The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 31 BY CHRIS BALAS M any were stunned, some taken aback, when John Beilein left Michigan after 12 years to take over the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. All, how- ever, could agree on one thing: Beilein left the program much, much better than he found it and on solid footing. Returning are two of the Big Ten's best defenders in senior point guard Zavier Simpson and senior center Jon Teske, a potential pro in forward Isa- iah Livers, and a sophomore class that looks to make a huge leap. Add an elite freshman in wing Franz Wag- ner (though he will miss the first 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist) and there's the foundation for success in new head coach Juwan Howard's first year — and is he ever grateful. "Coach Beilein did an awesome job for this program," Howard said at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago, noting the two w o u l d m e e t during the sum- mer to compare notes and learn from each other. "He would pick my brain on post defense. "There were t i m e s w h e n we would have a session — I call it a career workshop day — where he would have his coaching staff out there, and we all would talk about basketball and skill development from an offensive standpoint. "I've always had a lot of respect for Coach Beilein and his philosophy. There were times I would ask [Miami Heat head coach] Erik Spoelstra to reach out to Coach Beilein. I would say, 'Hey, this guy is interesting. He's one of the best bas- ketball minds out there.'" H o w a r d w a s interviewing for NBA head coach- i n g j o b s w h e n the Michigan job opened up, and he wasted no time in letting director of athletics Warde Manuel know he was interested. Asked why he chose the college route over the NBA, where he'd spent the last several years as a Heat assistant after his playing days ended, Howard just smiled and pointed to the gold, block 'M' pin on his lapel. If he was nervous about it, he cer- tainly didn't show it. "Now, I'm sure a lot of people think I have a lot of pressure on me to try to fill those shoes. All I can say is this: I'm not going to try to be like Coach Beilein," Howard said. "He has his philosophy, his way of doing things. I have my philosophy, and I feel that works for our team moving forward. "But I do respect the gentleman who was there before me." A SOLID FOUNDATION Howard also loves the talent he inherited, starting with senior point guard Zavier Simpson, who aver- aged 8.8 points per game and dished a team-best 244 assists last season. He's proven over and over that he's a two-way player and did again last year, leading the squad with 53 steals and averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. He also hasn't missed a single one of the 116 games played over the last three years and was named the team's MVP last season. His leadership, though, is what makes him most valuable. In addi- tion to being named to the Big Ten's All-Defensive and All-Tournament teams last year, Simpson was the steadying force on the floor, demand- ing his teammates play with the same intensity he did every time he took the court. He also works tirelessly on his game. In one of his first press confer- ences, Howard relayed how he told Simpson to dial it down a notch af- ter learning his point guard had been working out three times a day over the summer. Few would argue, though, that Simpson's outside shot could still use work, and he's done his part to make the effort. He'll need to improve on his 30.8 percent from three-point range a year ago if the offense is going to take a step forward. He did make five in a game against Northwestern last season, so he has it in him. "Everyone always talks about his limited shooting," Howard said. "He's been working extremely hard on his shooting. At times he has the best scores in our shooting drills — he has the highest number, the best shooting percentage. Now it's about feeding him more and more confi- dence, letting him relax and play." One of this t e a m ' s b i g - gest questions, though, is who earns the right to start next to him? Neither ju- nior Eli Brooks (2.5 points per game last sea- son) nor sophomore David DeJulius (0.6) is big in stature. The Wolverines would be sacrificing some length on the floor, and it could be a challenge to get away with defensively, espe- cially, if one of them earned the right. Some are hopeful that freshman Franz Wagner could fit the bill, even at 6-8. The German wunderkind, brother of former U-M star Moritz Wagner, has ball skills and is an out- standing shooter, but can he put it on the floor well enough to play the two? H o w a r d b e - lieves the wing is Wagner's best po- sition, but he could get a look when U-M goes to a big- ger lineup. "Franz is talented … a huge pickup for us. In my opinion, if Franz lived in the U.S., he would be equivalent to today's players that are rated as five- star," Howard said. "He's that good. 2019-20 BASKETBALL PREVIEW A NEW ERA BEGINS Juwan Howard's First Michigan Team Has Potential Howard "Now, I'm sure a lot of people think I have a lot of pressure on me to try to fill those shoes. All I can say is this: I'm not going to try to be like Coach Beilein. He has his philosophy, his way of doing things. I have my philosophy, and I feel that works for our team moving forward."