Basketball minutes breakdown

Submitted by ST3 on
Player MPG
Derrick Walton, Jr. 31.8
Zak Irvin 32.0
MAAR 29.5
DJ Wilson 30.0
Mark Donnal 22.0
Moe Wagner 15.5
Duncan Robinson 16.0
Xavier Simpson 10.3

Before the basketball season starts, the MGoBoard has posts about minutes per game breakdowns. Four games into the season, I think it's interesting to see how Beilein is allocating the minutes. Fortunately, MGoBlue.com has made this easy for all of us.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/mich/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2016-…

I left Ibi off the list. He's at 6.8 mpg. The rest of the roster is at 6.3 mpg cumulative. I think those 13 minutes will get allocated to the 8 players above when we get into Big 10 play. I'd like to see DW2 and Zak stay at 32 MPG. MAAR and DJ at 30 seems reasonable. I think Moe and Donnal will split the 5 minutes equally at 20/20. Moe may flip the above numbers in his favor, but he's not going to get north of 25 MPG due to fouls and occasional defensive hiccups.

So that's 11 more minutes to distribue. I think those go to Duncan and Xavier. What's been really interesting so far is it looks like Zak's minutes are exclusively at the 2 or 3 (probably not much difference between the two.) I say that because there have been lineups with a center, DJ, Duncan, Irvin, and Derrick. Who is the 2 in that lineup, Duncan or Zak? Again, probably doesn't matter. I just love seeing an actual 4 play the 4.

 

MGoBoard
Basketball
Mark Donnal
DJ Wilson
minutes per game
Moe Wagner

AlwaysBlue

November 19th, 2016 at 12:58 PM ^

a small but impactful role on the defensive side. He has the length and athleticism to give them some spot minutes but his 3P shot is probably not reliable enough for the freshman Irvin role. Some thought he was headed for a red shirt year but with the departures of Dawkins and Chatman he has an opening.

Joined: 11/23/2008

MGoPoints: 7854

Naked Bootlegger

November 19th, 2016 at 12:02 PM ^

Allowing Irvin to play big minutes at the 3 liberates this team, both offensively and defensively.   32 minutes at the 3 is so much better than 32 minutes at the 4 for Irvin. No more banging all game against rugged power forwards. 

We've been waiting for the true stretch 4 to emerge for years.   Small sample size and all, but Wilson's ascendency truly bodes well for this team.

Joined: 01/28/2011

MGoPoints: 34640

Ronnie Kaye

November 19th, 2016 at 12:37 PM ^

Even then, the standard should be different for benching him than everyone else on the account of foul trouble. You can't put Irvin or Robinson at the 4 and not expect this team to have many of the same problems of last year.

Joined: 05/09/2015

MGoPoints: 104

BuckNekked

November 19th, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^

Donnal may not be offered a 5th year next year creating a need for a 5 that can give you 15 as a backup. I think Teske continues to see limited minutes at the 5 to encourage his development. He doesnt look out of place out there at all so far.. It may be more than limited minutes if Wagner or Donnal are either in foul trouble or ineffective. Teske at 7'1 could be an asset against a team like Purdue.

Joined: 12/06/2013

MGoPoints: -1793

MGoBender

November 19th, 2016 at 3:55 PM ^

The Donnal-5th-year question will be an interesting one as the year develops.

I, too, would like to see Teske pick up some limited minutes here and there.  It's going to be a process with him, but you'll want him ready to play what ever minor, yet crucial, role against the Purdue's of the world.

Joined: 03/26/2010

MGoPoints: 15128

Fieldy'sNuts

November 19th, 2016 at 3:11 PM ^

Simpson doesn't look very good. And I don't mean "raw talent that still needs to be coached." He just doesn't look like a starting PG in the big ten. 

Joined: 09/01/2016

MGoPoints: 3582

blue in dc

November 19th, 2016 at 5:52 PM ^

He went in with 10:35 left in the first half and played the rest of the first half. When he went in, Michigan led by 9 at 24-15. By the end of the half they had a 24 point lead at 50-24. It is hard to go on a run like that if one of the five guys on the floor is a huge liability. I think we should probably wait a few more games to see if he is starting quality. Did you think DJ Wilson was starting quality in the big ten at any time in his freshman season?

Joined: 01/22/2011

MGoPoints: 20401

blue in dc

November 19th, 2016 at 5:18 PM ^

DJ Willson's minutes have gone up every game. 20,30,34,36 and he didn't become the starter til game 3. Given Beilein's history of riding his horses, I suspect that he'll be playing 33+ a game unless he is in foul trouble. Walton's average minutes are also a bit misleading. He payed 34+ minutes in 3 games, but his average is brought down by the 20 minutes he played against Marquette when he went out with two fouls.

Joined: 01/22/2011

MGoPoints: 20401

AA Forever

November 19th, 2016 at 7:36 PM ^

35+ minutes in the Big Ten.  If Simpson and Watson ramp up their games as the season goes on, Walton and Irvin's minutes will be able to stay around 32-34.

Joined: 08/14/2016

MGoPoints: 765