’t bother trying to play at the next level. Negaunee coach Brandon Sager, who is No. 14 on the NMU all-time scoring list by the way, said you have to love the grind in order to succeed in college.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand the effort that has to go in every single day,” said Sager. “It’s a grind, but you really have to make that commitment to do it. It has to be your number one priority, and I think a lot of…high school players in general don’t really realize it. It’s committing to making yourself as good as you can be whether it be your body, your skill set, even the mental part of the game.”

A typical day for a college athlete looks much different than a typical day for a normal college student. Gwinn coach Ben Olsen played a year of college ball and gave an example of exactly what a player has to commit to.

Tell me if this sounds like your idea of fun:

“Six a.m. you’re up lifting, working out, then you have classes somewhere between 8 o’clock and 2 o’clock. Then you try to eat together as a team, then you have practice or film and then you have practice after that. You’re going from basically six in the morning until six, seven, eight at night. If you’re not fully committed and don’t truly love the game of basketball and being around it almost all the time, it really turns into a full-time job.”

I don’t see any time carved out for afternoon naps or Netflix binge sessions, so there’s no way I’d ever make it as a college basketball player.

Still want that lifestyle? Great. Keep reading.

Notice a trend here? We haven’t really mentioned any kind of basketball skills required, or what the perfect height is, or which summer camps you should go to. That’s all secondary in the eyes of most college coaches. Jim Finkbeiner, the Gwinn boys coach, said scouts usually ask him about a player’s personality first and what kind of teammate he is.

“They want to know what kind of person this player is,” said Finkbeiner. “Is he easy to get along with? How does he interact with other players? Even bigger is what kind of student is he? If you want to succeed at the next level, it’s going to take more than just your basketball skills to get there. These people are looking for good kids and that means in more than just on the basketball floor.”

Having a good personality is nice, being a good teammate is nice, but what happens when an opposing player dunks on you? Or what about when you turn the ball over five times in a half? Are you going to get mad? Are you going to make another dumb play?

“They (college coaches) want to see how you handle tough situations,” said Marquette boys coach Brad Nelson. “If you’re gonna get down if something goes wrong, it’s just going to compound the problem. That’s something that college coaches at that level, they don’t want to deal with having to fix that. They can take skill sets and work with that and make kids better and integrate them into the system, but if the kid doesn’t have it mentally, it makes it pretty hard to do things at that level.”

So after all that, all the time spent in the summer, the 6 a.m. workouts, let’s say you made the team. You have a decent spot as a role player. The hard part is over, right? Wrong, says Negaunee boys coach Dan Waterman. That’s actually just the beginning. The next challenge is keeping your spot.

“A college coach’s job is to recruit your replacement,” said Waterman. “So you can never be satisfied with how you’re playing at the time, or what your role is on the team. College coaches are hired and fired on their win-loss record…so they’re always trying to bring in the best players and they’re always trying to recruit someone better than you.”

There you have it, the blueprint to becoming a successful college basketball player. Still think you have what it takes?