Michigan
NBA draft decisions looming for Michigan basketball trio
Whether or not Michigan has to exchange its complete beginning lineup subsequent season or merely a few of it hinges on the selections of a trio of Wolverines.
Hunter Dickinson, Caleb Houstan, and Moussa Diabaté are all thought of NBA prospects. In addition they all have school eligibility remaining. Will they declare for the draft? If that’s the case, will they maintain their names in?
We’ll have our first indication quickly. The NBA’s deadline for underclassmen to declare is April 24 (at 11:59 p.m. ET).
All Michigan’s coaches can do is wait — and work. They’re aggressively recruiting the 2023 class, though Michigan has no open scholarships. They’ve made it a program coverage to take each name from anybody representing a participant who’s within the switch portal, even when it received’t result in something.
And so they’re guiding the present Wolverines via the pre-draft course of.
Earlier than turning into Michigan’s head coach, Juwan Howard spent 25 years within the NBA. He alone might present helpful suggestions to his gamers on their draft inventory. Assistant coach Howard Eisley was additionally an NBA veteran (as a participant and coach), and Michigan’s different assistants and employees members are properly linked. There is no such thing as a scarcity of NBA draft insights to be discovered inside Crisler Middle.
And but Wolverines are inspired to get an official evaluation from the league.
“The view from others is invaluable,” Michigan assistant Phil Martelli mentioned. “Gamers having an opportunity to get the NBA analysis is an efficient factor.”
It’s a secure guess that Dickinson, Houstan, and Diabaté requested suggestions from the NBA’s undergraduate advisory committee, or will earlier than the day ends (Thursday, April 14, is the ultimate day to so do). Why wouldn’t they?
The committee, composed of NBA staff executives, gives a confidential projection of a prospect’s possible draft place. A participant is informed if he’s prone to be drafted within the lottery (picks Nos. 1-14), later within the first spherical, early within the second spherical, late within the second spherical, or by no means.
In some instances, there’s a follow-up cellphone name, however particular person abilities are sometimes not mentioned presently. In different phrases, Houstan may be informed he’s considered as an early second-round decide, however he received’t be informed it’s as a result of he’s a tall shooter who must work on his protection. That comes later, together with precise exercises, ought to a participant formally declare for the draft.
So what’s going to these Wolverines hear from NBA groups?
Dickinson, a 7-foot-1, 260-pound heart, has been a extremely productive participant for 2 seasons at Michigan, main the staff in scoring and rebounding every of these years. Strictly a put up presence as a freshman, he made 21-of-64 3-point makes an attempt as a sophomore. He’s additionally a very good passer.
However as a number of draft consultants have informed MLive, Dickinson could also be a university star who’s not match for the trendy NBA.
“If this was the Seventies, he may be a first-round decide,” one scout mentioned.
Dickinson will flip 22 in November. “He’s who he’s,” the scout mentioned. “He’s not going to have the ability to guard the decide and roll. He’s not going to have the ability to rise up and down the ground the way in which you’d like. However he has actually good arms, he can shoot the three, and he can rating.”
Dickinson entered the NBA draft final 12 months solely to withdraw and return to Michigan. On the time he made it look like it might be his last school season, however mentioned after Michigan’s last recreation he hadn’t thought of it but.
A pair of Michigan freshmen should do some pondering of their very own.
Houstan, a 6-foot-8 wing who turned 19 in January, began all 34 video games for Michigan. He shot 60-for-169 (36 %) from 3. The aforementioned scout has seen Houstan listed as a late first rounder in mock drafts. (In publicly obtainable mocks posted on the web, it is not uncommon for no Wolverines to be included.)
The scout believes potential exercises will likely be important for Houstan. “If he can go some place and shoot the hell out of it, at his dimension…”
Exercises will likely be essential for Diabaté, too, if he chooses to declare. “He’s everywhere in the board,” the scout mentioned with amusing. “The variance with him is loopy.”
Diabaté was Michigan’s beginning energy ahead a lot of the season. He turned 20 in January and remains to be a uncooked prospect in some ways. He’s tremendous athletic and a very good rebounder on each ends, however he confirmed little means to attain exterior of the paint, and infrequently had bother defending the higher forwards within the Massive Ten.
“I feel the child’s acquired an opportunity to be fairly rattling good,” the scout mentioned. “However is he a (heart)? Is he a (energy ahead)? Can he shoot? He’s an attention-grabbing prospect.”
Any participant who enters the draft hopes to get invited to the pre-draft mix, held in Might in Chicago. Dickinson was not invited final 12 months and as an alternative competed within the G League Elite Camp.
The scout believes all three Wolverines have an opportunity to get invited to the mix. Dickinson, regardless of his draft inventory, is large, and NBA personnel will need some dimension selection on the occasion.
Regardless, prospects who declare for the draft may be invited to particular person staff exercises. Operating via drills designed to imitate NBA in-game situations, they’ll showcase abilities that weren’t essentially a part of their roles at Michigan. There’s an interview portion as properly.
Gamers have via June 1 to withdraw from the draft and retain NCAA eligibility.
The scout identified that it solely takes one staff to love a prospect. So maybe Dickinson is, to 1 staff at the very least, price a second-round decide. Houstan? “I wouldn’t be shocked if he left,” the scout mentioned. “He’s acquired good dimension and might shoot: These are two large issues within the NBA.” Primarily based on how this scout’s franchise views Diabaté, it might point out he’d flip professional. However the scout is aware of different groups see him as, at greatest, a second-rounder. It makes him a very troublesome prospect to venture.
Michigan has already misplaced its beginning backcourt: Eli Brooks is out of eligibility and DeVante’ Jones, after 5 years of faculty, can be shifting on. It’s wait-and-see on the opposite starters.
Michigan isn’t alone there.
“I feel all applications are up within the air,” Martelli mentioned. “Whether or not it’s transfers or in our case whether or not or not they pursue an NBA profession or at the very least get an evaluation.”
The Wolverines’ season led to March. They received’t play once more till November. What occurs in between is simply as essential.

Michigan
Michigan organization sends letter to Trump after comments on Gaza Strip

(CBS DETROIT) – One local organization that represents Middle Eastern Americans has written a letter to the Trump administration after it said it was troubled by the president’s comments on Gaza earlier this week.
The letter comes after Mr. Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. would “take over the Gaza Strip” and “own it,” and suggested that the Palestinian people should live elsewhere.
The comments troubled many Arab Americans in Metro Detroit, including Faye Nemer, the CEO of the Middle East and North Africa American (MENA) Chamber of Commerce. Nemer told CBS News Detroit that Mr. Trump’s press conference inspired her to draft the letter to his administration.
“That was the inflection point for us, hearing the commentary and the rhetoric during that press conference. It was very problematic and concerning from a community standpoint to hear such statements being made,” Nemer said.
In the open letter to the president, MENA notes that just before getting elected, Mr. Trump visited Dearborn and promised the Arab American community he would bring peace to the Middle East. Now, the organization is urging his administration to stick to that commitment.
Nemer says, though, that she’s optimistic because she says while Mr. Trump says a lot, he doesn’t always mean what he says and that the US taking over Gaza is unrealistic.
“We feel like it’s too far-fetched of a proposal. It is unrealistic,” she said.
Nemer says that many in her community are still supporting the president after voting for him in November, especially after this recent ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. But she says if that plan in Gaza were to ever come to fruition, she could say many people would regret their decision to vote for him.
Michigan
Danny Wolf, Dusty May speak on Michigan figuring out how to win close games

When it comes to Big Ten play, it’s important to think of the old adage announcers say every March: “Survive and advance.”
It was far from perfect, but Michigan did just that in Wednesday’s win over Oregon, 80-76. This was Michigan’s third win in a row, all by four points or less.
The Wolverines are figuring out how to win close games at the perfect time. The Wolverines are 6-4 in games decided by four points or less, including a 4-1 record over the past five weeks. Danny Wolf, who had 15 points and hit two clutch free throws late, spoke after the game about making the winning plays late.
“I said it after the game, we’ve been on the opposite side of the string,” Wolf said, referring to Michigan’s close losses. “You look at the Oklahoma game, the Arkansas game, Minnesota even, some of the worst losses, buzzer-beaters that you just don’t want. I think when you hit your free throws late, you get rebounds and you get stops, I think we did a good job of that tonight. It’s just a good feeling.”
A guy who played a big factor in this close win was Will Tschetter, who led the team with a personal season-high 17 points. Wolf praised Tschetter after the game.
“Very efficient player,” Wolf said. “We’re lucky to have him to say the least. The only thing he cares about is winning. I think that’s clearly evident to see. In today’s day and age, you don’t have a lot of that.”
Just like the Penn State win, Michigan saved its best defense for last, not allowing the Ducks to make a field goal in the final 3:18 of the game. The Wolverines turned stops early in the game into easy buckets, pushing the pace and scoring 25 points off Oregon’s 12 turnovers.
“I thought we contested well,” head coach Dusty May said on the team’s late-game defense. “We tried to get out in transition before they could get their zone set and when we did that, we were pretty effective.”
Michigan had a double-digit lead for a large portion of the half before Oregon came storming back. While you never like to see Michigan lose a big lead, close games come with the territory in this conference, and Michigan is figuring out how to win at the right time.
“Big Ten wins are hard, no matter how you look at it, you got to protect home court,” Wolf said. “I think it’s a common theme that we get these big leads, but we really got to stop beating at it. When we get these leads, myself included, we really got to focus on the team.”
“It’s February, if you can find a way to win and learn some lessons, that’s usually the objective,” May said. “I do think we made enough plays. In these 1-2 possession games, our guys have been able to get some stops, they made big free throws and came up with some extra possessions.”
After this close win, attention shifts to Indiana, with the Wolverines heading south to take on the Hoosiers. Michigan is tied with Michigan State for second place in the conference, so every game is crucial heading down the stretch.
Whenever he’s pressed about his Indiana roots, May tends to downplay it, and he did nothing different when asked about it Wednesday night.
“My wife Anna handles all the tickets, I’ve gotten 20 texts from friends saying ‘Hey, I’d love to grab dinner’, which shows that they have no idea,” May said. “I have a very closed mindset during the season, where all I can think about is how do we play better.
“My Mom lives in Bloomington, it is what it is. I’m going in there trying to win a freaking basketball game and that’s it.”
Michigan
Michigan Dem who refused to back Harris due to Israel support now blasting Trump Gaza proposal

A Michigan Democratic congresswoman who refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential run due to the Biden-Harris administration’s stand on Israel is now lashing out against the Republican who defeated her, citing his proposal on ending the Gaza conflict.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib blasted President Donald Trump for his comments on the war in Gaza and urged her allies to ramp up a push for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
“This president can only spew this fanatical bulls— because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing,” Tlaib said on Twitter Tuesday. “It’s time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak.”
Tlaib’s comments came after Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of war-torn Gaza following the war, saying that Palestinians could be resettled to other countries.
SAUDI ARABIA CONTRADICTS TRUMP, VOWS NO TIES WITH ISRAEL WITHOUT CREATION OF PALESTINIAN STATE
President Donald Trump and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Getty Images)
But Tlaib’s calls for other lawmakers to “speak up” comes after she declined to take a stance on last year’s presidential election.
Tlaib’s decision not to endorse a candidate in the presidential race came during a time of severe backlash against the Biden administration’s policies in Gaza by many constituents in her district, with some Muslim leaders going so far as to endorse Trump despite their traditional support for Democratic candidates.
One such leader, Bishara Bahbah, chaired a group known as Arab Americans for Trump. But Bahbah announced on Wednesday that he was changing the name of the group, according to a report from the Associated Press, citing Trump’s comments on Gaza.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib and union activists discuss free speech on college campuses, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
THE HISTORY OF GAZA AMID TRUMP’S PLAN TO REBUILD ENCLAVE
“The talk about what the president wants to do with Gaza, obviously we’re completely opposed to the idea of the transfer of Palestinians from anywhere in historic Palestine,” he said in a statement announcing the group’s name would be changed to Arab Americans for Peace. “And so we did not want to be behind the curve in terms of pushing for peace, because that has been our objective from the very beginning.”
But the sudden outcry in reaction to Trump’s comments wasn’t well received by all Democrats, with Democratic strategist Julian Epstein telling Fox News Digital that Trump’s proposal was a lot more positive than anything Tlaib appears to be offering as a solution.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Evan Vucci/AP)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Whether you agree or disagree with Trump’s proposal, at least he is proposing something that could lead to a bright future for Gaza,” Epstein said. “Tlaib, on the other hand, has advocated for policies that would keep the neo-Nazi, terrorist, race-hating Hamas in power while mimicking their rhetoric rom ‘river to sea,’ for which she was sanctioned by the House, including with Democratic support.”
-
Technology1 week ago
Mark Zuckerberg says Meta isn’t worried about DeepSeek
-
Business1 week ago
Tulsi Gabbard Defended Russia and Syria. Now She Must Defend Those Views.
-
News6 days ago
Hamas frees more Israeli hostages in Gaza as fragile ceasefire holds
-
Health6 days ago
New bird flu strain detected on poultry farm as experts monitor mutations
-
Technology1 week ago
OpenAI has evidence that its models helped train China’s DeepSeek
-
World1 week ago
Meta agrees to pay $25 million to settle lawsuit from Trump after Jan. 6 suspension
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump tells senior FBI ranks to resign or be fired
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump administration offers buyouts to remote employees who don’t return to the office