We're getting closer to coming full circle in the Big Ten! This edition of the
Big Ten Picture covers the
Michigan Wolverines. Dylan Burkhardt, who runs the Michigan hoops blog
UMHoops.com, has graciously provided a detailed look at the Wolverines for the 2008 season.
UMHoops.com:
2007-08 Recap
Last year was a brutal season for Michigan, which was plagued with a mix of inexperience and the steep learning curve of [Coach John] Beilein's offense. Points were hard to come by, defense was unspectacular, and shooting was atrocious. A nonconference road loss to Harvard, home loss to Northwestern, and a home loss to Central are just a couple of the black eyes from last season.
Junior
Ekpe Udoh added to the damage when he announced his intentions to transfer after the season. Ekpe was the one defensive presence on this Michigan team and losing him weakens the Wolverine's interior defense significantly.
Laval Lucas-Perry is a midseason transfer from Arizona who will be eligible to play around December 20th. Lucas-Perry is a strong combo guard and can hopefully play the point guard as well as shooting guard. Laval is playing ball in Taiwan right now and is averaging around 15 points per game, including a 22-point effort. Michigan will rely on Lucas-Perry to grow into a third consistent scoring option.
Returnees
The key to Michigan's success next year is the development of
DeShawn Sims (junior) and
Manny Harris (sophomore). Manny was the leading scorer as a freshman but he was certainly not an efficient scorer. However Manny's talent, athleticism, and length are undeniable. The 6-5 slasher is likely to move to the wing this year where he can get the ball in a better position to score more often and not be relied upon for ball handling duties. Michigan will go where Manny Harris takes them for the next three years and it's safe to say this is his team.
DeShawn Sims is a mystery to Michigan fans everywhere; he can dazzle with his quick post moves and long range jumper and then disappear completely for long stretches. It's all about consistency and constant effort for DeShawn, if he can bring it night in and night out he can be one of the inside-outside players that can thrive in Beilein's offense. But if not he will always be judged on potential.
Sophomore point guard
Kelvin Grady was thrown to the wolves last year as a freshman and definitely took his lumps, but he showed flashes and has potential to become a solid but not spectacular point guard on the Big Ten level. Redshirt Junior
Zack Gibson will likely start at center by default after backing up Udoh for most of last year. Gibson has some three point range but is no where near the type of defensive player that Ekpe is.
Anthony Wright has range at the wing but is a tweener between the four and the three. He will probably be forced to play a lot of four with Michigan's thin numbers in the post.
Jevohn Shepherd enters his senior year a lot like he entered his freshman year. A freak athlete who just doesn't have a well rounded game.
Newcomers
Michigan's freshman class consists of
Stuart Douglass,
Ben Cronin, and
Zack Novak. Stuart Douglass is an unheralded 6-3 off guard with a deadly stroke and unlimited range. The question with Stu is how well his athleticism and other factors of his game transfer to the Big Ten. Cronin is a 7-1 center from New York who will provide some much needed size to a very small Michigan roster. Novak is a wing who can score the ball and did it will throughout his Indiana High School career, he averaged around 27 points per game his senior year.
Robin Benzing is one more signee from Germany. His eligibilty for the upcoming year is up in the air because of playing (without pay) for a professional team in Germany. Going by the NCAA's track record it is very unlikely that Robin will be eligible this season but if he was he would give a big boost to the wing and power forward positions. Benzing is very skinny but a skilled big man who can put it on the floor.
There are so many question marks about this team that it's hard to predict where they finish this year. I can safely assume that this year will be better than last years debacle of a season. I think NIT is a reasonable expectation with a relatively weak Big Ten after the very top tier. A middle of the pack Big Ten finish is likely, probably somewhere around 6th or 7th.
Roster for reference:
2008-2009
1. Sr. - SF Jevohn Shepherd
2. RS Jr. - C Zack Gibson
3. Jr. - PF DeShawn Sims
4. RS So. - WF Anthony Wright
5. So. - SG Corperryale “Manny” Harris
6. So. - PG Kelvin Grady
7. Fr. - SG/PG Laval Lucas-Perry
8. Fr. - SG Stuart Douglass
9. Fr. - C Ben Cronin
10. Fr. - SF Zack Novak
11. “Fr.” - PF/SF Robin Benzing
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IUplanet:
Michigan is a team to consider closely because its likely that IU will be jockeying for position with the Wolverines in the Big Ten standings for a good part of this season.
While Michigan suffered a poor season and some off-season losses, they still retain two proven players and a capable inside-outside duo in Manny Harris (16.1 ppg) and DeShawn Sims (12.3 ppg). The talent level does drop off considerably after that pair, but the Hoosiers don't have the luxury of proven veteran players this year, and may not have a good defensive answer for Sims if he's on his game in the post.
Michigan's question marks on defense, however, leave the door open for IU to capitalize. The loss of Udoh really weakened the core of the defense and should allow some of IU's slashing guards to get to the hoop and break it down.
Also, the relative development of Michigan's 7'1" Ben Cronin and IU's own 7-footer,
Tijan Jobe, when these teams meet could be a critical matchup in the post.
Right now Michigan has to be the slight favorite because it is returning some veteran starters while IU doesn't really know what to expect, but this should be a good, competitive game when it comes around.
Discuss it in the forums
Many thanks to Dylan Burkhardt and UMHoops.com for the great report!
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