As the fall comes to a close, another bad chapter of Michigan football is complete, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of Michigan fans. But fortunately for fans, there is a light at the end of the tunnel that marks the beginning of an era in Michigan basketball.

Looking ahead to the current season, basketball fans have a lot to be thankful for this year. Manny Harris is returning, looking like the dynamic scorer that kept us all begging for more last year. Deshawn Sims is back for more as well, along with Stu Douglass and Zach Novak, both starters from last year.

When we look at the new freshmen for Michigan and see a talented class full of dynamic scorers, three names in particular jump out at us. Darius Morris averaged 21.7 points per game during his senior year in high school, and is looking to break into the starting five at one of the guard positions. We can also look at Blake McLimans, a 6’10 freshman, and Matt Vogrich, an athletic slasher who is also known for his shot from the perimeter.

However, a few big question marks are lurking in the background. Where will the team’s main leadership come from? Last year’s seniors, C.J. Lee and David Merritt, were both integral parts of the team, making up for a slight lack of athletic ability with leadership and extremely smart basketball.

It will also be interesting to see how Michigan can rebound from Friday’s loss to unranked Marquette with such a young team. An early upset loss can kill a team at times, and Michigan has certainly been in this situation.

Finally, I look forward to seeing if Michigan can ignore the critics and media, keeping their egos in check after big wins and directing their attention solely at the next game. Most of the players on Michigan’s roster have not been in the media spotlight before, and it will be interesting to look at how this affects the team.

Michigan has not been a top-tier team in recent years, without the talent or the coaching of Duke, North Carolina, or Michigan State. But this year, John Beilein and the Wolverines look to put the past behind them and bring success back to the Michigan program.

Realistically, Michigan is probably looking at a Sweet Sixteen appearance at best, and between second and fourth in the Big Ten. But building up a program that can have success year after year is the end goal, and Beilein has certainly succeeded so far in his Michigan coaching career. Hopefully this success can continue throughout the 2009-10 season and in future years.

For questions or comments, Jesse Buchsbaum can be reached at jessebu@gmail.com.