Shattering expectations would 

be an understatement for the 
Michigan men’s basketball team in 
the 2017-18 season.

After a 26-12 record in 2016-

17 that ended in a heartbreaking 
Sweet Sixteen loss to Oregon, the 
Wolverines lost three valuable 
starters in Derrick Walton, D.J. 
Wilson and Zak Irvin. They were 
supposed to spend this season 
retooling, with a solid recruiting 
class waiting in the wings.

On numerous occasions, that 

looked to be the case. But as was 
the theme of the season, Michigan 
also won in almost every way 
imaginable — pretty and ugly 
— to notch a 33-8 record. It was 
good enough to face Villanova for 
the Wolverines’ second National 
Championship 
appearance 
in 

six years. It was good enough to 
win their second straight Big Ten 
Tournament. It was good enough 
to get the most wins in program 
history.

The Daily reflects on one of 

the most successful seasons in 
Michigan basketball history:

Best 
game: 
Michigan 
75, 

Purdue 66 in Big Ten Tournament 
championship

The Wolverines provided a few 

glimpses earlier in the season they 
could make a run in March, such 
as two convincing road wins to end 
the year and two wins over then-
top-10 Michigan State teams. But 
none encapsulated how efficient 
this team could be on both ends 
of the court then in the Big Ten 
Tournament championship.

After getting buried by 7-foot-

2 
Isaac 
Haas 
in 
Michigan’s 

previous two games against the 
Boilermakers, 
the 
Wolverines 

controlled the tempo from start to 
finish, stymying a top-five offense 
and shooting 50 percent from the 
floor. It also offered a posterizing 
slam in a breakout performance by 
sophomore center Jon Teske. Unlike 
the 2016-17 season, there was no 
intrigue from a scary plane crash or 

underdog mentality. Michigan won 
its second consecutive conference 
tournament 
championship 

convincingly and became one of 
the hottest teams in the country 
heading into March Madness.

Worst game: Northwestern 61, 

Michigan 52 on Feb. 6

In this snoozefest in Rosemont, 

Ill., Michigan shot a measly 38.6 
percent from the field, and couldn’t 
make the necessary stops against 
a smaller and slower Wildcats’ 
team. It looked like a contest that 
would position the Wolverines as a 
middle-of-the-pack Big Ten squad 
on the outside looking in.

The silver lining of this game 

for Michigan, though, is it marked 
when the Wolverines had had 
enough of lackluster showings. It 
was the last loss Michigan had until 
the National Championship game, 
and marked the start of an offensive 
emergence from senior guard 
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman.

Best individual performance: 

Moritz Wagner against Loyola-
Chicago in the Final Four

If any game showed why 

Wagner is making the right call to 
enter the 2018 NBA Draft, it was his 
monstrous performance against 
the Ramblers in the Final Four. The 
junior center registered a 24-point, 
15-rebound output on 10-for-16 
shooting in the most significant 
game of his career. Wagner also 
recorded three steals to hush the 
naysayers about his shaky defense. 
Much of his work also came when 
Michigan needed it most — facing 
a three-point deficit with 7:44 
remaining in the contest. Wagner 
scored 11 of the team’s next 15 
points to put the game out of reach 
and secure a spot in the title game.

Most important game: Michigan 

64, Houston 63 in Round of 32

Yes, the National Championship 

game 
was 
pretty 
important. 

And so was the Final Four, Elite 
Eight and the Sweet Sixteen. But 
none of it would have happened 
without one the most iconic shots 
in Michigan basketball history. 
Flailing his legs after a rapid flick of 
the wrist, freshman guard Jordan 
Poole converted a 3-point, buzzer-

beating prayer to down the Cougars 
and earn a spot in the One Shining 
Moment video. In what was an 
otherwise uninspiring contest, the 
victory marked a true beginning to 
the Wolverines’ March Madness 
run and added another bullet point 
to the program’s and Beilein’s 
résumé.

Most improved player: Zavier 

Simpson

In his freshman season, Simpson 

looked like a lost puppy on the 
court, unable to be a trustworthy 
ball-handler or buy a bucket. For 
his sophomore campaign, the point 
guard was still a dog, but for all the 
right reasons. Labeled a “pitbull” 
by 
his 
teammates, 
Simpson 

convincingly grabbed the reins of 
the starting point guard role on 
Jan. 6 and ran with it.

He locked down his opponents 

nightly, earning him consideration 
as one of the premier on-ball 
defenders in the country. In the title 
game, Simpson held National Player 
of the Year Jalen Brunson to just 
nine points on 4-for-13 shooting. 
Offensively, while Simpson still 
has plenty of room to grow, he 
overcame his stocky stature to 
showcase a number of circus scoop 
shots and dribble penetration over 
some of the nation’s best shot-
blockers — think Haas, Mo Bamba, 
Jaren Jackson Jr. Given his impact 
on the court, Simpson is clearly the 
most improved player on Michigan, 
even if a statline won’t show it.

Most valuable player: Moritz 

Wagner

This decision isn’t as easy as 

it seems. The Wolverines were 
a Jenga tower that could fall by 
taking out any one player out of the 
lineup. But Wagner was at the base 
of it all. The junior averaged 14.6 
points and 7.1 boards after posting 
just 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds a 
season ago. Besides against Loyola-
Chicago, 
Wagner’s 
standout 

performances include nine other 
20-point games and seven double-
doubles. Wagner, as evidenced by 
his on-court antics, also proved 
himself to be a capable, vocal 
leaderas a captain. Between his 
shifty offensive skillset, growing 

defensive prowess and leadership, 
he was able to help Michigan to the 
Final Four, and could soon make an 
NBA team very happy.

Up next:
Speaking in formalities, the only 

next step for Michigan is winning 
the 
National 
Championship. 

In reality, the goal will just be 
sustaining a top-tier program 
that is losing three of its biggest 
contributors — Abdur-Rahkman 
and 
fifth-year 
senior 
Duncan 

Robinson to graduation and, as of 
Saturday afternoon, Wagner to 
the NBA. Jaaron Simmons is also 
graduating, forcing the Wolverines 
to find a replacement for the 
backup point guard role. The team 
is also waiting on an NBA decision 
by Matthews. Finally, sophomore 
guard Ibi Watson and walk-on 
Brett Hibbitts announced their 

intentions to transfer, opening up 
roster spots and more playing time 
in the backup ‘2’ role.

But the new faces coming to 

Ann Arbor compose one of the best 
recruiting classes in the Beilein era. 
Beilein isn’t one to tout rankings, 
but the five-man class composes 
four four-stars and one three-star 
recruit for the 16th-best incoming 
group in the country, according 
to 247Sports. All five recruits play 
one starting role: David DeJulius 
at point guard, Adrien Nunez at 
shooting guard, Ignas Brazdeikis 
at small forward, Brandon Johns at 
power forward and Colin Castleton 
at center.

On 
paper, 
Michigan 
is 

introducing new pieces that can 
begin replacing the firepower it 
loses. But it also can look forward 
to the development of other players 

who made significant strides this 
year. Simpson has always held 
his own on defense, but showed 
noticeable progression in finding 
scoring 
opportunities 
as 
the 

season went on. Teske, who will 
likely replace Wagner at the ‘5’, 
grew more and more assertive 
and even showcased a mid-range 
jumper late in the year. And the 
rising sophomores — Poole, Isaiah 
Livers and Eli Brooks — enter the 
year with a full season of college 
basketball under their belts.

Next season, the Wolverines 

will likely find themselves in the 
preseason Associated Press Top 
25 poll. Unlike most of last season, 
they will have a target on their 
backs from the get-go, inviting the 
possibility of another compelling, 
new-look Michigan team in 2018-
19.

8 — Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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Season in Review: Beilein, Michigan exceed expectations

ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Editor

