The Michigan Insider

In this episode, we recap the Michigan basketball team's in the Big Ten Tournament, and look ahead to the Wolverines' NCAA Tournament draw and potential opening weekend matchups.

We begin looking back on Michigan's first weekend, one that included shooting droughts, comebacks, a season-ending injury, an ejection and more. We try to gauge what to make of the Wolverines' 1-1 record at the event, how worrisome Michigan's shooting spells were, the validity of Juwan Howard's ejection, why every team seems to hate the Wolverines, and the biggest ways Isaiah Livers' injury will impact Michigan on the court.

After looking back, we turn to the future, discussing the significance of Michigan being named a 1-seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. We look at the Wolverines' region overall, discuss the teams to keep an eye on in the region, debate LSU vs. St. Bonaventure as a round-two opponent and dissect the biggest key for a shorthanded Michigan team making a run in the tournament.

Sam Webb, Brice Marich and Steve Lorenz discuss the major visit weekend Michigan is starting to put together in anticipation of the end of the dead period. The conversation then turns to the latest of Michigan's pursuit of top defensive line targets Justice Finkley, Deone Walker, Anthony Lucas, Quency Wiggins, and more. The Oak Park defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny joins the podcast to finally explain why he flipped from Michigan State to Michigan, and when he made the decision to do so.

In this podcast, we discuss where things stand with the No. 4 Michigan men’s basketball team, and preview how the Wolverines will look in the Big Ten Tournament.

To open, we look at Michigan’s biggest question mark. We discuss the Wolverines’ 1-2 finish to the season, Michigan’s lack of depth, the Wolverines’ ability to play without a potential starter, in a tightly officiated game, Hunter Dickinson’s and Isaiah Livers’ struggles, the team’s potential complacency and other potential pitfall areas.

We then zero in on players on the spot, including Dickinson and Livers, Mike Smith and some bench players who may have to step up.

In the second half of the podcast, we look at the bracket, discussing potential matchup issues for Michigan and making our final predictions for the weekend.

Tim McCormick and Sam Webb reflect upon the conference honors earned by the Wolverines this year with a focus on Juwan Howard and Hunter Dickinson. The conversation shifts to how Illinois and Michigan State defended Hunter Dickinson so effectively and how he can counter similar strategies moving forward. Tim also discusses how/why Franz Wagner and Isaiah Livers will become more prominent on the offensive end in postseason play. Former Michigan great on radio color commentator Terry Mills joins the podcast to share his perspective on the Wolverines' memorable regular season, Juwan Howard's coaching performance, Hunter Dickinson's rise, the importance of Eli Brooks, the crying by Illinois' program, and more, The podcast closes with Tim offering up his prediction on how Michigan will fare in the Big 10 Tournament.

Sam Webb, Brice Marich and Steve Lorenz break down why Traverse City (Mich.) Central linebacker Josh Burnham is now trending towards Notre Dame and assess the top known linebacker targets still standing on Michigan's board. The crew then turns its attention to a discussion about the game and recruitment of Greenwood (Ind.) Center Grove quarterback Tayven Jackson and Clovis (Calif.) dual-threat signal caller Nate Johnson. Johnson's QB coach Greg Panelli of the Panelli Passing Academy joins the podcast to breakdown his star pupil's skillset and Michigan's pursuit. He explains by Johnson's athletic traits compare favorably to those of Denard Robinson.

In this episode, we go bigger picture, looking at five key ways Juwan Howard and the Michigan basketball team were able to deliver a Big Ten championship in year two.

We begin by looking at what Howard inherited when he arrived. We discuss John Beilein’s success, but also the uncertainty that comes with a significant coaching change. We reflect on how Howard was able to earn the trust of Michigan’s now-senior players, and how he was able to establish buy-in and cohesion by incorporating his oft-discussed culture within the program.

We then take a brief look at some personnel decisions Howard made. We look at his decision to hit the transfer portal hard, and how Michigan came away as the nation’s biggest winners from the portal last season. We discuss the impacts of Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown Jr., and how that could make the team dangerous in the NCAA Tournament. We also look at the personal mentorship and hands-on coaching role Howard took with Hunter Dickinson, Austin Davis and Michigan’s big men.

We close by looking at the kind of coach Howard is, and how that was able to maximize what was an experienced and talented team this season.

Tim McCormick and Sam Webb break down the 76-53 loss to Illinois and preview the back to back match-ups with Michigan State. Senior walk-on C.J. Baird joins the podcast to offer an inside look at how coaches and players are responding to the Illini defeat, the preparation for Michigan State, and the culture that Juwan Howard has built.

Sam Webb, Brice Marich and Steve Lorenz break down the significance of Will Johnson's commitment and its potential impact on other top targets like Domani Jackson and Tay'shawn Trent. The crew this dissects recent rumblings about Josh Burnham trending to Notre Dame. Later the conversation turns towards new developments in quarterback and offensive line recruiting. The podcast closes with an interview with noted Tennessee trainer James Williams about his star pupil and recent Michigan commit, Kody Jones. Williams breaks down Jones' game, Michigan's increased presence in Tennessee, and the key to why Maurice Linguist is an ace recruiter.

In this episode, we look at another impressive week for the No. 2 Michigan men’s basketball team, along with what’s next.

We begin by breaking down our biggest takeaways from the Wolverines’ wins over No. 9 Iowa and at Indiana in a span of three days. We look as Michigan’s low turnovers, big man defense, maturity in handling a two-day turnaround and more.

We then debate who is Michigan’s best player 19 games into the season, looking at three impressively deserving candidates. After that debate, we discuss who the Wolverines’ unsung hero of the season is.

We then close by looking at the big picture of things. We debate which banner is most important between a Big Ten regular-season title, Big Ten Tournament title and Final Four appearance, and assess Michigan’s chances at all three. We then close with a discussion of how important it is for the Wolverines to be a 1-seed, the No. 2 overall seed and more.

Tim McCormick and Sam Webb discuss Michigan's impressive victory over Ohio State, Hunter Dickinson's dominant effort versus the Buckeyes, and the impact play of Chaundee Brown and Mike Smith. Bill Raftery joins the podcast to shares his thoughts on Juwan Howard, how Michigan stacks up with Baylor and Gonzaga, his take on the all time greats, and more. The podcast closes with Tim and Sam also debating the quality of refereeing in the Ohio State game and previewing the Wolverines' matchup with Iowa.