The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1178918
32 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2019 2019-20 BASKETBALL PREVIEW "To be almost 6-foot-9 at the wing position; he has a high IQ, he's tough, he's skilled, he can put the ball on the floor, he creates his own shot and he's not afraid to dunk on you." He's also an underrated defender, Howard added. "We all talk about his skill set offensively, but the guy can defend and he wants to defend," the coach said. "That's the beauty of Franz. He's go- ing to be a pro." If he's playing the three (wing), the Wolverines will need someone to step up at shooting guard. Brooks played in 31 games as a freshman, averaging 1.8 points per g a m e a n d i m p ro v e d modestly to 2.5 points per game as a sophomore. Howard said he loved what he'd seen from Brooks in the early going, while Simpson feels his backcourt mate is ready to make a leap. "You'll see a lot from Eli," Simpson said. "He's a great guy. He can play with anybody; he does all the right things and makes the smart choices." He can shoot it, too, and they'll need him to this year. He made only 29.2 percent of his 48 tri- ples last year but is much better than he's shown through two years, ac- cording to teammates. "The new coaching staff definitely instilled a lot of confidence in me," Brooks said. "I feel free — just being able to trust myself and that I did the work to be able to make the shots and make the right play." Freshman Cole Bajema, a former top-100 recruit, continues to learn and some feel he could redshirt. Sopho- more Adrien Nunez, meanwhile, has a chance to earn more playing time after receiving just 40 minutes of ac- tion last year. "Adrien Nunez is a very good shooter, one of the best shooters on the team," Howard said. "His num- bers have proven it in practice. He's going to see some playing time. He's another worker." BIG MEN AND FORWARDS HAVE PLENTY TO OFFER Wh ile Liv ers is experimen t- ing at the wing, he'll see plenty of time at power forward too. The 6-7, 230-pounder is in the best shape of his life, having trimmed some body fat in preparation for the possibil- ity of playing the three, and he will be expected to improve upon his 7.9-point and 3.9-rebound clips re- corded last season. Some believe he's capable of po- tentially doubling his scoring output this year. "He's a big-size guard and so talented," How- ard said. "I call him a big guard because of the way he shoots the ball, the way he moves out there on the floor. He's athletic, wants to get better, is a hard worker and comes in on off days to get shots up. "He's passionate about the game of basketball. He wants it, and it's my job to help put him in places that will utilize his strengths to help him get to where he wants to be this season." He'd like to play some wing, and time will tell if he's capable. To do that, U-M will also need some- one else to emerge as a face-up four in his place. Enter sophomore Bran- don Johns, who didn't make the freshman im- pact many hoped the No. 60 prospect in the class of 2018 per Rivals.com would last year. He av- eraged only 0.8 points in 4.2 minutes per game and logged a total of 117 min- utes in his college debut. Like Beilein last year, Howard wants to see Johns be more aggressive on both ends of the floor. "Brandon is a very ath- letic guy who has a beau- tiful stroke. … I'm just instilling more and more confidence in Brandon," Howard said. "He's competing hard in practice, and he's grasping a lot of the new responsibilities. "He's a joy to work with. He's a coachable, high-character kid. He's going to have his chance to play a lot this year, but as he knows, it starts in practice. You have to earn your minutes." At center, Teske returns as one of the best defensive big men in the league. Howard called him exactly that in describing his game, and now he's working on teaching him more back-to-the-basket play and banging on the interior. Teske averaged 9.5 points, 7.0 re- bounds and 2.0 blocks per game last Teammates and coaches say junior guard Eli Brooks is a better shooter than the 34.8 percent he has shot overall and 27.0 percent from three-point land in his first two years. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL