Colin sees himself as a 4 down the line. Good quote here from Brendan.
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Coach B got his swag back!
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Congrats to Castleton and Michigan. He seems like a great fit for the 5 at Michigan - skilled, versatile, can block shots, etc., and personality-wise too. And it really rounds out an impressive class and two-year haul, especially when you consider Davis has '17 eligibility after his redshirt:
Brooks, Dejulius
Poole, Nunez
Brazdeikis
Livers, Johns
Davis, Castleton
A really well-rounded group with also a lot of positional flexibility, especially 1-4. Could really be an extended period of success.
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Iād even count Matthews on this list as the 3 next to Iggy, since heās technically got 3 years of eligibility left and will hit the floor the same year as Pooleās class. So excited for this group of 10. If Moeās still around for his senior year some how, look out
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Iām not sure I agree with his assessment of what position both he and Mo will need to play at the next level. Mo has no shot of guarding 4s at the next level. Moās chance in the NBA is as a small ball 5, which is not terrible news for him since the NBA is trending that way right now.
Skilled bigs should be lining up to play for Beilein as he gives them a shot to develop the offensive skill thatās expected out of them nowadays.
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Props to Coach Yaklich for identifying getting the ball rolling on Colin to Michigan!
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Welcome Colin. This class is badass. The future is bright.
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Is it possible that CC will follow the same path as Wilson? Starting out as a 5 and moving to the 4 down the road?
I really believe in this kid.
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I highly doubt it. Wilson always had guard abilities (I believe he was a late bloomer). In fact he was a SF coming out of HS and he moved like it. Very different player than Colin.
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DJās guard abilities were way underutilized and undershowcased at Michigan power forward. There was another layer we did not even see because the JB 4 does not call for itā¦DJ had excessive perimeter skill for his position, IMO.
The key for CC in my mind is ability to guard 4 like DJ. Or something close. (Which as we can see with Mo remains a question mark.)
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CC is clearly a 5 for now for now, and it will be interesting to see if he ever plays the 4 simply because of the options we have there down the road with Livers, Johns, and Ignas. If it happens I would guess it would be in specific matchups against bigger teams, because defending a quicker 4 would probably be easier for the guys I just mentioned. Not to mention, if he ends up being the best shot blocker on the team, heās should be in the paint on defense. Heās definitely got the skill to play the 4, but Iām not expecting him to play much there any time soon.
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The important thing here is that the 4 is a perimeter position. Itās not a power forward. Everything the position does offensively mimics the 3 and if you were to chart some sort of a positioning heatmap it would all be on the perimeter. Was there an untapped level of DJās game? Sure and that probably falls as much on him as Beilein and the fact that there were just other people demanding shots in the system.
Castletonā¦ is a 5 all the way for me. Iām not even convinced that Moritz Wagner can play the four this year and Wagner is far more versatile with the ball in his hands. Being a five isnāt a bad thing, especially because Castletonās skill will set him apart there IMO and heās finally a shot blocker.
But this idea that thereās any position called āpower forwardā at Michigan needs to be retired.
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This may depend on how well Davis plays at the 5 this season. And whether Teske steps up. Both are strictly 5s. And you canāt assume that Castleton will come in ready for substantial minutes at either 4 or 5 given the roster at those positions. Took Mo a couple of seasons to get going.
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All good points. Also, we really need to remember that DJ and his possibilities were just emerging, then he was gone.
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Took the words right out of my mouth, Dylan. You put it perfectly.
I see more ekpe udoh in this kids game than moritz wagner. Wagner had elite faceup skills for a big coming in and while castleton has some nice skills i dont think he is any where near where wagner was as far as ball skills and faceup ability. On the other hand castleton has shown elite shot block ability and good rebounding skills while those were major question marks for wagner coming in.
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I can agree with dropping the use of the term āpower forwardā and 4 interchangeably. It is a matter of semantics in my mind but I can also see how it might cause confusion.
Udoh was strictly in the paint with little ball skills, no perimeter skills. Castleton has a nice three point shot, can put the ball on the floor and hasnāt shown much post up game. Other than shot blocking, I donāt see much similarity.
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Sorry guys but I am sensing some stubbornness. I can take a wait and see approach but the kid has said more than once that he is a 4. He said he is 4 the day of announcing. He said he is a 4 after spending a weekend with a coaching staff that employs 4ās in a very specific way. He has identified in an announcement interview, the thing that will stop him from being a four in the short term. He identified his DEFENSE as the obstacle, not his 3 point shot, not his ability to handle the ball on the perimeter a littleā¦
He also said he was a 5 in college though. But even then, Mo has said similar things about playing 4 and I donāt see that going very well. Just compare him to other 4s for Beilein: Duncan, GR3, Irvin, DJ, Novak. Not sure that he shares any similarities with any of them. Except he and DJ are both long, but DJ was only 6ā8" out of HS and played strictly outside.
Sorry if I come across as antagonistic, I just love the discussion.