Jordan Morgan : All posts

Michigan's Trey Burke, Jordan Morgan and Corey Person visit 9-year-old Joshua Smith, a Detroit hero

DETROIT -- Jordan Morgan has seen some pretty impressive stuff in his life.

A junior center on the Michigan basketball team, Morgan has competed against some of the country's best athletes and has done so in front of sellout crowds from Ann Arbor to Hawaii.

He's stood toe-to-toe with future NBA stars, played for a Big Ten championship and danced in the NCAA Tournament.

But perhaps nothing has impressed Morgan more than Joshua Smith, a 9-year-old Detroit boy who is trying to save the city -- one cup of lemonade at a time.

Grading the 2011-12 Michigan basketball sophomore class

Tim Hardaway Jr. slumped during January, but found a way to come back to life over the final month of the season.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

The Michigan basketball team's crop of sophomores took a hit last week when Evan Smotrycz announced his plans to transfer from the program.

That doesn't mean John Beilein's sophomore group is lacking.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jordan Morgan are major keys to Michigan's future, and if Jon Horford can recover from his foot injury, he may well be adding his name to that list.

A look at how the sophomores fared last season:

Notebook: Jared Sullinger out-powers the Michigan basketball team's interior, and more notes

Michigan's Zack Novak battles Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, left, for a rebound. It's not a battle Michigan won often in its 77-55 loss in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal Saturday in Indianapolis.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- When the Michigan basketball team scored one of its biggest signature wins of the season last month, Jordan Morgan put together the biggest performance of his career.

Morgan recorded his first career double-double, 11 points and 11 rebounds, against Ohio State sophomore big man Jared Sullinger in Ann Arbor, helping the Wolverines grab a 56-51 win over the Buckeyes.

On Saturday in Indianapolis, Sullinger returned the favor -- in a big, big way.

"You make him catch it outside the paint, you be physical with him, you make him shoot away from the basket and take tough shots," Morgan said of defending Sullinger. "And then they just drop.

"There's really nothing you can do about it. He just refused to lose."

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein hopeful Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz are at full health

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein is hopeful sophomore forwards Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz will be at full strength Sunday when the 13th-ranked Wolverines close the regular season at Penn State.

Both Morgan and Smotrycz left Michigan's 72-61 victory against Illinois on Thursday with "stinger" injuries.

"We'll know more after (Saturday's) practice," Beilein said Friday. "All the guys who played heavy minutes (Thursday) are going to do very little (Friday).

"(Morgan and Smotrycz) have seen the trainers, and they've had rehab and we'll see how they feel."

How will the Michigan basketball team stop Jared Sullinger? Go to the game and find out, coach John Beilein says

Stopping Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger isn't something that's routinely accomplished.

One of the most talented players in the country last season as a freshman, the 6-foot-9, 280-pound behemoth from Columbus actually has more to work with now.

Not just a low-post concern any longer, Sullinger -- who's put up nine double-doubles this season -- has dropped weight, added speed and now has the ability to hit an extended jump shot.

So, what exactly does Michigan basketball coach John Beilein intend to do about him Sunday (1 p.m., CBS)?

"You'll have to come to the game and find out," Beilein said Friday. "And I'll tell you at the end of the season whether any of it worked."

Notebook: Michigan basketball team's short-handed frontcourt will have its hands full vs. Michigan State

Michigan's Jordan Morgan, left, and Evan Smotrycz, right, battle Indiana's Christian Watford last week. The Wolverines frontcourt players will have their hands full with Michigan State senior Draymond Green on Tuesday.

AP Photo

Defending Michigan State senior forward Draymond Green is tough enough.

But doing so with one post player sidelined due to injury, one in the midst of his worst slump of the season and another with a history of foul trouble?

Well, that's just not fair.

A more energetic Jordan Morgan becoming a bigger threat for the Michigan basketball team

Jordan Morgan is starting to figure it out.

The smarter he plays, the better he gets. The longer he plays, the better he gets.

And the harder he plays, the better the Michigan basketball team gets.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound sophomore forward has had his ups and downs this season, but over his past three games, he's trended more toward the former. And the reasons why are pretty simple.

"He's realized that one of the ways he can really help us is being a high-energy player," said Michigan coach John Beilein, whose team will host Northwestern on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., BTN). "That's his way for us to be successful and that's the way, actually, for him to be successful if he wants to play professionally at some level.

"If he plays with high energy out there and a high IQ, he is really an asset for us."

Where's the beef? Thinning front court could be a big problem for Michigan basketball in Big Ten play

It took 33 seconds last Thursday to show just how concerned Michigan basketball coach John Beilein is about his front court.

Following the Wolverines' first offensive possession against Bradley, sophomore forward Evan Smotrycz was whistled for a foul.

Under normal circumstances, Smotrycz would've had some breathing room to play as long as he could before picking up his second foul.

But these aren't normal circumstances.

"I've sort of made up my mind with him and (forward Jordan Morgan)," Beilein said. "If they get one (foul), they need to come out for a little bit."

Notebook: Awkward family reunion? Michigan basketball coach John Beilein says no way

Bradley assistant coach and former Michigan graduate assistant Patrick Beilein, right, greets the Wolverines' Zack Novak after the Wolverines' 77-66 win at Crisler Arena. While most players exchanged hugs with Patrick Beilein, his father -- Michigan coach John Beilein -- gave him a business-like handshake.

Jeff Sainlar | AnnArbor.com

For the first time ever in Beilein family history, it was father against son.

With Michigan basketball coach John Beilein facing off against Bradley, a program that employs his son, Patrick, as a director of basketball operations, Thursday had the potential for some serious conflict of interest.

So, was it weird?

Not even close.

"I've been doing this my whole life," John Beilein said after his team's 77-66 win. "I'm so focused on the game, my mother could be on the other bench, my late mother -- bless her heart.

"And you know what, she'd be the same way."

With Michigan basketball likely off to its second straight 10-2 start, here's a look inside the numbers

What a difference a year makes. Or does it?

Through its first 12 non-conference games a season ago, the Michigan basketball team sat at 10-2 with a double-digit average margin of victory.

And, if all goes as expected Thursday during their final pre-Big Ten tuneup against Bradley (6:30 p.m., BTN), the Wolverines will be 10-2 with a double-digit average margin of victory.

After moving to 10-2 last season, Michigan got off to a 1-7 start in Big Ten play before rebounding down the stretch. The Wolverines open their conference slate at home against Penn State on Dec. 29.

Will history repeat itself? Time will tell.

For now, here's a look inside the numbers from where Michigan was, to where it is now:

Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPNU): 4 things to watch: Michigan basketball starts soft non-conference stretch run against Arkansas-Pine Bluff

If you're into judging a book by its cover, then your take on the Michigan basketball team's next two weeks should be pretty clear.

It's cupcake time, with an extra side of frosting.

Michigan's final stretch of non-conference tilts before the start of Big Ten play begins with a home matchup against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPNU).

From there the Wolverines will take on Alabama A&M (noon, Saturday) and Bradley (6:30 p.m., Dec. 22).

The Golden Lions -- who have yet to play a home game this season -- aren't the sexiest team on Michigan's schedule this season, but they're an opponent nonetheless.

Here are four things to watch for during Tuesday's game:

Notebook: Was it the haircut? Michigan forward Jordan Morgan breaks out against Iowa State

Maybe it's the haircut.

Entering the season, Michigan sophomore forward Jordan Morgan sported a different look, with a more full head of hair than he went with for most of the 2010-11 campaign.

On the floor, Morgan started slow. He began the season coming off the bench and has been relatively up and down for most of the year, continuing to show a penchant for foul trouble.

But on Saturday, Morgan had a new haircut. Or, rather, an old haircut. And with it, an old-style game as well.

"We got showtime back," Michigan sophomore guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said of Morgan's 16-point performance in a 76-66 in over Iowa State. "His (Kenny) Sky Walker hair wasn't really paying off.

"But it showed (Saturday), with the low-cut (hairstyle), he played like he did last year."

Notebook: Michigan basketball team missing Darius Morris less and less as Trey Burke progresses

Michigan coach John Beilein shouts out instruction during an 82-75 loss to Duke Tuesday at the Maui Invitational.

AP Photo

Against Ferris State, Towson and Western Illinois, the Michigan basketball team's offense couldn't get out of its own way.

But outside of a choppy first half against Duke on Tuesday, the Wolverines have found their offensive flow at the 2011 Maui Invitational -- putting a full performance together against No. 8 Memphis before closing out strong against the sixth-ranked Blue Devils.

The reason for the improvement?

Freshman point guard Trey Burke continues to play ahead of schedule.

"It takes time for everybody, especially when you have a brand new quarterback," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "We're throwing at lot at this young man, and gradually he's absorbing as much as he can.

"It's encouraging that we're getting closer, and hopefully all year we'll take these mini-steps."

Against Memphis on Monday, Burke stole the show against highly-touted Tiger guards Joe Jackson and Will Barton, scoring 14 points and handing out four assists.

On Tuesday against Duke, with five-star freshman guard Austin Rivers being a focal point, Burke once again held his own, going for 17 points and nine assists.

Notebook: Michigan forward Jordan Morgan turns in best game of the season vs. Western Illinois

Jordan Morgan made his case for securing a spot in the starting lineup against Western Illinois, hitting all five of his shots and pulling down four rebounds.

Jeff Sainlar | AnnArbor.com

After Thursday, he might not need to think on things any longer.

Sophomore forward Jordan Morgan turned in arguably the best performance by a Michigan big man this season during a 59-55 win over Western Illinois on Thursday, scoring 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting while grabbing four rebounds, collecting two steals and blocking a shot.

After starting every game a season ago, Morgan came off the bench during Michigan's exhibition game and season-opening win over Ferris State. He's since made two starts and appears to be firmly grasping his spot back.

But that's something he says he was never really worried about in the first place.

"Whether you're starting or coming off the bench, all that stuff kind of gets blown out of proportion," Morgan said. "That's not really that important."

Notebook: Front and center: Michigan basketball big men Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford continue battle for starting spot

Jordan Morgan (52) will get his second straight start at the center position against Western Illinois on Thursday. (Jeff Sainlar | AnnArbor.com)

Burke at the point, senior Zack Novak at the two-guard, sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. on the wing and sophomore Evan Smotrycz at power forward.

The center position, though, remains a little less clear.

Michigan coach John Beilein said Wednesday that sophomore Jordan Morgan would get a second straight start over classmate Jon Horford when the 17th-ranked Wolverines host Western Illinois on Thursday (8:30 p.m., ESPN3.com).

Still standing: Michigan's young freshmen guards surviving the early days of practice

The Michigan basketball team's freshman class includes (from left) Carlton Brundidge, Sai Tummala, Max Bielfeldt and Trey Burke.

Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com

Wolverines coach John Beilein said Wednesday that freshmen guards Trey Burke and Carlton Brundidge are adapting well to full-tilt college practices, both mentally and physically.

"I've really been impressed with the way they've been able to adapt in practice," Beilein said. "They're high-IQ. When they get on that court, their basketball IQ has been very receptive to change, which is always good."

poll: Zack Novak at fullback? Tim Hardaway Jr. at wideout? Make your choice

Purdue recently announced that Patrick Bade -- all 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds of him -- left its basketball program and will join the Boilermaker football team as a tight end.

That move got us wondering which Michigan basketball player would fans most like to see wearing a winged helmet on fall Saturdays?

Additions and subtractions cause small shakeup in latest AnnArbor.com Big Ten basketball power rankings

The NBA early-entry deadline has come and gone and most teams have completed their spring signings. Big Ten basketball teams now have a better idea of where they stand entering the offseason.

While there weren’t many early-entry possibilities from the Big Ten, two teams thought to be at the top of the standings in 2011-12 -- Ohio State and Michigan -- were the most affected by players' decisions to stay or go.

The Buckeyes were bolstered. The Wolverines were hurt.

Both teams, though, remain at or near the top of the AnnArbor.com Big Ten offseason basketball rankings.

As a better-than-expected season ends, Michigan basketball team has bright hopes for the future

CHARLOTTE — As visitors piled into the Michigan basketball team's locker room Sunday afternoon for the last time this season, Jordan Morgan had to be held up and then pushed forward.

His eyes puffy and red, his face forlorn, emotions drained from him. His season ended, this surprising season before which few people gave the Wolverines a shot to do anything, concluded on a final thrilling shot bouncing away on the rim.

Throughout the NCAA tournament, coach John Beilein told players to savor moments, because they can’t predict if they’ll return. So maybe that was part of Morgan’s emotion Sunday, combined with a 73-71 loss to top-seeded Duke, which ended in thrilling, unexpected fashion.

Then again, much of what Michigan accomplished this year was unexpected.

VIDEOS: Michigan's John Beilein, Zack Novak and Jordan Morgan preview Duke

CHARLOTTE — Michigan knows it has a big challenge when it faced No. 1 Duke in the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

The day before, Zack Novak, Jordan Morgan and John Beilein discussed playing the Blue Devils and some of the matchups.