Michigan Basketball: 5 potential replacements for Ignas Brazdeikis

Don’t forget about Brandon Johns

For some reason, Michigan basketball fans tend to forget that Johns was the No.2 player in the state of Michigan in the 2018 recruiting class and a top-70 player overall.

For an idea of how big a get Johns was when the Wolverines landed his commitment. here is what venerable Michigan basketball expert Dylan Burkhart of UMHoops.com had to say:

"Johns’ combination of skill and measurables are the first thing that stand out. He stands 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-10.5 wingspan and a 8-foot-9.5 standing reach. He’s a prototypical stretch four at the college level and has the ball skills to easily step into that spot and play it in Ann Arbor. We’ve discussed how hard it has been at times for John Beilein to fill that spot, but it is easy to watch Johns on film and see him as an almost perfect four man for the Wolverines."

While Johns saw time as a backup to Teske this season, the 6-foot-8 forward came to Michigan as more of a power forward or stretch four. Watching his highlights in high school, he reminds me of D.J Wilson.

Certainly, Johns isn’t that long but he is more athletic than people give him credit for and he can really shoot the ball from deep. He just didn’t get the chance this season. He saw double digits minutes just four times last season but had his best game against Indiana, with eight points and eight rebounds and a block in 13 minutes, going 4-of-5 from the field.

Johns was 1-of-3 from 3-point range during the 2018-19 season and if Michigan fails to bring in a guy like Wagner or Pierce, Johns could have a huge opportunity in front him. And even if UM does bring in those guys, Johns is still a guy Beilein is counting on to develop into a contributor.