Basketball Team Shaping Up
Depth Chart
Point Guard - Zavier Simpson, David DeJulius
Simpson is one of the top returning point guards in the conference as an All-Big Ten 2nd Team player last season. He can play defense, pass the ball, and drive it down low, but he needs to improve his long range shooting to really help this team improve from last year. If he gets his three-point shooting up closer to 40% than 30%, then this team will truly have one of the best point guards in the country on its hands. He was starting to truly develop a great sky-hook shot last year that was often quite pretty. That leads me to believe that he can achieve just about anything he sets his mind to accomplishing.
Two-Guard - Eli Brooks, Adrien Nunez, Cole Bajema
No real front-runner here but Brooks has the most experience and flashed a couple times late in the season. Whoever proves to be the best shooter of this bunch will get the majority of the playing time. The Wolverines need somebody - anybody! - to hit about 40% of their three-point shots from this spot. If they can't do that then this team could be in trouble here. Freshman shooter Cole Bajema could be a surprise player if he proves that he knows how to hustle. Freshman wing Franz Wagner could be in the mix here too if he shows some nice long-range shooting ability.
Forward - Brandon Johns, Franz Wagner
The Wolverines will start Johns here unless he gets beat out by Wagner. Ultimately, the former is the better athlete with a year at Michigan under his belt, but the latter has more overall experience after playing pro ball in Germany, where he also played for the national youth teams. Again, the player with the best shooting percentages will probably get the majority of the playing time here, but the ability to play defense will be a big factor too.
Forward - Isiah Livers
Livers is the best returning three-point shooter on the team after leading the Wolverines with a whopping 48.7% field goal rate and 42.6% from beyond the arc. He will most-likely be Michigan's best player and will log well over 32 minutes per game. He should be an All-Big Ten candidate. The little relief he does get will come from a mixture of Colin Castleton, Brandon Johns, and Franz Wagner.
Center - Jon Teske, Colin Castleton
Teske proved himself to be a formidable defender who knows how to use his size on both ends of the floor. He can hustle and should be one of the best centers in the conference. Castleton earned more playing time as the season went on and should be primed for an increased role as the top backup down low, and he could get as much as 20 minutes per game if he proves to be a versatile player.
Big D Lineup
Simpson - Too good of a defender to take him off the floor when the team wants to shut an offense down.
Wagner - As soon as he arrived on campus he was probably among the best six players on this team. He has good length to defend out on the perimeter against shooters and he has enough ability as a shooter himself to take some opposing defenders by surprise. If the team wants more speed they will have to go with Brooks or DeJulius here.
Livers - A big, rangy player who is dangerous on both ends of the floor. Should be able to own most small forwards in the conference.
Teske - Already an All-Big Ten quality defender who is still improving on an already decent offensive game. His 7'1" height is a must on the floor when the team is in defensive mode.
Castleton - Tower number two at 6'11" can help guard the rim when the team is in shutdown mode. He seems like a hustler too, as in a guy that will work his way into plays. Might be a nightmare for shooters if he can guard out near three-point land.
Shoot 'Em Up Lineup
Simpson - Despite his mediocre 30.8% shooting from three, he is still the best option the team has to hit big shots from this position. Well, here's to hoping he can and will in fact improve!
Bajema - Might be an immediate impact shooter if he can prove to not be a liability in other facets of the game too. Is he strong enough to compete right away in college?
Nunez - Unproven bench player in his third season will look to get minutes somehow. Hitting long threes will be his best opportunity.
Wagner - Just big enough to help defend some college forwards, Wagner should be a sneaky player for the Wolverines in sub-packages.
Livers - Just an all-around good player that can score from pretty much anywhere. He is the guy the team wants to have the ball the most in close-game situations.
Point Guard - Zavier Simpson, David DeJulius
Simpson is one of the top returning point guards in the conference as an All-Big Ten 2nd Team player last season. He can play defense, pass the ball, and drive it down low, but he needs to improve his long range shooting to really help this team improve from last year. If he gets his three-point shooting up closer to 40% than 30%, then this team will truly have one of the best point guards in the country on its hands. He was starting to truly develop a great sky-hook shot last year that was often quite pretty. That leads me to believe that he can achieve just about anything he sets his mind to accomplishing.
Two-Guard - Eli Brooks, Adrien Nunez, Cole Bajema
No real front-runner here but Brooks has the most experience and flashed a couple times late in the season. Whoever proves to be the best shooter of this bunch will get the majority of the playing time. The Wolverines need somebody - anybody! - to hit about 40% of their three-point shots from this spot. If they can't do that then this team could be in trouble here. Freshman shooter Cole Bajema could be a surprise player if he proves that he knows how to hustle. Freshman wing Franz Wagner could be in the mix here too if he shows some nice long-range shooting ability.
Forward - Brandon Johns, Franz Wagner
The Wolverines will start Johns here unless he gets beat out by Wagner. Ultimately, the former is the better athlete with a year at Michigan under his belt, but the latter has more overall experience after playing pro ball in Germany, where he also played for the national youth teams. Again, the player with the best shooting percentages will probably get the majority of the playing time here, but the ability to play defense will be a big factor too.
Forward - Isiah Livers
Livers is the best returning three-point shooter on the team after leading the Wolverines with a whopping 48.7% field goal rate and 42.6% from beyond the arc. He will most-likely be Michigan's best player and will log well over 32 minutes per game. He should be an All-Big Ten candidate. The little relief he does get will come from a mixture of Colin Castleton, Brandon Johns, and Franz Wagner.
Center - Jon Teske, Colin Castleton
Teske proved himself to be a formidable defender who knows how to use his size on both ends of the floor. He can hustle and should be one of the best centers in the conference. Castleton earned more playing time as the season went on and should be primed for an increased role as the top backup down low, and he could get as much as 20 minutes per game if he proves to be a versatile player.
Big D Lineup
Simpson - Too good of a defender to take him off the floor when the team wants to shut an offense down.
Wagner - As soon as he arrived on campus he was probably among the best six players on this team. He has good length to defend out on the perimeter against shooters and he has enough ability as a shooter himself to take some opposing defenders by surprise. If the team wants more speed they will have to go with Brooks or DeJulius here.
Livers - A big, rangy player who is dangerous on both ends of the floor. Should be able to own most small forwards in the conference.
Teske - Already an All-Big Ten quality defender who is still improving on an already decent offensive game. His 7'1" height is a must on the floor when the team is in defensive mode.
Castleton - Tower number two at 6'11" can help guard the rim when the team is in shutdown mode. He seems like a hustler too, as in a guy that will work his way into plays. Might be a nightmare for shooters if he can guard out near three-point land.
Shoot 'Em Up Lineup
Simpson - Despite his mediocre 30.8% shooting from three, he is still the best option the team has to hit big shots from this position. Well, here's to hoping he can and will in fact improve!
Bajema - Might be an immediate impact shooter if he can prove to not be a liability in other facets of the game too. Is he strong enough to compete right away in college?
Nunez - Unproven bench player in his third season will look to get minutes somehow. Hitting long threes will be his best opportunity.
Wagner - Just big enough to help defend some college forwards, Wagner should be a sneaky player for the Wolverines in sub-packages.
Livers - Just an all-around good player that can score from pretty much anywhere. He is the guy the team wants to have the ball the most in close-game situations.
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