Updates on Graham Brown and Amadou Ba
Sophomore center Josh Moore was recently declared academically ineligible for the second semester of this year, and the news prompted speculation that Moore might not be back with the team next year. The Michigan Daily in early January reported that "some of his teammates are skeptical about whether he'll return to the Wolverines."
"I hope he comes back, but I'm not sure," junior guard Gavin Groninger told the Daily. "He told me that he had a lot to think about."
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If Moore does not return, next year's Wolverines will be even more reliant on their three post signees from the current prep senior class, 6-9 Graham Brown of Mio (Mich.) High School, 6-10 Amadou Ba of Mauritania via Bridgton (Maine) Academy, and 6-11 Chris Hunter of Gary (Ind.) West Side. The good news is that with gifted scorers such as LaVell Blanchard, Bernard Robinson, Dommanic Ingerson and Groninger due to return, and with offensive talents like Horton and Abram coming in, U-M will ask for primarily defense and rebounding from its tallest newcomers.
The most touted of the three, Hunter, may be the most gifted offensively, but at about 210 pounds, he will not remind anyone of Charles Atlas -- or even Charles Oakley. Brown and Ba are less known, but at around 240 pounds apiece, they already have college-ready bodies.
Brown (right) has helped to lead Mio to a 7-0 start to its first season in Michigan's Class D, in which the Thunderbolts are ranked No. 3. In the process, he has averaged approximately 24 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and five blocks -- all while playing just over half of the minutes in his team's games. In a game against Fairview, he scored 17 first-quarter points on his way to a total of 31, and in Mio's recent win against Hillman, he tallied a triple-double with 17 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists.
"He's progressing well," Thunderbolts coach John Byelich told The Wolverine. "Graham's put on 21 pounds since last year -- he's gone from 224 pounds to 245 pounds. He's really refining a 10- to 12-foot jump shot. Between him lifting weights and perfecting that jump shot, he can really do some nice things for Tommy Amaker next year."
And, depending on Moore's status, he may have to. But Byelich feels that his big man is up to the challenge.
"I think he'd do well," he said. "I went down to Indianapolis to watch him play at the Nike Camp, against the best players in the nation, and he played with them, ran the floor with them, and rebounded with them. He's got a lot of athletic ability and he's a 3.75 student, so I think he could do alright in that situation (as a freshman)."
Ba's numbers have not been nearly as flashy in Bridgton's early-season games, but much of that is attributable to the fact that the Wolverines (as the prep school's athletic teams are known) are loaded with Division I prospects, including the 7-2 Missouri signee with whom Ba divides time, Giedrius Rinkevicius. As a result, he is averaging about eight points and six rebounds per game and shooting 48% against a schedule of mostly post-graduate prep schools and college JV teams.
Bridgton coach Whit Lesure has noted progress in Ba's play, even just since the start of the season. "He played well last night -- we lost a close one to MCI (prep power Maine Central Institute)," Lesure said on Thursday. "Last night was really encouraging."
Still, Lesure expressed understandable reservations about the prospect of throwing Ba (right) up against Big Ten competition for significant minutes next year. "I think that's a stretch as a freshman," he said. However, Lesure noted, "a lot of things can happen."
Asked if Ba might be able to fill the limited role of providing a presence on defense and on the boards next year, Lesure said, "I think that's possible. He's always a willing kid. He could easily put on 20 pounds of muscle by next year. He's smart enough to play in a system."
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