WTKA Roundtable 5/21/2026: To Survive the Normans

WTKA Roundtable 5/21/2026: To Survive the Normans

Things Discussed: * Marcus Moller is cancer-free! Comps? Uh...develop and see, but Chet-ish. Not expecting to see him this year as he needs to bulk up for a year. * Ricky Liburd: ready to go? Maybe a 14-15% usage guy but defensive force, Grady leaving is a sign Liburd was better. * Costello/Liburd/Cosby at the three: Dusty likes that size on the court. Imagine if Beilein had this flexibility at the three. * Will Wade: Will it work? Oppositional defiance disorder. How else can I piss people off? Ed O as the LSU basketball coach! * 24-team Playoff? Pettiti's only principle is make money. You want to stop this: make it an issue this fall in all of the regents/trustee elections. How many garbage pail kids can I get in my athletics department? * Chipping away at the value of college football. Reason for it this time is ESPN has the CFP and Fox gets inventory if they go past 14. That's it; that's the entire reason for this. * Seth brings back the Showcase idea to replace conf championships. * New idea: Play the bowl games in August! (saving this for a hot take later). * Brian goes off on the conference commissioner class.

WTKA Roundtable 5/14/2026: The Sixth Jackson Five

Things Discussed: * VALIANT! * Craig shares the story of the nadir of Michigan basketball: Northwestern-Michigan. * Combine: Michigan rosters do not lie: Bare feet measurements were the real measurements. Meanwhile Alabama is adding 4 inches. * Brandon McCoy—needs to make free throws but he's going to lead the B10 in steals. * Quinn Costello: remarkable shooter, is a true jumpshot. Does he have a left hand? Does he have any post-up game? Skinny right now. * Jalen Reed is VERY interesting. Fluid at 6'10, can defend and shoot and should be healed after a year from an Achilles. * Will Wade just invents new ways to be the villain of CBB. * Football: Zack Marshall and four OCs in four years. * Bryce in the offense: Going to use his legs more than his arm. Should create more explosives because you're taking away a free hitter from the defense. Will also feature the tackles in space more. * To run this you have to beat what stops it, IE Don Brown man defense. JJ Buchanan could be a breakout guy. * Is that the way to get 5-star QBs? No, but maybe you should be looking to the portal nowadays.

WTKA Roundtable 5/7/2026: Go Be Great

(No Brian today)    Things Discussed: * Dusty: Are the Magic a threat? * Is the NBA a threat? Eventually. If they come at him like the Chargers came at Harbaugh, but May isn't there, has zero indication he wants to leave now. * Sam shares how the whole Juke Harris thing went down. Shares Xavier Stanton was coming to Michigan at one point. * Michigan's admissions policy: Get the best. Standing on 60 credits as THE LINE between academics and not. * During break: Skyler Bell's recruitment relived. He was right to stay at UConn. * Bryce concern: Overblown. Spring game was hardly representative. Some concern, though, because it's important to develop him and he looked like he lost a year of development. * Passing game needs to be better. If he's not a better passer they're doomed in 2027.

WTKA Roundtable 4/30/2026: Never Made a Bracket

Things Discussed: * Jalen Reed, longer and switchable. * Thiam: Shot selection is abominable. He's mobile, not fully a switch guy, can hedge. Offensively intriguing, takes fadeaways but was 48% away from the rim. VERY strong—gave as good as he got against Krivas—but didn't post up very much. His left hook looks more natural than his right hook. Closer to switchable than Mara. * Craig: four guys on the roster not playing. * Reed: Think as the season progresses he is going to make a difference, because he can give you a lot of different things. A 6-10 guy who can guard guards: yes please! * JP Estrella: Noticeably positive impact as an offensive rebounder on the #1 OReb team when he was rotating with offensive linemen. * Sam wants Trey to watch Late Michael Jordan the post player, which will make him more dynamic in the mid-range. * Cadeau is the guy who gets you good shots, McKenney is the guy who makes your bad shots. * Swing guy: McCoy. Shooting is questionable but instantly project him to a Roddy role. Gets downhill, has that wingspan. Could be the starting three: Yaxel-like ability to guard up and down the roster. * Ceiling? If Reed can be healthy for a season they're another 1-seed, otherwise 3-seed? Think other basketball teams have gotten much better. * Quinn Costello: Year as a bench shooter, needs that year to learn to play defense. * This is the least popular idea in sports history. NOBODY likes it except the major conference commissioners who've never filled out a bracket in their lives. * Hockey: no updates, except Denver picked up a defenseman. Michigan preseason #1 likely, except voters just vote the order of last year's F4. There will be guys on the 4th line who are like 3rd round+ picks. * Cockamamie ideas for renovating Yost.

Michigan HockeyCast 8.26: Super Reload

1 Hour and 15 Minutes With David Nasternak and Alex Drain This Podcast Has a Sponsor: Michigan Law Grad Jonathan Paul [http://www.michiganlawgrad.com/] is the guy with the C you want skating next to the ref and pleading your case. He's also a good guy to sit next to at the hockey games. Segment 1 Enjoy your retirement, Anže Kopitar. Kopitar was one of the most consistent and underrated players of his era. The Avs swept the Kings but lets recap some closer NHL matchups (NOT Sabres vs Bruins). The Oilers are underperforming with their star power, there are some fundamental issues within the program. Anyways, who's back for Michigan? Is Hage the favorite for the Hobey Baker award? There will be so much talent and you hope everyone can find their own niche because there's only one puck. Perron's still on the spreadsheet until he isn't. Garrett Schiftsky is going to be a dude going into next year. Slot Cole McKinney in as your 4th line center. Jack Nesbitt and Cameron Reid are coming in from the OHL. Expect JP Hurlbert to come in from the WHL. All four lines have depth and competition opportunities.    Segment 2 Projecting the 2026-2027 defensive roster. Need Henry Mews to take on a huge role, but can he be an elite defenseman? Ben Robertson, Asher Barnett, Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, and Drew Schock will give the team an unusually high amount of depth. Michigan might add one or two more players on defense to round out the roster. Expect Jack Ivankovic to remain the starter at goalie but Stephen Peck has at least earned some starts. This team should be stacked going into next season, but this time with more maturity.    MUSIC * NHL on ESPN Theme * "We'll Meet Again" -- Vera Lynn * Ice Hockey (NES) theme