Austin Davis invited back for 5th year
Article at https://t.co/2jsXeXlOtA notes that Juwan Howard invited Austin Davis back for a fifth-year at Michigan. https://t.co/p7dh81s632 pic.twitter.com/KCneHXHaOG
— Dylan Burkhardt (@umhoops) March 4, 2020
The scholarship count just got a little bit more interesting.
Davis has worked his butt off this year that he's well-deserving of a fifth year.
Can we still get future Greg Brown Sr. interviews?
Haha I love that dude!!
Me too! Like Lavar Ball without the spotlight seeking theatrics
Hell he deserves it!!! Hard work. Congrats Austin!!!
This is terrific. Could you imagine being Austin Davis and not knowing? With senior day tomorrow it would have been a strange night for him. Someone said on Twitter he was 'super excited' and hugged Juwan Howard three times.
He hugged him 4 times for sure; the 5th is TBD.
Scholarship counting nerds need to provide us with a breakdown of how this impacts the incoming class
Im going to assume this means Livers is pretty much a done deal to leave for the NBA after this season
Clearly Howard now sees that you need big bodies in the Big Ten. I guess imagining Castleton and Dickenson as our only 2 centers was a frightening thought for him
Always works itself out.
Livers will go pro and/or transfer(s) and/or Jace will start as a walk-on.
Why in God's name is Livers the one transferring in your world!?
Or I am reading it wrong in that transfers is independent of Livers...
The second part of that sentence identifies his post as sarcastic...
Poorly written on my part. I meant three ways to get open spots and other dudes transferring is one of those.
Livers was always expected to go to the nba and although I don’t think he’s ready for that I said the same thing about Poole and I was completely wrong. I think it might be better for us with Livers Simpson and Teske leaving to get a more clear picture of what Howard can do with his elite players at least from a recruiting perspective. I love Michigan basketball!!
Says who? Only this board mentions Livers to the NBA. Nowhere on the World Wide Web has there ever been a peep about Livers leaving early. He’s not ready for the League. Poole was always thought of as a better prospect than Livers...from high school scouting services to NBA scouts.
90% of the players in the draft arent ready for the league.
After the top tier prospects are gone NBA mock drafts are so ridiculously inaccurate its almost comical. Livers has a clear and defined NBA role. His strengths fit perfectly into a modern 3 and D wing. At the end of the 1st round you're taking a flier on someone anyway. Now if he plays a few more games like that Ohio State one maybe things shift... But I expect Livers to declare and likely be an end of round 1 pick.
Most of the ppl that make these comments don’t watch the NBA. Yes he can shoot and play a defense...that doesn’t make you a 1st rd pick! Most end of 1st rd picks are high upside developmental picks. For example Kevin Porter Jr., Keldon Johnson, Nasir Little & Jordan Poole were late 1st rd picks. Young kids with boom/bust potential who are going to sit on the bench(Poole was forced into action due to the injuries on the Warriors) go down to the G-League a few times and hopefully become a rotational piece by year 3. Carsen Edwards was a walking bucket in college last year, he got drafted in the 2nd rd. Lamar Stevens from Penn St. is having a better season at the same position and he’s unlikely to be drafted in the 1st rd. Livers is valued heavily by you, me, ppl on this board. However, I don’t think the NBA thinks that highly of him.
Carsen Edwards is 5'10. Lamar Stevens has no position and can't shoot. Those are not good comparisons. How about Cam Johnson? He is a 24 year old rookie. Has a very similar size, position, & game to Livers. Johnson's advantage is he was more consistent (healthy) as a collegiate. He was a lottery pick last year.
I want Livers to stay. I'd much prefer to see him back at Michigan. I think lots of fans, often ones on this board, undervalue their own players out of hope they'll return. But I think his combination of above average athleticism, shot, size, & defense make him extremely intriguing as an NBA pick. Some teams picking at the end of the 1st gamble on upside, absolutely. Some don't have the roster room and will draft a European prospect and hope they develop overseas. And some have a hole or niche they're looking to fill.
Maybe you end up being right and he declares and is a mid to late 2nd rounder. Some guys are also just ready to go be a professional athlete somewhere, too. Well see how it goes.
The difference between college and NBA play is like night and day. Every player on the court in the NBA demands significant attention and the elite players get to actually shine. Currently Livers is in a situation where he is subject to great pressure-of every kind. The opposition does not have to worry about a single one of his teammates beating them. If one is paying attention to what is happening here you will see that Livers, effectively, has five players guarding him-the four off-ball defenders are all paying attention to/hedging toward Livers. Using his "production" at this level is no indicator of whether or not Livers is NBA material or "ready". To me, in the NBA, Isaiah would be an excellent secondary/complimentary player who would facilitate the making of space for the top stars. The NBA will make the determination if Livers is "ready" or not.
I hope Isaiah stays to lead next year's team. I'm afraid he leaves-I hope he stays.
Caris for 51 the other night, but should have stayed too?
Caris did stay all 4 years.
Dbl Post
I'll be pleasantly surprised if Livers stays another year. He has the NBA body and has the NBA shot.
I'll be crushed if Franz leaves. And he is also arguably ready to enter, akin to Iggy. Franz would be better served to play another year and home his skills to then go in top 15.
If put 60/40 livers goes and 40/60 Franz goes.
I want to watch the same Franz you're watching. The guy I've seen is primarily a three point shooter and even then he only hits them at a 32% clip. There's no way he goes to the NBA this year.
So no Greg Brown ... damn.
I’m sure there will still be some attrition.
Yeah this is disappointing news. It pretty much means no Greg brown unless jace is a walk on.
At no point has Michigan ever been the presumed leader for Brown. We would be two over if Christopher commits and one over if Jace is a walk on. You'd have to imagine at least one of Nunez, Castleton, Bajema, and Johns look at playing time and transfers or Livers told Howard he is going to the NBA
Yes everything you said makes sense. Which is why asking Davis back is bad news. It means it’s likely no brown or losing Livers. Not for sure but more likely now.
Why do people assume Todd is coming for sure. This could mean Howard knows he's going to Europe.
No, Brown and Jace are walking on.
Kid has definitely earned it, glad he doesn't have to wait and wonder.
Scholarship situation is going to be interesting.
I think there was a stretch where he went 19 for 21 or something like that. Incredible.
While this certainly complicates the scholarship count, I'm sure JH is well aware of that challenge and wouldn't extend this offer if it meant sacrificing an essential piece to the program's future.
That said, today's analytics-driven society is quick to dismiss the cultural and emotional impacts of rewarding hard work and honoring those who have been loyal. Giving Davis a fifth year sends a strong, important message about the expectations of the program and the culture Howard is trying to build.
Congrats to Davis!
“Giving Davis a fifth year sends a strong, important message about the expectations of the program and the culture Howard is trying to build.”
Absolutely. Could not agree more.
Plus it'd be pretty rude for Howard to give him the 'ole firm handshake during the Corona virus. Fist bumps for everyone.
and he's bringing Debord with him.
Wonder if Aaron McCann’s text hotline broke this first. God I hate being the last to know...where’s my credit card...
Congrats to Austin!
Long live Senior Leadership!! And working your ass off. Well done by Austin, and Juwan! Go Blue!
I keep getting the vibe that Castleton will leave. I just don't think his style of play fits Howard's philosophy.
I really hope that isn't the case. I think Castleton definitely has more upside than Davis. But, I could see it given how he hasn't been getting many minutes this season. I don't understand this either because he always seems to make an impact when he does get to play.
When CC shows up next year and has improved as much as Big Country did in one season... He will have earned his new handle..... C4!
Bajema probably going to leave and become a scoring stud for some other program. I get a feeling he isn't happy
Don't discount this as well-- by letting Davis know now, it shows Howard "cares about the players" and is rewarding a guy busting his butt off and improving. As much a good PR move as it is a roster management move.
Nice job by coach Howard. Even with dickenson and Todd coming in we need someone to anchor the big man position in case they turn out to be duds or need some time to pan out. Welcome back Davis!
Hard work pays off. Congrats on the 5th year, Austin!
A 5th year big is an invaluable asset, this is good news.
With having the option to have a lot of athletic stretch lineups, having Davis to platoon to bang for 4-6 minutes a half could be a luxury.
I get your point, but giving a scholarship to a kid that will only play 4-6 minutes next year is a little head-scratching.
I believe Davis will be our starting center next year. There is absolutely no way he is playing 10ish minutes a game unless someone else develops an obscene amount this offseason. I don't think Dickinson is ready to play major minutes nor do I think Castleton is ready to bang down low with B1G centers 25+ minutes a game.
With the forwards on our roster I definitely believe well see more small ball lineups but I think that will happen later on in the season as JH gets a feel for the roster and sees how ready Todd is.
Fun thought experiment - would you prefer one year of a freshman Joshua Christopher or one year of a (healthy) junior Isaiah Livers?
By no means do I know these are linked, but an interesting thing to think thru.