Michigan Basketball: Predicting the starting five and two deep

Predicting the starting shooting guard

Starter: Eli Brooks

Backups: Cole Bajema, Adrien Nunez

The Wolverines will go small to start the season, but if incoming freshman Cole Bajema can prove reliable at the two, Brooks will be replaced.

Bajema ranked 112th in the 2019 class and projected as a second-round pick.

“Slender 6’6” frame. He’s lean, long and fluid. Bajema’s calling card is his ability to stroke jumpers from deep. He has good shot mechanics and preparation and is a shot-maker off the off move and off the catch,” 247 sports Evan Daniels wrote in his evaluation of Cole. “Also showed an ability to deck the ball and make pull-ups and runners.”

If Bajema adds weight (listed at 175 pounds), he could easily make a case for the starting role.

Adrien Nunez is the guy that needs to prove himself. Shooting 1-13 from the three-point line isn’t a great stat line, but Nunez has the opportunity to make a great first impression on Howard.

“I think it’s a clean slate, for real,” Nunez said after learning of the hiring of Howard as head coach. “I think it’s a better situation where I get to redo my freshman year over again, basically. A whole new staff, basically, besides Saddi and that will be really fun for me. If I could’ve done things differently last year, I would’ve like to start my freshman year the way I ended it in terms of my experience. I think that’ll definitely be a big help to me.

“I didn’t know a lot about basketball just from being so young. Now, I get to rewrite that story, basically. I’m happy about that.”