Next year's team/lineup
I hate to be critical of any kid after such a great year but it's obvious to me that after tonight that next year's lineup should be the following:
1 - DeJulius/Z
2- Poole/DeJulius
3 - Matthews/Iggy B
4 - Livers/Johns
5- Johns/Castleton
It may not look like this in Nov/Dec but by January it should.
As much as Z improved, he's limited. He can't shoot from the perimeter and he can't shoot free throws. His defense was great at times, but he also looked real bad against some elite athletes. This offense is eons better with a true scorer at the 1.
Teske had a couple of good games for us this year, but again, he's limited. His lack of athleticism is too much to overcome for what he offers. He should never be more than a backup at Michigan.
Johns might not be a natural 5, but hopefully he can play both the 4&5 in Beilein's system.
While I think Mo is gone, I don't think it would be crazy for him to return. He needs to be alot more consistent before he does anything productive in the NBA. Of course if he's being told he's in the lottery that changes everything.
Please do tell.
He's decent coming off the bench for 10 minutes in the BIG when Wagner needs a blow.
As a feature 5 in Beilein's offense playing 30 minutes? I don't see it. He just doesn't move well enough. I hope I'm wrong. Having a stretch 5 takes this team to a different level.
The OP is over the top but I think he is right that the offense has a ceileing with Z as the primary point guard. Teams can sag off him like he is a five so he kills spacing even with a stretch 5 in the game and it just throws off offensive sets.
Just have to make a trade off. Would you rather take a more offensively gifted pg for a chance at a top 10 offense but see the defense drop to 20 or 30 or would you rather take the elite defense but know your offense is going to get bogged down and have trouble scoring for long stretches of pretty much every game? Its a stylistic choice but we aren't putting out an elite offense with Z as the primary pg.
Yes, with Z running the offense this year there was a ceiling. But to not expect him to take a step or 2 or 6 forward next year? That is unrealistic. Beilein's history tells us that the most likely scenario is that he will improve the holes in his game. And Z seems like the kind of kid who will work relentlessly to make that improvement. I am very optimisitic about what we see from him next year.
For that matter, I expect to see an improved version of Brooks next year, too. Playing the point in Beilein's offense is not easy, to say the least. Let's not forget that Z as a sophmore is a much better version of himself than he was as a freshman. Sophmore Brooks should be a more than capable backup.
As for DeJulius, see the above. I have never seen him play but to expect a freshman to step in and make significant contributions at the point, would seem unlikely to me. I would think he will get some minutes, but more likely he spends most of the season watching and learning. If he is as good as I read he is, then the following year we will have an embarrasment of riches at the point.
Haven't seen enough of him to know but it seems like he's more of a combo.
there is zero chance that, barring injury, teske and simpson aren't the starters.
If they can keep most of those guys together for a couple of seasons, they might be able to make a deep run again in a few years.
When Wagner was on he was on, but I was really digging the team when Teske was on the court for much of the end of the season. He was great on defense and will only get better. He also improved on offense.
Regarding Zavier, I don't think it's crazy to think that Beilein can get him to improve on offense. If he does, we can't forget the graveyard of outstanding point guards he buried throughout the second half of the year.
But I think some of you are now expecting every player to grow by leaps and bounds, many above their actual ceiling. It doesn't work that way. Beilein has spoiled you.
Already so pumped for next year.
I think all 5 of our presumed starters has a lot of room for improvement.
z - FTs obviously. Improving his outside shot would be nice, but he was so good in BTT attacking the rim it isn't all that needed, if he always attacks like he did in BTT.
Livers - He was playing great when he forced his way into the starting lineup. Thereafter, mostly invisible. My guess is he ran out of gas, like freshman usually do in B1G season.
Poole - sky is the limit
Matthews - fix the bug in his jumper. I think he or Mo were our best players in the tourney, and both started the year as our best players. But in the preseason Matthew's jumper got lost and never came back. If he finds it he has all B1G in him.
Teske - love this guy and he's obviously starting next year. Time to get a little meaner, little beafier, and a more reliable post move to go with his little 10 footer would be good.
Watson was a surprise role player in the run. I had him pegged for transferring, maybe it was just enough to keep around? He showed just enough where I can imagine him being useful off the bench next year. It would be good to not rely too heavilly on freshman.
Anybody who thinks Simpson will be riding the bench next year is delusional.
Simpson is a defensive stud, commands the offense well, and is an emotional leader of the team. A freshman is not going to come in and start.
I am guessing PG will be Simpson/Brooks/DeJulius with Simpson getting 25 minutes and the rest divided among the other 2. Maybe DeJulius spells Poole at SG as well
I expect Brooks to take a decent leap, as is tradition with Beliein PGs in their sophomore season. Even if DeJulius is a stud, he's going to take some time to learn the offense. Having a veteran in front of him will be a good thing
1/simpson
2/Poole
3/Matthews
4/livers
5/Wagner
Ward getting an extension and a raise done for Luke Yaklich seems like the only thing to worry about this off season.
X's defense was pretty incredible in the tourney. He shut down/limited some great guards. It seems like the starting PG job is his to lose, but two interesting comments from this week:
1 - SI noted that UM freshman PG, Eli Brooks was the best player in practice in San Antonio and called him a pure playmaker.
2 - Post game presser with Beliein he said 'Nova's defense forced UM into a bunch of one-on-one plays, instead of running their offense. He said it was something UM would have to get better at...
...underrating the players we have returning and replacing them with freshmen in their projected line-ups for next season. Idiots had already given up on Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske after their freshmen seasons but they'll be integral players going forward after productive sophomore seasons.
The 2012 class was special in that it wasn't filled with 5 stars (like a Duke or Kentucky class) but contributed heavily as freshmen. In retrospect, it's easy to see why - they were future pros so their floors (and ceilings) were higher.
That said, the 2018 class does have a number of players who can contribute early and sustain it. The latter is important because Livers hit the freshman wall hard. Meanwhile, a player like Eli Brooks would've redshirted at Villanova. (Villanova redshirted Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, and Omari Spellman.)
We were often better with Teske in the game the second half of the season. I attended big ten tourney and expect to see that guy more and more. His finals game was a little too big for him but again, that is Monday morning qb’ing one game.
Love the new guys but benching a guy that lead you to national championship game for a freshman DD (who I think plays lay a small Hs?) is hilarious.
I see a lot of people have told you that you're wrong and / or crazy.
I will be another. You don't even have Teske on the two deep, lol. It's one thing to say that the lineup by January "could" look like this, but you said it "should" look like this, and that's placing a lot of faith on freshmen who haven't played a minute of college basketball.
I think the January lineup is more likely to be:
Simpson / Brooks / Dejulius
Poole / Watson / Nunez
Matthews / Iggy
Livers / Johns
Teske / Davis / Castleton
I'd also guess that Castleton (and Nunez) could possibly redshirt if not ready for the college game.