Friday, November 10, 2017 // TIP OFF 2017
6B
Roster breakdown: Wolverines have
numerous questions marks this year
Personnel wise, it’s the start
of a new era for the Michigan
men’s basketball team.
Gone are yesteryear’s faces of
the program – Derrick Walton
Jr. and Zak Irvin – who were
fixtures
of
the
Wolverines’
lineup since the start of their
freshman season.
Also absent are D.J. Wilson
– now a Milwaukee Buck after
a breakout season at Michigan
– Mark Donnal and Andrew
Dakich,
who
transferred
to Clemson and Ohio State,
respectively.
But
the
Wolverines
do
return two starters from the
last year’s Sweet 16 squad in
senior guard Muhammed-Ali
Abdul-Rahkman
and
junior
center Moritz Wagner, along
with fifth-year senior forward
Duncan Robinson.
A capable sophomore class
comprised of guards Zavier
Simpson and Ibi Watson, as well
as center Jon Teske will help
to help fill those losses. Three
freshmen – all former four-star
recruits – could see playing
time, too.
Also
new
to
Michigan’s
roster
are
Ohio
graduate
transfer Jaaron Simmons and
former Kentucky small forward
Charles Matthews. Both are
talented but have yet to prove it
at the highest levels of college
basketball.
As the Wolverines look to
make
another
deep
run
in
March, the Daily breaks down
this year’s roster:
Point Guards:
Right now, this is Michigan’s
murkiest position with Simpson,
Simmons
and
freshman
Eli
Brooks all figuring to play
– but with unclear minute
distributions.
Simpson is the lone returner
and
started
last
Friday’s
exhibition win against Grand
Valley State. The Ohio native is
a strong defender and rebounder
and
seems
more
confident
offensively this fall. Though
Simpson doesn’t have much
collegiate game experience – he
averaged just 8.7 minutes last
season – Simpson knows John
Beilein’s system, giving him the
early upper hand in the point
guard competition.
Despite his current backup
role, meanwhile, Simmons might
be the most talented scorer on
Michigan’s roster. In his final
year at Ohio, he averaged 15.9
points and 6.5 assists a contest,
excelling as a pull-up shooter
and slasher. Given sufficient
time to completely learn the
Wolverines’ offense, Simmons
could be the starter sooner
rather than later.
Finally, Brooks will likely
come off Beilein’s bench to play
both point and shooting guard.
Against Grand Valley State,
Brooks provided a scoring spark
to
Michigan’s
second
team,
adding five points and an assist
in 15 minutes of action.
Shooting Guards:
Muhammed-Ali
Abdur-
Rahkman will start here every
game this season, barring injury.
The former two-star recruit
has flowered into a reliable
offensive threat, averaging 9.1
points per game on 46 percent
shooting last year. He’s a capable
shooter and defender, but, more
importantly, he’s the heart and
soul of this Michigan team.
With the most career minutes
played, Abdur-Rahkman looks
primed to be announced as a
captain.
Behind him are Ibi Watson
and freshman Jordan Poole.
Despite limited playing time
a year ago, Watson looked
confident against Grand Valley
State, sinking a three and mid-
ranger jumper seconds after
he entered the game. If he
can do the same during the
regular season, Watson could
be a fixture in the Wolverines’
second team.
On the contrary, if Friday
was any indication, Poole could
miss Beilein’s regular rotation.
The former four-star recruit
saw just two minutes of action
on Friday, and those came
minutes
after
walk-ons
had
been unloaded from the bench.
Brooks’ emergence also hurts
Poole’s prospects of playing
significant minutes – at least to
begin the year.
Forwards:
Unlike
at
point
guard,
Michigan’s forwards are not
marked by the question of who
plays when. Instead, Charles
Matthews, Duncan Robinson
and freshman Isaiah Livers will
receive nearly all the minutes
at the ‘3’ and ‘4’ spots. But
the efficacy of each is still a
mystery.
Matthews
was
the
Wolverines’
best
player
throughout
the
exhibition,
combining a mid-range touch
with
strength
in
transition
for 23 points. At 6-foot-6 and
200 pounds, Matthews is also
Michigan’s most athletic player,
and it shows on the defensive
end – he’ll frequently be tasked
with guarding the opposition’s
best
player.
But
Matthews
is still an unproven 3-point
shooter, which could present
complications
in
Beilein’s
outside-oriented offense. Last
Friday provided some clarity
in Matthews’ development in
that area, however, as he sunk a
corner three for the game’s first
points.
Robinson, meanwhile, is a
classic stretch-four. Despite a
slight decrease in minutes and
points per game last season
thanks to Wilson’s emergence,
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Writer
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
The Michigan men’s basketball team will be tasked with replacing three starters from a team that won the Big Ten Tournament and made it to the Sweet 16 last season.
See ROSTER, Page 7B