Michigan Basketball Depth Chart, Summer 2014
Point Guard: 1. Derrick Walton Jr. 2. Spike Albrecht
Analysis: The Wolverines are set at the point with two experienced guys returning. Walton Jr. could be an All-Big Ten player and Albrecht could start for a lot of other good teams.
Two Guard: 2. Caris LaVert 2. Aubrey Dawkins 3. Andrew Dakich
Analysis: Nobody works harder than LaVert as he has trasformed himself into an All-American candidate from being a skinny two-star recruit just two years ago. He and Walton should form a solid backcourt. Dawkins and Dakich are unknowns at this point, but both come with some potential.
Three Guard: 1. Zach Irvin 2. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman/Sean Lonergan
Analysis: Irvin played a lot in the tournament as a freshman and delivered some big threes when called upon. He should have no problem shifting into a more prominent role. Abdur-Rahkman is an intriguing prospect and could find himself some playing time early on in his first year.
Small Forward: 1. Kameron Chatman 2. Max Bielfeldt/Dion Wilson
Analysis: Chatman is next in line as an incoming freshman rated as ESPN's 38th best prospect in the country. As long as he can get after rebounds and hit occasional mid-to-long range shots he will be just fine. Wilson looks like another hustle and work type of a player that Michigan likes up front. He might be a little underrated as a recruit by some experts and could make a case for a playing time. Biefeldt has played sparingly without much noise going into his junior year. The coaches would love to get some quality minutes out of him somewhere if he's ready, but he will always be limited as an athlete.
Power Forward/Center: 1. Mark Donnal 2. Max Bielfeldt/Ricky Doyle/Dion Wilson
Analysis: With the loss of Mitch McGary, Jordan Morgan, and Jon Horford, you would think that a team would have a hard time rebounding the following season (pun intended). Needless to say, this is the position with the biggest question mark on the team. Luckily, it is basically the least important piece in the guard-heavy system that the Wolverines employ. Whoever winds up getting the bulk of the playing time will have a basic job: hustle, rebound, set up screens, rebound, occasionally layup, and rebound some more. Donnal is the most-likely candidate to win the starting job, but there should be enough bodies to fill in when needed. It's not as bad as it might look at first glance.
Leaders on the Rise:
Analysis: The Wolverines are set at the point with two experienced guys returning. Walton Jr. could be an All-Big Ten player and Albrecht could start for a lot of other good teams.
Two Guard: 2. Caris LaVert 2. Aubrey Dawkins 3. Andrew Dakich
Analysis: Nobody works harder than LaVert as he has trasformed himself into an All-American candidate from being a skinny two-star recruit just two years ago. He and Walton should form a solid backcourt. Dawkins and Dakich are unknowns at this point, but both come with some potential.
Three Guard: 1. Zach Irvin 2. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman/Sean Lonergan
Analysis: Irvin played a lot in the tournament as a freshman and delivered some big threes when called upon. He should have no problem shifting into a more prominent role. Abdur-Rahkman is an intriguing prospect and could find himself some playing time early on in his first year.
Small Forward: 1. Kameron Chatman 2. Max Bielfeldt/Dion Wilson
Analysis: Chatman is next in line as an incoming freshman rated as ESPN's 38th best prospect in the country. As long as he can get after rebounds and hit occasional mid-to-long range shots he will be just fine. Wilson looks like another hustle and work type of a player that Michigan likes up front. He might be a little underrated as a recruit by some experts and could make a case for a playing time. Biefeldt has played sparingly without much noise going into his junior year. The coaches would love to get some quality minutes out of him somewhere if he's ready, but he will always be limited as an athlete.
Power Forward/Center: 1. Mark Donnal 2. Max Bielfeldt/Ricky Doyle/Dion Wilson
Analysis: With the loss of Mitch McGary, Jordan Morgan, and Jon Horford, you would think that a team would have a hard time rebounding the following season (pun intended). Needless to say, this is the position with the biggest question mark on the team. Luckily, it is basically the least important piece in the guard-heavy system that the Wolverines employ. Whoever winds up getting the bulk of the playing time will have a basic job: hustle, rebound, set up screens, rebound, occasionally layup, and rebound some more. Donnal is the most-likely candidate to win the starting job, but there should be enough bodies to fill in when needed. It's not as bad as it might look at first glance.
Leaders on the Rise:
- Caris LaVert - His offseason workouts with Nick Stauskas last summer have already become legendary, as the frail-looking LaVert packed on a solid 25 lbs of muscle and turned out to be a major player for the Wolverines. If he works just as hard this year and makes any kind of improvement on his game he could find himself mentioned as a possible lottery pick. Expect him to lead the team in steals once again while also leading the team in scoring.
- Derrick Walton Jr. - Should compete for All-Big Ten honors at the point. This kid can do it a little bit of everything and he appears to be unselfish. His 41% from three-point range was third best on the team. With a little seasoning on him he could become one of the best in the country.
- Spike Albrecht - Spike will see a lot of action as he carries a 47% career average from three-point range into his third season. When LaVert and Walton Jr. are not on the floor Spike will be running the show. We will also see a lot of lineups with all three in the game together. At the very least, and despite his diminutive size (5'11"), Albrecht provides a veteran presence with big-game experience in the sixth-man position, and because of what he has done on the court already he has become a fan favorite in Ann Arbor.
Predictions for the 2014-2015 Basketball Team: "It's way too early to start that shit!"
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