Crisler Arena Upgrades Continue

The John Beilein era doesn't officially begin on the basketball court until November, but his presence is already being felt at Crisler Arena. Compared to what it looked like on the inside just 6 or so months ago, Beilein has quickly gotten things fixed up in a great way.

An effort has begun to make the [locker room] area more player-friendly with an improved lounge area to include flat-screen plasma TVs, a pool table and other amenities.

"We're going to do as much as we can for the program," said Tracy Hamner, coach John Beilein's administrative assistant. "It may be an uphill battle for a while, but as coach says, 'If you get one person hooked to what you're doing, they can get a lot more people to be behind you.'"

Hamner estimates the project's cost at $75,000 to $100,000, to be paid by the school's athletic department. The goal is to have work completed by October.

Other features of the improved locker room area include three computer stations, a quiet area for players to study film and new recliners.

Not only is Crisler Arena getting more features and a better look, but access to the team is also seemingly going to be better as well. On MGoBlue.com, there is now a section called "Inside the Lane," which is a Michigan hoops blog that will feature tidbits and quotes from the team on a daily basis.

All of this stuff is great, but the real question is if Michigan can win more games. If the improvements we've seen already is any indication, we should be in pretty good shape in the future.