The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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said. "That is still the plan. With the diversity of styles of play we face, however, flexibility in the lineup will continue to be a theme." Meanwhile, Beilein likes what he sees at the point. "There's a fight for the playing time at every position every year, no matter what position it is," he stressed. "The backcourt could be a strength again, because there is both talent and competition. Spike has probably exceeded some expectations for a freshman. Forget about the last game. Up to that point, his performance throughout the whole NCAA tourney was outstanding." Those who simply see Burke and Hardaway leaving and assume that Michigan is in trouble may be in for a surprise, the head coach acknowledged. "I don't think it will take very long for them to see that our new perimeter players, Derrick and Zak, are going to be great teammates," Beilein said. "Derrick's vision for his teammates on the floor is as good as any high school player I've ever seen. That's quite a statement, but his vision for his teammates on the floor is exceptional. Zak has really developed into a complete player. He has the potential to impact this team immediately in many different ways. All of our current players will love playing with both of these guys." Robinson stressed that he's going to be practicing more at the small forward position, giving Beilein the option to fashion a bigger lineup with some combination of McGary, Morgan, rising redshirt junior Jon Hor- ford, rising redshirt sophomore Max Bielfeldt and Donnal at the four and five spots. Going to a two-bigs lineup extensively would be a significant change for Beilein, who employed it at times last year. He could also go with a smaller lineup by playing with two small forwards, two guards and one big man. Beilein will keep his options open, and search for the best combinations. "We try to recruit guys that have great talent, versatility and great potential," he noted. "We'll find places for them to play as we see how we can best use their talent. With players like Glenn, Nik, Caris [LeVert] and Zak [Irvin], you have that length, skill level and passion. You can plug him into a lot of areas. "Of the approximately 28 different teams we played, 18 played small, 10 played big," Beilein offered. "You have to be able to go both ways. There are some games we wouldn't have won if we didn't go bigger at some point in the games. Most games we decided to play smaller. Time will tell the best way for us to play this season. Individual development over this summer could answer a lot of those questions." Donnal's opportunity early may depend in part on McGary's comfort with the power forward spot, the head coach explained. The third of Michigan's three rookies could redshirt, or perhaps break through and give minutes like LeVert did this season. One thing's certain — Beilein isn't looking to take steps backwards, having guided a team to a Big Ten cham-