Exit Ibi Watson Comment Count

Seth

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[Marc-Grégor Campredon]

Per his Twitter, sophomore SG/SF Ibi Watson plans to transfer.

An exit for Ibi has been speculated ever since he got passed by fellow wing/wonderhair twin Jordan Poole, who’s a year younger, and poised to start at the two next year. Watson was already well under the 10% of minutes threshold between “limited roles” and “benchwarmers” this year, seeing his last significant minutes well after the Texas A&M rout was on. The last time Ibi was on the court extensively for a competitive game was LSU, and that performance was bad enough to give Poole his first crack.

With Charles Matthews likely returning and Adrian Nunez and Iggy Bazdeikis arriving this summer playing time wasn’t going to be any easier to find on next year’s squad even if you don’t count the backup point guards siphoning off winger minutes. Beilein also was poking around South Dakota grad transfer Matt Mooney, a 6’3” point guard who played half of USD’s minutes at the two last year, as of this week.

Michigan now has a scholarship for every player and commit for 2018-’19, with another spot likely to open up if Wagner goes to the NBA.

Comments

TrueBlue2003

April 12th, 2018 at 11:37 PM ^

he's not projected to be drafted and he's actually not even close to his ceiling.  He could move all the way into the lottery if he ups his 3pt% by 7-9% and his FT% by 15-20, which are both doable.

Moe's shortcomings (pun intended) are his lateral quickness/suspect defense and short arms.  He's not gonna be able to do much about those things so getting one year older is probably worse than anything he could prove with another year. I hope he comes back, and he might for personal reasons but professionally, would completely understand him leaving.

OkemosBlue

April 13th, 2018 at 7:54 AM ^

Wagner returning would seem to depend on other factors than the NBA draft, I am guessing.  He's not going to make a splash in the NBA draft from all that I read.   He could go to Europe and make a lot of money though so he might enter this draft and see what happens before heading to Europe.  Or he just might stay and finish his degree if he hasn't already.  Seems like his family if full of professional non-basketball players who would value a degree highly.   Just speculating.

1VaBlue1

April 12th, 2018 at 9:31 PM ^

Well, this sucks.  Although we knew something was probably going to happen, it still sucks to hear it.  Good luck to Ibi wherever he lands.

Rico

April 12th, 2018 at 10:14 PM ^

thinking it was Jordan Poole before my brain processed everything else. Ibi would have been a nice bench piece here as an upperclassman but I think he has a good chance at being an all-conference player at a MAC level school much like Jaaron Simmons at Ohio or Kam Chatman at UDM.

B-Nut-GoBlue

April 12th, 2018 at 10:35 PM ^

Luck to him.

I will say it was a bizarre image of him after Poole hit that gamewinner over Houston.  Other pictures also seem "off" compared to other players.  Could just be how he is, stoic at ALL times.  But I wonder if he's been done for a while now after realizing the writing on the wall stating he wouldn't really be much involved in the future of the program (on-court).

outsidethebox

April 13th, 2018 at 7:06 AM ^

The "off" look, among other things, is why I  am predicting Brooks to exit. There are a number of times of celebration where he is in the background-almost disinterestd. 

I was hoping Watson would hang in there but with Poole and Livers and the incoming class this decision is undertstandable...no matter what the partisans think.

gobluem

April 12th, 2018 at 11:03 PM ^

Not too surprised, but bummed it didn't work out. Hope he finds a good place and gets to play

Nunez and or DD at the 2 for 10 mins a game?