[Photo: Bryan Fuller]

[Ed-Seth: I know you all want more articles about Michigan's offensive tackles but basketball season is coming and we've brought Matt Way on board to talk about it. Previously: Maximizing Zavier Simpson, Maximizing Teske on Offense, Maximizing Teske on Defense]

The loss of Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman leaves a massive void in the Michigan basketball program. For the Wolverines to repeat last season’s success, Charles Matthews needs to fill that hole.

Abdur-Rahkman blossomed into an accomplished scorer and all-around great player and leader during his time in Ann Arbor. He also served an important role in his final two seasons, one similar to what Caris LeVert did when he was on the floor.

For years, John Beilein’s offenses were vulnerable against aggressive perimeter defenses. It was one of the few criticisms that were valid and not aesthetically-based. 

Michigan was often too entrenched in its typical motion offense. When opponents disrupted Beilein’s ball handlers, the entire timing of the offense was thrown off and the Wolverines often had no great counter.

At the highest levels of basketball, the best offenses are those which find ways to keep defenses off-balance. Sure, the top offenses nearly always have a defined system and a bread-and-butter scheme that they go to frequently. But when things break down, the elite of the elite find ways to counter and exploit defenses based on what they are trying to take away.

Beilein has always been known for countering aggressive defenses with back-door cuts in the hope that, if those cuts are effective, defenses will lay off opponents to prevent layups. It’s usually effective, but it only truly works if ball handlers are able to operate in some amount of space to see and make the necessary passes.

It then becomes critical to have a primary option that is able to create offense when everything is going wrong.

And that is when the LeVert and MAAR types became most useful.

[After THE JUMP: CM's role]

Without any other obvious candidate to fill that role, Charles Matthews will need to be the man this fall.

We discussed Zavier Simpson and his growth in the pick-and-roll previously. Simpson’s able to read defenses and is undoubtedly quick, but his size and lack of a tight handle prevent him from being a very good isolation player. Jordan Poole showed glimpses last season but is presumably a season away from shouldering a load when the shot clock ticks down. And it’s exceedingly unlikely that any of the freshmen can do so reliably.

Charles Matthews, though, has the size, handle, and overall game to be the go-to guy when the offense is struggling. Never was that more apparent than during Michigan’s run this past March.

A major reason for Matthews’ March success was the addition of an important part of the game: the left side of the court.

For months on end, Matthews went right off the dribble and then went right some more.  During the NCAA Tournament, he began going left and it was clear that opponents had not game planned for it.

Watch how Florida State concedes the left as the shot clock winds down in a one possession game:

Rather than forcing something right, Matthews takes what he’s given, gets his defender in the air with a slick pivot, and nails a fadeway to put Michigan up five with under four minutes left.

In the Final Four, he turned a stagnant offense into points by going left and bullying his way to an open look:

The brief lowering of his shoulder creates space perfectly and is a move that Matthews frequently executes well. The little things like that separate him from the rest of the team and make him an ideal candidate to take over possessions when things aren’t flowing freely. 

Earlier in the Loyola game, he expertly attacked a closeout for a bucket:

The close out isn’t even particularly poor; Matthews just immediately recognizes that his counterpart is off balance and exploits it with a crafty, short dribble to get himself to the rim. Note that he again goes to his left to accomplish it.

It’s also important to recognize that this play was possible because he made an early three and attempted eight from behind the long line in the prior two games. Making shots is important for spacing, but so is the willingness to take those shots. Matthews may never be a great three-point shooter, but it’s important for him to attempt enough of them to force close outs so he can attack the same.

But the success of Charles Matthews doesn’t begin and end with isolation situations. His value comes, in large part, because of the variety of ways in which he can score. In the first round against Montana, his off-ball game was on full display.

When the ball gets into the middle of the zone and the back-line defender nearest Matthews jumps up to help, he immediately cuts along the baseline and makes himself available for a pass that leads to a dunk:

Later in the game, Matthews again hits a back cut for a layup:

This is a beautifully designed play that should re-appear in Michigan’s playbook this winter. As Livers fades to the perimeter, Matthews creeps closer to the rim from the opposite direction. Wagner cutting holds the back line of Montana’s defense which allows Matthews to run the baseline.

It’s easy to say, “well, it’s Montana.”  And there’s plenty of truth in that statement. The true takeaway, however, is that Charles Matthews regularly recognizes situations which allow him to run the baseline and get looks near the rim. Even when he doesn’t have the ball, his size and athleticism provide a serious threat to every opposing defense which will benefit his teammates.

Ultimately, though, Matthews is going to have to be the alpha male in Michigan’s offense this coming season. If he builds on last year’s successes, it will go a long way toward mitigating the losses Michigan suffered this offseason.