Michigan Basketball: Injury bug will test the Wolverines depth

Two possible starters have been wounded to open the Juwan Howard era at Michigan basketball and will force others to grow up in a hurry.

The bad luck streak continues to rare its ugly head for Michigan basketball this week. With the season on the horizon, Brandon Johns and Franz Wagner are on the mend after sustaining individual injuries to themselves.

This leaves Juwan Howard’s first roster thin with unproven backups. An unexpected occasion that puts the unranked Wolverines in a situation that no first-time coach wants to be in.

Both athletes were considered to be starters or at least see a significant amount of minutes this upcoming year. Now Howard may have to turn to relative unknowns like Adrien Nunez and Cole Bajema, amongst others to see extended playing time instantly. David DeJulius and Colin Castleton appear to be the primary reserves at their respective positions. All in all, it’s going to force Howard to experiment with lineups he probably didn’t think he would have to use from the outset.

The question that must be asked is what will the starting five look like on opening night if Johns is still unable to play. The best guess at the starting five as of today would most likely be Zavier Simpson, Eli Brooks, Nunez or Bajema, Isaiah Livers, and Jon Teske.

However if Johns is ready for the opener, then he would potentially fill the hole at power forward and let Livers slide down to the small forward position for better defensive purposes. There’s no doubt that the coaching staff will rely heavily on Simpson, Livers and Teske to carry them through this unforeseen timetable.

Nunez was rarely used in his first season on campus. His outside scoring will need to be picture perfect if he wants to be a mainstay in the early season rotation. His most minutes last year were against George Washington and his most points were three in a blowout win at Indiana. Needless to say, the outlook for Nunez is projected to change drastically in just a matter of time.

Bajema, on the other hand, is touted as an offensive weapon. He creates by driving to the hoop when the ball is in his hands and is a sharpshooter from deep. A consensus four-star recruit has already caught his teammates’ eyes in past offseason workouts. Bajema was also offered by the National Champion Virginia Cavaliers, Washington Huskies, Xavier Musketeers and others.

With Wagner out until the beginning of December, the Wolverines will be battle-tested by then. Wagner’s arrival will mean the lineup can finally take shape if the month of November goes accordingly. From there, Michigan basketball will know what it has in Howard’s initial campaign.