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