ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- As Evan Smotrycz, Colton Christian and Carlton Brundidge all search for new schools after deciding to transfer from Michigan, their former head coach, John Beilein, said he wasn’t surprised about their departures.
Then again, he said, he doesn’t get surprised by much.
“It’s like coaching a game,” Beilein said in his first public availability since the transfers. “That guy hit a buzzer shot, maybe you’re surprised. I don’t think so. You just know that’s part of the game and part of my job as a coach is to try and be ready for everything.
“It’s changing now more than ever.”
Beilein said at a meeting of coaches at the Final Four, it was discussed how many players at BCS conference schools either transfer or turn pro by the end of their sophomore years.
So it has taken a bit of continual planning, but nothing that is all that surprising to him anymore.
As for this year’s group -- when asked if he tried to convince any of them to stay, he didn’t say one way or the other.
“We meet with every player at the end of the year,” Beilein said. “We meet with them and if transfers are going to happen, we don’t want them to happen in June or July or August when we can’t get anyone in their place.
“We have heart-to-heart talks with them, want everyone to stay, but we expect everyone is going to leave for different reasons and that’s part of the game.”
Already, Michigan has worked on replacements. The Wolverines received a verbal commitment Friday from point guard Spike Albrecht (Crown Point, Ind./Northfield Mount Hermon) and are expected to have guard Amedeo Della Valle (Las Vegas/Findlay Prep) visit this weekend.
And of course, the Wolverines also retained their starting point guard, Trey Burke, who announced Monday he will come back to Michigan for his sophomore season.
