Friday, November 10, 2017 // TIP OFF 2017
7B 

Big Ten breakdown: Michigan 
State sits atop the leaderboard 

Smash Mouth told the world 

“all that glitters is gold” in their 
hit song “All Star.”

Big Ten men’s basketball 

would beg to differ.

Despite the allure of being 

a Power Five conference with 
four teams in the AP preseason 
Top 25 poll, a litter of Big Ten 
teams lack identities as they 
seek to replace the stars of last 
year with the unproven pieces 
of today.

Michigan, of course, is no 

exception. With the departures 
of Derrick Walton Jr., Zak 
Irvin and DJ Wilson, serious 
questions 
have 
emerged 

regarding 
the 
Wolverines’ 

depth 
chart. 
Eight 
new 

faces — including three new 
starters 
alongside 
junior 

forward Moritz Wagner and 
senior guard Muhammad-Ali 
Abdur-Rahkman — will see 
an unfamiliar amount of game 

time at the college level. A spot 
in the NCAA Tournament is 
far from a lock for Michigan in 
2017-18.

Whether 
it 
be 
a 
lack 

of chemistry or a lack of 
meaningful 
experience, 
the 

Wolverines are only one of many 
involved 
in 
the 
conference 

quagmire. The Daily breaks 
down the best of the Michigan’s 
competition this season:

No. 2 Michigan State
There’s one name to know 

here: Miles Bridges. 

The 
sophomore 
star’s 

decision to return to school 
surprised everyone but himself. 
Bridges — who averaged 16.9 
points and 8.3 rebounds per 
game last season — has made 
two of his collegiate goals 
clear for this year: a National 
Championship 
and 
the 

Naismith Award. The additions 
of graduate transfer Ben Carter 
and two highly-touted recruits 
in Jaren Jackson and Xavier 
Tillman make both of those 

objectives seem well within 
reach.

Even 
without 
the 
added 

starpower, Tom Izzo’s team — 
with another year of experience 
under 
its 
belt 
— 
appears 

primed to easily surpass its 
unimpressive 20-15 record in 
2016-17. If Cassius Winston and 
Nick Ward can stay healthy at 
the ‘1’ and the ‘5,’ the Spartans 
can be lethal.

Like many of its conference 

counterparts, though, most of 
Michigan State’s lineup has only 
one year of, if any, experience 
playing college basketball. But 
if the Spartans find chemistry 
early on, good luck to the rest of 
the Big Ten.

No. 15 Minnesota
The injury bug hit the Golden 

Gophers early with the loss of 
their sixth man, Eric Curry. 
The backup big man often saw 
upwards of 20 minutes on the 
court, averaging 5.5 points and 
5.2 boards per game. Due to this 
loss in the frontcourt, coach 
Richard 
Pitino 
emphasized 

the extra impact needed from 
Texas A&M transfer Davonte 
Fitzgerald, who has battled 
injuries in the past and saw 
limited action for the Aggies. 
Center Bakary Konate has been 
a serviceable frontcourt option, 
but not much more than that.

Nonetheless, 
Minnesota 

features one of the most talented 
backcourts 
in 
the 
country. 

All-Big Ten first teamer Nate 
Mason leads the way, averaging 
15.2 points and 5.0 assists in 
nearly 35 minutes a contest 
as the Golden Gophers’ floor 
general last season. Shooting 
guard 
Amir 
Coffey 
trailed 

slightly behind at 33.2 minutes 
per game and is also regarded 
as one of the conferences’ 
premiere 
returning 
scoring 

threats.

In the absence of Curry, 

Reggie 
Lynch 
and 
Jordan 

Murphy may also see more 
playing time down low. But 
more time for the tandem 
of glass-crashing big men is 
nothing for Pitino to hang his 
head about.

No. 19 Northwestern
Welsh-Ryan 
Arena 
in 

Evanston, 
Ill. 
is 
getting 
a 

makeover, but the Wildcats’ 

See BIG TEN, Page 8B

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Michigan coach John Beilein will lead a new era of Wolverine basketball in 2017-18, as the roster now has eight newcomers on the court and two on the sideline.

Robinson was still effective 

outside, 
shooting 
over 
42 

percent from three. Robinson 
is undersized, though, causing 
him some occasional defensive 
struggles.

Livers is a mix of the two, 

combining size with a capable 
jumper. As he did Friday, 
the 
former 
Michigan 
Mr. 

Basketball will see action in a 
back up capacity to start the 
year.

Centers:
With all the Wolverines’ 

departures, 
Moritz 
Wagner 

becomes the most important 
player on Michigan’s roster. 
As a skilled center with the 
ability to handle the ball and 
shoot, he’s the Wolverines’ 
go-to option offensively. One 
could even make the case that 
Michigan 
goes 
as 
Wagner 

does. That was evident against 
Louisville 
in 
the 
NCAA 

Tournament last March, when 
Wagner scored 26 points on 
11-of-14 shooting en route to a 
Wolverine victory.

Unlike last season, however, 

Wagner will have a target on 

his back now – something 
that 
he 
and 
Beilein 
have 

acknowledged. As a highly 
emotional 
player, 
Wagner 

needs to remain level-headed 
to stay on the floor and avoid 
foul trouble.

Possible 
weaknesses 
for 

Michigan’s front court could 
come defensively and on the 
glass, as Wagner and Robinson 
create 
an 
undersized 
duo. 

Friday wasn’t a strong start, as 
Michigan allowed 15 offensive 
rebounds to a small Lakers 
lineup. 

Filling 
out 
the 
rotation 

are Jon Teske and redshirt 
freshman Austin Davis. Teske 
played just 3.1 minutes per 
game a season ago, but Beilein 
has 
been 
impressed 
with 

the strides Teske has made 
offensively. These strides were 
apparent on Friday, as Teske 
saw 12 minutes of action – 
compared to Davis’ six – and 
added two field goals and three 
assists.

Though clearly the third-

string big man, Davis has 
strength and size and might 
be forced to eat minutes this 
season when Wagner and Teske 
find foul trouble.

ROSTER
From Page 6B

ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Editor

