Please help me, Where is Brandon Johns
I've been super busy and I haven't been paying attention since the State game, but what has happened to Brandon Johns?
Probably back in Ann Arbor by now. Maybe in class.
It's almost lunchtime. He's probably thinking about what he's going to eat right now. Maybe considering if he will have some homemade gravy or gravy from a jar.
Can someone confirm where he is and what type of gravy he consumes at lunch, please?
I mean it's Spring Break, so I hope he's not in class cause no one else is
He’s not a 5 and was being forced to play it. He was struggling a bit. Castleton looks like a much better option at 5.
Johns will be a factor next year if I had to guess as a potential 6th/7th man.
Castleton, DDJ and Johns will get minutes increases next season
Thanks. I didn't know if he was hurt or what.
Nope, as Night King said, he was passed on the depth chart by Castleton at the 5 position. There was a lot of shuffling for that backup spot and it looks like Castleton has seized control of it.
I'm not giving up on this postseason. Including the first round of the BTT, we'll play two games in the next 12 days. That's a lot of practice time. Not quite the same as bowl practices, but that's a lot of time for Beilein to figure out how to squeeze 5-10 productive minutes per game from him.
I am pretty much giving up. Not because he's no good and can't whittle out a role. I think he's going to be excellent. But (knock on wood), they really shouldn't need him.
They need a back-up guard for X and Poole - that was Brooks and now DDJ
They need a back-up forward for Iggy & Matthews - that's Livers
They need a back-up center for Teske - looking like Castleton is ready
If everything continues as it is for the next 10 games, we'll get to witness Brandon Johns' awesomeness next fall.
Maybe the staff viewed him as a Livers-esque prospect in that he could play 5 if needed. He's definitely better suited as a 4.
Assuming only Matthews leaves, next year's line up will probably be
1 - Simpson/DDJ
2 - Poole/Brooks/Nunez
3 - Iggy/Wilson/Bajema
4 - Livers/Johns
5 - Teske/Castleton/Davis
Maybe a 4 deep bench with DDJ, Brooks, Johns, and Castleton
Bajema is a 2--and will play more minutes at guard than Brooks and DeJulius combined.
[I don't expect Brooks to be back---a transfer back east to a smaller D1 school, where he can regain his confidence makes sense]
Can’t speculate on the transfer talk but we really need to identify a backup 2 next year. Or DDJ can just be the primary backup at both guard spots.
We need to identify a backup 2 this year (personally I think it should be Matthews/Iggy). And yes, next year also.
I find it nearly impossible to believe Pajama will beat out DDJ next year for the backup spot.
Big Sleep finally gets what he needs, a Pajama
"impossible"--given how little DeJulius has shown. Betcha.
You are right and whoever said something that idiotic is not aware of how hard it is to go into Ann Arbor and become a starter from day one. There’s absolutely no way he usurps all of DDJ’s minutes.
DD has looked better recently in limited action than I ever recall Zavier looking as a fresh. He looks explosive athletically. We have no idea how quickly Bajema will adapt to the college game.
My bet would be DD gets more minutes unless Bajema comes in as a great spot up shooter. Brooks does seem likely to be moving down the bench.
You are joking if you thing DeJulius has looked better than Simpson his freshman year. Not one facet, including what Simpson couldn't do--shoot--since he is at 28%, and one banked 3 for 11. Simpson was providing 6-8 solid minutes at this point.
LMAO!!! PAJAMA!!
I wouldn't be surprised to see Brooks and Davis both move on. Also, there is still a pretty good chance that Iggy goes the the league.
Iggy needs to learn how to pass first. Dude just barrels into the lane with 100% commitment to getting a shot up most of the time. If he can increase his awareness and start finding the open man when the defense collapses on him (which they do with impunity because see previous assertion), he'll be ready for the NBA.
Iggy definitely has things he needs to work on as far as being an NBA prospect. But he is also 20 and having a really good year. I'd probably lean to say hes more likely to leave than return. The extra year of age may hurt his stock more than some improvement next season helps it.
This makes no sense to me. Iggy can only improve his stock by returning.
He returns next season and is more or less the same player. Now approaching 22 years old when draft time comes around. His stock would certainly be worse. It is pretty difficult to overhaul your awareness in one season. I don't know what Iggy could really add to his game in a year to sky rocket his stock.
because no coach in the NBA thinks they could teach him (better)
Awareness is a very difficult thing to teach, you'd probably want to see at least some sign that he's capable of developing it. If he is... gonna be damn near unstoppable with how well he finishes through traffic.
Okay defense...check. Doesn't like to pass....check. Yep, NBA ready. Also a large reason I stopped watching the NBA. Logically he's not ready, but I would say he'd fit perfectly into today's NBA.
We also might see 6' 10" transfer Jaron Faulds as a back-up at 4 or 5.
I think whether we pick up a late 2019 big man recruit will tell us a lot about the generally held assumption that Johns started as a 5 but will eventually move full time to the 4. Specifically, in 2020, we project to have Davis, Livers, Castleton and Johns capable of playing the 5 without such a late addition (not including any potential 2020 recruits as contributors, which seems practical at this position). Davis may or may not get his 5th year, so you really need to consider either Livers or Johns as part of the rotation at the 5.
I think Beilein views Johns as a DJ Wilson type 4/5 flex player and may be depending on him to get some minutes as the back-up 5 throughout his Michigan career.
They talked about this on the podcast last week; imagine if the coaching staff tried playing Johns at his natural 4 position all season instead. We'd potentially have another option at that spot which would really help this team from a depth and versatility perspective plus Castleton at the 5
Yeah, he needs to play the 4 for sure. He looked a little uncomfortable out there setting picks, etc and knowing where he needed to be. He’s got a very bright future
I don't remember that on mgopodcast. Quinn talked about it on the moving screen. But, like he said, hindsight is 20/20. The team really needed someone at the backup 5. Can't fault the staff at all.
Ahh you're right, my mistake. Meant to say Moving Screen. Good catch
The minutes were there for the taking at the 5, not at the 4.
Yes, there already aren't enough minutes for Livers and Iggy at the four, we certainly don't have any minutes for a third guy there.
I imagine Johns has mostly played the four in practice in lineups with Castleton.
He played garbage minutes vs Nebraska. He's just not ready as a back up 5 and has been passed by Castleton.
More importantly........
Nothing has happened to Brandon Johns.
Johns is a hyper athletic dude with a bright future, but he was miscast at the 5. Castleton's emergence is just what this team needed in that regard.
As far as the Matthews injury, it appears Beilein is more comfortable with Poole playing a handful of minutes at the 3 (plus a second PG) than trusting Johns on the wing. Iggy and Livers are capable of covering all the minutes at the 4 and (along with Poole) the 3.
Beilein values ball security above all else. My guess is Brooks/DeJulius are less likely to turn it over than Johns. The ability of Poole to play some of his minutes at the 3 has allowed JB to tighten up the frontcourt rotation despite Matthews' injury.
OP, why are you panicking about Brandon Johns since the State game? Did something happen with him or his location that we should be worried about? I don't understand your level of concern.
Livers looked awesome on both ends yesterday. Let's focus on that
Was training at the 5 for the bulk of the season, didn't work out, probably training at the 4 now but isn't ready yet.
Have you checked the bathroom?
He's been struggling a little bit at the 5, but its hard to blame him considering its not his natural position. He's a 4, and a true freshman playing out of position, under a coach where most guys don't really start "clicking" until year two of the system. So there you go.
Either way, Castleton is starting to get some solid minutes now, which is good considering he is a natural 5. He's really who should be backing Teske up. I think Brandon was backing Teske up simply out of necessity and lack of depth at the position.
Moral of the story: I'm not too concerned with Brandon.
Johns is a 4 but I would defend Beilein for not having him play the 4 yet a this year, our 4 has always been a good ball handler such as Iggy or Isaiah, and it seems to greatly benefit us.
It would be unusual to have Johns, more of a traditional 4, to play there, especially considering the 5 (Teske) would be a better shooter, and would play more perimeter.
Early on the radio broadcast they mentioned that they expected to see Johns during the game yesterday. That must have been pure speculation instead of insider knowledge, since Johns did not play at all.
Johns will work on his game all offseason and summer, he will be much better next year. I thought he was a little raw coming in this year and played out of position at the 5. I bet he learned a lot about the college game this year and will be a great reserve 4 next year.
Look for him to make a big jump next year ala Isaiah Livers. Livers admittedly was overwhelmed last year and was tentative. His second year, he’s been amazing. Give Johns an off-season to mature, practice, and get stronger, then I think will see a new player next season
The 4 in Beilein's system seems to be a tough transition unless the guy is comfortable shooting corner threes, handling the ball on swing passes and reversals, and running the baseline for rebounds without overcommitting and getting beat back on D. A lot of guys with that height don't play in the corner in high school/AAU. Livers has certainly figured it out, but there have been many instances of guys who disappear while they play the 4.
My guess is the staff needed someone to pass Davis as Teske's backup at the 5, and Johns was more physically ready than Castleton early on, but he's ultimately going to be used as a 4.