Wolverine Nation, it has been a while and I am excited to update you about what is going on in the Michigan Basketball Program.

Since the winter term concluded, the majority of our student-athletes have traveled home for some much deserved rest and relaxation. Their time away from campus with family and friends is just as important as the time they spend here during the school year.

For the last few weeks, the William Davidson Player Development Center has been shut down because of the ongoing construction at Crisler Center. The construction workers are extending the Crisler concourse to make room for improved concession stands, restrooms, and much more! The expansion happens to extend right over the roof of the William Davidson Center, and it has forced us to leave the premises for a few weeks. We can see the giant cranes working on the Davidson Center and are excited about the changes occurring right before our eyes. Crisler Center is going to be an amazing venue when it is completed!

In the meantime, we have been working out of temporary offices in the Michigan Stadium press box. This temporary work environment has energized our staff. We have enjoyed watching the men's lacrosse team practice in the mornings or afternoons in the Big House. It is amazing the similarities in practices across the different sports. The emphasis on proper passing, proper catching, and proper spacing in lacrosse is amazingly similar to that of basketball.

We have also enjoyed seeing individuals and special tour groups run out of the tunnel and leap to touch imaginary "GO BLUE M Club Supports You" signs in Michigan Stadium.

I want to take this opportunity to once again welcome Kim Barnes-Arico to the Michigan family. We are thrilled that she is the new leader for our women's basketball program. I believe Kim is a tremendous coach, and she brings instant credibility and excitement because of her knowledge, style and experience.

Stay tuned for more updates about Michigan Basketball. I will do my best to continue updating our friends and fans on what is happening with the program throughout the summer.

Go Blue!
-John

Spring is here and that means ... happy recruiting trails for me. My first stop before a long recruiting trip was a day trip to Grand Rapids, Mich. I was ready to get started. When I arrived at the facility just two hours northwest of Ann Arbor, I was excited to be in the state of Michigan recruiting for the University of Michigan. There was a sense of pride I felt while watching these two high school teams compete against each other. They were enjoying the true essence of the sport I hold so dear to my heart. I am happy to say that the spirit of lacrosse is in Michigan and only growing stronger. At halftime, I looked over to an adjacent field and got a thrill out of watching a team of local youth boys attempting to comprehend what their coaches (most likely parents) were saying as they tried to implement an offensive motion. These boys were tiny and couldn't have been older than 7. I love to see kids of all ages experiencing the joy that lacrosse offers. Hail to Michigan.

Next stop was the great state of Illinois in the suburbs of Chicago. As I drove past the city on my way to the high school, I was taken by the majestic beauty of the Chicago skyline. My day was filled with great lacrosse on what turned out to be a beautiful but chilly, windy day. The chill in the air was okay for me, because I got to sport all of my great Michigan adidas gear! Thank you Dave and Alec for taking care of me! BUT, I was texting with Jen who just happened to be in sunny warm Florida recruiting wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Hmmm, something is wrong with this picture. In the end, I experienced some competitive lacrosse and excellent athletes. Great job, Illinois. I was very impressed. These girls got game!

I woke up the next morning in the Iron City of Pittsburgh, Pa. I forgot what it felt like to drive on small, crowded roads. Over the hills and through the woods ... how do they get around when it snows?? I watched two teams battle it out on the field on a gorgeous evening. Is it me or are young girls getting quicker and faster? The competitive spirit is alive and well in western PA. That night, I enjoyed the city of Pittsburgh and an elaborate Italian meal ... so delicious. I was shocked by the cleanliness of the city, but where was everyone? It seemed like a ghost town. They must have gotten word that JENNYU was in town! The skyline was incredible with the river flowing freely below it. Kudos Pittsburgh!

New York, N.Y., here I come.

Oh, how I had missed the traffic, accent and classic NY road rage. Why do they keep honking at me?? I enjoyed two days in the madness watching some great lacrosse. Without a doubt NY develops some incredibly talented lacrosse players. I can't wait to go back and see more.

After a quick but wonderful night stay in Wilton, Conn., with my brother Tony and his family, I traveled up north to Albany. Three hours in the car and I found myself sitting at a high school field waiting to watch another two high school teams battle it out. This day I wish I had more Michigan gear; it was cold ... brrrrr! These two teams were quick, athletic and competitive. Girls lacrosse is alive and well in upstate NY. It was a very memorable way to end my trip.

On my flight back to Detroit, I reflected a bit. I love representing Michigan Lacrosse and can't wait to coach the young women who have made a commitment to join this fabulous journey of building our lacrosse program. There are many talented lacrosse players all over the country. I am so happy to have the opportunity to spend this spring traveling the states looking for those student-athletes that stand out among the rest as not only great players but also leaders in every way. It's an honor and privilege to wear the Blue and Maize.

Until next time, GO BLUE!

Coach U

The weeks directly after the end of every college basketball season are always very interesting. Decisions and speculation about future decisions make just as much news as a great win or a tough loss during the season. I want to take this opportunity to give our friends and fans an update since my last post two weeks ago.

First, I would like to note that Wednesday's reports of Trey Burke's decision to enter the NBA draft were premature.

My coaching staff and I have met with Trey and his parents several times over the past two weeks. Collectively, we have gathered and shared with each of them some necessary information that we feel will help Trey make the most informed decision for his future.

The Burke family has been very receptive to our assistance and appreciates that we have encouraged Trey to take his time and look at all of his options between now and the April 10 deadline.

With only one full week of classes remaining, Trey and his teammates, like all students at Michigan, are working diligently to complete their assignments and prepare for final exams.

The entire team has really worked hard in our postseason practice over the past few weeks. I love the progress of our returning talent; they are playing with great confidence and swagger. The leadership roles are evolving in a very positive way as the veterans step up and lead the team. The attitude has been great and the energy very high for each and every workout. Our three redshirt athletes have all had some very impressive moments in recent drills and scrimmages as well.

Stu, Zack and Corey have also attended many of our team workouts as they prepare for the opportunities they may have after graduation later this month. Those three have brilliant futures waiting for them down whatever path they choose.

We are all looking forward to seeing so many of our friends at the celebration of our Big Ten championship on Tuesday, April 10, at the Annual Awards Celebration Dinner. The Celebration is a sellout and will be held for the first time at our beautiful new William Davidson Player Development Center.

GO BLUE!
-John

It's March and in the lacrosse world that signals the start of the high school season. Without a team to coach this spring, we are getting a jump-start on the summer recruiting circuit and hitting the road in the search of the next future Wolverine for the Michigan women's lacrosse program!

The opportunity to get out and see high school games is not only a great chance to begin to scout players from all over the country, but it's also a great way to initiate connections between our coaching staff and high school coaches while continuing to spread the enthusiasm and excitement surrounding our inaugural women's lacrosse program at Michigan.

First stop on my recruiting calendar was California. The sport of lacrosse has grown tremendously over the past several years in California and it is continuing to develop at a pretty rapid pace. It was great to see and experience the excitement surrounding the sport in the state first-hand, and despite the "stormy" weather they experienced while I was out there, I was able to catch some great lacrosse. (Who would have thought that I would encounter below 60 degree temperatures, rain and wind in California while Ann Arbor was sunny, warm and in the mid-70s in March?!) While it was cold and at times quite wet, my experience in California was a good one.

Only three days to rest up in Ann Arbor until my next trip to Texas. Much like California, Texas has seen tremendous recent growth in the sport of lacrosse, and there are some fantastic players coming out of that state. I am looking forward to getting out there and watching some very talented high school lacrosse ... and hopefully doing so in warmer and drier weather conditions than I experienced in California!

GO BLUE!
JV

Last Friday we suffered a disappointing loss and end to our season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. We knew prior to the game that Ohio University was a good basketball team, and they proved to be a difficult matchup for us.

Our staff and players all felt that we had the right ingredients to make a run in the tournament this year, but the Bobcats came out and played a great game against us. Ohio was certainly deserving of the win.

Although it is difficult to send our seniors out on a loss, we have not let this diminish our pride for all that we have achieved this season. All season long our team remained focused on winning a Big Ten championship, and we were able to accomplish that goal for the first time in 26 years!

We are thankful for our seniors who have guided and carried the program through both the high notes and rough patches during the past four years. They will surely be missed, but we know team leadership and ownership will emerge in the coming months as we work toward next season.

Go Blue!
- John

We are continuing to enjoy the Madness this week as we prepare for the NCAA Tournament. After returning from Indianapolis on Sunday, our team watched the selection show together and we were thrilled to be selected as the fourth seed in the Midwest Region.

In preparing to play the very talented Ohio University, we will benefit from the experiences of a tough conference season and a challenging non-conference slate of games.

During this time of year more than ever, college basketball is about exploiting matchups and making adjustments. The Big Ten Tournament this past weekend certainly proved this point as well as provided us with some teachable moments as we game plan for Ohio University.

Minnesota played with incredible quickness in our first game that took us some time to adjust. I was very proud of how our guys fought back and maintained their poise, even when the momentum and energy of the game wasn't going our way. The team kept their focus and managed to knock down some much-needed shots to put the game into overtime.

In the semifinals, Ohio played tremendous basketball and dug us into a hole early. When you're playing a team with as much talent as they have, it's difficult to come back. However, the loss gave our guys a taste of the disappointment of a run cut short, and we will use it as motivation as we look to achieve our NCAA Tournament goals starting this Friday in Nashville.

Go Blue!
- John

This week started with a great finish in our regular season with a victory over Penn State and winning a share Big Ten regular-season title! We are thrilled about the regular-season championship. It is a wonderful accomplishment and a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our players.

As great as it is to a share the Big Ten regular-season title, our season is not over. Our next challenge is the Big Ten Conference Tournament in Indianapolis this weekend.

We gave our guys some time away from the gym in order to recharge for this next stretch of our season. Our focus has shifted from the regular season to the postseason.

We are currently preparing for a game against either Minnesota or Northwestern. Both teams pose unique challenges for us; we will have our hands full with either team.

Go Blue!
-John

March is here and the stakes are high in the college basketball world. We are thrilled to be part of the "Madness" and are working hard to advance our program one day at a time.

Last Saturday, we took on a tough Purdue team that came into Crisler and played well. I thought we did a good job of countering their runs until the closing minutes of the second half. Credit Purdue for playing hard and making more plays than we did down the stretch.

Coach Painter's team executed their game plan at a high level, and Robbie Hummel looked like the All-Big Ten player that he has been for his entire career.

Senior Night is always special, and we couldn't have been happier to honor Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, Corey Person, Ben Cronin and Josh Mack before the game. The game did not end with the result that we wanted, but we are appreciative that there is more meaningful basketball ahead of us.

Our team bounced back vs. the Fighting Illini in Champaign last night. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke gave us great lifts when we needed points, and the team defensive effort was outstanding.

I spoke to the team yesterday about having great faith in their ability and in our group as a unit. Without question, our staff saw a confident team take the floor in Champaign and we were pleased to pull out a victory.

Penn State is our next opponent as we close out the Big Ten regular season. While on Spring Break this week, our schedule has afforded us the opportunity to work with guys individually as well as with the team as a whole.

As we prepare for Penn State, we will continue to maximize each day in order to take advantage of the opportunities ahead.

Go Blue!
-John

What a tremendous weekend it was in Ann Arbor! The game, the crowd, and the atmosphere surrounding College GameDay made last Saturday a memorable day for our program.

I knew from the minute I arrived at Crisler and saw the number of fans already lined up at 6:45 a.m. that the day was going to be special. The excitement and enthusiasm carried throughout the entire day and made the game against Ohio one of the loudest and most passionate I have ever experienced at Crisler.

Our players felt and played with that same passion to not only beat their rival, but to take another step towards our goal of a Big Ten championship. We had not one but a number of guys make tough shots when we needed them, and as a team we held strong to our defense to stay in the lead for all 40 minutes of the game.

We are thrilled to have beaten such a talented basketball team, but we must keep the win in perspective. Tomorrow we play at Northwestern in the first of three remaining road games on the schedule. We will need to play each of our games leading up to the Big Ten Tournament with the same level of energy and enthusiasm that we had this past weekend.

Go Blue!
- John

Another week of difficult Big Ten match-ups is behind us. Nebraska and Illinois were each challenging opponents in different ways. It was great to come away with wins against both teams.

Without any experience playing against Nebraska before, we had to start from scratch in our preparations. Yet, I thought our guys did a tremendous job, especially considering we were on the road. Our defense was really strong throughout the game and played a big role in limiting baskets for Nebraska.

It was also great to see Zack score his 1,000th career point. Not very many young men are able to accomplish that in their collegiate careers, but he has certainly worked hard enough over the past four years to attain it.

In both games I was pleased with the contributions from our bench players. Matt Vogrich got things going at Nebraska with three big three-pointers in a row. He, along with some of our other guys, had been in a bit of a slump, but his confidence seemed to spread and carry over into our game against Illinois on Sunday.

Tim and Evan both found a rhythm in the game and really stepped up to help us get the win. Illinois has some very quick and talented players, but I loved how we had a lot of guys contribute and really played together as a team.

We've got five days ahead of us before we get back on the court. Our guys will use these next couple days to get refreshed and then we'll put all our focus into preparing for Ohio on Saturday.

Go Blue!
- John