Tuesday, November 5, 2019 // TIPOFF 2019
6B 

Roster breakdown

Roster turnover — and adjusting 
to it — is an inherent part of college 
basketball. A top program’s best 
players tend to move on annually 
to the professional ranks as a new 
batch of heralded freshmen take 
over. 
Michigan, which can now be 
classified among the very elite 
programs in the sport, is no 
different. Jordan Poole, Charles 
Matthews and Ignas Brazdeikis all 
moved on from last year’s Sweet 
Sixteen team, taking 57 percent of 
the Wolverines’ scoring production 
with them. With the loss of that trio, 
a few newcomers and a completely 
different coaching philosophy being 
implemented under new coach 
Juwan Howard, there is no shortage 
of uncertainty accompanying this 
year’s Wolverines. 
And yet, the cupboard is far from 
bare. Three linchpins and a number 
of talented, albeit unproven, players 
return to Ann Arbor. Whether the 
latter can step up to the plate will 
likely dictate how far this team goes 
in Howard’s first season. 
The Daily broke down what’s 
still stocked in that cupboard for 
the coming season. 
Guards
Since he officially secured the 
point guard job as a sophomore 
under former coach John Beilein, 
Zavier Simpson has become the 
heart and soul of the Wolverines. 
In his senior season, expect more of 
the same. 
Simpson is the unquestioned 
leader of this team and one of the 
best point guards in the country. 
He earned All-Big Ten second 
team honors a season ago, but only 
because Michigan State guard 
Cassius Winston also plays his 
position. Though not a potent 
scorer as evidenced by his 8.8 points 
per game last year, Simpson and his 
patented hook-shot have become a 
nationwide phenomenon. A floor 
general in every sense of the word, 
Simpson registered a 3.2 assist-to-
turnover ratio last season, which 
ranked first in the Big Ten and sixth 
in the country. He also led the team 
in steals and was named to the Big 
Ten’s All-Defensive Team. 
Simpson’s 
contributions 
to 
Michigan 
extend 
well 
beyond 

statistics, 
though. 
Hard-nosed, 
vocal and sometimes brash, he will 
hold his teammates accountable 
and is about as dependable as it gets 
on this roster.
Junior guard Eli Brooks, on the 
other hand, will be asked to step 
up more than ever before. Serving 
primarily as Simpson’s backup 
last 
season, 
Brooks 
averaged 
just 12.8 minutes per game. Now 
without Poole, Brooks will likely 
start alongside Simpson in the 
backcourt. Although he struggled 
with confidence a season ago, 
Brooks is a capable shooter and 
defender. 
In 
the 
Wolverines’ 
exhibition game against Saginaw 
Valley State on Friday, he notched a 
double-double with 13 points and 10 
rebounds. Teammates and coaches 
have repeatedly praised his work 
ethic and understated leadership 
this offseason. If Brooks improves 
his decision-making and is more 
aggressive on offense, he could 
make a much-needed leap. 
Sophomores 
David 
DeJulius 
and Adrien Nunez fall very much 
into the “talented but unproven” 
category. 
Both 
are 
slated 
for 
significantly more playing time 
than last season and will be key 
in replacing the loss of offensive 
production from a season ago. 
Despite only being 6-foot, DeJulius 
is an energetic, athletic and crafty 
ball-handler who can score in the 
paint and knock down an open 
shot from deep. Nunez is a long, 
sharpshooting wing, who will be 
more of a “catch-and-shoot” option 
on offense. Defensively, there are 
question marks surrounding both 
of these players and their ability to 
lockdown opposing guards. 
Forwards
Isaiah 
Livers 
flashed 
his 
potential 
multiple 
times 
last 
season as Michigan’s sixth-man. 
Now without the wing presences 
of Matthews and Brazdeikis, the 
junior — who averaged just under 
eight points per game a year ago 
— has an opportunity to shine. 
He’s a threat from behind the arc 
(42.6-percent last year) but is also 
athletic at the rim. As demonstrated 
by his team-high 24-point outing 
against SVSU, Livers has the 
potential to lead the Wolverines 
in scoring. Already a versatile 
defender with his 6-foot-7 frame, 
Livers’ work in the offseason to get 
in better shape should pay dividends 

on the other end of the floor. With 
two years of playing experience 
under his belt, he joins Simpson as 
a respected upperclassman. 
Though 
inconsistent 
overall, 
Brandon Johns Jr. showed some 
promise off the bench last season 
as a freshman. While he has a 
professional build, a good motor 
and can provide a scoring burst if 
needed, he struggled at times to 
stay in front of his man defensively 
and battle for rebounds with other 
bigs. Shoring up those areas of his 
game could be key to him getting 
more playing time. 
A similar sentiment holds true 
for his classmate, Colin Castleton. 
At 6-foot-11, Castleton is a shot-
blocking big who can also step 
out offensively and knock down 
a perimeter shot. As a freshman 
though, he was overpowered by 
other bigs on the glass and wasn’t 
skilled enough around the basket to 
make his presence felt offensively. 
Realizing Michigan lacks depth 
downlow, 
Howard 
has 
been 
working closely with Castleton to 
help him along. 
Johns Jr. and Castleton will be 
relied on even more during the first 
few weeks of the regular season 

due to the absence of highly-touted 
freshman 
Franz 
Wagner, 
who 
suffered a broken wrist in practice 
two weeks ago. Just 18 years old, 
Wagner played professionally for 
Alba Berlin in Germany’s Basketball 
Bundesliga last season and earned 
the 2019 BBL Best Young Player 
Award. Though he has inevitably 
received comparisons to his older 
brother, Moe Wagner, he’s arrived 
as a more polished offensive 
player — with a sweet stroke and 
good distribution skills — and is a 
more willing defensive player. The 
coaching staff has raved about his 
temperament and savviness, so 
look for him to possibly take over 
a starting role upon returning to 
action. 
Center
If Simpson and Livers are 
the first two linchpins for the 
Wolverines, 7-foot-1, 265-lb senior 
Jon Teske is the other. “Big Sleep,” 
as he’s known to his teammates, 
has steadily improved throughout 
his time at Michigan, culminating 
in a junior statline of 9.5 points, 
seven rebounds and two blocks per 
game. He possesses 3-point range 
but arguably relied on that too 
frequently a season ago. As a rim-

running center always active in 
transition, he should benefit from 
Howard’s 
up-tempo, 
transition 
offense — though his conditioning 
will be tested. Defensively, he’s 
one of the conference’s best shot-
blockers and has the size to match 
opposing bigs in the post. 
Backing up Teske at the ‘five’ 
is senior Austin Davis. Davis is 
a physical post player who can 
finish strong at the rim but isn’t 
particularly 
technical. 
He’ll 
provide a high-energy option off 
the bench for the Wolverines. 
Outlook
The 2019-2020 installment of 
Michigan is notably athletic but 
lacks a refined scorer, especially 
while 
Wagner’s 
sidelined. 
Howard’s emphasis on pushing 
the ball up the floor will cater to 
the team’s athleticism but its half-
court offense may be suspect. 
The 
Wolverines 
will 
undoubtedly rely on their tested 
veterans like Simpson, Livers and 
Teske. But the development of 
last season’s fringe contributors 
— Brooks, DeJulius, Johns Jr. and 
Castleton — will largely dictate 
how far Michigan progresses in 
Howard’s first year. 

CONNOR BRENNAN
Daily Sports Writer

Wolverines looking for production from newcomers and unproven sophomore class in coming year

ALEC COHEN/Daily
Junior forward Isaiah Livers slimmed down this offseason in order to increase his athleticism and positional versatility.

