Argh

Rivals is reporting that Alex Legion, the 4-star Michigan basketball recruit, has asked out of his letter of intent for next year. Also, Reed Baker has reportedly left the team.

Obviously, losing Legion is a big blow. He was rated the #45 player in the country on Rivals, and had a good chance of starting on the wing as a freshman. That leaves Michigan's starting lineup for next year looking like Jerret Smith, Manny Harris, Ron Coleman, DeShawn Sims and Ekpe Udoh, although that is certainly subject to change depending on who takes to Beilein's system.

The loss of Reed Baker may be a much bigger deal than one would've guessed after watching him contribute little last year. He fits perfectly into Beilein's free-gunning offense, and had a chance to contribute with his 3-point marksmanship.

While the losses will certainly affect the team next year, this does open up a couple scholarships for Beilein to use for players that fit his style of play. Legion always seemed to have a foot out the door, and his waffling act was becoming tiresome. You never want to lose a player with top-50 talent, but we still have #23 recruit Manny Harris, who seems much more eager to be a Wolverine.

Still, not the best of days for the Michigan basketball program.