The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Playing without LeVert and Walton probably cost U-M an NCAA Tour- nament berth, but it also helped lay the foundation for something poten- tially special. YOUNG PLAYERS EARN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE After LeVert went down, there was still the sense that Michigan could make a run if some of the freshmen stepped up. When they lost Walton, it became a requirement just to keep the ship from sinking. Freshman Muhammad Ali Abdur- Rahkman was the first to respond, scoring 18 in the road loss at MSU in showing off his skills. Weeks later, fellow frosh Aubrey Dawkins ex- ploded for 21 points at Northwest- ern, 31 points in a win over Rutgers and 18 in a first round Big Ten Tour- nament win over Illinois. Sophomore Zak Irvin, though, showed as much growth as any of them. He went from complementary shooter to well-rounded playmaker, a passer (six assists against Illinois), rebounder and yes, scorer. "You can look it up, Zak had five assists after eight games this year," Beilein said after the Illinois win. "He wasn't showing that he could see the whole floor. He was not able to do that earlier, and we've been working with him on the side, just his passing, and it all sort of came together." Irvin is the best example of a player who has made tremendous strides, junior point guard Spike Albrecht said, advances that will pay off next year and beyond. "He's worked really hard, the coaches have worked really hard, and I think all the younger guys can look at him as a guy who you see all the hard work paying off. It's really been showing the past few games," Albrecht said before the Big Ten Tournament. "We are on solid ground. We're not really looking ahead too much, but with everything that's happened this season, I think we'll be better for it next year. As long as we hang in through the tough times … it will definitely pay off next Projected 2015-16 Starting Lineup Michigan's projected 2015-16 two-deep: PG: Derrick Walton, Jr. (10.7 points and 3.0 assists per game in 2014-15). Wal- ton wasn't the same after injuring his toe five games into the season, a setback that became a significant foot injury when he tried to play around it. He was a freshman starter on last year's Big Ten title team and one of the Wolverines' best defenders. Backup: Spike Albrecht, Sr. (7.5 points and 4.0 assists per contest). SG: Caris LeVert, Sr. (14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game). LeVert could go pro, but some close to him believe he should stay and finish his degree. He'd be one of the favorites for Big Ten Player of the Year should he return, though, and he still has some unfinished business after missing half the season with a broken foot. Backup: Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman, So. (4.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game).