GBMWolverine: Michigan Basketball — 2011/2012 — A First Look — Part II
Posted at 6:00am — 10/23/2011
GBMWolverine: Michigan Basketball — 2011/2012 — A First Look — Part II
One small summation on the bigs- the situation is better than the last two years, but still no one is going to write articles about Michigan’s inside power game.
The wings are highlighted by last year’s star freshman Tim Hardaway Jr. Listed in the neighborhood of 6’ 5” Hardaway should be the dominant Michigan player this year. To make up for some of the Morris factor, Hardaway will need to be more versatile, play better inside and continue to be Mr. Clutch.
Helping out on the wing will be Novak on offense, a big, a wing, and a guard, as needed. Also, Stu Douglass probably qualifies as a wing, but last year he brought the ball up and started the offense many times. This combo player will hit some threes and provide leadership. He has good court sense that once in a while is cashed in for big plays. Defensively, Stu will never make the Big Ten all defensive team.
Colton Christian, a 6’5” wingman, started out last year as a hot item. As the season went on and the competition increased his role diminished. But he is only a true sophomore and there is plenty of time to get better at both ends of the floor.
The wild card at the wing position is Matt Vogrich. The junior is limited to primarily offensive contributions and ran hot and cold last year. He could add great depth and provide valuable minutes by contributing some hits from outside. Matt will never be the complete player but has enough skill to contribute. The Michigan three-point shooting has fallen under the needed 38% at most times during the last two years. This is in part due to the design that says shoot first, then shoot again if missed. The inside game worked somewhat the last two years if the “bigs” actually saw the ball.
The guard play is a little different at Michigan because the perimeter may be manned by guys 5’ 11 to 6’ 11”. Similarly, Michigan’s wings interchange with the true guards. Michigan suffered a big loss with Morris jumping to the pros after two years. At the time of this writing, the NBA is in doubt and who will make the final roster is even more in doubt. Sometimes a dream can wait for a better moment, but time will tell.
Stu Douglass and Novak are not accomplished ball handlers, and neither is sophomore Eso Akunne. The role of the primary ball handler may fall to true freshman Trey Burke. Morris was not only the go-to guy for the guards, but the team as well. His scoring may be replaced by Hardaway, but no one will be able to go to the hoop at will like Morris could. Some day freshman Carlton Brundidge may fill that roll. He is a very strong power guard whose best part of his game is the power guard options of getting to the hoop and finishing.
The freshmen never made anyone’s top 25 list, but Carlton Brundidge, Max Bielfeldt, and Trey Burke may all contribute this year. Trey Burke got hot as a senior and is a good leader with above average ball skills, but it is simply too much to expect him to contribute as a deadly outside shooter this year. His role should focus on offensive management. Brundidge was higher ranked than Burke, but is limited in his game and this may not be the year he contributes at a high level. Many folks think Bielfeldt is a reach. But Beilein has a history of being more correct than his critics. Still, of the three he has by far the most work to do to contribute as a freshman. He is a little bit of a wide-body who can shoot threes. His movement skills and jumping leave much to be desired.
Michigan’s strengths will be cerebral basketball and good coaching. The Coach Beilein system is not myth, instead it is a real factor. The entire coaching staff contributes and puts into place the mechanics that make system basketball in the style of Henry Iba, Fred Taylor, and Bob Knight. This team will play well together.
Michigan’s primary shortcomings will center on overall athletic ability. Without Morris this team lacks some frontcourt speed, although Trey Burke can move and will eventually play under better control than Morris. The team is built on threes and Michigan has not hit enough threes to overcome other deficiencies. The rebounding will still be average at best. Clearly, this is not a program point of emphasis.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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