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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #09 – 12/26/2016 – End Of The Non-Conference Schedule & Mid-Term Grades

Quick Look

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game last week, and they won it. On Thursday (12/22/2016), Michigan beat Furman 68-62 in Crisler Arena. The win raises Michigan’s record to 10-3.

What Happened

Michigan was supposed to win this game, and they did, but it wasn’t as quick and easy as expected. Furman played hard, and gave Michigan all they could handle. Michigan played their “B-” game, which was just enough to escape with the win. It sure looked like they were just playing to get the game over with, so they could go home for Christmas break.

The lead went back and forth all game, with Michigan clawing their way to a hard-fought 6-point lead at halftime (31-25), only to see Furman go on an 11-0 run to start the 2nd half and take a 5-point lead (36-31). Michigan got the lead back (43-42) with 11:29 left in the game, and never trailed again, but Furman was still only 3 points down (63-60) with 2:34 left to go. Michigan played the end of the game smart and under control, and managed to hang on for the win. It was good practice for the close games that are sure to come in the Big Ten portion of the schedule.

The stats are not particularly impressive, except for free throw shooting. UM shot pretty poorly overall (24-for-55 = 43.6%), they shot terribly from 3-point range (4-for-20 = 20.0%), but they were perfect from the free throw line (16-for-16). They lost the rebounding battle (30-26), but they won the turnover battle (5-13). That’s where they won the game. It’s hard to believe they won shooting 20% from 3-point range, but they did.

Who Looked Good

Moritz Wagner was the leading scorer for Michigan, with 18 points. He didn’t shoot as well as he has been lately (7-for-16 overall, 1-for-5 from 3-point range), but he got the job done. He had a little trouble guarding a quick shorter center for Furman, but he made up for it on the offensive end.

Zak Irvin had a good game (16 points), but he also shot pretty poorly (6-for-14 overall, 0-for-4 from 3-point range). He made a couple big shots in crunch time, but he also missed a couple. He was a little guilty of playing “hero ball”.

Derrick Walton Jr. was the other Michigan player in double figures, with 13 points. He had half of Michigan’s 3-pointers, shooting 2-for-5.

DJ Wilson had a quiet game, scoring 7 points and grabbing 3 rebounds. He did play pretty good defense.

Duncan Robinson provided some bench scoring (8 points), and even dished out 4 assists.

Mark Donnal also chipped in a few points (6) off the bench, and played some decent defense.

Who Looked Not-So-Good

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman went scoreless (0-for-3).

Xavier Simpson didn’t even attempt a shot in 6 minutes of “action”.

Who Else Played

No one else played.

Who Didn’t Play

Brent Hibbitts, Sean Lonergan, Jon Teske, Ibi Watson and Fred Wright-Jones didn’t play.

The Big Picture

This game was good practice for the lower-division Big Ten teams, but if UM plays like this against “the big boys”, they’ll get trounced.

Mid-Term Grades

With 13 games down, and at least 19 more to go, it’s close enough to mid-season for mid-term grades.

Freshman Eligibility

Austin Davis (Inc.) – Austin is being voluntarily redshirted this season, since UM has so much depth at center.

Brent Hibbitts (Inc.) – Brent has only played in “garbage time” so far: 18 minutes in 7 games. He’s 1-for-1 (a 3-pointer), and has grabbed 4 rebounds.

Charles Matthews (Inc.) – Charles has to sit out this season after transferring to Michigan from Kentucky. He’ll have sophomore eligibility next season.

Xavier Simpson (B-) – Xavier has played in all 13 games, averaging 9.7 minutes/game. He has scored 22 points, and dished out 16 assists. He’s shooting OK, but he isn’t really having much impact out there. He does give Derrick Walton a rest every now and then.

Jon Teske (C-) – Jon has played in 10 games, averaging 3.8 minutes/game. He has only scored 5 points (1 basket and 3 free throws), and grabbed 8 rebounds. He is still very tentative out there.

Ibi Watson (C-) – Ibi has played in 11 games, averaging 6.1 minutes/game. He has scored 20 points, but he has really struggled with his 3-point shooting: 1-for-15. He seems pretty confident out there, but he just isn’t producing.

Fred Wright-Jones (Inc.) – Fred has only played in “garbage time” so far: 12 minutes in 8 games. He hit his only 3-point attempt, for his only 3 points.

Sophomore Eligibility

Moritz Wagner (A) – Moe is easily the most improved player on the team so far, and he has been the “go to” guy on offense in several games. He has started all 13 games, and he’s 3rd on the team in scoring, averaging 11.5 points/game. He has cut way down on his fouls, and has only had one bad turnover game (4 vs. Mount St. Mary’s). His defense still isn’t as good as his offense, but he’s gotten better as the season has gone along.

DJ Wilson (A-) – DJ is another vastly improved player. He has played in all 13 games, and started the last 11. He is averaging 8.5 points/game, and he leads the team in rebounding with 86, and blocked shots with 18.

Junior Eligibility

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (B-) – MAAR has regressed this season, after 2 strong showings his first 2 years. He has played in all 13 games, and is averaging 8.1 points/game, but he has had 4 lousy games (5 points vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 0 vs. Kennesaw State, 3 vs. Texas, and 0 vs. Furman), and couple other mediocre games. When he’s “on”, he’s fine out there, but he has disappeared several times this season.

Mark Donnal (C+) – Mark has also regressed from his first 2 seasons, especially last season. It’s hard to believe that this is the same player who put up 28 points vs. Illinois last season. He almost acts disinterested out there at times. He has played in all 13 games, and he’s averaging 6.5 points/game, but he has had more bad games (7) than good (6).

Sean Lonergan (Inc.) – Sean has mostly played in “garbage time”, but he has a few brief appearances in significant game situations. Still, he only has played 23 minutes in 9 games, and has scored only 7 points.

Duncan Robinson (B-) – Duncan is yet another player who has regressed from last season. He has played in all 13 games, and he even started the first 2, but he quickly lost his starting spot to DJ Wilson, and now he’s coming off the bench to provide “instant offense”. He is averaging 8.8 points/game, which isn’t bad, but his 3-point shooting percentage is way down (24-for-60 = 40.0%). He still has a tough time staying in front of his man on defense, which is limiting his playing time. If he were still shooting 60% from 3-point range, it would be worth it to have him out there, weak defense and all, but at 40%, not so much.

Senior Eligibility

Andrew Dakich (Inc.) – Andrew is being voluntarily redshirted. It’s odd to see a senior be redshirted, but Andrew voluntarily “burned his redshirt” the last 2 seasons to help the team when injuries sidelined point guards. I suspect he’ll graduate on time, and play a “grad transfer” year somewhere smaller where he can start and contribute.

Zak Irvin (B) – Zak is the leading scorer on the team, at 14.1 points/game, and is 2nd on the team in rebounding, with 64. So, why a “B”? Leadership, or lack of it. This team has the talent to play with any team on their schedule, except maybe UCLA, but they’ve muddled through close games against teams they should handle easily, and Zak is one of the reasons. I don’t see him out there keeping the team focused and organized, and I don’t see him trying to get them fired up. Instead, I see him taking too many long 2-pointers, and playing “hero ball” in crunch time.

Derrick Walton Jr. (B+) – Derrick is 2nd on the team in scoring (12.4 points/game), and 3rd in rebounding (52), but he is also lacking in leadership. He needs to take charge out there, and keep the team focused. With some good leadership, this team can start to meet their expectations.

What’s Next

This week Michigan only plays one game, their Big Ten opener. On Sunday (01/01/2017, 2:15 p.m. EST, BTN), Michigan plays at Iowa. Iowa finished their non-conference schedule at 8-5, with only one quality win (78-64 vs. Iowa State), a couple understandable losses (100-92 vs. Memphis and 92-78 vs. Notre Dame), and a few surprising losses (91-83 vs. Seton Hall, 74-41 vs. Virginia, and 98-89 vs. Omaha). The loss to Virginia is particularly embarrassing. This will be a tough road game for Michigan, and they’ll have to play well to win. Iowa certainly isn’t great, but they can certainly score (except for the Virginia game), and they’re tough at home.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #08 – 12/19/2016 – A Couple Christmas Cupcakes

Quick Look

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games last week, and they won them both. On Tuesday (12/13/2016), Michigan beat Central Arkansas 97-53, then on Saturday (12/17/2016), they beat Maryland Eastern Shore 98-49. Both games were in Crisler Arena. The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 9-3.

What Happened

Michigan easily took care of a pair of “cupcakes” to pad their record and boost their stats. They also managed to get some playing time for the two freshmen who don’t play as often. They were both fun, easy games, where the final outcome was decided by halftime, and the (sparse) crowds were able to relax and enjoy the glorified scrimmages.

Michigan led from start to finish in both games, with good starts (15-5 vs. UCA, and 19-2 vs. MDES), good leads at halftime (49-20 and 49-22), and good “largest margins” (44 and 50 points). Michigan shot well overall in both games (32-for-62 = 51.6% vs. UCA, 34-for-52 = 65.4% vs. MDES), they shot 3-pointers very well in both games (19-for-45 = 42.2% and 12-for-21 = 57.1%), and they shot free throws well enough in both games (14-for-18 = 77.8% and 18-for-26 = 69.2%). They outrebounded both opponents by a wide margin (36-27 and 35-26), and they won the turnover battle in both games (6-14 and 9-15). It was total domination. Here are the complete stats for UCA and MDES.

Did you notice the 3-point numbers for the UCA game? Both 19 made 3-pointers and 45 attempts are new single-game school records. It was fun to watch.

Who Looked Good

DJ Wilson hit double figures in both games (11 and 16 points), and chipped in 7 and 6 rebounds. He’s looking very good out there so far this season.

Zak Irvin also hit double figures in both games (16 and 11), along with 6 rebounds in each game.

Duncan Robinson was the 3rd player to hit double figures in both games (12 and 17). He came off the bench in the UCA game, but he started in the MDES game (due to a “clerical error”). He shot his 3-pointers pretty well: 4-for-9 and 3-for-6.

Derrick Walton Jr. almost had double figures in both games: 9 and 21. He didn’t shoot very well vs. UCA (2-for-7), but he was on fire vs. MDES (7-for-9, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range).

Moritz Wagner also just missed hitting double figures in both games (18 and 9). He had almost perfect shooting for the week: 8-for-9 and 4-for-4.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman had a pretty good week scoring (14 and 7), but he also chipped in 4 assists vs. UCA and a career-high 10 assists vs. MDES.

Xavier Simpson finally scored a few points: 7 and 4. He’s starting to look a little more comfortable out there.

Who Looked Not-So-Good

Mark Donnal had a quiet week, with 0 and 5 points.

Who Else Played

Ibi Watson played in both games, and had 3 and 4 points. He is still struggling with his 3-point shot (1-for-15), but he finally hit his first one in the UCA game.

Jon Teske is starting to get more playing time, but he still isn’t looking very comfortable out there. He had 2 and 0 points. He hit his first career basket vs. UCA.

Sean Lonergan scored 2 and 1 points.

Fred Wright-Jones scored 0 and 3 points. He hit his first career 3-pointer vs. MDES.

Brent Hibbitts scored 3 and 0 points. He hit his first career 3-pointer vs. UCA.

Who Didn’t Play

Since both games were blowouts, everybody played.

The Big Picture

It’s not clear how much we can learn about the team from these “guarantee” games against overmatched opponents. It was fun to watch them run around and score and hit lots of 3-pointers, but the Big Ten games aren’t going to look anything like that.

What’s Next

This week Michigan only plays one game, due to finals and the holidays. On Thursday (12/22/2016, 7:00 p.m., BTN), Michigan plays Furman in Crisler Arena. This is their last non-conference game. Furman isn’t very good, but they’re a lot better than Central Arkansas and Maryland Eastern Shore. Michigan will have to play a solid game to beat them.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

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M FOOTBALL 2016-SOME COMMENTARY REGARDING THE SEASON AND THE FOOTBALL BUST

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Photo compliments of Ian Bunting (Twitter)

The 96th edition of the Wolverine’s football bust was again sponsored by the University of Michigan Club of Detroit, and was held on the evening of December 12, 2016 at Livonia’s Laurel Manor.

I was not able to attend the Bust again this year, but it remains an opportunity that Michigan Fans should take annually for a number of reasons.  It enables fans to put a face on the football machines you see on the field on Saturdays, and some that you don’t often get to observe that are in the background of the program, but contribute much to success.

This year we will all still remember the two defeats that deflated and eliminated the Wolverines’s Big Ten Championship and National Championship goals for the season by a slim margin.  We will recall the 2016 season as a near miss with only two close losses.  It was a season which produced a long awaited victory over the Spartans, and an opportunity for a prestigious Orange Bowl battle.  Overall the season show cased rising Wolverines.

The Wolverines gave OSU all that they wanted. Unfortunately, those three critical and fatal Wolverine errors effected the outcome.  While it is obvious the game was sprinkled with some inventive refereeing with a Buckeye flavoring, the three miscues put the game out of reach.

The officiating set-off a Harbaugh howl, but he never said it cost them the game.  It was the stuff under the Wolverine’s control which sealed their fate against the Buckeyes, and cost them post season opportunities.

It was disappointing that they could not control their own post season fate, but the regular season did not end a with a pounding by the Buckeyes as did 2015.  They were in the hunt all season long. The season overall was a resounding success.

The Wolverine surge is not yet at Tsunami level, but the frenzy is building.  Harbaugh said at the Bust that he suspects that the going to the NFL rumors maybe designed by some competitors to dampen recruiting. They will continue, and he will continue at Michigan.  He says he is not interested, thank you.  That is believable.

No pundit, none, knows the answer to the when will Harbaugh leave question.  Only Harbaugh knows that.  For now, and the foreseeable future, he is rock solid at Michigan. Believe he is leaving only when you hear him announce it, not before.

The coaching team was, for the most part, also outstanding, and remains intact.  Overall the defense, under the guidance of its newcomer mentor, Dr. Blitz, was outstanding.

The entire record of this season is not written, as Florida State stands in the way. The Wolverines and FSU will cross paths in their third confrontation in the Orange Bowl Saturday December 30.  Each team now holds a one and one record in the Orange Bowl.  This should be one of the better Bowl match ups.

THE 2016 AWARDS: The nomenclature of the MVP Award was changed to the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player Award last year, and was earned for this year by Jabrill Peppers.

The Dr. Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award was awarded to Grant Newsome.

The Hugh J. Rader Award for the Best Offensive Lineman was bestowed on Offensive Tackle Erik Magnuson.

The Richard Katcher Award for the best Defensive Lineman was awarded to both Ryan Glasgow and Chris Wormley.

The Robert P. Ufer Award for enthusiasm and love for Michigan was bestowed on Offensive Tackle Grant Newsome.

The Roger Zatkoff Award for most outstanding Linebacker was given to Ben Gedeon.

The Most Improved Player Award named QB Wilton Speight.

There is just one game left this season, but the fifteen practices preceding it will continue to benefit the Wolverines into next season, no matter the outcome.

Bring on the Seminoles, and Go Blue!

 

Note:  As stated above, I did not attend this year’s Football Bust.  The commentary is mine, but the facts pertaining to the Bust were gathered from the official M football web site.

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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #07 – 12/12/2016 – Holding Even

Quick Look

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games last week, and they won one and lost one. On Tuesday (12/06/2016), Michigan beat Texas 53-50 in Crisler Arena, then on Saturday (12/10/2016), they lost at (#2) UCLA 102-84. The win and the loss leave Michigan with a record of 7-3.

What Happened

After losing ground two weeks ago, Michigan broke even last week. They still aren’t looking very cohesive, but at least they showed a little backbone last week. They were expected to beat Texas in Crisler, and they did, although it was a lot closer and harder than expected. They were expected to lose at UCLA, and they did, but they hung with UCLA a lot longer and a lot better than expected, before falling apart at the end. In both games, Michigan played a lot better in the 1st half than in the 2nd. They got away with it, barely, vs. Texas, but they couldn’t keep up with UCLA.

The Texas game was close for the first 8:00, before Michigan went on a 9-0 run to go up by 10, 21-11, with 9:53 left. They still led by 9 (31-22) with 1:56 left in the half, before falling apart and letting Texas back in the game. They let Texas go on a 6-0 run to end the half, with their lead cut to 3 points (31-28). Michigan had a slow start to the 2nd half, and Texas pulled ahead 40-37 with 14:03 left in the game. The rest of the way, the lead went back and forth, with neither team able to pull more than 3 points ahead. Texas led by 2 (50-48) with 1:56 left, but Michigan scored the last 5 points to win by 3.

It was an ugly game, with poor shooting and lots of turnovers. Still, an ugly win is much better than a pretty loss, like the UCLA game. Even though Michigan lost by 18 points, and gave up over 100 points, it was still a “pretty loss”, thanks to a wild 1st half. UM started the game on fire, hitting 12 of their first 15 3-point shots. They actually led UCLA by 7 points (48-41) with 1:22 left in the 1st half, then they fell apart, again. They let UCLA go on a 9-2 run to end the half tied 50-50. UCLA kept the run going, and started the 2nd half with a 10-2 run, which was all the lead they needed, 60-52. Michigan hung around for quite a while, and only trailed by 5 points (77-72) with 8:06 left in the game. They still stood a chance, but UCLA outscored them 25-12 from that point, to win by 18.

Michigan didn’t shoot very well vs. Texas (41.7%, 31.6% from 3-point range), but they shot a little better than Texas, and that was enough to win a close game. Rebounds were close (28-31), and so were turnovers (12-14). The difference was at the free throw line: UM got there more often (7-for-11 vs. 5-for-6), and those 2 extra points were most of the difference. Here are the complete stats for the Texas game.

The stats for the UCLA game are amazing. Looking at just the UM numbers, it’s hard to believe they lost by 18: 29-for-58 (50.0%) shooting overall, 14-for-26 (53.8%) shooting from 3-point range, and 12-for-13 (92.3%) from the free throw line. However UCLA’s numbers are even more impressive: 39-for-58 (67.2%), 15-for-24 (62.5%), and 9-for-18 (50.0%). UCLA won the rebounding battle decisively (30-23), but turnovers were even (8-8).

Who Looked Good

Moritz Wagner is turning into the “go to” player for Michigan this season. He was the leading scorer for Michigan vs. Texas, with 15 points, and he hit double figures again vs. UCLA, with 11 points. He had foul trouble (4) vs. UCLA, which limited his minutes (20), but he still played well when he was in.

Duncan Robinson was the only other player to hit double figures in both games, with 12 and 13. He still isn’t hitting his 3-pointers like he used to (2-for-6 and 2-for-4), but he’s scoring in other ways, and providing a nice scoring threat off the bench.

DJ Wilson had a solid week, with 13 points (and a team-high 6 rebounds) vs. Texas, and 8 points vs. UCLA. He hit 2-for-2 and 2-for-3 from 3-point range.

Zak Irvin had a lousy game vs. Texas (3 points and 3 turnovers), but he bounced back nicely vs. UCLA, with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and only 1 turnover.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman also had a lousy game vs. Texas (3 points, all free throws), but did much better vs. UCLA, with 11 points.

Mark Donnal was another player who had a lousy game vs. Texas (0 points), but he scored 12 points (on 5-for-5 shooting, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range) vs. UCLA.

Who Looked Not-So-Good

Derrick Walton Jr. had 2 mediocre games, with 7 and 9 points. He didn’t shoot well (3-for-9 and 2-for-7), and he had more turnovers (7) than assists (4) for the week.

Xavier Simpson played in both games, but failed to score.

Who Else Played

Since the Texas game was so tense and tight, Coach Beilein didn’t play any of the subs and scrubs, but once the UCLA game got out of hand, he put them in. Ibi Watson was the only player to score, with 2 points. Sean Lonergan, Jon Teske, and Fred Wright-Jones all played, but failed to score.

Who Didn’t Play

Brent Hibbitts didn’t get into either game.

The Big Picture

Once again, Michigan couldn’t put two good halves together in either game. They got away with it vs. Texas, but they got hammered in the last 8 minutes of the UCLA game. They have shown us that they have the talent to play with anyone, they just need to figure out how to maintain the effort for 40 minutes.

What’s Next

This week Michigan plays two more games, both in Crisler Arena. On Tuesday (12/13/2016, 9:00 p.m., BTN), Michigan plays Central Arkansas, then on Saturday (12/17/2016, 3:00 p.m., BTN), Michigan plays Maryland Eastern Shore. These are both “guarantee” games against cupcakes, and Michigan should win both games easily.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

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Peppers is ready for the NFL, but will he go?

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Jabrill Peppers is without question ready to start collecting checks on Sunday. In most mocks drafts, he is projected to be a top 10 pick at the safety position in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft. However, don’t be surprised if he decides not to declare after this season.

After having nagging injuries and being limited to playing only 2 ½ games his freshman year, Peppers was redshirted and sat out the remainder of the 2014 season.  The sophomore technically still has two more years of eligibility left to play at Michigan. The big question is, will Peppers forgo his two years and declare for the draft or will he return to the Wolverines?

After displaying his versatility all year playing multiple positions, it seems like a no brainer that he is for sure going to the NFL. Even the Big Ten took notice of some of his accomplishments as he took home some hardware as he was awarded the Nagurski-Woodson defensive player of the year, the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the year and the Butkus-Fitzgerald linebacker of the year award. That makes him the first player to win three individual awards in the same season since the awards program expanded in 2011. He would finish the regular season on offense with 3 rushing touchdowns, 751 total yards and 1 punt return for a touchdown. On defense, he recorded 71 total tackles, 48 solo, 15 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 FF and 1 interception that would be his first of his career. That interception would come in the 3rd quarter against Ohio State.

We all knew that losing to Iowa had a slight possibility to end up hurting us at the end of the season. But we also knew that if we had beaten Ohio State it was almost certain that we would clinch a playoff berth. After losing to the Buckeyes 30-27 in double-OT, there was still hope. We had to rely too much on the what ifs and had to cheer for the underdogs in Colorado and Virginia Tech. Peppers was very quick to react after it was officially announce that the Wolverines were on the outside looking in.

While acknowledging their loss and failures he also threw some love back to PSU for getting the job that they couldn’t do. Beat Ohio St. and win the Big Ten Championship.

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Like majority of his life, it looks like Peppers has turned to his mother once more for some guidance.  Earlier this week, per Darren Heitner who is a sports attorney tweeted that Peppers’ mother, Ivory Bryant had delivered a forty-one-question document to all prospective NFL agents.

Now this doesn’t necessarily say that it’s a sure thing that we will make the jump. The way I look at it, is that his mother wants the very best for his future and wants to help explore the options and eliminate any difficulty that her son might be having in front of him. So! Will Jabrill Peppers return to Michigan for one more year? I think so. Should he? Yes. Those answers are not just me being a biased fan and no I do not have any high-end sources telling me this. It’s just what I truly believe.

At the age of 7, Jabrills’ father Terry, the same person that introduced him to the game, was arrested on a weapons charge.

“My father was arrested when I was seven years old. In that split second when he was taken away, I went from having a father who I could work out with and who was on the sideline for all my football games, to being a kid searching for a male role model in his life. And I didn’t know how long he was going to be gone.”

He said in an entry he posted on The Players’ Tribune titled The Game. It’s a must read.

Without a father figure, he had turned to his older brother, Don.

“Don was the guy I looked up to. And even though he was out in the streets like most of the other guys in our neighborhood, doing things he wasn’t supposed to be doing, he would never let me get involved. He kept me on the right path from a young age. And he was one of the first people who told me I had the potential to be something great — that I needed to chase my football dream. “You have a God-given gift,” he’d say. It would be disrespectful to God to not make the most of that gift.”

Like a lot of kids in urban neighborhoods, we dreamed a lot about the future, of better times. Many kids were so caught up in the street life that they couldn’t dream past the city limits. But Don and I talked differently, mostly because of my potential on the football field. That was going to be my way out — our way out.”

In January of 2010, for the second time in Jabrills’ life another father figure was taken from him too soon, when Don was shot and killed. Bryant was left alone to raise her son despite working long hours as a social worker to support her son. Just before his senior year of high school his father Terry was released from prison after serving nearly 11 years.

“We was just trying to get to know each other again,” Peppers said. “A lot of time had passed. Ten and a half years, almost 11 years. At the end of the day, man, that’s my pops. We’re still working on our relationship. It’s going to get better. We’ve still got to make up for that 10 and a half years, but we’re gonna be all right.”

After losing his brother, Peppers never had a type of “brother hood” like he did Don until he came to Michigan. Not just the family and brothers he goes to war with every Saturday but his brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. During the 78-0 rout of Rutgers, Peppers returned a punt for a touchdown that would eventually get called back. After Peppers ran into the end zone he would put up his arms as some may know as “throwing the hooks”.

For those who don’t know, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity (OPPF) is the first international fraternal organization founded at a historically black college. The fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C on Nov. 23, 1911. Before joining the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity last spring, Peppers wasn’t recruited. He actually reached out to fraternity.

“He sought us out,” says Terence Browner, a Michigan senior and member of the fraternity. “The more he learned about it, the more he felt the connection, the vibe. I could sense the excitement oozing off of him. He wanted to be a part of something.”

He wanted to surround himself with people who reflect him and who he wants to be. Peppers found others that are like him that enjoy community service and giving back. While only being engaged with the fraternity for such a short time, Peppers’ and a few of his friends went across town to Community High School in Ann Arbor and spoke to about 200 students about habits, time management and the transition from high school to college.

“He literally had an individual conversation with every single person who approached him,” says Brandon Jackson, a friend of Peppers who teaches world history at the high school. “I mean, we’re talking about 200 people. He asked every one of them something about themselves and answered more questions if they had them.

“Every kid that day walked away feeling good about themselves, feeling uplifted.”

Not only is Jabrill Peppers the most versatile player in the nation on the field but his play is very similar off the field. Playing for Michigan has been his dream since he was a little kid. So why stop now? Why not one more year? Just imagine the impact that he could do in that time. Not only for UofM but the state of Michigan itself. His talent level is ready for the NFL and his maturity is way above a lot of players at his age. There is a few wrinkles that I had noticed in the last three games that certainly can be fixed at the college level.

Whether he decides to go now or next year his mother is definitely getting the home that she deserves for raising such a humble and gifted young man. If push comes to shove and he decides to go he might want to start shopping around for a bigger trophy case as earlier today he was announced  as one of the top 5  finalist for the Heisman Trophy. His reaction says it all.

Hopefully Peppers recalls what he wrote and rethinks the order of his goals.

“I’m on a mission. And that mission won’t be complete until … I don’t even know when. I guess I have a lot of missions. It’s always changing. That’s how you continue to grow and get better. You set goals that seem impossible, and when you reach them, you set more impossible goals and do whatever humanly possible to reach those, too. I want to win a national championship at Michigan. I want to graduate. I want to go to the NFL and have a long, successful career.”

Make sure you write it down on your calendars as Michigan vs. Florida State in Orange Bowl on Friday, December 30th at 8:00pm as we just may witness Peppers play his very last game.

“Those who stay will be champions”

Hail.. Go Blue!