The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/130469
Michigan And Big Ten's Top Five Choosing a starting lineup for the Wolverines in the season's opener doesn't necessarily equate to selecting one for the final game of the year. That's obvious from a campaign falling 20 minutes shy of a national championship. In last year's opener against Slippery Rock, U-M started sophomore Trey Burke and junior Tim Hardaway Jr. at the guards, senior Matt Vogrich at a small forward, freshman Glenn Robinson III at power forward and redshirt junior Jordan Morgan in the post. In the national championship game against Louisville, Burke, Hardaway and Robinson remained in the starting lineup, but big man Mitch McGary and wing Nik Stauskas, both freshmen, had joined them. Similar moves could occur this year, with freshmen getting acclimated. Point guard Derrick Walton could start from day one, and wing Zak Irvin will push for time, while big man Mark Donnal has time to develop. Here is a stab at two lineups — one for the start of the season, one for the Big Ten opener. Season-Opening Lineup G — Spike Albrecht, So. G — Nik Stauskas, So. F — Glenn Robinson, So. F — Mitch McGary, So. C – Jordan Morgan, 5th-Sr. Big Ten-Opening Lineup G — Derrick Walton, Fr. G — Nik Stauskas, So. F — Zak Irvin, Fr. F — Glenn Robinson, So. C — Mitch McGary, So. Meanwhile, the Big Ten isn't standing pat. Others have experienced graduations, early entries to the NBA, etc. Here's a guess at the conference's top five heading into next season: 1. Michigan State — The return of 6-10 rising senior Robinson shot 64.6 percent from the field, and averaged 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the NCAA Tournament. photo by lon horwedel