Basketball Blessings

continued

The final addition to Beilein's freshman class came in May, when he signed Caris LeVert, a six-foot-five shooting guard from Pickerington, Ohio. This was an out-of-the-blue event even for those closely following the program. LeVert was a very late bloomer but by the end of his senior year was generally considered the best player in Ohio. Still, a redshirt is predicted.

That would still leave Beilein with plenty to puzzle over. At center (and power forward) he has to find minutes for Morgan, McGary, and Horford. Add in Bielfeldt and McLimans and the puzzle becomes more complex, particularly when exhibition games showed that Glenn III needed to be on the court, in either the small or big forward spot. Point guard poses little complication--Burke plays, Albrecht gives him a blow--but the two guard and small forward positions pose the same issues as do the bigs. Hardaway is the returning star and a key to the coming season, but Stauskas, Glenn III, and senior Vogrich will compete for playing time.

The players seem to have a positive attitude about this. Their message, in the words of walk-on Josh Bartelstein, is "Yeah, we all compete on the court, but off the court, we support each other. There aren't any jealousies here." Stauskus reinforced this, telling the Free Press that there is "no ego, no drama" on the team.