Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from transfers, addition of Mike Smith

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - NOVEMBER 16: Mike Smith #21 of the Columbia Lions shoots over Kihei Clark #0 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on November 16, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

How loss of DDJ and Castleton will impact UM

Neither DeJulius or Castleton were able to reach their full potential with Michigan basketball. Castleton had a few moments, but only played double-digit minutes in Big Ten play once last season and just couldn’t consistently find the floor.

One area he will be missed though is on defense. With the loss of Jon Teske to graduation, Michigan obviously has a hole in the middle, at least on that end of the floor. Austin Davis can score in the post and incoming freshman Hunter Dickinson can too, but the issue is defending big men and Castleton could have been the Wolverines best interior defender.

He was inconsistent sure, but he’s basically a 7-footer with athleticism and a decent jumper. Even on a stacked Michigan team, he would have been an asset. Now, Michigan will have to work through some different options at center, which could be Davis, Dickinson, Brandon Johns or Isaiah Todd, if he signs with Michigan. So there is a lot to unpack there.

For DeJulius, it seems pretty simple. He wants to start and that chance might not come with Michigan basketball. It will sting if he leaves and has a dynamic career somewhere else, which he could, as he’s a skilled scorer, but with Smith coming, that loss shouldn’t be too painful.

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