Franz Returning (thank God)
Great news -- thanks for posting
I'm not unhappy about that!
Me like Franz.
Is he the closest thing to a slasher in the rotation?
Yes, and he's a pretty good one at that. TBD on Mike Smith. I have no idea what he does/can do.
I think Franz is gonna put up some pretty impressive stats this year. I think his ball handling duties will increase and wouldn't be shocked if he averaged 4+ assists
Nice. It will be interesting to see how he shoots with a full year of recovery from the wrist injury.
He had more hard-luck misses than any Michigan player I can remember.
So this is what it feels like to not be kicked in the groin for once.
not so fast. have you forgotten the MBHG, the proverbial michigan basketball hating god? this all but guarantees that the season will be cancelled...
/s for anyone that is wound up too tight
Best Wolverine news since those trax in the snow!
This pleases me.
I saw the message come over through the Bleacher Report app and assumed it said he was leaving. That would have been a major league kick in the dick.
B1G POY candidate.
Yes, and he and Livers are candidates for All Big Ten First Team and Dickinson all Freshman Team. Might as well throw in Howard for COY.
I think Garza is probably the favorite there and it's gonna be hard to beat him but a 18 PPG 8 RPG 4 APG 1 BPG 2 SPG with great defense, which I think could definitely be possible, would definitely put him in that conversation
Crap. You're right. 4th year senior Garza will be the obvious pre-season POY candidate.
I’ll be happy if he makes B1G first team
Really going to need him to continue the trajectory he was showing and be more consistent with his 3 point shot. Him and Livers are going to be the basis of our offense; this time without an elite distributor in Simpson and without a proven C in Teske.
1: Mike Smith (backup Zeb Jackson/Brooks in spurts)
2. Eli Brooks (backup Cole Bajema/Adrian Nunez)
3. Franz Wagner (backup Brandon Johns/Bajema/Nunez)
4. Isaiah Livers (backup Brandon Johns/Terrance Williams)
5. Austin Davis (backup Hunter Dickenson)
Let's be real, this is nowhere near the roster it looked like we would have 2 weeks ago. I'd expect this team to perform at the level the team this year did. Can Mike Smith provide enough offense to makeup for losing Z's floor general ability? Can Eli Brooks be a consistent scorer? Franz and Livers need to stay healthy. Johns needs to be our 6th man versatile player. Can Davis/Dickenson match what Teske/Davis brought?
Yes, yes and yes!
Do we think Dickenson will back up Davis? Davis certainly proved to be serviceable this past season, so if Dickenson does start, that will be a good sign about his skill.
I think the starting lineup is going to be Brooks, Nunez, Wagner, Livers, and Davis. I could also see us go with a big lineup and play Wagner at the 2 with Livers at the 3 and Johns at the 4. I don’t really see Wagner as a two, but until Bajema or Nunez or Smith get up and running, we might need to out of necessity
Man have things gone downhill when Nunez is a possible starter (shudders).
Nunez is absolutely not starting over a 4-year kid (Smith) who can provide offensive firepower. Ain't happening.
Smith might not start, but if he doesn't I'd bet almost anything it wouldn't be in favor of Nunez. Could see Bajema being the starting 2 though.
That starting lineup actually sounds terrible. Zero ball movement
Seeing this makes me truly wonder why DDJ would leave if slated to start, unless Brooks was gonna to the point...
Only plausible reason is that he was certain Christopher was coming and wasn't happy with a 20 mpg role off the bench (still think he was crazy not to even want that when he'd have a clear path to starting pg as a senior). Or there was off the court stuff going on.
Supposedly DDJ told them at the start of the season that he was going to transfer.
Smith averaged 23 ppg on a D-I team. The guy can fill it up. Wagner, Livers and Smith give us three very good scorers and I think Brooks will continue to make strides.
My main concern is whether Davis is ready to be a starter. He was an excellent backup but will need to get better defensively.
Davis as a starter scares me. He's going to get torched by most B10 centers on defense. He just isn't tall enough or athletic enough. I think we'd be better off with Dickinson starting, even though he's a freshman.
agree. you can't teach 7 feet. start the freshman and keep him near the rim.
I don't think Davis will start. Johns is going to play a lot of center next year and he'll be the starter there is my guess with Davis backing him up until Dickenson can take on some minutes.
By far the biggest ? is the second guard spot, which is what makes DDJs departure and Christopher's decision that much more baffling. Both had the opportunity to be The Guy on what would have been a very good team (still should be a good team).
I don't have a ton of confidence in Smith or Bajema but would be nice if one stepped up.
Livers and Franz are definitely going to be the focal points of the offense. Livers NEEDS to stay healthy. I think Mike Smith can be a decent replacement for Simpson. He's a better shot maker, but not quite as good of a passer. I'm hoping Franz and maybe Zeb Jackson can help out with some ball handling and playmaking. Eli Brooks is still such a question mark. He's a decent defender but so streaky as a scorer. I think Johns is going to need to see time at the 4 and 5 and hopefully he can contribute like we saw flashes of this past season. Also really hoping that Dickinson can get some time in with Camp Sanderson cus we're gonna need him by the time B1G play starts
We’re going to get another guard. Maybe Kier, maybe not, but we will get someone.
To test the NBA waters and see what he needed to work on
'Sup pimps.
If Livers comes back, this'll be a dangerous, veteran-led team.
I think Mike Smith is a vastly underrated get. The dude can flat out score and more importantly, he can hit FTs. X will obviously be missed, but his lack of shooting was a big anchor sometimes.
Yes, his FT shooting will prevent teams from using the HackA-X strategy last year in the final minutes.
Wonderful now Livers you too!
I am so excited for Franz. Not only did he lose his preseason to the broken hand but he was also a really young freshman. Turned 18 just before hitting stepping on campus. Almost a full year younger than his classmate Bajema. Another comparison Dickinson will be almost 20 by the time the season is ready to start.
This is gonna be Franz’s team next year! The sky is the limit for him, I see B1G POTY and an potential Wooden type of guy in him.
Yeah thank God......and thank Franz!
Finally, some good basketball news. Hope Livers comes back also.
GO BLUE ??
Since no one has yet said, "Das ist gut," please allow me: das ist gut!
Not to put too much pressure on him, but I think an All-B1G season is very realistic for him
Hopefully Livers follows suit! Could be a couple of All-B1G players in 2020-21.
Interesting look from Quinn on Franz's decision and current mentality (not giving too much more info since it's paywalled, but come on, it's Quinn, just click on it).
Phew