Carlton Brundidge tells Detroit Free Press he wasn't happy at Michigan, now all smiles at Detroit
Carlton Brundidge's career as a Michigan basketball player seemed to end before it ever really began.
After sparsely playing as a freshman in 2011-12, Brundidge left John Beilein's program in March and eventually ended up with coach Ray McCallum at the University of Detroit.
The reason for the move? According to Brundidge, it was a matter of happiness.
Carlton Brundidge
"At the end of the year, I asked myself was I really happy at Michigan and was I becoming the player I dreamed about?" Brundidge said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. "Something inside told me this isn't where I was supposed to be."
Brundidge, a Southfield High School product, entered the program as a four-star guard alongside fellow freshman Trey Burke.
The 6-foot-1 Brundidge was actually a higher-rated prospect than Burke, according to Rivals.com, but it never translated to the court.
Burke was undoubtedly the Wolverines' best player in 2011-12, as he set the freshmen assist record, led the team in scoring, flirted with the NBA and eventually earned co-Big Ten Freshman in the Year in the process.
Brundidge, meanwhile, appeared in 15 games, logged just 44 minutes and scored just six points.
He'll sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules, and is expected to have three years of eligibility remaining at the start of the 2013-14 campaign.
"I don't think I've smiled this much since I left for Ann Arbor," Brundidge told the Free Press.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
Comments
81wolverine
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 7:45 p.m.
Brundidge would have seen a lot more playing time probably this next year if he had stuck around. But, he still wouldn't have been a starter with Burke and Hardaway Jr. coming back. Maybe he just wanted to be a prominent player and it wasn't going to happen soon at Michigan. Best of luck to him at U-D.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 7:28 p.m.
If you come into a University athletic program as a four-star recruit, you expect to play. If you come in with another freshman who plays better, works harder, and has a great positive attitude, it's even harder than otherwise. Ask Tate Forcier about that. Effort and attitude take skill and make it work. Here's hoping young Mr. Brundidge keeps smiling, keeps a positive attitude, and works his tail off at U. of D.! Mr. B., you have the skill and the excitement is back. Good luck developing into the player you can be.
heartbreakM
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.
Was his unhappiness due to lack of playing time? Do we have an epidemic of impatient players who don't realize that they are getting to a level where everybody is good which then forces them to adjust their game or wait? (And thus become unhappy) I always wondered why Brundidge didn't play, but he sulked all year and if Beilein and coaches had thought he could play, he would've seen the court. It's quite obvious he didn't earn it last year. His comments pretty much showed he was a me-first type of player which doesn't work in Beilein's sytem, and it'll be interesting to me to see how he fares. Maybe he'll earn those stars, but it won't be handed to him based on his high school ranking.