Michigan Basketball: 3 things we learned from Juwan Howard’s debut

Teske takes a step forward under Howard

Many of us expected Isaiah Livers to be the leading scorer against App State and all season long. And following a solid, 14-point effort, Livers could still be that guy, but Jon Teske is another that will take a big leap offensively this season.

While we should caution that it was just App State, Teske was much more assertive down low and dominated in the first half scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting.

The senior center also blocked three shots and had on assist. His ability to score inside and the early emphasis of getting him the ball was a noticeable difference, however, in the second half, Teske didn’t get the ball much, which was curious.

Without Franz Wagner, it was clear that players on the perimeter were having trouble creating their own shots, yet, the attention Teske got down low opened some things up in the first half.

The effort was good to see and it feels like Teske has taken another step under Howard’s guidance. Now, the key will be Michigan getting him the ball in the post consistently. He’s a better passer than given credit for and either he can get a good look down low or a potential open look for someone else. He just needs to touch the ball more than he did in the second half.