The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 47 2017-18 BASKETBALL PREVIEW smaller defender. That's the mindset we try to take with our guys." Watson (6-5, 200) will play primar- ily on the wing, and he's made great strides, Beilein said. Now he has to do it on a more consistent basis. "We would see him Sunday night, see him Friday, and you just don't see it translate," Beilein said. "Over time we'll see more, but he has made the normal progressions he should after a year in the program." His forte is his shot, and he has plenty to prove after making only one of 18 three-pointers last year in 19 games played. But he's also ex- tremely bouncy, boasting a 44.5-inch vertical jump, and is quick off the floor. Matthews (6-6, 200), meanwhile, will be the other potential four man when the Wolverines go with a smaller lineup, and how often that occurs will be up to Beilein. He al- ways says "you are who you can guard," and it would be a lot to ask him to take on a 6-10 power forward, for example. At the same time, that big man would also have to guard Matthews, a trade-off that has forced coaches like Purdue's Matt Painter, for ex- ample, to change their approach and take a big guy off the floor in recent games against Michigan. Don't count him out in getting the better of a bigger player, either. "He showed up at 6-6, 178 pounds, and he currently weighs 200 pounds," Sanderson said. "He's a man. He's al- ways been explosive, but he's more explosive, stronger and more bal- anced. He had a phenomenal sum- mer and redshirt year." Yaklich sees a player who wants to be very good on the defensive end and one who has put great effort into it. "He wants to be coached hard and held accountable at that end of the floor," he said. "He's so receptive and open toward little teaching points, and he takes and acts upon those. "A lot of that comes on the defen- sive end of the floor and learning how he can be a great defender for us this year." Added up, there are plenty of pieces with which to work. How they mix and match has yet to be de- termined, but the talent appears to be there, and Beilein has proven he knows how to get the most out of it. ❏ Michigan's Top Five Frontcourts Of The Last 25 Years College basketball has changed over the last 25 years, to the point that many programs — including Michigan — have opted to go with smaller lineups with better ball handlers on the floor. However, U-M has had its share of great center/power forward combos both then and now. Here's a look at five of the best Wolverine big man duos in the last 25 years: 1. Chris Webber and Juwan Howard, 1992-93: This is probably one of the best combos in the history of the Big Ten. Webber was a first-team All-American as a sophomore, averaging 19.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while making the NCAA All-Tournament team. Howard averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds an outing in helping lead U-M to its second straight title-game ap- pearance. 2. Robert Traylor and Maurice Taylor, 1996-97: Taylor never met his potential in Ann Arbor, but he averaged 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a junior to lead U-M to an NIT title. Traylor, who died in 2011 at age 34, averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest in the same year. 3. Moritz Wagner and D.J. Wilson, 2016-17: Wagner and Wilson both played extremely well down the stretch in leading U-M to a Big Ten Tournament title. Wagner averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors. Wilson was Michigan's most improved player while posting 11.0 points — boosted by his 15.3 average in Big Ten Tournament play — and a team-best 5.3 boards per game. 4. Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III, 2012-13: McGary only averaged 7.5 points in his freshman year, but he started the last eight games and made the All-Final Four team, won the team's Loy Vaught rebounding award and helped U-M make it to the title game. Robinson III averaged 11.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest, and was also a key contributor to Michigan's postseason success. 5. Chris Young and LaVell Blanchard, 2001-02: The team wasn't very good, finishing eighth in the Big Ten, but Young was the team MVP after averaging 11.4 points, including 25 in a loss to Duke, while Blanchard — a deadly shooter — put up 14.8 points per game at the power forward position. — Chris Balas In 1992-93, Juwan Howard (left) and Chris Webber combined to average 33.8 points and 17.5 rebounds per game while helping the Wolverines advance to their second consecu- tive national championship game. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS