The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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46 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2020 2020-21 BASKETBALL PREVIEW mer U-M head coach John Beilein, only to see him opt for the NBA's Cleve- land Cavaliers in spring 2019. When Howard came in, he made it clear how much he wanted him to remain a pledge, and Jackson never flinched in reinforcing his commitment. "Coach Beilein and Coach Howard are both great coaches. Their styles are definitely a little different, but af- ter Coach B decided to coach for the Cavs and Coach Howard came in, the biggest thing with me was Coach Howard gave me the confidence I needed to still trust in him," Jackson said. "He gained my trust from day one. That was huge for me. "I was planning on being a combo guard anyway, so my role didn't change too much. But my style of play has definitely changed." Simpson played for both Beilein and Howard, and did it at a high level. Jackson revealed what Simpson's lat- est piece of advice was for him head- ing into his freshman campaign. "He just told me not to overthink anything," Jackson said. "Coach Howard allows us to play basket- ball. When I go out there, the biggest thing he told me was, 'Just hoop,' basically." — Clayton Sayfie Lindy's released its preseason college basketball magazine for the 2020-21 campaign in October, and provided a complete breakdown of where it thinks Michigan will finish in the final Big Ten standings. The outlet pegged the Maize and Blue to wind up eighth in what is ex- pected to be a loaded conference, be- hind (in order) Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers and Indiana. Lindy's also ranked its top 40 teams in the nation, but did not include the Wolverines among that bunch. It is not expecting Michigan to make the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Lindy's broke down the "bad news" for U-M like this: "Zavier Simpson's shoes will be hard to fill at the point — and five-star commit Isaiah Todd opted for the G-League. Finding con- sistency is crucial. This looks like a break-even conference prospect and, likely, a bubble sit." It wasn't all negative for the Wol- verines, however, with the magazine pegging Michigan as having the best group of newcomers in the confer- ence, while also having pulled off the No. 1 signing coup on the recruiting trail when U-M landed freshman center Hunter Dickinson. Lindy's didn't seem too optimistic about what head coach Juwan Howard already has on his roster, though, failing to include any players among the Big Ten's three preseason all- conference teams. The magazine also ranked the 150 best players in the nation, with two Wolverines making the cut — senior forward Isaiah Livers at No. 112 and sophomore guard Franz Wagner checking in at No. 126. "Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner are the best bets to re- place Zavier Simpson as Michigan's representative on the All-Big Ten team," Lindy's stated. "Center Hunter Dickinson has the pedigree and should earn the minutes to make the All-Freshman squad." The publication selected senior guard Eli Brooks as Michi- gan's player to "keep an eye on," noting he could "give the Wolverines another above-average player" if he "improves his efficiency slightly." While analyzing Michigan's back- court, Columbia fifth-year senior point guard transfer Mike Smith was the first name the magazine men- tioned. He averaged 22.8 points per game last year for the Blue Lions, which was the sixth-highest total in the nation. "The presence of returning senior starters Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks will make things easier for Smith, freshman guard Zeb Jackson and everybody else new to Michigan," Lindy's wrote. The publication finished its back- court preview before Wake Forest transfer senior guard Chaundee Brown received his waiver for im- mediate eligibility from the NCAA, noting "he'll warrant full-time min- utes" if he gets it (which he did Oct. 30). Dickinson was the first name the prognosticators pointed to while discussing U-M's frontcourt, noting he'll have a "chance to step in and replace the graduated Jon Teske in the post." Lindy's also pointed out how junior forward Brandon Johns "made big strides during the Big Ten season to earn his spot in the rotation," while noting freshman forward Terrance Wil- liams and fifth-year senior forward Austin Davis could also compete for rotation spots. "With three double-figure scorers returning and several impact players arriving, Howard's second season should be smoother than his first," Lindy's concluded in its "outlook" segment for Michigan. It's worth pointing out how stacked the publication ex- pects the Big Ten to be as a whole in 2020-21. Lindy's named it the top conference in the country, ranked its six best pro- jected teams all among the top 33 nationally, and expects four players to conclude as third-team All-Americans or bet- ter (Iowa senior center Luka Garza as a first-teamer, Wiscon- sin senior forward Nate Reuvers as a second-teamer, and In- diana sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and Illinois sophomore center Kofi Cockburn as third-team members). — Austin Fox Lindy's Projects Michigan Basketball To Finish Middle Of The Pack In A Loaded Big Ten Lindy's pegged freshman center Hunter Dickinson as the Big Ten's top "signing coup" and the Wolverines' rookie class as the league's best crop of newcomers. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM