The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2015-16 BASKETBALL PREVIEW handling skills required in backcourt play, and have a lot of routines for kids to take and work on their own. "He has taken that to heart. He has a very diligent approach to his skill development. He's done a really good job in the weight room with [strength and conditioning] Coach [Jon] Sanderson. That was a big chal- lenge for him, coming in at 6-8 with his weight was under 200. He's done a really good job of adding weight, adding strength and developing his skill set." And yes, he can shoot. "We are excited to add another shooter, a skill player who sees the court well, finds open cutters," Meyer said. "It's like the rest of our guys — we aren't going to know un- til we get into the foxhole with live bullets. We're just thrilled with the investment he has made. He's really bought into the culture — having a passion for the game, for our pro- gram, for Michigan, for our team." Chatman struggled some as a freshman, opening the year starting then taking a backup role, although he averaged 15.2 minutes per game. He's come along in the offseason, Meyer mentioned. "We've always valued his IQ, his vision and the way he plays the game," Meyer said. "Physically, he has really invested with Jon Sander- son in the weight room. He's stron- ger now, which was an issue for him, in terms of matching up with bigger players. "He's more athletic. When you try to match him smaller, he's able to do that. His offseason improvements with his body development have been huge and will help him." Irvin, of course, will provide a big boost upon his return. "Zak's development down the stretch, particularly in February, was significant," Meyer said. "It hap- pened before our eyes and part of it was opportunity. Coach Beilein put him in more ball screens and really coached him up in terms of his vision of the court, reading his options, us- ing that ball screen. "Zak primarily was a catch-and- shoot, space-the-floor guy for us, as long as we had Caris and Derrick in the lineup. When they went down with injuries, we began to develop Zak as a wing who could use ball screens, and he got a lot better. "His number of assists to turnovers improved. His ability to get the ball and finish at the basket improved. As he was developing those areas, his leadership, his ability to rebound the ball … he just became a more complete player." Versatility shouldn't be an issue. There will be times when the 6-10, 240-pound Wilson plays on the wing, and so will the 6-10, 225-pound Wag- ner. Irvin and Robinson can play in the backcourt, as well as LeVert, Jordan noted, depending on matchups. So there are plenty of potentially mov- ing parts. And more than likely, as Dawkins noted, somebody will be on. ❏