The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1178918
NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 73 F or the past decade, Michigan has been blessed with pro- gram-defining point guards. From Darius Morris, who used his pick-and-roll passing and words to let it be known that Michigan wasn't fearful of its rivals or Big Ten coun- terparts anymore. To Trey Burke, who transformed himself into a Na- tional Player of the Year, his offense into the most lethal in the country and Michigan into a championship- winning program. To Derrick Wal- ton Jr., who — when healthy — lit the world on fire his final year, lead- ing U-M through a magical Big Ten Tournament run. Senior point guard Zavier Simpson has been the next in line, and he has the opportunity to leave a unique leg- acy at Michigan. He already has cap- tained this program through one seis- mic shift while in Ann Arbor. Now, with Juwan Howard at the helm, Simpson will have to do it again. Before Simpson entered the lineup in 2017-18, Michigan had a reputa- tion for being finesse and soft under former head coach John Beilein. From 2011-17, the Wolverines fin- ished no worse than 39th in ad- justed offensive efficiency in all but one injury-plagued season thanks to superb shooting and ball security. On the other hand, they finished no better than 37th in adjusted defen- sive efficiency and flirted with falling out of the top 100 from 2014-17. Michigan was not a program that knew how to win with defense, toughness or grit. If the shots were not falling, the Wolverines would lose their confidence and would of- ten wilt on the court. That all changed with Simpson's arrival. He won the starting job early in the 2017-18 season, and Michigan's identity changed in a flash. The Wolverines adopted Simpson's bulldog, lip-snarling per- sonality and became a lock-down defensive unit. They finished third nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, and during a 14-game winning streak that led them to a Big Ten Tournament title and a trip to the national championship game, they hounded 11 of their opponents into one of their worst five offensive efforts of the season. They were nasty. They were vi- cious. They, for the first time during Beilein's tenure, were the bullies on the hardwood. This did not change last season ei- ther. With Simpson at the top, Charles Matthews on the wing, senior center Jon Teske in the paint and assistant Luke Yaklich on the sideline, the Wolverines formed one of the best defenses in the nation. They finished second in adjusted defensive effi- ciency (86.2), and the only school who was better was the team that knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament en route to a national championship game appearance (Texas Tech). However, Matthews — Simpson's co-captain last season — left for the NBA, and after Beilein's sudden and unexpected departure to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers, Yaklich left for Austin, Texas. Scrambling to replace arguably its best coach ever after the coaching carousel had come to a halt, Michi- gan went with Howard, who was the best choice U-M could make in those circumstances. By hiring Howard, though, Michi- gan risks experiencing an identity crisis. Howard hasn't been involved in the college basketball world since he was a member of the Fab Five 25 years ago. His time spent in the game has been at the NBA level, where, for the prior six seasons, he had been only an assistant. The system that Howard will run offen- sively and defensively is unknown. As Michigan makes this transition from someone who only was a head coach at the college level to someone who has only been an assistant at the professional level, the Wolverines will need its players to step up and help build the foundation that will form U-M's identity under Howard. There is no better candidate than Simpson. He has proven that he is a winner. He has been the point guard for two 30-win teams at Michigan. He has proven to be one of college basketball's best defensive point guards. He had the best defensive box plus/minus among players listed shorter than 6-foot-4 (4.6). He has proven to be one of college basketball's best playmakers (17th in assist rate). He has proven that he can work diligently to add new ele- ments to his game, such as an old- fashioned skyhook. Most importantly, Simpson has proven that he is a leader. He should be a shoe-in to be Michigan's cap- tain for the second straight season, and his leadership will be needed with U-M replacing its Hall of Fame head coach, its three top scorers (Ignas Brazdeikis, Jordan Poole and Matthews), and injured freshman Franz Wagner (fractured wrist) for the next four to six weeks. Michigan is about to wade into un- charted waters in its hopes to main- tain Beilein's level of success. It's a scary proposition, but Simpson has proven that he can captain a transi- tion of this magnitude. If he can do it again, it would only further add to his illustrious legacy at U-M. ❏ INSIDE THE NUMBERS DREW HALLETT From Z To C Senior point guard Zavier Simpson, who helped the Wolverines finish No. 2 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (86.2) in 2018-19, is a shoe-in to be a team captain for the second straight season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Staff writer Drew Hallett has covered Michigan athletics since 2013. Contact him at drew.c.hallett@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @DrewCHallett.