Is Michigan's Season Already Over?

0:00This is the Lockdown Podcast Network celebrating 10 years of your team every day. This is Jake from Lockdown. When the game's on the line, the best no end to pass. Because the right assist can change everything. And off the court, it's no different. That's where your State Farm agent comes in. Whether it's protecting your car, your home, or helping you prep for the unexpected, they'll help set you up with a game plan that works for you. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Like cover options are selected by the customer, availability and eligibility, vary by state. Running a business shouldn't feel like surviving a software group project. One app for accounting, another for inventory, another for sales, and somehow none of them talk to each other. That's where ODo comes in. And all in one business management software that brings every part of your business together from sales and accounting to inventory and marketing, all in one powerful platform. No messy integrations, no bouncing between tabs and best of all, no spreadsheets. Not managing software and start managing your business with one unified system.

1:02Try for free today at odo.com slash locked on. That's od o o.com slash locked on. The reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines lost their top recruit for next year already. The season hasn't even started. Training can't have hasn't even started. Their number one recruit for this year, done for the year. Is there season already over? Let's discuss. You are locked on NBA draft with no ceilings. Your daily podcast on the future stars of the NBA part of the locked on podcast network. Your team every day. I'm Tyler McCaff. Welcome to locked on NBA draft with no ceilings. And in case you're living under a rock, Brandon McCoy Jr. Done for the season. If you don't know who Brandon McCoy Jr. is, he was Michigan's top overall recruit. One of the most intriguing guards for the 2027 NBA draft.

2:04Awesome athlete, awesome defender and Michigan, like a lot of teams was over in Europe. Having some preseason scrimmages where they played the Lithuanian national team. And then they also went in scrimmage KK mega basket, which has produced players like Nikola Jersic, Nikola Topic, Nikola Yokech, a lot of Nikolas over there. But it's a really good European team. And it was an awesome test for Michigan to go see where they were at as a team. Great exposure, awesome trip. And you never hear about these teams going on one of these trips and regretting it. Because everyone learns from it, everyone gets better, everyone gets closer. This unfortunately may be a changing of that tune because Michigan, this was almost absolutely disaster. I know it was already a disaster, but it was almost calamitous as Mustafa Chom also

3:04hurt his ankle or in the first game turned out that was just a little bit of a tweak. Tray McKinney sat the second game and did a plan the third one. So it's just maintenance precautionary stuff. But the big blow is freshman guard Brandon McCoy Jr. having an ACL injury and being done for the year. Now this is brutal because from the college of basketball standpoint, McCoy was electrifying. We saw how just in these scrimmages, not even including his high school stuff, but in these scrimmages, we saw how dynamic he was in both ends of the floor. We saw how aggressive and athletic and explosive he was jumping passing lanes rotating from the weak side. I thought his off-ball defense was phenomenal in the two games that he played. Ambal was a little more suspect because he was just so aggressive. You could tell that he was so amped up and the game was really fast for him, but there was a level of confidence and aggressiveness and certainty and decisiveness that he played

4:09with. It was a little bit more infectious and even though there were mistakes, it wasn't perfect, there are the type of mistakes that you're more than okay living with because you knew that he was, you know that he's going to make up for it. That's the type of player he is. It isn't like a gamble. Oh, missed out. Cool. I'm out of the play now. It's done. It's gamble, miss. Cool. Rotate back, scramble back, figure out how to get back in the play and make up for it. And that's how McCoy has always played where just the motor, the intensity with him has always been insane and it's a big reason why he was one of the most intriguing guard prospects for the 2027 NBA draft. Now this draft class is already, you know, a lot of people are dubbing it as bad, as weak, as not very good. I think that's unfair because it doesn't have the super, the obvious superstar talent that the 2026 class had, especially at the top.

5:11No, of course it doesn't, but not every draft class does. And all that that means is that we have to dig a little harder to find the talent. There's always talent. Every single draft class always produces a couple, at least a couple really good players. We just have to find them. McCoy had a really good chance of being one of those players because of the intangibles, because of the physical tools and because of that baseline on the defense event. The big question with his game was the offense. And what we saw in those couple of scrimmages was how good he was getting downhill. When it came to comes to this Michigan team, he was their most obvious room pressure threat. His ability to attack closeouts, push and transition, attack gap help and really take advantage of late defensive rotations and get to the rim and play with some of physicality and decisiveness was absolutely crucial for their offense. And now that's gone.

6:12What we also saw from McCoy was some flashy ball handling, some improved playmaking reads and some streaky shooting. The shot has been the big question with him going back to high school, but it looked like it was a work in progress. I really enjoyed the confidence of the shots that he was taking. The diversity of the shots that he was taking where it wasn't just standing in a corner and letting wide open ones fly. There were a couple games where one of the games where he let like eight or nine attempts go up. I think he only made like two, maybe three, but they were step back. They were pull ups. They were trying to punish defenders for sagging off of him and that confidence alone is a huge huge factor in future shooting development. So I think McCoy's mechanics are sound. I think they're workable. Is he going to be an elite shooter? Probably not, but is it going to get to a level where it's like at least league average? I think so.

7:13The fact that we are not we, I guess in a sense, we, but the fact that he is now losing this developmental year, a crucial, crucial year for players in terms of development and working on things and gaining that in-game experience, it's rough. It's going to be really brutal on his development. Like it, like we've seen from most players who have really serious injuries at this stage in their career. Now I'm not saying by any means that Brandon McCoy Jr's career is over, not in the slightest. We see guys bounce back from the injuries all the time, but this is a big step back and it is a big hindrance to the 2027 NBA draft class. What I'm fascinated to see though is whether or not this actually takes McCoy out of the 2027 NBA draft. If he still ends up getting a top 20 promise, I imagine he stays in.

8:16If he gets a first round promise, I think that conversation gets a little more interesting. Because this draft class is so wide open that a talent and an athlete and a person like Brandon McCoy Jr. being in it makes it really, it's going to make it really tough for NBA teams to pass on him, even with the misdior, even with some of the medical potential concerns. But if he checks out, gets a green light, rehab goes perfectly. Don't be shocked if McCoy ends up staying in this year's draft because he could be that good. So many situations where he was going to be the number one player in this draft. Now that seems like a fever dream, but the talent and the tools are there. It's going to be fascinating to see what the rehab looks like. One of the the two biggest areas where Michigan is going to miss him are his defense, first

9:17title explosive, disruptive and his room pressure. When you look at the rest of this team, the guys who can get paint touches pretty effortlessly and by themselves, it's thin. There's not a lot of it and that is really concerning. But when a big piece like Brandon McCoy Jr. goes down, that means someone else is going to have to step up and we'll get to some of those top candidates right after this. Having a business shouldn't feel like you're trying to connect a bunch of systems that were never designed to work together. One app for accounting, another for inventory, another for sales and somehow none of them talk to each other. That's where Odo comes in. Odo is an all in one business management software that brings every part of your business together in one powerful platform. From sales and accounting to inventory and marketing, everything works in one place. Odo is one platform to manage, grow and scale your business.

10:20The best organizations know that success isn't just about talent. It's about having everyone working toward the same goal and that's true in sports just like it is in business. This last year's Michigan team who won the national championship, yet they had a lot of talent. They brought in a ton of talent and that was obviously crucial. But the fact that they brought in talent that worked together that had the same goal. That were driving towards the same ambitions and working together as a team and not just individuals. That is what really skewed things and really set them apart because that's what usually separates good organizations and good teams from great ones. Great organizations win because operations matter and that's why you should get Odo. Odo is one platform to manage, grow and scale your business. I'm Dr. For Free today at odu.com slash lockdown. That's od. O-O. .com slash lockdown. All right.

11:21So Brandon McCory Jr. done for the year. That means someone else has to step up. Who that is going to be is going to be a fascinating conversation. And I cannot wait to see who it is because there's still a lot, a lot of talent on this Michigan team. Otherwise, I think it's really crucial to look at two players in the back court, both of whom are returners from that national championship team. Senior point guard, Elliott Kado and sophomore shooting guard, Tray McKinney. I think Tray McKinney entering the year is a lottery prospect. I have a lottery grade on him entering the year. I think he's due for a huge season. And I think he was going to have a big year, regardless of the McCory injury. But this is going to put even more on his plate and give him even more opportunity to shine and show up big and take on some major responsibilities on both ends of the floor. We saw last year with McKinney that he was kind of a slow burn that it took him a little

12:22while to get going. But once he got going, he was awesome. He played physical on the defensive end. He knocked down shots. He showcased some really serious growth as a second side creator. His level of strength is really important because he's not like the most explosive athlete, but he's strong. He's not scared about putting you in jail, about throwing his butt and his shoulders into your body and just out physically new. But then also his showcased improvements with this handle and his ability to operate the pick and roll with some nuance. We really have to see the on ball scoring creation improving a big way. He loves the mid range pull up. We'd be great to see him get to the rim a little more. We need to see the playmaking improve a little bit more to solid passer, but there's not a whole lot of creativity, a whole lot of manipulation with the playmaking.

13:24So what does that look like? It has to take a big leap this year. He's going to have a ton of opportunities to do that. The other guy who I think is a little more deep cut. I'd be shocked. I'd be absolutely shocked if he ended up going in the first round. But Elliott Kado could be in for a massive year. I thought he looked tremendous over in Europe in these preseason scrimmages. He was quick. He was aggressive. He was physical. He shot well. He's coming off of his best shooting year of his career last year when they won the title. And it didn't seem like that was a fluke because a lot of those shots that he was taking and making last year, he was taking and making in these games as well. So with even more on ball creation, even more point card creation responsibilities on his plate now, I think Kado could be in for a huge year, probably not first round type of year, but draftable type of year. And if you would have said that two years ago, people would have laughed you out of the

14:30room based on how his UNC tenure was going. But he's really turned things around at Michigan in a big way. And I mentioned in the opening segment how McCoy's lack or losing McCoy's rim pressure capabilities is going to be huge for Michigan. Elliott Kado is the only guy who can get down hill kind of whenever he wants. I thought he looked so quick in these scrimmages and the ability to collapse the defense like that effortlessly and then have the playmaking to kick out to Tray McKinney and Quincastello and Joseph Hartman and JPS Trella and Mustafa Chon. Like that alone is going to be so crucial for Michigan and a big part of how they operate my concern though is whether it's enough of whether he can really sustain that that level of creation responsibility. He was finishing through contact, he was drawing fouls, but to do that for a couple of games

15:30is one thing to do it for 30. Entirely different story. So it's going to be fascinating to see how well Kado holds up. He looked really good. I think he's going to be a really good college basketball player this year. How that translates to the NBA level is a different question. But we also saw a little more of that flashy creative manipulative playmaking that we saw from him coming out of a high school where he was one of the best playmakers in the country. That has kind of gotten toned down and watered down over the last couple of years. But we started to see it spring back up. If he can walk that fine line of pushing the limits with his playmaking without getting reckless and careless with the ball, he's going to be in very fun year. Now McKinney and Kado are the two obvious guys, especially in the back court who stand to gain the most. It sounds so nasty when I say it that way, but who stand to gain the most from Brandon McCory

16:35Jr.'s injury, but they're not the only ones. They're three other guys who I think are absolutely going to make a big name for themselves. We'll get to them right after this. The problem of finding clothes that you can live it all day, be comfortable and do whatever you need to do. Whether it's just chilling, go into meetings, playing golf, being on the move. That problem has been solved by Kozierth. The everyday polo is the answer. It's lightweight, built to move with you. Just easy to wear wherever I've got it on right now and it's fabulous. Plus the Kozierth essential socks, they're exactly what the name suggests. Soft, supportive, comfortable enough that you stop thinking about them halfway through the day. Kozierth backs everything with a 10 year warranty and hassle-free returns.

17:36If something isn't quite right, you're covered. That makes trying them for yourself an easy decision. I've got the Kozierth everyday polo in blue and in black. Check them out at Kozierth.com. Use the code Locked On for 20% off. That's right. Locked on for an exclusive 20% off. If you see a post purchase survey, please mention you heard about it right here. Kozierth.com. The three other guys on Michigan that you have to keep an eye on, Quincastello, freshman power forward, I guess. Absolute sniper, like shooter, shooter, shooter, shooter, shooter, shooter, measuring and somewhere in the 6.7, 6.8, 6.9 range. But this guy is an absolute sniper. Given his size, given the fact that he's white, given the fact that he's going to Michigan, he's going to draw a lot of Duncan Robinson comps this year.

18:38And I'm not sure they're totally wrong because he's got good size. He's a solid rebounder. He moves really well without the ball. And he can just shoot the cover off the ball. The key is what else is there? Is there a little more rim pressure stuff? Can the defense be a little better? Because he's a little soft, I guess, on that end of the floor. He has to get stronger. He doesn't necessarily play soft. He just gets moved around a little easily. Needs to get a lot stronger. Needs to get a little tougher, a little more physical on that end of the floor. But whether it's the defense, whether it's the rim pressure, whether it's the passing, the on ball creation, something else in his game has to take a leap. He has the size and shooting that screams first round. But can he incorporate some more off ball creation stuff into his game where instead of just Duncan Robinson comps, he can draw some Cam Johnson cops

19:38where the cutting leads to passing and finishing a little more consistently. If he can do that, he's going to be in for a big year and a legitimate one and done type of threat. The other guy in the back court around the perimeter, who I think has a lot, a lot to gain. You heard it here first. If you follow me on Twitter, you saw it there first. Joseph Hartman, freshman, I adored how this could played over in Europe. The way that he provided secondary creation, ran the pick and roll with the ease, made some really high level intelligent passing rates, shot the ball well, defended with intentionality and physicality. Biggest surprise in those scrimmages for me and in the absolute best way. This is one of those guys who by no means was projected to be a one and done. He wasn't in the vast majority of recruiting services top 100, four star recruit,

20:43three star in some places, but really crafty out of the pick and roll, loves to get to spots in the mid range. He has to get to the rim a little more, draw a little more fouls, play with a little more physicality, not be scared off by rim protectors. But the way that he shoots the ball, the way that he handles, the way that he reads the floor and competes on defense, I think he could, there's a non-zero chance that he could have a massive year. And benefit the most from the McCoy injury just because of a ton of minutes opening up. And no one else really being there to fill them. If Hartman can continue to build off of what he showed in those preseason scrimmages, and take that into training camp and carry it through the regular season, he could be one of these surprise, one and done freshman guards come draft time that we're like, where in the world did he come from? How did all of the recruiting services miss this guy?

21:45We see it all the time. Look at Keaton Wogler last year. It happens all the time. I'm not saying it's guaranteed to happen because this is obviously a little more of a deep cut, expecting a lot of progression and development in a very short amount of time. But based on what Hartman showed in those couple games, there's a non-zero chance fit. Now the final name and that he doesn't really have anything to do with in terms of redistribution of minutes with the McCoy injury, but Mustafa Chom, uh, seven, two center transferring over from Cincinnati. Now I throw him into this conversation because he was one of the bigger name transfers in the portal this last summer, which is apparently still going on different conversation for a different day. Um, but he's big blocks a lot of shots, has some really intriguing skill on the offense event. And while he, his minute share isn't necessarily going to be affected by the McCoy injury,

22:49I think some of his offensive responsibilities could, whereas instead of using him as a situational play finisher, there are some real opportunities for him to demand the ball on offense to really be deliberate about creating his own offense and having the offense funnel through him. Obviously he's not going to go isolation and break, break down guys from the perimeter, but being overly deliberate about having the ball flow through him at the elbows and the post top of the key, being involved in every picking role, every D H O rim running constantly picking pop type stuff, putting pressure on the defense, whether it's with the outside shot, cutting to the rim, rolling hard to the rim, crashing the offensive glass. There's just a lot more usage that's opened up. And I think Mustafa Chom has a really big opportunity to capitalize on that and be one of the most intriguing center prospects in the 2027 NBA class.

23:56That's where we're going to wrap it. The brand of McCoy Jr. injury sucks. It sucks for the 2027 draft class. It sucks for Michigan season. It sucks for basketball in general. You never want to see any of these guys get hurt, especially when it's just a fluke thing like that. It is just so brutal that it happened, but it doesn't mean that brand of McCoy's brand of McCoy Jr. is basketball story is over. It's just getting started. Hopefully his rehab goes really well. It goes ideal and it won't be shocking if he keeps his name in that 2027 NBA draft class. And even though it's a big hit for Michigan, it does not mean their season is over. They have a ton of talent still. They have a lot of ways and time to figure out how to adjust and compensate for McCoy's absence. Keep an eye on Tram and Kenny, Elliot Kendo, Joseph Hartman, Quinkas, Stella, Mustafa Chom. They're loaded again. Are they the favorites to win the big 10? No, are they the favorites to win the national champion ship?

24:57No, but they're going to be in the running. They're going to be really tough. Until then, we'll be back next week. I believe going five days, five, five days a week. Excuse me, five days a week every day next week yet again. So we'll be back. But until then I'm tired. McCaff, you can follow me at team. McCaff 11 and thank you for listening to lockdown NBA draft with no ceilings and making us your first listen every day. Thank you for making locked on your first listen every day. For your second, listen, find the locked on NBA podcast where there's no off season. West, Matt and Hayes keep you up to date on contract negotiations, rumors and everything you need to be the most informed NBA fan. Find locked on NBA on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day.