MBB Roster Reset
At first glance, what are your initial thoughts on next year's line-up?
Excluding Hunter Dickinson and Joey Baker, next year's team currently looks like:
- Dug McDaniel
- Jaelin Llewellyn
- Terrance Williams II
- Gregg Glenn III
- Youssef Khayat
- Jace Howard
- Tarris Reed, Jr.
- Will Tschetter
- George Washington III
- Papa Kante*
- Tray Jackson
- Nimari Burnett
- Caleb Love
*rumors suggest that Kante may not qualify.
That is 13 scholarship players, it includes Kante, and Howard could move to walk-on/NIL if needed. So realistically, Michigan has 0-2 scholarships available, depending on the circumstances.
In terms of a depth chart, that could look like...
- C: Tarris Reed
- PF: Tray Jackson
- G: Nimari Burnett
- G: Caleb Love
- PG: Dug McDaniel
- C: Papa Kante (or an incoming transfer if he does not qualify)
- PF: Will Tschetter
- F: Terrance Williams II
- F/G: Youssef Khayat
- PG: Jaelin Llewellyn
- F: Gregg Glenn III
- F/G: Jace Howard
- G: George Washington III
Just like that the sky is no longer falling on the MBB program!
Maybe but I'd still put the outlook for mostly cloudy.
Howard is going to have his hands full creating a cohesive unit, which was hard enough last year with mostly returning players at key spots. Every program says they are "gelling" or "vibing" as the kids say now, over the summer and into the early fall. You can really tell how much they've gelled when they're in a close game with 2- or 3-minutes left. Which this past year...
/DebbieD
Go ahead and neg-bomb away for all those exhausted with the Beilein nostalgia...
But this is the perfect opportunity to bring in Beilein as a consultant/assistant coach to help create a cohesive unit - specifically on the offensive end, at least for the coming year. Howard can focus on defense.
It would not take a crazy commitment from Beilein as would head coach and would be a temporary solution, but would help steer the program, give Howard some new ideas, and let Beilein continue coaching on his own terms without all the stress and bs of being the head man. If he's willing, a role similar to Martelli would be ideal for all parties.
I think the addition of Beilein to the staff could translate to 4-5 more wins - specifically if we look at all the close games / 50-50 games that UM blew down the stretch this year (and the ones that were 80-20 down the stretch that we choked away).
The check from the Pistons is still cashing…I think JB is good!!!
yes, JB is financially set for life. But maybe, just maybe, he really enjoys coaching and we can luck into him as an analyst or assistant coach for a couple years. By all accounts he was an offensive genius at the collegiate level and any sustainable teaching he can bring to the program would be additive.
He already is coaching with the Pistons. He’s doing player development, which is probably one of his favorite aspects of being a HC since he was so darn good at it.
Howard’s biggest weakness is roster management. Which I don’t think JB would be able to help with much since JB wasn’t around for the portal/NIL era.
Did you know that Belein has never been an assistant coach??
However, I do not think it is possible to be worse in close games. Essentially lost every one. Including games that weren't all that close until the very end.
Scott Frost proved there is no ceiling to how many close games a team can lose.
nerv, totally agree. And the most important position in college bball (specifically with all the parity) is point guard, a position Beilein developed incredibly well. His wings (probably the second most important position group) were also developed really well - specifically shooting %.
A bunch of those close losses go the other way with consistent guard play.
The question is will the new team even be able to get close! Is it an improvement if we go 1-0 in close games and lose by 7+ 15 times? lol.
Yeah, you're gonna have to show me
/Missouri
is it? have they won anything yet? id agree its at least a stop gap solution but unless we're going to become mercenary U AND we win a lot along the way, nothing is "solved" yet.
Bench looks small if Kante doesn’t qualify
Well that's why I said you have to get another transfer to fill that spot. You would have an open scholarship if he doesn't qualify. You could go get a Yohan Traore or Efton Reid to take that spot.
Easier said than done.
I think the plan is to go smaller. I won't be surprised if it's Reed and 4 guards/wings most the time. It's not the usual Big Ten mold, but the Big Ten is also atrocious in the tournament. I like the change (if that's what they do).
FDU was smallest team in the Tourney (if not in all of D-I)... ask Purdue what they think of small teams.
Jackson has played some five but yeah it would be putting a lot on Reed
Jackson played the 5 at Seton Hall. Per KenPom he exclusively played the 5 over the last five games (he missed three of them). So that could be an option. Given how foul prone Reed was last year, I imagine we would prefer having a true second option at center.
Pretty sure he was much worse at the 5 though. I'd want to keep him solely at the 4 except maybe against small ball teams.
I'm looking at Yohan Traore (6'10 5-star) if Kante (6'10 4-star) doesn't qualify. #ChampagneProblems
Step 1: Send Kante to prep school for a year.
Step 2: Sign Kal'el Ware.
Step 3: Move Tarris Reed to backup C.
Step 4: Move Jace Howard to walk-on/NIL.
Step 5: Sign Harrison Ingram.
Step 6: Start Ware/Jackson/Ingram/Love/McDaniel.
Step 7: Make Burnett the 6th man and have a 2nd Team of Reed/Tschetter/Williams/Burnett/Llewellyn.
Step 8: Have walk-on Jace Howard lead a bench mob alongside Glenn III, Khayat, and Washington III.
Step 9: Raise the banners.
Step 10: PROFIT.
Kante already attends a prep school lol
Send him to another one.
I like that, decisiveness!
He does? Well, from now on he'll attend double-secret prep school.
I like that except Tschetter. I can't choose which of the million colorful ways I have to say he's terrible. But he's terrible and I don't want to see him on the court except during walk on time. Also I have no idea who Ware is and I'm fine with Tarris starting but I'll trust you on that!
I will never understand what Juwan saw in Tschetter as a recruit and as a member of the team.
I am concerned about shooting, but I like that we have more ability to get to the hoop. Suggested starting lineup has 3 very bad shooters in it. Hopefully they can balance that with experience and run a better offense than this past year.
I agree on shooting, but I wouldn't call them "very bad shooters." Streaky or inconsistent, yes, but everyone but Reed has can make shots.
Caleb Love shot 36% from 3 two years ago, but he takes too many...and too many bad 3's. He regressed to 30% this year. Oddly enough, he took better 2's last year (which I guess is what happens when you try to turn yourself into a 3 or layup player).
That lineup is frustrating because the variance is incredible. That team will beat Purdue next year and lose to Nebraska.
Fair, I should have clarified that I was referring to the 3pt shot, as both Burnett and Love were under 30% last year, which I would call very bad especially at the high volume Love shot.
Agree about the variance though not sure the ceiling is actually all that high here.
Yeah, Tarris and Burnett are bad, love is iffy, and I still worry about Dug since everyone talked all year long about how he wasnt a shooter and wasnt going to be a shooter. It makes me worry even though he was a shooter 35% for the year. Even if Caleb is good Caleb is 35, 35, 30, 40 good enough? I'm not sure how that stacks up compared to others. Eyeballing it thats a little over 1 pt per posession. I guess if the defense is good which it could very well be.
I'll gladly give up some 3pt efficiency for some guys who attack the rim. We had no one finishing drives all season. The closest thing was Dug's developing floaters late in the season and Kobe's drive and pull up.
Wasn’t Kobe’s finishing rate at the rim amongst the nation’s best? I’m just glad that Love provides something similar.
This is why it was so important not to go to kobe at the end of games. You dont need 75% at the rim with the game on the line.
Love shoots 45% from 2. Now I don't know the break down between mid range shots and shots at the rim, but I don't think any guard on this roster, besides maybe Dug, is good at finishing at the rim. For reference, Bufkin shot 55% from 2 and that seemed to match with his pretty good ability to get to the rim and finish.
This roster is probably a worse at shooting 3s and probably worse overall at the rim, but maybe the wings do a better.
Dont look up Dugs numbers at the rim. You wont like what you see.
that sounds like the line from dr. zeus to taylor at the end of the planet of the apes
Concerning the roster
"you blew it up, you maniacs! you blew it up!"
Dug was also bad at the rim, but I think he has potential. Since he was a freshman with so much responsibility, I see more potential and won't hold his numbers against him much. Love is going to be a senior so it's easier to see the trend with him.
Can't win consistently without perimeter shooters. Didn't have them last year. Still don't have them this year. Same problem, different roster.
You can win without perimeter shooters, but you probably aren’t going to win much after losing 17ppg from the paint. I’m all for small ball, but you have to be able to shoot. I don’t care how good guys are at slashing, if there’s no inside out game with easy 3pt attempts it’s going to be a rough year. HD’s departure is going to hurt even more given that these transfers are not filling his void with shot efficiency.
I think people underestimate how much Hunter hurt virtually every other aspect of the game. He was elite at scoring inside, but he couldn't defend, switch, hedge, protect the rim, rebound (as well as a 7 footer should), pick & roll, and he wasn't great at pick & pop. His game was basically relying on having a mismatch inside, or hoping the opposing big wouldn't step out if lined up for 3. His inside game was very good, but he gave the team a decent floor, not a decent ceiling. Regardless of next year's results, moving to a new style of basketball is good for the program moving forward.
Mich is not better without him
- Much better defensively
- TONS of potential
- Without further attrition, a major logjam at the 4
Dylan asked an interesting question over at UMHoops, that I thought was a good one: compared to where you were a week ago (before Hunter's transfer announcement), are you more or less excited about next season?
My answer: I wouldn't say more excited but I'm WAY more intrigued.
You hit it on the head...I'm intrigued. I think it could be a genius plan that makes you a version of Houston/Tennessee/Auburn, or it could fail spectacularly.
Yep, pretty much where my head goes. Likely nothing in between lol
3 point shooting is uh... not good bob.
It's potentially the worse 3 pt shooting team in the Big10 when the game has changed to Curry ball. A lot of 23% nights coming when people will be yelling at the message boards and kicking their cats. The better athletically thing is all about Hunter nothing else. Kobe is a great athlete as was Jett (he just didn't seem to try hard on defense or on the boards.
The offense is going to be an adventure and it's going to be frustrating to watch some teams (Iowa) walk in shooting 3s everywhere and everyone crying why don't we have a 3 point threat. But hey we are athletic and stuff.