U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL: 2018-2019

[Hannibal]

They’re definitely going to need at least one of those guys to put the ball in the basket.

We'll need a couple of guys to be able to come off the bench but that's it. Roles will be more established than they were coming into this year.

I don't know if the media will pick us to win the B1G but if not then we are a pretty obvious #2. Anything less than a first round bye in the BTT and a 4 seed in the NCAA would probably be a disappointment.

[*JD*]

The B1G announced Michigan's opponents for the '18-'19 season. It seems a little more favorable than this past season. We don't have to play in The Columbus, Ohio or at Purdue. It's also a 20-game schedule.

MICHIGAN

Home: Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue

Away: Illinois, Iowa, Rutgers

Home/Away: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Wisconsin

[*JD*]

Charles Matthews declared for the NBA Draft but hasn't hired an agent. I kind of figured that would happen.

[hack]

I didn't, but, well, lets see what happens. It would be awfully nice to keep him another year, and probably best for him, too. Wagner made the right decision, but Matthews is too old to be an upside pick -- already 21 and turns 22 this year. He's got to be a skilled/proven pick.

[*JD*]

ESPN's mock for next year has him at #28. I haven't seen him in any mocks for this year.

[*JD*]

Charles Matthews is not on the NBA Combine list for invitees. Unless something totally surprising happens, I'd say that seals him coming back.

[Kstat]

Yep. His stock isn’t nearly what Mo’s was last summer. I think this is more for his confidence than anything.

[WM Wolverine]

He'll be back, maybe for more than another season too if he doesn't take a big step forward in basketball skills.

Talent level is NBA worthy (more likely as a reserve), just needs to really work on his shortcomings. He'll be a much bigger key to Ms success next season.

[Detroit Dan]

Beilein's coaching this past year was encouraging with regard to the coming year. It seemed that everyone had a fair shot at making the playing rotation early in the year. Eli Brooks was the starter at PG into the new year, for example.

Next year, with 5 talented freshmen coming in, all 12 of the scholarship players should have a shot at making the rotation. In basketball, freshmen can often be impact players, even in Beilein's system. I think Beilein is realizing that you can't win by giving too much deference to seniority. And at this point in his career, there's no sense in holding back weapons for future years. So the competition within the squad will be great and the 8 or 9 that end up in the rotation come tournament time will be really good and complete players. And we have the depth to overcome the likely injury or two.

Here's my projection for the 8 man rotation come March 2019:

Simpson PG
Poole SG
Matthews SF
Johns PF
Teske C
DeJulius
Brazdeikis
Livers

but any of Davis, Brooks, Castleton, and Nunez could surprise.

[*JD*]

Beilein's coaching this past year was encouraging with regard to the coming year. It seemed that everyone had a fair shot at making the playing rotation early in the year. Eli Brooks was the starter at PG into the new year, for example.

Next year, with 5 talented freshmen coming in, all 12 of the scholarship players should have a shot at making the rotation. In basketball, freshmen can often be impact players, even in Beilein's system. I think Beilein is realizing that you can't win by giving too much deference to seniority. And at this point in his career, there's no sense in holding back weapons for future years. So the competition within the squad will be great and the 8 or 9 that end up in the rotation come tournament time will be really good and complete players. And we have the depth to overcome the likely injury or two.

I don't think Beilein has a history of deferring to upper-classmen. TIMMAY started as a Freshman, as did Burke, Walton, McGary, GR III, Rickey Doyle, and several others. This past year, he benched Robinson and started Livers.

This isn't Stan Van Gundy or Larry Brown.

[hack]

There's often an upperclassman who loses his starting job to a freshman in December. Seems that happens most years.

[Whitley]

There's often an upperclassman who loses his starting job to a freshman in December. Seems that happens most years.

Yep an upperclassman usually gets the first shot if it is a tie and the kid has to earn it. Nothing wrong with that.

[*JD*]

Castleton is up 5 pounds from his listed HS weight and hopes to add more before he gets to U of M in late-June.

https://umhoops.com/2018/05/14/colin-castleton-took-unorthodox-route-michigan-now-hell-try-fill-moritz-wagners-shoes/

[hack]

If I were him I'd get there by mid-June and go to Frita Batidos every day.

[*JD*]

We need him to be a good 230, not a flabby 230 with gas.