Wagner has a great first step but I don’t think he has good enough lateral agility to guard even average speed perimeter players. I think Wagner is sort of locked in to the 5 defensively. Same for Teske. Same for Davis. Same for Donnal.
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Quite simply, we will have a lot of young but talented players who will probably not get a lot of playing time. Bamba will not be one of them.
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Beilein wouldn’t let either Bamba or Wagner handle the ball on the outside the way Wilson does. Keep in mind, Wilson was a guard most of his life. Shot up Jr year of HS.
Bamba would be a 5. Wilson and Livers at the 4 with a bit of Robinson.
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Could well be true. If he’s determined to be a one and done he best dial back his ambition a bit. On the other hand, if he wants to spend a few years developing the skills he thinks he has…
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I doubt Wilson will play many minutes at the 3 (so Bamba and Wagner can play the 4/5) when we have Robinson and Matthews and Ibi.
If we don’t get Bamba, I’d love to see Donnal given the 5th year. He’s playing great, would give experience, and I don’t feel comfortable yet with Teske as the main backup…let alone Davis.
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I’d like to see Donnal back under those circumstances too. Still, it’s only been a few games, too early too know what Teske can do.
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Wilson was actually recruited as a wing/4-spot, but the coaches saw a numbers issue at center and tried to retrofit him into that role until more centers could be recruited/developed. This year they finally moved him back to his natural wing spot.
I understand from a roster standpoint why the coaches tried Wilson at center when they did, but he was just mis-cast in a center role.
Wagner — and potentially Bamba — are centers who some fans are trying to speculate could play the wing. I think that’s too much of a stretch for either player — especially on the defensive end, but even on offense neither is a fit for the wing responsibilities in Beilein’s system
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I think it depends on who, other than Bamba, is an option. I’d take Tucker over a 5th year for Mark, for instance. No disrespect to Mark, he is playing out of his mind. I just dont think you can pass on a stud 2017 player, even if they’re not Top 10, like Bamba. I’d risk Teske as the backup, if it meant getting a Tucker-level player.
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Similarly, moving Wagner/Bamba to the 4 would be asking the guy to play out of position/re-learn a position, since he’d be a wing instead of a traditional PF in our offense. If Bamba comes, then he will split minutes with Moe at the 5, the same way Mark is now. Whichever one is producing, probably on a game-by-game basis, will get the 25 minutes, and the other guy will get the 15.
It is fun to think about though, especially since Kentucky made the Cauley-Stein, Towns Jr, Lyles lineup work; all 6’10" or taller. Lyles was better suited for the 3 spot than Wilson, though. And they ran a traditional PF.
Duncan Robinson is also listed on Michigan’s official roster as a Senior. If Robinson remains behind Wilson on the depth chart and if Michigan adds a wing like Tucker to its late recruiting class, I can see the staff not offering Robinson the 5th year option.
Even more so if the coaches are comfortable with Matthews in practice.
I like Duncan and the element of long-range shooter that he brings to the offense, but if he can’t defend well enough to get on the court…
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At this point, he’s having a very hard time getting on the court. A lot due to Wilson playing great but when he’s out there, our defense changes quite a bit. I’m loving dj and if he can start hitting 3s consistently, look out big ten.
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True although I think Duncan may fill more of a need next year than Donnal will barring an injury or attrition at the 5
We’ll see how anxious JB & co are to let Mark Donnal walk after this year. So far, he’s putting up 11 pts, 4 rbs, 1 block per game in 22 minutes and leads the team in FG% by a wide margin (68%), is tied for the team lead in FTs made (shooting 86%), has hit a 3 every other game (shooting 100%), and probably leads the team in charges taken. If he keeps playing like this, I’d be pretty surprised if he wasn’t invited back for a fifth year unless they get a Bamba type recruit, no matter the “need” or what Teske looks like in spot minutes. And if he does leave, he’ll pretty much have his pick of playing anywhere in the country if he keeps this up.
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or Europe…
Donnal is playing great. Someone else mentioned he reminding them of Jordan Morgan a bit. Not at Morgan’s level yet but he is getting there, in my opinion. I totally agree that you keep Donnal unless we are able to land a very awesome recruit. I hope Robinson can turn it around but he really is not playing well at all-- he is playing poor defense, fouling, throwing the ball away and he has not displayed impressive shooting.
It is a numbers game. Donnal’s play certainly warrants another year, but with Davis coming off his redshirt, we would have 4 centers (without Bamba).
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I just don’t think the numbers game makes that big of a difference here. Two of the centers next year are going to be a RS-Fr who’s never played and a still developing 7-footer who’s played spot minutes. We’ve seen with bigs you don’t want to just count on guys who aren’t elite recruits stepping right in. And even Mo had 3 fouls in 11 minutes against SMU
Meanwhile, your roster is looking solid in the guard and wing spots. The '17 class already has three recruits, including a combo guard, a 4, and a wing. You only have three spots right now for '18 if you want to keep Wilson for a fifth, which is looking quite possible, so one more means only two for that class (and yes I know attrition happens). If Mark keeps it up, unless you get a top recruit like Bamba (or maybe Tucker), I would be quite surprised to see them not try hard to keep Donnal for a fifth.
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Would seem to suggest that if he isn’t planning to be a one-and-done that Beilein could be his man. I think that unless he just steps into a firm starting role on a KY team that he thinks goes to the NC, he’s ours to lose. But I have said this, without much else to back it up, several times. 
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He’s been very, very good for sure. If he keeps playing like this, it would be crazy to not give him a fifth year.
Bamba was at Barclays tonight watching Texas get destroyed by Northwestern.
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