10

Thursday, June 20, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

Trio of Wolverines projected as potential second-round picks

On June 20, Jordan Poole, 
Ignas Brazdeikis and Charles 
Matthews will have a new home 
— that is, assuming all three are 
drafted on draft night. With none 
of them expected to come off the 
draft board in the first round, 
the former Wolverines figure to 
be available in the second round 
and even after the draft.
“In the second round, you’re 
not 
drafting 
stars, 
you’re 
drafting guys you expect to make 
your team,” said ESPN analyst 
Jay Bilas on a conference call. 
“You would like to be rotation 
players, perhaps one day starters. 
But it’s pretty rare that you get 
to middle of the second round 
finding a star-caliber player. It’s 
not unheard of, but it’s pretty 
darn rare.”
Bilas had high praise for Poole 
and Brazdeikis and believes that 
both have shown enough to get 
drafted in the second half of 
the night. Though Poole seemed 
to show more promise with his 
shooting and ability to pass, Bilas 
admired Brazdeikis’ aggressive 
mindset. But regardless of each 
player’s pros, Bilas indicated 
that both are still raw talents 
that have a long way to go before 
becoming a staple in the NBA.
“Jordan 
Poole 
would 
be 

probably the best prospect of 
the three (Michigan players), 
I would say,” Bilas said. “He’s 
a good creator, I think a good 
passer. Did a good job of seeing 
open people off of ball screens. 
I think he could be a secondary 
ball handler in the NBA and 
facilitate at times. But a good, 
solid shooter. Shot just under 
40% from three, makes over 80% 
of his free throws.
“I think Ignas Brazdeikis has 
a good shot of getting drafted. 
I’ve got him ranked right in the 
second 
round. 
Another 
guy 
that’s got talent, 
tough-minded. 
I think he has 
ability 
to 
play 
in the NBA. He 
can score, he can 
use either hand. 
He shot a pretty 
decent percentage 
from three.
I 
think 
he’s 
going to continue 
to get better. One of the things I 
liked about him a lot is he attacks 
closeouts, doesn’t shy away from 
anything.”
The oldest, and perhaps most 
NBA-ready, is Charles Matthews. 
In pre-draft workouts, he proved 
himself to be one of the best 
defensive prospects in the draft 
after anchoring Michigan on 

that end of the floor for the last 
two years.
But on June 8, his journey took 
a turn for the worst when he tore 
his ACL in a pre-draft workout 
with the Boston Celtics. As a 
result, Matthews may have to 
play his way onto a professional 
league roster once he’s completed 
his recovery, though Bilas hopes 
teams will recognize his motor 
and defensive potential on draft 
night.
However, with poor shooting 
performances 
during 
the 
NBA 
Combine 
backed 
by 
subpar 
shooting 
percentages 
as 
a 
Wolverine, 
Matthews’ 
draft 
stock is very much 
up in the air.
“I was really 
sad 
to 
see 
that 
Charles 
Matthews 
got 
injured 
because 
I think he would 
have been drafted,” Bilas said. 
“It will be interesting to see 
whether 
that 
injury 
affects 
that. He’s well-built for an 
NBA player, so he’s got size, a 
wingspan of 6-foot-9, 6-foot-10. 
Can guard multiple positions. I 
always saw him as being a solid 
defender, he can switch. He’s got 
a good motor, plays really hard.”

With former Michigan coach 
John Beilein with the Cleveland 
Cavaliers, it’s safe to assume that 
each Wolverine will get looks 
from their college mentor — 
Brazdeikis even had a pre-draft 

workout with Beilein and the 
Cavaliers on Monday.
And 
though 
nothing 
is 
guaranteed, expect at least one 
of the Michigan trio to have his 
name called towards the end of 

AKUL VIJAYGARGIYA
Summer Managing Sports Editor

Howard to earn $11.2 million, assistant coaching pool raised

Michigan is paying its head 
coach less, and its assistants 
more. Thus is the trade-off when 
you lose John Beilein and hire 
assistants who have held head 
college jobs and sat on NBA 
benches.
Juwan 
Howard, 
introduced 
last month as the Wolverines’ 
new basketball coach, will make 
$11.2 million over a five-year 
deal, per his memorandum of 
understanding. The deal was 
obtained by The Daily via a 
Freedom 
of 
Information 
Act 
request.
Annually, 
Howard’s 
deal 
starts at $2 million, going up 
by $100,000 in each of the five 
years. Unlike Beilein’s contract, it 

features buyouts for both parties. 
Should Howard be fired without 
cause in his first year, it will cost 
the Michigan athletic department 
$5 million. That number drops by 
$1 million in each year of his deal.
On the other side, if Howard 
leaves 
the 
Wolverines 
“for 
other 
basketball 
related 
employment,” he will owe the 
athletic department half of the 
University’s buyout for that year. 
The lack of a similar clause in the 
deal Beilein signed last summer 
allowed him to leave Michigan for 
the Cleveland Cavaliers without 
any financial consequence. If 
Howard, who has interviewed for 
multiple NBA head coaching jobs, 
including this offseason, does the 
same thing, it will cost him.
Though 
Howard’s 
annual 
salary is significantly less than the 

$3.8 million Beilein was earning, 
Michigan upped its assistant 
coaching pool by $275,000.
Saddi Washington, the only 
assistant coach retained from 
Beilein’s staff, saw his annual 
salary raised from $305,000 to 
$330,000. As for the new guys, 
Phil Martelli will earn $450,000 
per year and Howard Eisley 
$375,000, per their memorandums 
of understanding.
Last 
year, 
assistants 
Luke 
Yaklich and DeAndre Haynes 
earned $300,000 and $275,000, 
respectively, with Washington 
as the highest-paid assistant. 
Martelli now holds that title, in 
line with his long career coaching 
Saint Joseph’s.
All three assistants are on two-
year deals, with the University 
holding an option for a third year.

ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor

NATALIE STEPHENS/Daily
Former Michigan guard Charles Matthews is one of the top wing defenders in the draft.

ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan coach Juwan Howard is set to $11.2 million over five years with the Wolverines.

I think Ignas 
Brazdeikis has 
a good shot of 
getting drafted.

