Michigan Basketball: 3 players who will surprise this season

Brandon Johns

Third on this list is Junior power forward Brandon Johns. Coming out of high school, it would have been hard to imagine Brandon Johns coming into his third season at Michigan and not projected to be a starter. But sometimes a player just gets a bit unlucky and that is what has happened with Johns.

Being on the same team as Livers and Teske the past two seasons has definitely limited the minutes that Johns has been able to play.

But now as an upperclassman, I expect this to be his breakout season. Will he be in the starting five this season? Probably not. But don’t let that fool you. Johns will have a huge impact for Michigan this year.

Johns started 11 games for the Wolverines last season. In those 11 games, he averaged 12.9 points and 4 rebounds per game. He was also relatively efficient shooting 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep.

I think one of the more difficult tasks for Juwan Howard this season will be finding ways to get Brandon Johns on the floor. This might mean Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner getting a few extra minutes of rest this season or it might mean Johns playing more center.

We know Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner are going to be the stars of this Michigan basketball team this season. But without elite role players, you don’t go far in March. Expect Zeb Jackson, Terrance Williams, and Brandon Johns to breakout and find a big role this season.