The Wolverine

May 2018

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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MAY 2018 THE WOLVERINE 35   MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Surprise Performer Matthews gets the nod here. This may seem like an odd choice to some since he averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 boards on the year, but the redshirt sophomore had not been playing solid basketball heading into the postseason. In the fi- nal 10 games of the regular season, the Chicago native averaged just 9.0 points and turned the ball over 2.3 times per contest. However, in postseason play, Matthews racked up 12.9 points and 5.9 boards per game, while lowering his turnover average to just 1.5. Most importantly, though, the Chicago native played his best basketball deep in the NCAA Tournament. He scored 18 points and hauled in five rebounds in the Sweet 16 blowout of Texas A&M, and recorded consecutive 17-point out- ings against Florida State and Loyola Chicago in the Elite Eight and Final Four, respectively. His resurgent play in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments came as a pleasant surprise. Bold Prediction Michigan will enter the 2018-19 sea- son as the Big Ten favorite, despite Wag- ner pursuing a pro career. Even without the 6-11 German, the Wolverines' roster looks to be in phenomenal shape head- ing into next year. A potential starting lineup of point guard Zavier Simpson, Poole, Matthews, Livers and junior Jon Teske would rival that of any team in the league. Another reason the Maize and Blue will be the early favorite is because sev- eral of this season's powerhouses suffer heavy personnel losses. Michigan State (16-2 in conference play in 2017-18), for example, is losing sophomore forward Miles Bridges (17.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game) and freshman big man Jaren Jackson (10.9 and 5.8) early to the NBA, while Purdue (15-3) will graduate four of its five start- ers (point guard P.J. Thompson, guard Dakota Mathias, forward Vince Edwards and senior center Isaac Haas). Ohio State (15-3), meanwhile, will say goodbye to two of its top three scorers — redshirt junior forward Keita Bates-Diop (19.8 and 8.7 rebounds) and senior forward Jae'Sean Tate (12.3 and 6.2) — as well. With that in mind, the Big Ten appears to be Michigan's for the taking heading into 2018-19. — Austin Fox "But assuming they're gone, Zavier Simpson is an outstanding point guard, and youngsters Jordan Poole and Isaiah Livers will be ready for bigger roles as sophomores. Coach John Beilein has a solid recruiting class coming in — four four-star kids — and you know what he does with that kind of talent." ESPN — No. 12 Myron Medcalf: "Again, this is the early, early top 25. Many assumed Moritz Wagner would leave after a strong 2016-17 campaign (12.1 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game). But he returned for his junior season. Another year seems unlikely, however, after his performance in the Final Four. Wagner (14.6 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game) boosted his numbers this season and connected on nearly 40 percent of his three-pointers for the second con- secutive year, awesome numbers for a 6-11 prospect. He'll probably take his talents to the next level. "But coach John Beilein should return Charles Matthews, another NBA pros- pect, Jordan Poole and Zavier Simp- son on a Michigan team that took a 13-game win streak into the Final Four. Plus, a top-20 recruiting class features standout Ignas Brazdeikis. Beilein won with an elite defense this season, and if he can maintain those high marks, his team should start the season as Big Ten contender again." Yahoo! Sports — No. 12 Jeff Eisenberg: "How high Michigan's ceiling is next season could depend on the early entry decisions of Wagner and Matthews. The Wolverines should still be very good if even one of them comes back to Ann Arbor, but a return to the Final Four becomes less likely if both turn pro. "Defense is likely to once again be a strength for Michigan next season with Zavier Simpson returning at point guard and Jon Teske potentially assum- ing a bigger role. Simpson wrecked op- posing point guards during the second half of his [sophomore] season with his ball-hawking instincts and lateral quick- ness, and Teske is excellent defend- ing ball screens. Poole — the hero of Michigan's second-round victory over Houston — should emerge as a bigger scoring threat as a sophomore and Liv- ers could also take a leap. Of Michigan's freshmen, the most ready is Brazdeikis, a sweet-shooting 6-foot-8 Canadian lefty with a handle." USA Today — No. 18 Scott Gleeson: "Moe Wagner is likely headed to the NBA, and Charles Mat- thews could leave Ann Arbor as well, but coach John Beilein is a master of developing players so look for rising sophomore Jordan Poole, who became the star of the NCAA Tournament when he nailed a game-winning buzzer-beater against Houston. "Should Wagner and Matthews leave for the NBA, there will be holes to fill with Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson graduating. But Beilein brings enough back and wel- comes enough in (led by four-star stand- out Brandon Johns) to keep the Wolver- ines in the contending mix. It just might take some growing pains throughout the Big Ten season to have his team peaking — once again — come March." The Athletic — No. 22 Sam Vecenie: "Following a national title game appearance, it's tough to figure out exactly where to place the Wolverines in the grand scheme. We've projected Matthews to return, but is he enough to carry them into the top 20? Simpson's development on offense will be key. He's already one of the best defenders in the country, but Beilein needs more than that from him on of- fense. Poole will provide some swag, Teske some size and [rising sophomore Eli] Brooks some point guard depth. "In terms of recruits, the 6-8 Brazdeikis is the guy I'm looking at. He's one of the absolute best shooters in the country and will turn 20 midway through his freshman season, making him already a bit more physically mature than most younger players. Johns is a bit skinnier, but he's a versatile weapon who can score and defend. More questions than last year, but who is anyone to even begin to question the genius of John Beilein? He'll figure it out." CBS Sports — No. 22 Gary Parrish: "If Moe Wagner returns, the Wolverines will definitely be much higher than 22nd. But even without him Michigan belongs in the top 25 (and one) — as long as Charles Mat- thews doesn't also jump early to the NBA Draft. The Kentucky transfer aver- aged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds this season. His development under John Beilein, like most players' development under the top-shelf coach, has been noticeable." — Andrew Vailliencourt

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