WTKA Roundtable 6/4/2026: Bratislava Hustles Harder

WTKA Roundtable 6/4/2026: Bratislava Hustles Harder

REMINDER: ONE WEEK TO GET THE VALIANT KICKSTARTER [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mgoblog/valiant-a-celebration-of-michigan-basketballs-2026-season?ref=1ixbvh] FUNDED Things Discussed: * The Weddle comment: What does Bryce have to show this year to show this is working? * Craig: If they win more than 8 games. * Brian: Get the running game down. If he can read out an option everything becomes easier for him. Early Vince Young. * Seth: He's got to show us his Detroit Hustles Harder side. There's a misconception in sports that money equals softness, but Underwood was the #1 prospect in his class because he was as much a grinder as he was talented. Let that show, and he'll win hearts and minds. Get to where JJ was as a true sophomore. Terrelle Pryor Year 2. * Sam: Shoulda paid for a QB coach last year. He's got to stop looking at the rush. * Statistically he was better than he looked. We're overrating his dismal Spring Game performance and underrating how often he had touchdown passes that his receivers botched or interceptions they didn't fight for. Andrew Marsh wasn't even looking for the ball early in the season. JJ Buchanan isn't missing the plays Freddie Moore didn't make. * Whittingham recruiting: They're serious and they're recruiting the way they do, but it's interesting that they're also doing things that Harbaugh did. * Tank (metal name!) Watson wasn't a Utah-style recruitment; it's a Harbaugh trick to go to big Southern schools and look at the late-developing fifth guy the scouts aren't watching because there are 4- and 5-stars all over the field. Is he a pure linebacker? Might be an edge, might be a Cole Sullivan. * Sam: Dakota Guerrant is leaning Oregon but Michigan won't give up on him; they won't lose an NIL battle, but they need to prove they can pass the ball this fall. * Gabe Osborne is the best player in the country; don't care what it costs. Like that he committed to hometown Oklahoma instead of Ohio State. * Sam shares how Michigan flipped an NCAA decision to screw over SMSB by inviting all the campers to Michigan. Reminds us of the early Harbaugh alacrity in recruiting. * Milan Momcilovic: Sam is down on Pope, thinks you don't go to Kentucky for any reason but money. Brian gives him a mulligan because UK was injured; Sam says if they don't go further than Texas this year he's fired. Funny that BYU has money as soon as Pope leaves. * Michigan to play an outdoor basketball game at the Marlins stadium, because Fox was mad they didn't get to broadcast it if they played at MSG. B10 has rights to those games. Whatever the rationale is, it's a sad statement about how the sport is structured. * The latest frontier is streaming. Seth thinks this is a very bad turn; how many streaming services do you need to sign up for to watch every Michigan football and basketball game this year? Worse, putting games behind paywalls is putting them out of reach of fans, especially young adults, who will find something else, cannibalizing your future (and destroying smaller market teams) for a few bucks today. Can't fault Dusty May and Michigan because they're just playing the game. I do fault the commissioner of the Big Ten and the TV execs who can't see past what money sticks to their fingers. * Seth Dream: Cut out the TV guys, develop your own streaming network and keep all of the money. If you put a tenth of the money the TV guys get into production you'd have it. Brian: You're crazy; they outsource everything, and when they don't they create Big Ten Plus. * Seth: not crazy, because TV takes a greater share now than they ever have before, because streaming is a new frontier that hasn't calcified yet, sports fans would rather install a free app where they could watch all of their games for free than six apps they have to sign up for. What makes it impossible is Michigan and Ohio State etc. won't like it because it's too fair.

WTKA Roundtable 5/28/2026: Only in Monroe

Things Discussed: * Pre-Show: I came on early to discuss the U.S. Senate's NCAA bill. * Proposal: A provision that every game that's broadcast is available for free. You can put it on a streaming network but not behind a paywall. The guys say it's impossible for the people to get anything out of a bill, but I argue this might have enough juice with the public that a senate candidate (we know you're an MGoBlog reader, Abdul) could get some run out of it. * Proposal: Michigan Coney Dog Playoff, with Only in Monroe's host as judge. Fun fact: Jim Abbott's dad invented the Flint-style Coney. * Fears returns, which was the way to go; he's a college player through and through but a denuded Draft was the time to test his value and jack up his return cost. * MSU vs Michigan next year: MSU fixed their frontcourt but have a ceiling in their shooting, Michigan's ceiling is higher but they need big steps from Trey, Cadeau, and someone at the three to offset their frontcourt losses. * Cadeau growth potential is real. * What we see from Reed (caveat: healthy). Opportunity to grow the threes while he's healing, but the ability to add another 6'10" forward down the stretch makes M an elite D. * Football recruiting: Feels like competency. Feels like a Lloyd Carr class juiced by NIL. Some guys are really underrated; Seth likes Xavier Muhammad and Tavares Harrington, who's that tall nickel the defenses running switch coverages want; the football equivalent of giving Dusty May a 6'10" guy at the three. * Lundon Hampton is also underrated: Hassan Haskins but Fast. Runs very upright but he's supremely agile and a tackle-breaker with breakaway speed.

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.