Michigan Basketball Position Preview: Wings

Feb 1, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard/forward Zak Irvin (21) dribbles the ball during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. The Spartans won 76-66. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats:

I don’t know where Zak Irvin is going to start, but he is the one player from this group that I am confident will start. He was the sole player to start all 32 games last season. Due to Walton’s and LeVert’s injuries, Irvin had to step up like nobody expected him going into the season.

In the 2013-14 season, Irvin was just a shooter. With Walton, Stauskas, LeVert, Robinson and Morgan around him, he didn’t need to be anything more. Then suddenly, Irvin was one of the few experienced players left. He had to facilitate the offense. He had to become more than a three-point specialist. It took until almost the end of the season, but Irvin got it together.

Michigan Wolverines

The Zak Irvin of the last few weeks of the season was an entirely different monster than what we had seen before. He could drive to the basket with more confidence, his passing developed, and he became a reliable rebounder.

Irvin only averaged 1.5 assists on the season but he was dishing the ball out with ease towards the end. His shot from behind the arc didn’t match his 2013 excellence, but everything else developed nicely. Irvin could really break out in his junior season.

Irvin started last season as the starter at the three. As Kam Chatman struggled and Aubrey Dawkins rose, he saw more time at the four. It would be preferable if Irvin played at the three as he doesn’t quite have the size to guard some of the league’s bigger forwards, but he can shoot well as a stretch four and isn’t a liability on defense. It all depends on how Chatman has developed in the past year.

This season should see much less reliance on Irvin. Walton and LeVert will see the offense run through them, but if needed Irvin can command the court. The tools he added to his repertoire in the final weeks of last season could be lethal for opponents. This team might have three bona fide stars already in the preseason.

Next: Kam Chatman