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