Michigan Basketball: Predicting stat leaders for the 2020-21 season
By Max S.
Assists: Mike Smith
Whoever ends up starting at point guard for the Wolverines, they will have some pretty big shoes to fill. Xavier Simpson is one of the best point guards in program history and his presence will be missed by Michigan.
Simpson led Michigan basketball in assists each of the last three seasons. He was a true pass first point guard that thrived on making everyone around him better. With Simpson gone, I expect Columbia transfer Mike Smith to get the nod to start at point guard.
The first thing that jumps out at you when you look at Smith’s stats from Columbia is obviously the scoring.
He ranked 6th in all of college basketball last season at 22.8 PPG. But don’t let that fool you. He is not a ball hog or a shot chucker. He simply was playing the role that a very bad Columbia team needed him to play.
Despite being Columbia’s best player and number one scoring option, Smith still dished out 4.5 assists per game a season ago. That’s not too shabby.
In an interview with Connor Brennan from The Michigan Daily, Smith talked about his passing and how he was asked to score more at Columbia.
"“I think I’ve always been a great passer. It’s just the past four years I’ve had to score more. It goes unnoticed when all you do is see me shoot a lot but I love to share the ball. Ultimately it makes my game easier too. I love to let everybody else eat first and I eat after. Just like a dad or mom or something, you let the kids eat first and then you eat after. It’s the right thing to do and the right way to play basketball.”"
I think Smith will embrace his new role of not having to score as much for Michigan and end up being the top facilitator for Michigan basketball this season.