PREVIEW
MICHIGAN
BASKETBALL
TIP OFF 2016-17

Friday, November 11, 2016 // Tip Off
2B

21-10

Wisconsin

Indiana

Purdue

Wisconsin

Melo Trimble, Maryland

Gard

Illinois

Walton

Monte Morris, Iowa State

Lonzo Ball, UCLA

NCAA Round of 32

Valparaiso

Duke

Kansas

Wisconsin

Villanova

Kevin
Santo

Betelhem
Ashame

Minh
Doan

Brandon
Carney

20-11

Indiana

Michigan State

Wisconsin

Michigan State

Thomas Bryant, Indiana

Tom Crean, Indiana

Iowa

Walton

Dillon Brooks, Oregon

Jackson

NCAA First Four

North Carolina State

Kentucky

Indiana

North Carolina

Kansas

The Daily basketball
writers do their best
to predict what will
happen in the world of
college basketball this
season.

STAFF PICKS

22-9

Wisconsin

Indiana

Michigan State

Indiana

Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin

Greg Gard, Wisconsin

Ohio State

Derrick Walton Jr.

Grayson Allen, Duke

Josh Jackson, Kansas

NCAA Round of 32

Butler

Duke

Kansas

Kentucky

Wisconsin

22-9

Wisconsin

Michigan State

Indiana

Michigan State

Trimble

Gard

Northwestern

Walton

Allen

Jackson

NCAA Round of 32

Princeton (always pick the Ivy)

Kentucky

North Carolina

Wisconsin

Duke

Michigan regular-season record

Big Ten champion

Big Ten second place

Big Ten third place

Big Ten Tournament champion

Big Ten MVP

Big Ten Coach of the Year

Big Ten surprise team

Michigan MVP

National Player of the Year

National Freshman of the year

Michigan’s season ends here

NCAA “Bracket Buster”

NCAA Final Four

TABLE OF CONTENTS

It’s been a long time since Michigan’s men’s basketball and
football teams were elite at the same time. Could 2016 be
the year?

Derrick Walton Jr. inherited a program coming off a national
championship berth. Things haven’t gone so smoothly in his
time as point guard, but he hasn’t lost faith.

3

4

6

Michigan returns all five starters and looks to make it past
the round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament for the first time
since 2013-14.

No.
Name
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Year
Hometown

0
Brent Hibbitts
F
6-8
210
So.
Hudsonville, Mich.

1
Charles Matthews
G
6-6
190
So.
Chicago, Ill.

3
Xavier Simpson
G
6-0
180
Fr.
Lima, Ohio

5
D.J. Wilson
F
6-10
240
Jr.
Sacramento, Calif.

10
Derrick Walton Jr.
G
6-1
190
Sr.
Detroit, Mich.

11
Andrew Dakich
G
6-2
190
Sr.
Zionsville, Ind.

12
M. Abdur-Rahkman
G
6-4
190
Jr.
Allentown, Pa.

13
Moritz Wagner
F
6-11
240
So.
Berlin, Germany

14
Fred Wright-Jones
G
5-11
170
So.
Detroit, Mich.

15
Jon Teske
C
7-0
245
Fr.
Medina, Ohio

20
Sean Lonergan
F
6-5
210
Sr.
Fishers, Ind.

21
Zak Irvin
G/F
6-6
215
Sr.
Fishers, Ind.

22
Duncan Robinson
G/F
6-8
215
Sr.
New Castle, N.H.

23
Ibi Watson
G/F
6-5
190
Fr.
Pickerington, Ohio

34
Mark Donnal
F
6-9
240
Sr.
Monclova, Ohio

51
Austin Davis
F
6-10
240
Fr.
Onsted, Mich.
Cover photo by Allison Farrand

Daily Men’s Basketball Beat

Betelhem Ashame, Brandon Carney,

Minh Doan, Kevin Santo

Follow Daily Sports on Twitter: @theblockm

After an offseason of turnover, the Michigan men’s basketball team
hopes to reestablish itself as a contender in a stacked Big Ten and
beyond. Coach John Beilein lost five key contributors to graduation and
transfers and two assistants to other head coaching jobs. But a wave of
new faces and ideas have kept optimism up in the hallways of Crisler
Center. Seniors Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin have one final season to
cement their legacies as they and three other returning starters as the
Wolverines target a sixth NCAA Tournament berth in seven years.