The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 37 position standpoint, Barnes fits the bill of someone the Wolverines might use off the bench, and the same goes for redshirt freshman forward Will Tschetter. "I think [freshman forward] Greg Glenn III is still a guy who is pretty raw," Boesch noted. "I'm fascinated by what he can be, eventually. "The wild card, to me, is [freshman forward] Youssef [Khayat]. His experi- ence level, his work ethic, his ability to shine among older, more veteran players are important. But he was never going to be a Franz [Wagner]. "There were rumblings that Moe [Wagner] might redshirt as a freshman, but by the end of the season, he was a valuable piece. Can 'Yo-Yo' get to that point? I certainly think it's possible." STRENGTHS, POINTS OF EMPHASIS, AND MORE GOING FORWARD Boesch likes several aspects of what the Wolverines could bring to the table in 2022-23. "I still think this could be one of the best rebounding teams in the Big Ten," he said. "That's not just because of Hunter. Terrance has the ability. I don't think they'll be as good as last year, when they had [Moussa] Diabate there, but I don't think T-Will is a huge dropoff. "The 3-point shooting was such a perplexing reality for them last year. I do expect them to be better, and it has a chance to be a real strength for them, especially if Joey Baker can hold up de- fensively in the Big Ten. "With Jett's range, with Joey Baker, I think Llewellyn will be a factor as well, and Kobe Bufkin has clearly made that a point of emphasis. Juwan Howard was very frank that this would be a better 3-point-shooting team. It's trending in that direction, which is exciting." Michigan made some big plays on of- fense in the opener, and the head coach could be seen in animated fashion on the sidelines. He wasn't cheering, but urging his crew back on defense. That area will draw serious focus as the season moves forward, Boesch pre- dicted. "That's always going to be at the top of the list," he said. "That's something from the head coach, to the coaching staff, to the players. "Michigan will have a smaller four than they had last year. In your back- court, you've got a first-time Big Ten player, a sophomore who is still under- sized at the two, and a freshman at the three. Because of that, it's a concern. "Michigan can hold its own on the inside, but in the backcourt, how well can it defend against some of the better guards in the Big Ten? "That will be something I'll be watch- ing. Can they hold up and prevent teams from getting a lot of good looks from the outside?" A possible X-factor for the Wolver- ines involves yet another Howard, ju- nior forward Jace, who averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in the first two games. Boesch has witnessed enough of practice and games to see the elder Howard brother as someone who might provide underrated big moments. "He might be either their four- or five-foul guy, in tough, physical, Big Ten games," Boesch noted. "Austin Da- vis had a little bit of that, in that 'Hey, you have two fouls in the first half, but we need you, and you're staying out there.' "Jace's shot has gotten better. Defen- sively and hustle-wise, he can be out there more. Offensively is where he needs to take that extra step, and he's made strides. You can see how much the rest of the team enjoys being around him. "At the end of this season, Jace will have a big-time play or two, drawing an offensive foul, or coming up with a key offensive rebound. He might not have a game-winning 3-pointer, but I think he's going to make one of those plays that might not be appreciated by the ca- sual fan, but he'll be the first mentioned in post-game interviews." The team going forward? Boesch sounded unequivocal that the 2022-23 Wolverines will maintain the standard set by the recent squads on the court at Crisler. "Absolutely. I think this team has the ability in both cases," Boesch noted, when asked about the Wolverines' abil- ity to contend in the Big Ten and make the Sweet 16. "If I had to pick where Michigan would finish in the Big Ten, I'd probably say third. But I have no idea of the two teams that would finish ahead of them. It's more me playing the odds of saying Michigan has a chance of winning the Big Ten, no question. "I just don't know who the heck is really good in the Big Ten. Will Illinois' transfers come together quickly? Can Indiana actually put the pieces to- gether? Michigan State and Ohio State, they're always factors, no matter what the rosters look like. Purdue is another team I could see winning the league." Bottom line, the Wolverines are in the mix. "Absolutely, they can contend," Boesch stressed. "Absolutely, they can be a threat in the NCAA Tournament. It's all about matchups when you get there. "Michigan will almost always have the best player on the floor in the NCAA Tournament. They clearly have a solid coach, who knows how to handle tour- nament scenarios. And there's the po- tential for Michigan to hit 3s at a con- sistent level, which is so vital in NCAA Tournament play." ❏ The Standard To Uphold Remains Lofty In the 64-team NCAA Tournament era, Michigan can put forth several arguments for elite status. The Wol- verines joined a special club last year. Only six programs across the na- tion have reached the modern Sweet 16 five straight times: Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and the crew that com- petes at Crisler Center. The Wol- verines became the only Big Ten program to pull off that feat, and the 2022-23 squad has a chance to extend it. U-M's Sweet 16 streaks are as fol- lows: • 5 — 2017-22* • 3 — 1964-66** • 3 — 1992-94 • 2 — 1988-89 • 2 — 2013-14 * The NCAA Tournament was can- celed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ** The NCAA Tournament consisted of 25 teams in 1964, 23 in 1965 and 22 in 1966. — John Borton