U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL: 2018-2019

[WM Wolverine]

Yup, I've brought up concerns about his basketball IQ and coachability before and they are the weakest part of his game. Bad decisions, bad shots, attempts passes that aren't possible, etc. He wastes 4-5 offensive possessions a game...

Hopefully he takes to coaching this season as he'll be needed if/when Mathews leaves.

[hack]

I guess my point is that after learning not much at all in two years, there's not much of an expectation that he'll start now.

I didn't realize that Jalen Wilson is 6-8 though, and that Bajema is seen as being too skinny to contribute as a freshman. I don't mind going with a short SG, so if Poole is gone hopefully DDJ is ready to scale up, or Nunez. If Nunez is going to crack the rotation, it would be next year.

[WM Wolverine]

Poole isn't leaving as far as I'm aware.

[Hannibal]

I feel like we would be hearing more about Poole and Iggy leaving if they were planning on it now. Smoke coming out of the program, so-to-speak.

[hack]

Well, Beilein is hitting the recruiting trail harder than you might think for a guy expecting minor attrition. Then again that could be because of transfers.

[Niffla]

I guess my point is that after learning not much at all in two years, there's not much of an expectation that he'll start now.

I actually firmly believe that he will.

Poole is the type of player that will always believe he can make the impossible play -- the key though is getting him to minimize those moments. I think next season we'll see less of those lapses than this season. He'll still have them, but I'm expecting a lot less of them. As long as Beilein is the coach then I will always expect strides of improvement from players because there's very few in the country better than Beilein when it comes to player development.

Jordan didn't even pass the ball in his freshman season. I don't even think he knew what a pass was. This past season he was at least a capable passer. Heck he even had a handful of really, really nice passes throughout the course of the season that surprised me, because last year's Poole wouldn't have even thought for a second to pass in those situations.

He also was a serviceable defender, too.

Let's see...Jordan was a 13 PPG scorer this year. 44% from the floor, 37% from distance. Really good FT shooter too at 83%.

Last season was his first full season as a starter. He took a big leap from his freshman campaign. And I expect another leap this next season. Jordan has shown that he can be a dynamic scorer. I think the next step for him is to not give us just glimpses of that any longer, and instead to do it night in and night out -- which I think is possible.

[Niffla]

And again I just cannot see him not being in Ann Arbor next season. Why? Because I don't think he even has a choice. Jordan Poole would not get drafted. Not this upcoming draft anyway. He needs to stay, take another big leap, and then I think he'll actually be on draft boards.

[hack]

Not that he's totally immune to coaching, and if he's back he'll be better, but he's no sponge. Seems like he's climbing up those draft boards though.

Brian says Bajema is too skinny to play as a frosh, but he was listed at 175 as of last summer, I think. Not too skinny. And it was said that Castleton wouldn't be physically ready this year, and he held his own in the minutes he got.

Bajema has the look of someone who can come in do what a secondary creator does in a Beilein offense, like Caris did in '14 when Stauskas was the primary creator.

[*JD*]

Not that he's totally immune to coaching, and if he's back he'll be better, but he's no sponge. Seems like he's climbing up those draft boards though.

Brian says Bajema is too skinny to play as a frosh, but he was listed at 175 as of last summer, I think. Not too skinny. And it was said that Castleton wouldn't be physically ready this year, and he held his own in the minutes he got.

Bajema has the look of someone who can come in do what a secondary creator does in a Beilein offense, like Caris did in '14 when Stauskas was the primary creator.

You never know what can happen at Camp Sanderson. Castleton gained 10 pounds last summer and another 10 during the season. Bajema probably only needs to put on half of that. That said, it might not be a bad thing if he redshirts.

[hack]

I don't know what weight he's going to arrive at and what weight carrots actually arrived at, but in there hello posts caris had 10 pounds on him. And caris was fine playing a bench role as a freshman.

[*JD*]

IGGY is signing with an agent. Shit.

[paul daugherity]

[*JD*]

Poole, Matthews and Iggy. However, I forgot that there are some new wrinkles in the process. It looks like they could all pair up with agents and still return if they go undrafted. Whether Michigan holds those scholarships available to them is a different deal, though.

[WM Wolverine]

Poole to the NBA? Smh...

[Niffla]

You can hire an agent and still return. They would just have to withdraw by the 29th.

ESPN's big board has Brazdeikis at #48. Meanwhile their board has Poole and Matthews slotted outside the draft at #68 and #69 respectively.

Sports Illustrated has Poole going at 51, Iggy at 54, and Matthews at 56.