The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1178918
16 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS U-M Will Finish Third Or Fourth By Chris Balas Michigan has been picked anywhere from fifth in the Big Ten to ninth in preseason polls, and it's fair that the Wolverines' se- niors view that as a slap in the face. You can be certain senior point guard Zavier Simpson, especially, sees it that way. He's a competitor, and even after freshman Ignas Brazdeikis and sophomore Jordan Poole left for the NBA last year, Simpson wasn't ready to concede anything. "I'm a winner. That's what I do best," he said (paraphrasing). Freshman shooting guard Cole Bajema laughed after he was asked when he real- ized how competitive Simpson was. It was the first day Bajema played in an open-gym scrimmage with him that he found out Simpson takes every second on the court seriously. Between that type of leadership, senior center Jon Teske's standing as one of the best defensive centers in the conference, junior forward Isaiah Livers' return and potential as a scorer, and freshman Franz Wagner's ad- dition, this team will surprise some people. Analyst Tim McCormick noted after seeing a Michigan State practice he couldn't remember the last time the gap was so big between No. 1 and No. 2 in the league, and that's probably true. There's no reason, though, U-M can't hang with Maryland, Purdue, Ohio State and others given what returns. There's a core there that knows how to win … and has gotten used to it. Wolverines Will Wind Up Sixth Or Seventh By Austin Fox It's always difficult to predict how a team will per form immediately following a coaching change. However, the case could be made that the 2019-20 Wolverines are actually tougher to forecast than most other programs following a change at the top, because Juwan Howard has never been a head coach before. It would not be shocking to see him con- tinue John Beilein's immense success and once again field a potent U-M squad in his first year, nor would it surprise to see his club struggle mightily in his debut cam- paign as a program's head man. The most likely outcome, however, is probably some- where in between. There is plenty of talent in Ann Arbor for the Maize and Blue to once again make an NCAA Tournament appearance, though questions surrounding where the Wolver- ines' offensive firepower will come from are legitimate. U-M struggled mightily to score the ball at times last season, and it ultimately led to its downfall when it was held to just 44 points in a 19-point loss to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. With last year's top three scorers all gone — forward Ignas Brazdeikis, and guards Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews — it's fair to wonder where the consistent offensive produc- tion will come from in 2019-20. The top returning scorer is senior center Jon Teske, who posted a clip of 9.5 points per game a year ago. POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT WHERE WILL MICHIGAN BASKETBALL FINISH IN BIG TEN PLAY? After averaging 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game a year ago, junior forward Isaiah Livers is ready for a bigger role and could be a key to the Wolverines this season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL With college basket- ball season approaching, players are being selected to award watch lists and earning other preseason honors. Not surprisingly, U-M's headlining seniors have garnered the most attention. Senior Zavier Simpson was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award watch list, presented by the Basket- ball Hall of Fame, in ad- dition to being included on the league's preseason All-Big Ten team, among other honors. Simpson's recognition is the 20th time a U-M player has been named to the official preseason All-Big Ten team. Senior center Jon Teske was selected to Kareem Abdul- Jabbar Award watch list, an award given to the nation's top center and also given out by the Basketball Hall of Fame. A full rundown of preseason honors earned by Juwan Howard's first team is below: — Clayton Sayfie Senior point guard Zavier Simpson makes it eight straight years at least one Wolverine has made the league's preseason All-Big Ten team. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL MICHIGAN PLAYERS WITH PRESEASON HONORS Senior guard Zavier Simpson Bob Cousy Award watch list (one of 20) Official All-Big Ten Team (one of 10) All-Big Ten by Street & Smith's (one of five) Big Ten All-Defense Team by Street & Smith's (one of five) All-Big Ten second team by Lindy's and Athlon (one of five) Big Ten's Top Defender by Lindy's and Athlon Senior center Jon Teske Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award watch list (one of 20) All-Big Ten third team by Athlon (one of five) Junior forward Isaiah Livers Big Ten All-Sharpshooter team by Street & Smith's (one of five) Freshman guard Franz Wagner Big Ten All-Newcomer Team by Street & Smith's (one of five) Freshman guard Cole Bajema Big Ten's "Will Take You By Surprise" pick by Lindy's Michigan Basketball Earns Preseason Honors