The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 55 2017-18 BASKETBALL PREVIEW THREE BEST BACKCOURTS IN THE BIG TEN 1. Michigan State — Sophomore point guard Cassius Winston and classmate shooting guard Josh Langford didn't have outstanding seasons as freshmen, averaging 6.7 and 6.9 points, respectively, but both are expected to make big leaps for the Spartans in 2017‑18. Langford was rated as a five‑star talent and the No. 20 overall player in the country by Rivals coming out of high school, while Winston was No. 29 overall. Add sophomore guard/forward All‑America candidate Miles Bridges to the mix, and the Spartans clearly have the best backcourt in the Big Ten. 2. Northwestern — The play of the Wildcats' backcourt last season was a large reason it finally made the NCAA Tournament. Senior point guard Bryant McIntosh returns as one of the best in the confer‑ ence at his position, after he led the league in assists last year (5.2 per game) and was 10th in scoring (14.4 points per game). McIntosh's backcourt mates are also experienced veterans in senior Scottie Lindsey (14.1 points per game) and redshirt junior wing Vic Law (12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game). 3. Minnesota — The Golden Gophers' backcourt features a nice blend of experience and youth. Senior point guard and All‑Big Ten first‑teamer Nate Mason leads the way, while junior shooting guard Dupree McBrayer finally came into his own last season (11.1 points per game). Sophomore wing Amir Coffey — who was rated as the No. 52 overall player in the country out of high school — is a star in the making after averaging 12.2 points per game as a freshman. Four‑star freshman point guard Isaiah Washington will be a nice addition to the group as well. THREE BEST FRONTCOURTS IN THE BIG TEN 1. Michigan State — Sophomore big man Nick Ward's progression will be the key factor as to how well this group does. He averaged 13.9 points and 6.5 boards in just 19.8 minutes per game last year. Five‑star 6‑11 freshman Jaren Jackson — who was rated as the No. 6 overall player in the country by Rivals — will bolster the group and will likely start im‑ mediately. The Spartans also return two big men who missed all of last season with injury in fifth‑year senior Gavin Schilling and sixth‑year senior Ben Carter, who averaged 8.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in 2015‑16 at UNLV. 2. Minnesota — The Golden Gophers return the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in the monstrous 6‑10, 260‑pound fifth‑year senior Reggie Lynch, whose 3.5 blocks per game led the conference. Minnesota also return the league's fourth‑leading rebounder in junior Jordan Murphy (8.8 per game). This unit actually had the potential to be a lot better, but sophomore forward Eric Curry — who aver‑ aged 5.5 rebounds per game last season as a freshman — was unfortunately lost for the upcoming season after suffering a knee injury in August. 3. Wisconsin — The main reason the Bad‑ gers' frontcourt is expected to be so good is because of redshirt junior Ethan Happ. He is considered one of the best defenders in the confer‑ ence, having been named to the Big Ten All‑Defensive Team the past two seasons. The wild card of this group, though, is 6‑10 freshman forward Nathan Reuvers. He was rated as the No. 83 overall player in the country and will be relied upon immediately. THREE BEST INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASSES IN THE BIG TEN 1. Michigan State — Even though the Spartans are bringing in just a two‑ man class, it's still being hailed as the best in the Big Ten. The main reason is due to five‑star Jaren Jackson, who was rated as the No. 2 power forward and the No. 6 overall player in the country by Rivals. Jackson will be expected to start immediately for the Spartans; he played his senior year of high school at one of the top prep schools in the country in La Lumiere High in La Porte, Ind., so facing elite competition will be nothing new to him. Four‑star Xavier Tillman — a mon‑ strous 6‑8, 260‑pound power forward from Grand Rapids, Mich. — is the other player in the class. Tillman could see time as a freshman, but won't be relied upon the way Jackson will be. 2. Illinois — Even though former head coach John Groce was the one who as‑ sembled the Illini's outstanding four‑man class, new coach Brad Underwood will be the one who reaps the benefits. The gem of the group is four‑star shooter Mark Smith, who was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois as a high school senior. It would not be a surprise to see Smith — the No. 55 overall player in the country according to Rivals — start from day one. The Illini are also bringing in two out‑ standing combo guards in four‑stars Trent Frazier and Da'Monte Williams, and both are expected to see early play‑ ing time. Though not as highly touted as the other three, the final player in Il‑ linois' four‑man class is three‑star center Greg Eboigbodin. 3. Maryland — Like Michigan State, Maryland is only bringing in a two‑man class, but both players were rated in the top 70 nationally. The headliner of the class is 6‑10, 245‑pound center Bruno Fernando. Fernando, who played an ad‑ ditional year of high school ball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is rated as the No. 57 overall player by Rivals. With Damonte Dodd — Maryland's starting center in 2016‑17 — now gone, Fer‑ nando will have a good shot of winning the starting job. Four‑star shooting guard Darryl Morsell is the other player in the Terrapins' incom‑ ing class. Hailing from Baltimore, he is a 6‑4 guard who can score off the dribble. Like Fernando, Morsell will also have a decent shot of starting immediately. Wisconsin redshirt junior center Ethan Happ was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press last year, in addition to being selected first-team All-Big Ten and picked as the league's Defensive Player of the Year. PHOTO BY DAVID STLUKA/COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS