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