8A — Thursday, April 13, 2017 Sports The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Offseason report: ‘M’ could lose up to four starters A year ago, the Michigan men’s basketball team lost four players — one to the NBA and three to transfers — and coach John Beilein had to rebuild part of the team that would eventually win the Big Ten Tournament and make the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. But the Wolverines’ success has brought about some changes in the current makeup of the team, which may force Beilein to rebuild in Ann Arbor once again. The Daily breaks down all of Michigan’s roster movement so far this offseason and potential moves the Wolverines have been linked to so far. The Departed: Leaving the team is a class of five seniors in guards Derrick Walton Jr. and Andrew Dakich, forward Mark Donnal and wings Sean Lonergan and Zak Irvin. Walton and Irvin played significant minutes as four-year starters and will both look to get their names called when the NBA Draft comes around. Irvin was invited and will attend the Portsmouth Invitational, an NBA Draft showcase, this weekend. Currently, in multiple mock drafts, neither is projected to be picked. Donnal and Dakich each have a year left of eligibility after Dakich redshirted this past season and Donnal redshirted his freshman year. Both are looking at graduate transfer opportunities to play one more season of college basketball. The Almost Departed: Monday, both sophomore forward Moritz Wagner and redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson declared for the NBA Draft. The stipulation is that neither hired an agent and returning to the Wolverines is a possibility. Both big men likely played themselves into the NBA Draft with their exceptional play in the postseason, showcased by Wilson averaging almost 16 points per game and Wagner putting up a career-high 26 points against Louisville. The duo both showed an ability to stretch the floor with 3-point shooting, and it’s a trait that has made Wilson and Wagner attractive options for NBA teams. The declared draftees will have until May 24th to make a decision about whether to stay in the NBA Draft or not. Incoming Recruits: The Wolverines currently have three players in their incoming freshman class in guards Eli Brooks and Jordan Poole and forward Isaiah Livers. Poole is the highest ranked of the three, coming in at No. 88 nationally, and will look to push junior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rakhman at the ‘2’ for playing time. “I think he’s gone from 20, 30-something assists to 40 or 50, now 60 or 70 — I forget what his final number was,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “… But yes, he can play there, he can guard that position.” Brooks will slide into the position freshman point guard Xavier Simpson played this year as backup point guard, but could push for starting minutes if Simpson struggles. “Eli (can) definitely (play) point and ‘2’,” Beilein said. “Jordan can play probably more ‘2’ or ‘3’, but could be a back up point in time. He’s got to work on some areas there, but he can pass.” Livers recently won Mr. Basketball in Michigan and will add depth to the Wolverines’ depleted frontcourt. Michigan is also still in the running for 5-star forward Mohammad Bamba. Bamba, who is the No. 3 prospect in the country, has shown himself to be dominant inside with a long wingspan that makes him versatile on both ends of the floor. Additionally, the 6-foot-11 forward has shown the ability to shoot from beyond the arc. Currently, Bamba is down to four schools: Duke, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas. If Bamba decides on another school, the Wolverines could turn to 6-foot-4 guard Shakwon Barrett. Barrett has not been offered a scholarship yet. Possible Transfers: With Wilson and Wagner both leaving, their departures will leave two more roster spots open. One way Beilein could fill the void is with graduate transfers who would be able to play right away. Michigan has been linked with three such players so far in Pittsburgh guard Cameron Johnson, Wright State forward Mark Alstork and Howard guard James Daniel III. Johnson averaged 11.9 points per game last season with the Panthers and has a long list of suitors including Ohio State, Arizona and South Carolina, among a multitude of other schools. Johnson would have two years of eligibility left. Alstork put up 19 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season at Wright State, and there is some familiarity with assistant coach Billy Donlon, who coached the Rowdy Raiders last season. Alstork has emphasized that he is focusing on the NBA Draft first. But if that doesn’t pan out, he will go the graduate transfer route. And if he does, he’ll have a full list of interested teams from across the country looking for his ability. Daniel is the most recent player Michigan has been linked to. While Daniel missed all but two games of the 2016-17 season, including a loss in Ann Arbor back in early November, he has a proven record. During the 2015- 16 season, Daniel led the NCAA with 27 points per game. Daniel is down to a final four schools of DePaul, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee. SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily Michigan coach John Beilein will have a busy offseason after DJ Wilson and Moritz Wagner saw their NBA Draft stock rise during the NCAA Tournament. MINH DOAN Daily Sports Editor Wagner and Wilson choose to test NBA waters, leave Beilein with possibility of only one returning starter “He can play there, he can guard that position.” Kemp prepared to capitalize on return to natural position Carlo Kemp joined the Michigan football team as an early enrollee in January 2016. Though he was just 18 years old and playing defensive end, new defensive coordinator Don Brown decided to try him out at linebacker instead. The idea didn’t exactly pan out. As the rising sophomore explained after spring practice Tuesday, his first week as a Wolverine was ‘pretty rough.’ “I would have traded him away for two used footballs,” Kemp recalled Brown saying about him a year later. Added Kemp: “I probably would have done the same.” Coming out of high school as the No. 42 defensive end in the nation according to the ESPN300 rankings, it was expected that he would be called upon to play his natural position. Without proper training at linebacker, Kemp simply couldn’t keep up. “I was kind of thrown into the fire,” Kemp said. “I didn’t really know anything that Brown was saying: ‘Follow the pulling guard, watch the tackle, stare into the backfield.’ … I’m used to looking at the tackle and, when he moves, I go.” He came to Michigan at 260 pounds — the weight of a forceful run stopper on the line — and had to drop to 250 in order to play the more agile linebacker role. He did it in a week. The weight loss didn’t fix his core issues, though. With his first few days as a Wolverine not going according to plan, doubt began to creep into his mind. “To say (it) didn’t would be a lie,” Kemp said. “There’s moments where you just keep messing up in practice and you just don’t feel like you can get it. “But you’ve got to silence your own voice and just keep coming out to practice every day and get a little bit better at something. You’ve got to pick one thing every day, and that’s how I got through it.” With his struggles in the first year of spring practices, Kemp didn’t last long as a linebacker. Seeing his apparent flaws, Brown switched him back to defensive end before last season even began. While he saw action in just two games his freshman year, Kemp has rediscovered his comfort zone at the anchor position on the defensive line. And in his second year, he has shown just how valuable that is. Enjoying what Michigan defensive line coach Greg Mattison described as a ‘very, very good spring,’ Kemp has shown signs of steady growth. From his comfort level to his understanding of Brown’s defense, Kemp has impressed the Wolverines so much that Brown joked he didn’t even recognize the old Kemp. Expecting to back up Rashan Gary this season, Kemp has used his fellow rising sophomore as a model to improve his level of play. “He goes in there and sets the tempo,” Kemp said. “For me backing him up, I want to be as close as I can that there’s no drop-off. Rashan — we already know what he can do. And when I come in, I try to mimic his game a lot so that when he’s in and I’m in, it almost looks the exact same.” The pair will be relied upon to help Michigan replace its starting defensive line from last season — fifth- year seniors Chris Wormley, Ryan Glasgow and Matthew Godin and senior Taco Charlton. Gary, part of the backup rotation for that quartet, will be expected to jump into their vacated spots, along with fifth-year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, rising senior defensive end Chase Winovich and rising senior defensive tackle Bryan Mone. Behind those four regular contributors, much is yet to be determined for the Wolverines. Kemp has a strong opportunity to emerge as a key part of that second rotation this season. “I think that’s the feeling, especially across the board, at a lot of defensive positions, as well as offense,” Kemp said. “A lot of guys graduated and you can see it now, they’re all in the (NFL) Draft getting ready to start playing on Sundays. This year, spring ball has been a good competition of, ‘Who are we going to see on Saturdays?” Back in his original position, Kemp is now poised to play an important role this season. He always had the potential, but now he has a shot to bring it to fruition in the right position. “If I was able to get a scholarship here, there’s something that at one point (former defensive coordinator) Mattison saw that gave me the scholarship,” Kemp said. “It’s just, ‘Make it come true now.’ ’’ BETELHEM ASHAME Managing Sports Editor “I didn’t really know anything that Brown was saying.” “I would have traded him away for two used footballs.”