After Another Season Derailed By Injuries, Basketball Team Regroups
With everything that went on this past season with the Michigan basketball team, it was honestly a nice surprise to still see them standing when the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament opened up last Friday. The team was left without any senior leadership on the floor with both Caris Lavert and Spike Albrecht both on the sidelines since December, but they still somehow managed to win 23 games. Juniors Zack Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. did well enough upon being thrust into the role of the veterans among a roster loaded with underclamssmen. In fact, Michigan sported the youngest roster in the Conference. And being the Optimistic Fan that I am, I won't hesitate to look to next season.
So, here's the never-too-early roster report for the 2016-'17 season:
Point Guard:
1. Derrick Walton Jr. (Sr) 6'1"/190lbs
2. Xavier Simpson (Fr) 5'10"/160lbs
3. Andrew Dakich (Sr) 6'2"/190lbs
Outlook: With the range to hit the big threes and the quickness to beat many defenders to the basket, Walton Jr. has produced a lot of highlight moments on film. However, he has been way too inconsistent to really lead this team to a Big Ten title just yet. To his defense, there was very little relief for him with Lavert and Albrecht both out. He and his fellow back-court mates got worn down by deeper opponents, and probably felt the lingering effects of a long season come February when the team lost five games. Incoming freshman Xavier Simpson, recently crowned Ohio's Mr. Basketball, will immediately help relieve some of that pressure. Although he might be somewhat of a liability on defense due to his size, Simpson has the talent to score from anywhere on the floor. He also displays an innate ability to create opportunities for others with precision passes. Fans are hoping he can provide a much-needed spark off the bench at the pivot. Dakich, a senior, will not be relied upon much at all, but he should be good enough to handle a couple minutes per game to help keep guys fresh throughout the season.
Preseason Grade: B
Guard:
1. Muhammad Ali-Abdur-Rahkman (Jr) 6'4"/185lbs
2. Xavier Simpson (Fr) 5'10"/160lbs
3. Ibi Watson (Fr) 6'4"/180lbs
Outlook: This was another position that struggled with depth, but the Wolverines have at least found one nice diamond in the rough with an ability to create scoring opportunities on his own. Nobody on the team drives to the basket better than Abdur-Rahkman, so look for him to improve upon his 8.6 points per game and continue making highlight reel plays. If his postseason play is any indication he should be scouring somewhere around 15 points per game next season. If Simpson proves to be a deadly scorer he could get some looks here too, but fellow freshman Ibi Watson could be one of those under-the-radar-type of prospects like Lavert was four years ago. He appears to have a very nice stroke from three-point range but needs to add strength if he wants to truly compete at the next level. Without the two freshmen this spot begins to look extremely thin.
Preseason Grade: B-
Guard/Forward:
1. Zach Irvin (Sr) 6'6"/215lbs
2. Kam Chatman (Jr) 6'8"/215lbs
Outlook: Irvin was the de facto scoring leader this past season, but his percentages were nothing to brag about (41%FG, 30%3ptFG, 68%FT). He drastically needs to improve in those areas if he truly wants to lead this team. Dawkins provided some solid relief with over 15 minutes per game last season, but he is now gone via transfer to play for his dad at UCF. Irvin will no doubt need to gobble up over 30 minutes per game, but Kam Chatman should help relieve some of the pressure.
Preseason Grade: B-
Guard/Forward:
1. Duncan Robinson (RJr) 6'8"/210lbs
2. Kam Chatman (Jr) 6'8"/215lbs
3. D.J. Wilson (RSo) 6'9"/240lbs
4. Sean Lonergan (Sr) 6'5"/210lbs
Outlook: Robinson appears to be emerging as a star in Ann Arbor. He shot 46% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc, and he was the second-leading scorer on the team (402pts) with just under 29 minutes per game. He is also the team's best free-throw shooter and will be a leader going forward. Chatman hit a huge three-pointer in the Big Ten Tourney to beat Indiana after only garnering seven minutes per game all season. He should get an increased role, particularly now that Dawkins is gone. The presence of Wilson and Lonergan helps with depth, but without Robinson in the starting lineup it could get ugly real quick. More rebounds from this group as a whole would be nice too.
Preseason Grade: B-
Power Forward/Center:
1. Mark Donnal (RJr) 6'9"/240lbs
2. Moritz Wagner (So) 6'10"/225lbs
3. Jon Teske (Fr) 6'11"/210lbs/Austin Davis (Fr) 6'10"/240lbs
Outlook: The Wolverines struggled the last couple years to establish a strong front-court. Mark Donnal (25starts) and Ricky Doyle (11starts) have garnered most of the playing time but neither guy was a force on rebounds. Donnal did lead the team with 25 blocks, but he also lead the team in personal fouls (84) while managing only 3.7 boards per game. Those are not the type of numbers you really want to see from a starting center. Look for him to improve in those areas and be more of a leader in his fourth season with the program. Moritz Wagner proved to be a real spark plug off the bench down the stretch in his first season at Michigan. He needs to add some bulk to his frame and work on a lot of the little things during the off-season, but with some improvement in his game he could be on the verge of becoming a standout player for the Wolverines. And to be honest, I believe his development this off-season will be crucial to next year's successes. Teske and Davis will both spend time on the bench in 2016, but if either one shows a propensity for nabbing rebounds and blocking shots they will get a chance to play early and often.
Preseason Grade: B
Big Keys to Success?
Depth - If the young guys and veteran reserves can step their games up and provide more quality minutes off the bench, then the sky could be the limit for this roster. There simply wasn't enough depth to make a sustained run at the Big Ten title or in the NCAA Tourney this past year, but the core talent was there to compete with most teams throughout the season. With all the kids that got good experience the last few months coming back and a top 25 recruiting class coming in, it's hard to argue that the team isn't headed in the right direction going into the off-season.
Rebounds - If there is one stat that needs to improve it is this one. It's not rocket science, it's basketball. A team cannot expect to have much success if it doesn't provide second chances for itself on the offensive end of the floor, or take away second chances from opponents on defense. Guys like Donnal, Robinson, Chatman, Wagner, and Doyle all need to play with a little more athleticism and crash the boards with more authority in 2016. It actually wouldn't take much, as they were only out-rebounded by 39 total rebounds all year, so with all the returning guys along the front court I feel like one should EXPECT them to drastically improve in this area.
So, here's the never-too-early roster report for the 2016-'17 season:
 |
| Derrick Walton Jr. #10 |
1. Derrick Walton Jr. (Sr) 6'1"/190lbs
2. Xavier Simpson (Fr) 5'10"/160lbs
3. Andrew Dakich (Sr) 6'2"/190lbs
Outlook: With the range to hit the big threes and the quickness to beat many defenders to the basket, Walton Jr. has produced a lot of highlight moments on film. However, he has been way too inconsistent to really lead this team to a Big Ten title just yet. To his defense, there was very little relief for him with Lavert and Albrecht both out. He and his fellow back-court mates got worn down by deeper opponents, and probably felt the lingering effects of a long season come February when the team lost five games. Incoming freshman Xavier Simpson, recently crowned Ohio's Mr. Basketball, will immediately help relieve some of that pressure. Although he might be somewhat of a liability on defense due to his size, Simpson has the talent to score from anywhere on the floor. He also displays an innate ability to create opportunities for others with precision passes. Fans are hoping he can provide a much-needed spark off the bench at the pivot. Dakich, a senior, will not be relied upon much at all, but he should be good enough to handle a couple minutes per game to help keep guys fresh throughout the season.
Preseason Grade: B
Guard:
 |
| Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman #12 |
2. Xavier Simpson (Fr) 5'10"/160lbs
3. Ibi Watson (Fr) 6'4"/180lbs
Outlook: This was another position that struggled with depth, but the Wolverines have at least found one nice diamond in the rough with an ability to create scoring opportunities on his own. Nobody on the team drives to the basket better than Abdur-Rahkman, so look for him to improve upon his 8.6 points per game and continue making highlight reel plays. If his postseason play is any indication he should be scouring somewhere around 15 points per game next season. If Simpson proves to be a deadly scorer he could get some looks here too, but fellow freshman Ibi Watson could be one of those under-the-radar-type of prospects like Lavert was four years ago. He appears to have a very nice stroke from three-point range but needs to add strength if he wants to truly compete at the next level. Without the two freshmen this spot begins to look extremely thin.
Preseason Grade: B-
Guard/Forward:
 |
| Zach Irvin #21 |
1. Zach Irvin (Sr) 6'6"/215lbs
2. Kam Chatman (Jr) 6'8"/215lbs
Outlook: Irvin was the de facto scoring leader this past season, but his percentages were nothing to brag about (41%FG, 30%3ptFG, 68%FT). He drastically needs to improve in those areas if he truly wants to lead this team. Dawkins provided some solid relief with over 15 minutes per game last season, but he is now gone via transfer to play for his dad at UCF. Irvin will no doubt need to gobble up over 30 minutes per game, but Kam Chatman should help relieve some of the pressure.
Preseason Grade: B-
Guard/Forward:
 |
| Duncan Robinson #22 |
2. Kam Chatman (Jr) 6'8"/215lbs
3. D.J. Wilson (RSo) 6'9"/240lbs
4. Sean Lonergan (Sr) 6'5"/210lbs
Outlook: Robinson appears to be emerging as a star in Ann Arbor. He shot 46% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc, and he was the second-leading scorer on the team (402pts) with just under 29 minutes per game. He is also the team's best free-throw shooter and will be a leader going forward. Chatman hit a huge three-pointer in the Big Ten Tourney to beat Indiana after only garnering seven minutes per game all season. He should get an increased role, particularly now that Dawkins is gone. The presence of Wilson and Lonergan helps with depth, but without Robinson in the starting lineup it could get ugly real quick. More rebounds from this group as a whole would be nice too.
Preseason Grade: B-
Power Forward/Center:
 |
| Moritz Wagner #13 |
2. Moritz Wagner (So) 6'10"/225lbs
3. Jon Teske (Fr) 6'11"/210lbs/Austin Davis (Fr) 6'10"/240lbs
Outlook: The Wolverines struggled the last couple years to establish a strong front-court. Mark Donnal (25starts) and Ricky Doyle (11starts) have garnered most of the playing time but neither guy was a force on rebounds. Donnal did lead the team with 25 blocks, but he also lead the team in personal fouls (84) while managing only 3.7 boards per game. Those are not the type of numbers you really want to see from a starting center. Look for him to improve in those areas and be more of a leader in his fourth season with the program. Moritz Wagner proved to be a real spark plug off the bench down the stretch in his first season at Michigan. He needs to add some bulk to his frame and work on a lot of the little things during the off-season, but with some improvement in his game he could be on the verge of becoming a standout player for the Wolverines. And to be honest, I believe his development this off-season will be crucial to next year's successes. Teske and Davis will both spend time on the bench in 2016, but if either one shows a propensity for nabbing rebounds and blocking shots they will get a chance to play early and often.
Preseason Grade: B
Big Keys to Success?
Depth - If the young guys and veteran reserves can step their games up and provide more quality minutes off the bench, then the sky could be the limit for this roster. There simply wasn't enough depth to make a sustained run at the Big Ten title or in the NCAA Tourney this past year, but the core talent was there to compete with most teams throughout the season. With all the kids that got good experience the last few months coming back and a top 25 recruiting class coming in, it's hard to argue that the team isn't headed in the right direction going into the off-season.
Rebounds - If there is one stat that needs to improve it is this one. It's not rocket science, it's basketball. A team cannot expect to have much success if it doesn't provide second chances for itself on the offensive end of the floor, or take away second chances from opponents on defense. Guys like Donnal, Robinson, Chatman, Wagner, and Doyle all need to play with a little more athleticism and crash the boards with more authority in 2016. It actually wouldn't take much, as they were only out-rebounded by 39 total rebounds all year, so with all the returning guys along the front court I feel like one should EXPECT them to drastically improve in this area.
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