Michigan Basketball: Predicting the Wolverines NBA draft decisions
Jordan Poole will declare but return
Poole has faced a lot of criticism in recent weeks and part of it is because of his shot selection and the poor way he finished off the season.
Overall though, Poole had a solid year. In his first season as a starter, he averaged 12.8 points and shot 36.9 percent from 3-point range on 5.5 attempts. Last season, he shot 37.1 percent on 2.8 attempts, so the fact that he shot a similar percentage on nearly twice the shots is impressive.
Poole also improved his overall shooting percentage and shot 83 percent from the line, although his total shooting percentage dropped slightly from 58.3 to 57.3. His PER also fell from 19.0 to 16.1 but that is still a strong number. On top of that, his defensive plus-minus increased from 2.2 to 4.0, showing he really did take some steps forward.
Yet, Poole had the talent to take an even bigger leap and he didn’t and that’s why he’s not quite ready for the NBA. At times, Poole looks like he could score 20 points a game, while at other times, he looks like he shouldn’t be on the floor.
Carelessness and inconsistency are his two biggest downfalls. He gets careless with the ball and his shot selection at times and that made him a target for fans after Beilein repeatedly got after him for it.
Early in the season, he was very effective in the pick-and-roll and that’s something that needs to be developed. Michigan basketball struggled to score late in games and that’s because it struggled in one-on-one situations. More than anyone else on the roster, Poole can excel in that role. UM needs a closer and he could be it.
In a recent interview, Poole was talking about all the guys Michigan had returning and it was talking about the Wolverines in a future tense like he would be a Wolverine next season. He should put his name in without hiring an agent because that experience will be good, it should also motivate him to take his game to the next level next season with Michigan basketball.