The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/201975
lems for opponents, something the coaches expect. "We can play small or bigger — think of the Chicago Bulls with Ron Harper at point guard and then Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Those are some long perimeter defenders. "Like you saw last year, we can also play two smaller point guards, so there's some versatility on how you can play. It will be opponent and matchup based. It's like football — you can go jumbo, spread, do a little bit of everything depending on what's best at the time." Most of the time, the 6-6, 205-pound Stauskas — a three-time All-Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree and NCAA All-South Region selection as a freshman — will be on the floor, regardless. Stauskas averaged 11.0 points per game and shot 44.0 percent from three-point range last year, though his shooting production went down through the rigors of a rugged Big Ten season. Playing through contact is an area in which Stauskas should improve drastically, Jordan predicted. He's added 15 pounds to his frame and six inches to his vertical jump. His floor game might be one of the more underrated in the Big Ten, Walton said in predicting a big year for his teammate. "Passing-wise, he's becoming more confident as a decision maker, something he's made a lot of gains in from a skill standpoint," Jordan said. "He's put the time in, and now he's strong enough to take on two defenders and still be able to deliver." He'll always be a shooter first, Jordan added. "That's what he does, and that's always going to be his strength," Jordan said. "Now it's about being able to use that to do other things and be able to make a play for a teammate. "Nik can get a good shot fake, use it to set up drives and then be able to get in the lane, take some bumps and make some plays. He showed some of that last year, but he's put in the time to do it more consistently, to develop that trust with the staff and his teammates." Stauskas might also see some time on the wing depending on how the Wolverines want to play. Glenn Robinson III will get the first look there in addition to playing some at the "four," again, having improved his ball handling enough to be a threat off the dribble. "He has been really, really good to date in the preseason with his ability to negotiate ball screens," Meyer said. "He went 16 assists to three turnovers in our scrimmages during the preseason. He's also taking the ball off the defensive glass and just going with it. "We saw Tim do that a number of times last year to create transition opportunities. Glenn is doing that now. He has worked really hard on just improving his ball handling and having more of a comfort level making plays." While the ceiling has yet to be determined, it's clear the backcourt will be a strength for the Wolverines for yet another season — and for the foreseeable future. ❑