Ball State led the game once, 2-0, before Michigan tied it up (2-2) with 18:42 left in the 1st half. The score was never tied again. Michigan led the rest of the way, usually by a comfortable margin. They steadily increased the lead up to 20 points (34-14) with 5:39 left in the half, then went cold, and let Ball State creep back into the game. Ball State ended the half on a 19-6 run, to cut the deficit to only 7 points (40-33) at halftime. They cut it to 5 points (40-35) on the first possession of the 2nd half, then Michigan woke up and took control of the game again. UM went on a 13-4 run of their own, to push the lead back up to 14 points (53-39) with 16:17 to go. They kept building the lead, and finally got it up to 25 points (73-48) with 8:50 left. They kept the lead over 20 points the rest of the way, until Ball State made a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left to cut it to 19, the final difference. Michigan played a good solid game, and handled the minor adversity at the end of the 1st half well.
The UCF game was very different. UCF led for most of the 1st half. The game was close for the first 7 minutes, with UCF up by 1 point (14-13) with 13:13 to go in the half, then they started to pull away. They increased their lead to 12 points (25-13) with 9:29 to go, and still led by 12 (28-16) with 8:56 left in the half. That’s when Michigan finally woke up and got serious. Over the next 5:18, Michigan went on a 15-0 run to take the lead (31-28) with 3:38 remaining in the half. They pushed the lead as high as 6 points (38-32) with 1:36 to go, and led by 4 points (38-34) at halftime. They let UCF get within 3 points (40-37) at the 18:31 mark, then they pulled away for good. They increased the lead steadily, pushing it as high as 32 points before Coach Howard emptied the bench. The way UCF started the game, it looked like UM would be in a dogfight all afternoon, but once Michigan took control in the 2nd half, they made it look easy.
Stats
The stats for the Ball State game are pretty good. Michigan shot well overall (33-for-59 = 55.9%), they shot 3-pointers poorly (4-for-15 = 26.7%), and they shot free throws pretty well (14-for-19 = 73.7%). They won the rebounding battle handily (41-26), and tied in the turnover battle (13-13). They won this game with overall shooting and rebounding.
The stats for the UCF game are also pretty good. Michigan shot pretty well overall (32-for-65 = 49.2%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (9-for-27 = 33.3%), and they shot free throws very well (7-for-8 = 87.5%). They crushed UCF on the boards (44-29), but lost the turnover battle narrowly (10-9). They won this game with 3-point shooting and rebounding.
Hunter Dickinson was the only player to hit double figures in both games, with 12 points vs. Ball State and 14 points vs. UCF. He also had 11 rebounds vs. Ball State, for his first career double-double. He is playing with confidence and composure out there.
Livers was the leading scorer in the Ball State game, with 21 points, but he had his first mediocre game of the season vs. UCF, with 5 points on 2-for-9 shooting (1-for-6 from deep).
Wagner finally had a good game, with 14 points and 6 rebounds vs. Ball State, but he slipped back into mediocrity vs. UCF, with 8 points. He still hasn’t found his 3-point shot, which ignites the rest of his game.
Smith had a decent game vs. Ball State, with 10 points, but he didn’t do much in the UCF game, with only 4 points on 1-for-6 shooting. He’s running the offense well and playing decent defense, but he’s not contributing much offensively.
Brooks is the only starter who did better in the UCF game than the Ball State game. He had 7 points vs. Ball State and 10 points vs. UCF.
Davis started both games, but only played 13 minutes vs. Ball State and 12 minutes vs. UCF. He scored 6 points vs. Ball State and 4 points vs. UCF.
Chaundee Brown, Jr. was the leading scorer in the UCF game, with 18 points, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He had a good game vs. Ball State, with 9 points. He gave the team a great energy boost in the 2nd half of the UCF game when he got hot from 3-point range.
Terrance Williams II hit double figures for the first time in his Michigan career, with 10 points vs. UCF. He had a quiet game vs. Ball State, with 0 points.
Who Looked Not-So-Good?
Brandon Johns, Jr. had 0 and 5 points this week. He was the only “mainstream” player who didn’t have at least one good game.
Who Else Played?
Jaron Faulds played in both games, and made a basket vs. Ball State.
Jace Howard played in both games, but didn’t take a shot.
Zeb Jackson played in both games, and made 3 of 4 free throws vs Ball State, for his first career points.
Adrien Nuñez played in both games, and made a basket vs. UCF.
With the shortened season, Michigan is only playing 5 non-conference games, so they need to get as much experience as they can in a short amount of time. They have won all 4 games so far, but they have faced adversity in 3 of them, especially for most of the Oakland game and most of the 1st half of the UCF game. The good news is that UM handled the adversity well. Michigan will face much tougher opponents, game in and game out, once the Big Ten season starts, so they need to prepare for even more adversity.
What’s Next?
This week, Michigan plays two games, both in Crisler Arena. On Wednesday (12/09/2020, 7:15 p.m., ESPN2) they play North Carolina State, then on Sunday (12/13/2020, 2:00 p.m., BTN) they play Penn State. The NC State game is part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and the PSU game is the Big Ten opener.
NC State was 20-12 (10-10 in the ACC) last season. They are 3-0 so far this season, but they haven’t played anyone noteworthy. Their game against UConn was canceled for COVID-19 reasons. They have several very good players, and significant height. This will be Michigan’s first big test of the season, and a good indicator of how they’ll do in Big Ten play.
Penn State was 21-10 (11-9 in the Big Ten) last season. They are 2-0 so far this season, but they haven’t played anyone noteworthy. They have a couple good players, but they don’t have much height. This is an excellent game to ease into the Big Ten schedule: not too hard, but hard enough to keep Michigan on their toes.
Both of these games are “toss up” games, so winning both would be great, losing both would be sad, and splitting would be acceptable. Of the two, the PSU game is much more important.
Beating Oakland is no big achievement, but Bowling Green is a worthy opponent. They’re picked to win the MAC, which would make them an NCAA Tournament team. Michigan handled them calmly and efficiently, leading the whole way, and keeping a solid lead for most of the game. Michigan led BG by 7 points (43-36) at halftime, and pushed the lead up into the 11-13 point range in the first 8 minutes of the 2nd half, then to the 16-18 point range for the last 7 minutes of the game. Michigan looked good and confident.
Then came the Oakland game. Oakland came into the game having played (and lost) games on Wednesday (Xavier 101-49), Thursday (Toledo 80-53), and Friday (Bradley 74-60). Due to COVID-19 quarantine, they had only practiced for 3 days before their opener. It looked like an easy win for Michigan, but no one told Oakland. The game was close early, then Michigan jumped out to a nice 8 point lead (27-19) with 7:15 to go in the 1st half. That’s when the game turned ugly. Michigan went stone cold, and Oakland went on a 14-4 run to end the half up 33-31. The 2nd half wasn’t much better, as Oakland extended their lead to 6 points, and Michigan continued to struggle. UM crept back into the lead, 57-56 with 8:01 to go, then the teams traded the lead for the rest of regulation. Michigan had a 2 point lead (67-65) with 2:26 to go, but Oakland tied the game (67-67) with 28 seconds left, and we played overtime.
Fortunately, Michigan woke up in overtime, scoring the first 9 points, and holding Oakland scoreless for the first 3:46. Michigan looked good in the overtime, after looking terrible for most of regulation.
Stats
The stats for the BG game are pretty good. Michigan shot well overall (33-for-61 = 54.1%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (10-for-27 = 37.0%), and they shot free throws pretty well (20-for-26 = 76.9%). They won the rebounding battle handily (44-34), but lost the turnover battle (10-6). They won this game with 3-point shooting and rebounding.
The stats for the Oakland game are decent, except for one category: turnovers. Michigan shot pretty well overall (29-for-62 = 46.8%), they shot 3-pointers decently (8-for-27 = 29.6%), and they shot free throws decently (15-for-22 = 68.2%). They crushed Oakland on the boards (45-33), but lost the turnover battle in tragic fashion (20-16). Those 20 turnovers almost cost UM this game.
Livers was the only starter to hit double figures in both games, with 17 points vs. BG and 22 vs. Oakland. He was the leading scorer in the Oakland game. He was also the leading rebounder vs. BG, with 9. He shot pretty well: 7-for-14 (3-for-8 from 3-point range) vs. BG, and 8-for-12 (5-for-7 from 3-point range) vs. Oakland.
Hunter Dickinson was the only other player to hit double figures in both games, with 11 and 19 points. He also had 8 rebounds vs. BG. He kept Michigan in the Oakland game, and was the reason UM won. Oakland couldn’t stop him in the paint.
Smith had a great debut game vs. BG, with 16 points and 8 assists, but he didn’t do much in the Oakland game, with only 2 points and 4 fouls.
Brooks also did well in the BG game, with 11 points, but didn’t do as well vs. Oakland, with only 6 points.
Wagner had a below-average (for him) week, with 9 points vs. BG and 6 points vs. Oakland. He’s 0-for-6 from 3-point range so far. He did have a monster game rebounding vs. Oakland, with 13 boards.
Davis started both games, but only played 12 minutes vs. BG and 13 minutes vs. Oakland. He scored 2 points vs. BG and 6 points vs. Oakland.
Chaundee Brown, Jr. was the leading scorer in the BG game, with 19 points, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range. He came back to Earth in the Oakland game, with 5 points, on 1-for-10 shooting from 3-point range.
Brandon Johns, Jr. chipped in 7 and 8 points, and looked good out there.
Terrance Williams II chipped in 4 and 7 points, including some important points, steals, rebounds, and assists in “crunch time” in the Oakland game.
Who Looked Not-So-Good?
No one looked “not so good” this week, although Wagner was a little disappointing.
Who Else Played?
Zeb Jackson played in both games, and failed to score.
Who Didn’t Play?
Of the scholarship players, Jace Howard and Adrien Nuñez were the only ones who didn’t play this week.
The good news is that Michigan is 2-0, which is as good a record as they could hope for. They took care of business. The bad news is that the BG game exposed some flaws in the Michigan defense, and the Oakland game exposed some flaws in the Michigan offense. Future opponents will try to exploit these flaws. We’ll see if Coach Howard can correct these flaws in time.
What’s Next?
This week, Michigan plays two games, both in Crisler Arena. On Wednesday (12/02/2020, 7:00 p.m., BTN) they play Ball State, then on Sunday (12/06/2020, 4:00 p.m., BTN) they play Central Florida (UCF).
Ball State was 18-13 (11-7 in the MAC) last season. They have a couple good players, and some height. This will be another “not your typical cupcake game” for Michigan, similar to the Oakland game. If Michigan plays poorly, they could be in for a long evening.
UCF was 16-14 (7-11 in the AAC) last season. They have a couple good players, and they even have some height. This game should be like the other 3 non-conference games: if Michigan plays well, they should win. If they bumble around like they did for most of the Oakland game, they could lose.
Here we are, at the start of another college basketball season, but what a ride it’s been. So much has changed and so much has happened since my last column, eight months ago (03/23/2020). Of course, the big news is COVID-19. It changed everything.
Eight months ago, the whole world shut down, including college basketball. On the day the Big Ten (along with many, many other organizations) shut things down (03/12/2020), Michigan was just minutes away from tipping off against Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament. Since then, the world has been turned upside down, including sports. After a pause, some sports finished up their seasons (NBA and NHL), some shortened their seasons (MLB), and some delayed starting up (NFL and NCAA). It wasn’t clear if there would even be any NCAA fall sports, and the startup of college football has been … ragged … to say the least. Each conference was left to decide on if/when they would start up, how many games they would play, and how they would handle COVID-19 outbreaks. There was no central authority. The NCAA just sat back and watched. By contrast, the NCAA took a firm leadership role in the startup of college basketball. They pushed the starting date back a few weeks, to 11/25/2020, and they announced other changes. They did leave the scheduling up to the individual conferences, as usual.
So, that’s why the season is starting about 3 weeks later than expected, and has 6 fewer games than usual. The University of Michigan men’s basketball team’s first game is this Wednesday (11/25/2020) in Crisler Arena at 4:00 p.m., against Bowling Green. There are no exhibition games this season, and there is no open practice, like there usually is. In fact, there are no fans allowed in the building for any of the games this season, only families of the players and coaches. The games will be televised, but no fans will be present. That also means that I won’t be ushering this season. Sigh.
Here’s my standard description of this weekly column:
Yeah, it’s time for University of Michigan men’s basketball, and this is the place to read all about it: “Nothing But ‘Net” on UMGoBlue.com. Check back every Monday morning between now and the end of the season for a quick, concise wrap-up of the previous week, and a look ahead at the upcoming week, all in one easy-to-read article.
As always here at UMGoBlue.com, the perspective is “by fans, for fans”. I’m a fan (since 1974), and I go to all the home games, and watch/listen to all the away games. I don’t have any special access (other than being an usher in Sections 209-210), I don’t go to the press conferences, and I don’t interview high school recruits. I see the same things you do, and write about them as a fan.
Once again, it was a very busy off-season, with lots of surprises and changes. Let’s get to it.
Executive Summary
The big question: how good is Michigan going to be this season?
The big answer: it’s hard to guess, with all the changes (see below), but I’m going to say “about the same as last year”.
What’s New?
There are lots of changes to the roster from last season:
2 graduating seniors
3 player departures
4 incoming freshmen
3 incoming transfer players
Graduating Seniors
Graduating seniors are a natural part of the college sports experience. In the current environment of players leaving early for the NBA, or transferring to other schools, it is getting to be a rare event when a player stays all 4 years at the same school and graduates. While it is sad to see players leave after having watched them for 4 years, it is really something to be celebrated and appreciated. Michigan was blessed to have had Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson in their basketball program for the last 4 years, and we wish them well.
Player Departures
I can understand that sometimes a player commits to a school, plays there for a year or two, and just doesn’t feel like he’s fitting in. I can understand that sometimes players get homesick, and want to transfer to a school closer to their hometown, so their families and friends can watch them play and visit with them. I understand why the transfer rules are in place, and they seem fair and fine to me. I just don’t like the recent trend in the last 3-4 years for players to transfer for frivolous reasons. It has become a disturbing trend.
At the end of last season, 3 players transferred out of the Michigan program:
Cole Bajema – Cole played for just 37 minutes as a freshman, and transferred to Washington. He had plenty of potential, but didn’t really show much in his limited appearances. He is from the Washington area, and I’m sure he wants to play closer to home. He will be missed, but he is replaceable.
David DeJulius – This transfer makes the least sense of the 3 of them. David transferred to Cincinnati, even though he is from the Detroit area. He just finished his sophomore year, and he did very well. With Zavier Simpson graduating, he was the obvious heir apparent to the starting point guard position. He will be missed very much, and I’m afraid that the point guard position is going to be a problem this season.
Colin Castleton – This is the transfer than makes the most sense. Colin transferred to Florida, which is his home state. He played very poorly for 2 seasons at Michigan, and he could see that he wasn’t going to play very much going forward. He won’t be missed.
Incoming Freshmen
Michigan has 4 incoming freshman players this season:
Hunter Dickinson #1 (7’1”, 255 pounds, C) – Hunter is a 4-star center, the #6 center in his class. He’s a big, tough kid, a traditional “back to the basket” center. I can’t wait to see him play. He’ll be part of the “center by committee” plan this season, so he’ll need to grow up quickly.
Zeb Jackson #3 (6’5”, 180 pounds, G) – Zeb is a 4-star point guard, the #10 point guard in his class. He’ll be part of the “point guard by committee” plan this season.
Terrance Williams II #5 (6’7”, 240 pounds, F) – Terrance is good friends with Hunter Dickinson (above), and the two of them were a “package deal”. He’s a 4-star forward, the #15 power forward in his class.
This is the #1 recruiting class in the Big Ten this season. If they can grow up quickly, Michigan will be much better than predicted.
At the end of last season, there was a 5th player committed to Michigan (Isaiah Todd), but he decided to skip college and go right to the G league of the NBA. If he had come to Michigan, he would have been the highest ranked recruit in years. Instead, he’s playing pro ball. Sigh.
Besides the Isaiah Todd drama, there were a couple other highly-ranked incoming freshmen that considered coming to Michigan, but ultimately decided to go elsewhere: Josh Christopher (eventually chose Arizona State), and Greg Brown (eventually chose Texas).
Incoming Transfer Players
The incoming freshmen look very promising, but there were still some gaps in the roster, and Coach Howard filled them with some transfer players:
Chaundee Brown Jr. #15 (6’5”, 215 pounds, G) – Chaundee transferred to Michigan from Wake Forest, and was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility, without having to sit out a full year. He’ll have senior eligibility, with one season left to play.
Brandon Wade #4 (6’1”, 185 pounds, G) – Brandon transferred to Michigan from Duquesne at the end of the first semester last season. He had to sit out a full year, so he’ll be eligible to play in January 2021, with sophomore eligibility. He’s a preferred walk-on, not a scholarship player. He played his high school ball at Ann Arbor Skyline, so this is a homecoming for him.
Who’s Coming Back?
After all the talk about who left, it’s time to talk about who’s coming back. Michigan has the core of a very good team, but much will depend on the development of the returning role players.
Let’s look at the returning players on the team:
Sophomore Eligibility
Franz Wagner #21 (6’9”, 220 pounds, G) – Franz was one of the stars on last season’s team, and he toyed with the idea of entering the NBA draft, but eventually decided to return to Michigan for his sophomore season. Unless something crazy happens, he will certainly enter the NBA draft after this season, so enjoy him while you can. He will undoubtedly be one of the top players in the Big Ten.
Junior Eligibility
Brandon Johns, Jr. #23 (6’8”, 240 pounds, F) – Brandon filled in nicely for Livers when he was injured, but he still had too many games where he didn’t contribute much. He is very good at offensive rebounding. He’s a good option at center when Michigan plays “small ball”, so he’s part of the “center by committee” plan.
Adrien Nuñez #0 (6’6”, 210 pounds, G) – Adrien had another “lost season” last year, and it’s time for him to step up and contribute. Note that he changed his number from #5 to #0.
Senior Eligibility
C.J. Baird #24 (6’5”, 225 pounds, F) – C.J. only played in 7 games, and scored 8 points last season. He’s on the practice squad, and only plays in “garbage time”.
Eli Brooks #55 (6’1”, 185 pounds, G) – Eli did a good job at shooting guard, and even played some point guard when needed last season. He led the team in 3-point attempts and makes, and shot a nice percentage (52-for-143 = 36.4%). He is a very important player on this season’s team. He’ll be part of the “point guard by committee” plan.
Austin Davis #51 (6’10”, 250 pounds, F/C) – Austin really improved last season, especially during the second half of the season. It took 2.5 seasons, but he finally started playing with smoothness and confidence. He shot a nice percentage (52-for-75 = 69.3%), and he cut way down on his silly fouls. He’ll be part of the “center by committee” plan. Note that Austin is a rare 5th year senior, after voluntarily redshirting his freshman year.
Isaiah Livers #2 (6’7”, 230 pounds, F) – Isaiah is the most versatile player on the team, and arguably the most valuable. Before he went out with a groin injury last season near the end of the non-conference season, he was leading the team in scoring (13.6 points/game) and 3-point shooting percentage (29-for-58 = 50.0%). When he came back, he was good-but-not-great. He is the undisputed leader of this team, and he needs to have a strong senior season. He also toyed with the idea of leaving at the end of last season for the NBA draft, but decided to return for his final year.
Rico Ozuna-Harrison #14 (5’11”, 175 pounds, G) – Rico only played in 4 games, and scored 2 points. He’s on the practice squad, and only plays in “garbage time”.
Luke Wilson #32 (6’0”, 175 pounds, G) – Luke only played in 6 games, and scored 3 points. He’s on the practice squad, and only plays in “garbage time”.
Starting Lineup/Depth Chart
This is really tricky this season, with all the new players. My guess:
Point guard: Smith (backups: Brooks and Jackson)
Shooting guard: Wagner (backups: Brooks, Brown, Howard, and Nuñez)
Small forward: Johns (backups: Livers, Williams, and Brown)
Power forward: Livers (backups: Johns and Williams)
Center: Dickinson (backups: Davis and Johns)
Last Season
From last season’s Wrap-Up article:
The 2019-2020 season was a rollercoaster for Michigan. The ride to the top of the biggest hill started with wins over three “cupcakes”, along with an impressive win over a team that finished the season ranked #7 (Creighton), for a 4-0 start. The top of the biggest hill was the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. Michigan wasn’t picked to do much in the tournament, but they won three games in three days, beating a good Iowa State team and two Top-10 teams [(#6) North Carolina and (#8) Gonzaga], winning the championship, and moving to 7-0 and a #4 ranking in the AP poll. The championship game was on 11/29/2019, and that was the top of the hill, the high water mark, the best moment of the whole season. It didn’t last long. From that point on, Michigan was a 0.500 team: 12-12 (10-10 in the Big Ten).
The very next game was four days later, at (#1) Louisville, and it didn’t go well. In fact, Michigan lost three of the next four games after the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament: the loss to Louisville, a home win over Iowa, a loss at Illinois, and a home loss to (#10) Oregon. None of these losses were particularly surprising, but none of these teams were any better than Creighton, North Carolina, or Gonzaga.
An 0-5 record at this point in true road games (Louisville, Illinois, MSU, Minnesota, and Iowa). Sure, it’s tough to win on the road, but Michigan probably should have won two or three of those games (Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa).
Three home losses at this point (Oregon, Penn State, and Illinois). Michigan went 17-1 at home in the 2018-2019 season and 15-1 in the 2017-2018 season. Having three home losses at this point in the season was not a good sign.
Michigan finally won a true road game in their next game, at Nebraska, and they followed it up with a very impressive win on a (not so) neutral court (Madison Square Garden) over (#25) Rutgers. They were robbed by the officials in the next game, another home loss, this time to Ohio State, but they bounced back with five wins in a row: home vs. (#16) Michigan State, at Northwestern, home vs. Indiana, at Rutgers, and at Purdue. Things were looking better, but this was just the top of another hill on the rollercoaster.
Looking back on the season, there were some high points and some low points:
High Points
The Battle 4 Atlantis championship was definitely the highest point of the season. At the time, the win over (#6) North Carolina looked huge, although UNC ended up with their worst season in years. The win over (#8) Gonzaga ended up being much more impressive, since Gonzaga ended up 31-2 and ranked #2 in the final AP poll.
Wins over a few other teams that ended up ranked in the final AP poll: (#7) Creighton, (#9) Michigan State, and (#25) Iowa.
The lowest point of the season was the loss at Minnesota. Sure, Minnesota can be tough to beat in The Barn, but they ended up with a 15-16 record, including 5 home losses. Michigan should have won that one.
The home loss to Penn State really stung. This was one of the better teams that PSU has had in the last 20 years, but they didn’t end up with a record much better than Michigan’s (21-10, 11-9 in the Big Ten). Michigan should have won that one as well.
The home loss to Ohio State was a travesty. The officials called a ridiculous “flagrant 1” foul on Simpson in the last minute, and it was just enough to hand the game to OSU.
The home loss to Illinois was very depressing. Once again, this was one of the better Illinois teams in a while, but they weren’t any better than teams Michigan beat earlier and later in the season. They just caught Michigan in a slump.
This Season
As I mentioned above, because of COVID-19, this season is a little different. Instead of 31 games, there are only 25 (5 non-conference and 20 Big Ten), with no exhibition games and no holiday tournament.
Let’s look at Michigan’s schedule for this season:
If UM can win all 11 of the “Should Win” games, and half (5) of the 10 “Toss Up” games, that would give them a record of 16-9 (12-8 in the Big Ten). That should be good enough to get UM into the NCAA Tournament, depending on how they do in the Big Ten Tournament.
This Week
This week, Michigan plays two games, both in Crisler Arena. On Wednesday (11/25/2020, 4:00 p.m., ESPN2) they play Bowling Green, then on Sunday (11/29/2020, 6:00 p.m., BTN) they play Oakland.
Bowling Green was 21-10 (12-6 in the MAC) last season, and they’re picked to win the MAC this season. They have a few good players, although they don’t have much height. This will not be your typical “cupcake” game for Michigan, especially for an opener with no exhibition game to try things out.
Oakland was 14-19 (8-10 in the Horizon League) last season, and they’re picked to finish 6th this season in the Horizon. They have a couple good players, and they even have some height. This game should be a little easier than the Bowling Green game, but a lot harder than the typical “cupcake” games that Michigan normally starts with.
The
University of Michigan men’s basketball team finished their season last week,
when all NCAA sports were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They didn’t get to play in the Big Ten
Tournament or the NCAA Tournament, so their final record is the same as
their regular season record: 19-12 (10-10 in the Big Ten), 9th place
in the Big Ten.
Season Wrap-Up
The
2019-2020 season was a rollercoaster for Michigan. The ride to the top of the biggest hill
started with wins over three “cupcakes”, along with an impressive win over a
team that finished the season ranked #7 (Creighton),
for a 4-0 start. The top of the biggest
hill was the Battle 4 Atlantis
tournament in the Bahamas. Michigan
wasn’t picked to do much in the tournament, but they won three games in three
days, beating a good Iowa
State team and two Top-10 teams [(#6)
North Carolina and (#8)
Gonzaga], winning the championship, and moving to 7-0 and a #4 ranking in
the AP poll. The championship game was
on 11/29/2019, and that was the top of the hill, the high water mark, the best
moment of the whole season. It didn’t
last long. From that point on, Michigan
was a 0.500 team: 12-12 (10-10 in the Big Ten).
The
very next game was four days later, at
(#1) Louisville, and it didn’t go well.
In fact, Michigan lost three of the next four games after the Battle 4
Atlantis tournament: the loss to Louisville, a
home win over Iowa, a
loss at Illinois, and a
home loss to (#10) Oregon. None of
these losses were particularly surprising, but none of these teams were any
better than Creighton, North Carolina, or Gonzaga.
An
0-5 record at this point in true road games (Louisville, Illinois, MSU,
Minnesota, and Iowa). Sure, it’s tough
to win on the road, but Michigan probably should have won two or three of those
games (Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa).
Three
home losses at this point (Oregon, Penn State, and Illinois). Michigan went 17-1 at home in the 2018-2019
season and 15-1 in the 2017-2018 season.
Having three home losses at this point in the season was not a good
sign.
Michigan
finally won a true road game in their next game, at
Nebraska, and they followed it up with a very impressive win on a (not so)
neutral court (Madison Square Garden) over
(#25) Rutgers. They were robbed by
the officials in the next game, another home loss, this time to
Ohio State, but they bounced back with five wins in a row: home
vs. (#16) Michigan State, at
Northwestern, home
vs. Indiana, at
Rutgers, and at
Purdue. Things were looking better,
but this was just the top of another hill on the rollercoaster.
Looking
back on the season, there were some high points and some low points:
High
Points
The
Battle 4 Atlantis championship was definitely the highest point of the
season. At the time, the win over (#6)
North Carolina looked huge, although UNC ended up with their worst season in
years. The win over (#8) Gonzaga ended
up being much more impressive, since Gonzaga ended up 31-2 and ranked #2 in the
final AP poll.
Wins
over a few other teams that ended up ranked in the final AP poll: (#7)
Creighton, (#9) Michigan State, and (#25) Iowa.
The
lowest point of the season was the loss at Minnesota. Sure, Minnesota can be tough to beat in The
Barn, but they ended up with a 15-16 record, including 5 home losses. Michigan should have won that one.
The
home loss to Penn State really stung.
This was one of the better teams that PSU has had in the last 20 years,
but they didn’t end up with a record much better than Michigan’s (21-10, 11-9
in the Big Ten). Michigan should have
won that one as well.
The
home loss to Ohio State was a travesty.
The officials called a ridiculous “flagrant 1” foul on Simpson in the
last minute, and it was just enough to hand the game to OSU.
The
home loss to Illinois was very depressing.
Once again, this was one of the better Illinois teams in a while, but
they weren’t any better than teams Michigan beat earlier and later in the
season. They just caught Michigan in a
slump.
Final Grades
I
handed out mid-term grades in early January, after the last non-conference
game, when Michigan had a record of 10-3 (1-1 in the Big Ten), and were still
in the AP Top 25. Those grades, listed
first for each player, are mostly better than the final grades.
Freshman Eligibility
Cole Bajema (Inc./Inc.)
– Cole only played in 10 games, and scored 26 points. He led the team in overall shooting percentage
(10-for-13 = 76.9%), 3-point shooting percentage (4-for-7 = 57.1%), and free
throw percentage (2-for-2 = 100.0%). He
just didn’t play much, mostly in “garbage time”. He could be a valuable player next season.
Jaron Faulds (Inc./Inc.)
– Jaron only played in 5 games, and scored 4 points. He’s on the practice squad, and only played
in “garbage time”.
Franz Wagner (B/B) –
Franz missed the first 4 games of the season with a broken wrist, but he played
pretty well the rest of the season. He had
some very impressive games, and several games where he was no help at all. He was the #1 option for firing up a
3-pointer, and he shot a mediocre percentage (41-for-132 = 31.1%). If he can get his 3-point shooting
straightened out, he’ll be the most valuable player on the team next season.
Sophomore Eligibility
Colin Castleton (B/C) –
Colin got his chances this season, and he rarely took advantage of them. He had too many games where he just drifted
around aimlessly out there. He showed
that he has the tools to contribute, he just didn’t have the mental aspect
worked out.
David DeJulius (B+/B-) –
David had a strong first half of the season, but he cooled off in the second
half. He was a pure scorer in high
school, and he showed flashes of that at times this season. He just needs to be more consistent.
Brandon Johns, Jr. (B/B)
– Brandon filled in nicely for Livers when he was injured, but he still had too
many games where he didn’t contribute much.
He is very good at offensive rebounding.
Adrien Nuñez (C-/D) –
Adrien just isn’t working out. He’s
gotten his chances, and he hasn’t delivered.
He played in 22 games this season, and started in 4 games when Wagner
was injured, but only scored 44 points.
He was brought in as a “sniper”, but his 3-point shooting has been
anemic: 11-for-43 (25.6%).
Junior Eligibility
C.J. Baird (Inc./Inc.) –
C.J. only played in 7 games, and scored 8 points. He’s on the practice squad, and only plays in
“garbage time”.
Eli Brooks (A-/A-) – Eli
is a great candidate for “most improved player”. He did a good job at shooting guard, and even
played some point guard when needed. He
led the team in 3-point attempts and makes, and shot a nice percentage
(52-for-143 = 36.4%). He was a distant 2nd on the team in assists (59).
Austin Davis (C+/B+) –
Austin is another candidate for “most improved player”, especially during the second
half of the season. It took 2.5 seasons,
but he finally started playing with smoothness and confidence. He shot a nice percentage (52-for-75 = 69.3%),
and he cut way down on his silly fouls.
Isaiah Livers (A/A-) –
Isaiah is the most versatile player on the team, and arguably the most
valuable. Before he went out with a
groin injury near the end of the non-conference season, he was leading the team
in scoring (13.6 points/game) and 3-point shooting percentage (29-for-58 =
50.0%). When he came back, he was
good-but-not-great.
Rico Ozuna-Harrison (Inc./Inc.) – Rico only played in 4 games, and scored 2 points. He’s on the practice squad, and only plays in
“garbage time”.
Luke Wilson (Inc./Inc.)
– Luke only played in 6 games, and scored 3 points. He’s on the practice squad, and only plays in
“garbage time”.
Senior Eligibility
Zavier Simpson (A/A) –
Zavier was the undisputed leader of this team, and he did a good job at
it. He led the team in scoring and
assists, and finished 3rd in the nation in total assists and assists
per game. He even shot a decent
percentage from 3-point range (31-for-86 = 36.0%).
Jon Teske (A/B) – Jon
was a beast for the first half of the season, then he all but disappeared. He had a few good games in the second half,
but nothing compared to the games he had in the first half. Opponents figured out how to neutralize him
offensively, and he let several opposing big men run wild, especially Luka
Garza of Iowa.
Looking Ahead
Here’s
where things get tricky: who will be on the team next year? Here are all the moving parts as of now:
The
two seniors (Simpson and Teske) are graduating.
They’re gone.
Two
players with eligibility remaining could possibly leave early for the NBA
(Livers and Wagner). Who knows what they’ll
decide to do. Livers missed 10 games due
to injuries, and Wagner was really up-and-down.
I don’t think the NBA will be too excited about either of them.
Brandon
Wade (6’2”, 185 pounds, G) transferred from Duquesne to Michigan after
playing for one year there (2018-2019).
He had to sit out this season (2019-2020), but he’ll be eligible to play
with sophomore eligibility next season.
He’s a “preferred walk-on”, and he’ll mostly be a practice squad player.
The
great unknowns are the incoming freshmen. Only
one recruit (Zeb Jackson) has signed a Letter Of Intent, but four other
recruits are considered “hard commits”: Hunter Dickinson, Jace Howard, Isaiah
Todd, and Terrance Williams. If all five
of these players actually show up on the team next season, Michigan will be a
legitimate contender for the National Championship. They’re that good.
However.
However, I would be surprised if Todd actually plays college basketball. He and his father have given vague hints that
he might play for a year overseas, then enter the NBA Draft. If that happens, Michigan will still be a
contender for the Big Ten title, but not the National Championship. Todd is the key.
Regardless, here’s a quick look at all five of them:
Hunter Dickinson (7’2”, 255 pounds, C) – Hunter is a 4-star center, the #6 center in his
class. He’s a big, tough kid, a
traditional “back to the basket” center.
I can’t wait to see him play. I
expect him to be a starter on the team next season.
Jace Howard (6’8”,
210 pounds, F) – Jace is Coach
Howard’s older son, and he’s a 3-star forward. He could end up as a preferred walk-on, due
to the big scholarship crunch (see below).
He’s definitely going to be on the team next season.
Zeb Jackson (6’2”,
160 pounds, G) – Zeb is a 4-star point guard, the #10 point guard in his class. He’s definitely going to be on the team next
season.
Isaiah Todd (6’10”,
195 pounds, F) – Isaiah is the crown jewel of this recruiting class. He’s a 5-star power forward, the #2 power forward
in his class. If he goes to college, he’ll
almost certainly be a “one and done”.
Terrance
Williams (6’6”, 215 pounds, F) – Terrance is good friends with Hunter
Dickinson (above), and the two of them were a “package deal”. He’s a 4-star forward, the #15 power forward
in his class. I expect him to be on the
team next season.
Besides
those five commits, there are at least five more players interested in
Michigan:
Bryce
Aiken (6’0”, 175 pounds, G) – Bryce is a grad-transfer from Harvard. He’s a good “shoot first” point guard, but
Michigan is set for point guards, so ???
Brendan
Barry (6’2”, 180 pounds, G) – Brendan is a grad-transfer from
Dartmouth. He’s a very good shooting
guard, but Michigan has a good shooting guard (Brooks) returning, so ???
Greg Brown (6’9”,
195 pounds, F) – Greg is a 5-star power forward, the #1 power forward in his
class. The current predictions have him
going to Texas, or maybe Memphis, but not Michigan.
Joshua
Christopher (6’5”, 215 pounds, G) – Josh is a 5-star shooting guard, the #3
shooting guard in his class. The current
predictions have him going to Michigan.
Mike
Smith (5’11”, 180 pounds, G) – Mike is a grad-transfer from Columbia. He’s a good “shoot first” point guard, but
Michigan is set for point guards, so ???
So,
where is Coach Howard going to put all those players? I have no idea. There is a real logjam in the scholarship
count. Will any of the returning
scholarship players transfer? I haven’t
heard anything concrete, but Castleton and Nuñez are good candidates. It will be very interesting to see who
actually shows up next fall. Until then,
it’s hard to make any worthwhile predictions.
What’s Next?
Michigan’s
season is over. Wait ‘til next year.
Check
back in mid-October for another exciting season of Nothing But ‘Net.
The
University of Michigan men’s basketball team was supposed to play one or more
games in the Big Ten
Tournament, in Indianapolis (IN), but it didn’t work out that way. Just 11 minutes before they were supposed to
tipoff against Rutgers on Thursday (03/12/2020), the Big Ten
canceled the remainder of the tournament, so Michigan didn’t get to
play. Later that afternoon, the
NCAA canceled the NCAA Tournament, so Michigan’s season is over. They finished with a final regular season
record of 19-12 (10-10 in the Big Ten), in 9th place in the Big Ten.
What Happened?
Wow!
This is the biggest sports news in my lifetime.
What happened? Unless you’ve been
living under a rock, you know what happened: the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it’s been in the news for a
couple months now, most people didn’t expect it to completely cancel all sports
the way it did. CBS
Sports has a very informative timeline of COVID-19-related sports
announcements:
