Michigan Basketball: Breaking down Wolverines with DeVante Jones
By Brock Heilig
Shooting Guard
This is no mystery. Eli Brooks will be the team’s starting shooting guard next season. Michigan fans have seen Brooks blossom from a bench player into a key contributor on a national championship-caliber team.
The senior opted to cash in on his fifth-year option which was awarded to all players due to the pandemic. Brooks has received high praise during his time at Michigan, in fact, some may remember Michigan assistant coach Phil Martelli called Eli Brooks “the most valuable player on this team” toward the end of last season.
Brooks contributed 9.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in roughly 30 minutes per game last season. Expect even more efficiency from Brooks next season. Freshmen Kobe Bufkin and Isaiah Barnes, alongside Zeb Jackson will all see minutes at the two-guard next year.
Small Forward
Whether you considered Isaiah Livers or Franz Wagner as the “3” last season, neither will be in Ann Arbor for the 2021-2022 season so someone will need to step up and fill the void. Five-star freshman Caleb Houstan seems to be the best candidate to take over that role. The Montverde, Florida native is the program’s highest-rated recruit since 2000 when 247Sports began keeping records. Houstan will likely be a day-one starter and will be a high-volume scorer. Isaiah Barnes and possibly even Terrance Williams will pick up minutes at small forward as well.