Remember My Name: Manny Harris

The Michigan Wolverines suck this year. It's a fact. They're making a transition from Tommy Amaker's style to John Beilein's style, and that can't be easy. But there is definitely a bright light on the horizon, and it may just keep a few hairs from falling out of coach's comb-over.

If you watched last night's Michigan at Wisconsin tilt, you know who I'm talking about. Wolverine Guard Manny Harris is the real deal, Holyfield. On an evening in which blocked shots provided most of the entertainment, Harris made one of the few athletic plays that made me sit up and take notice. On a missed shot, he grabbed the offensive rebound away from the basket and took off like a hare, dribbling around two defenders and taking the ball to the rack fast enough to draw a blocking penalty. He scored a career-high 26 points before fouling out, and helped put a real scare into the #11 Badgers.

What Manny isn't - yet - is consistent or efficient. His shooting percentage hovers just under 40% overall, with only 27% from three-point range. However, he does a lot of other little things, which become more important as his minutes per game average rises. He's good for several rebounds per contest, three dishes, and a couple of steals. His nice all-around game should figure to be huge in the future of Wolverine hoops.

While most of the Michigan players are young, with four other freshmen and three sophomores, this is not a "Fab Five" situation. Sophomore Forward DeShawn Sims is the only other Wolverine averaging double-figure points as the team has struggled to a 5-14 (1-6) record. Still, taking a ranked Wisconsin team to the wire in their own building ranks high in the "moral victory" category, which every team hopes they can turn into "wins" in the next basketball season. With Manny Harris in the fold, they've made a decent start.