2018 - F - Brandon Johns (Commit)

Jordan morgan couldn’t stretch the floor either…

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Beilein has always insisted that Teske has range out to 3.

With the team showing progress in feeding the post and with their passes to the roll man, Davis may have a role next season after all. He needs to stop the insta-fouling, but he’s not the first player who’s had that problem early on before figuring things out.

When I watched Teske shooting before OSU game, he was knocking down a high percentage of shots from the top of the key area. If he can’t already, by the time he’s through at Michigan, he will be able to hit the 3 at a good rate.

Even if Teske can hit the three, and I think he can, he’s never going to have Wagner’s ability to take guys off the dribble…

Teske is such a good offensive rebounder, it’s not necessarily in M’s best interest to have him floating out to the 3 point line.

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I agree with what others have said here. I wouldn’t say it’s completely out of the question that we go small, but we started Jordan Morgan most of the year we went to the national title game and then replaced him later with McGary and neither had the ability to stretch the floor to the three point line. JB has been masterful at using what he has available. Could Teske become a stretch 5, maybe, not sure, but I also don’t think that if he can’t it means we automatically go small. Defensively with Simpson, Matthews, Teske (insert two others) we should be very good again on defense.

I also, as someone mentioned, would love to see Wagner back and don’t think he’s 100% gone at this point. Personally, if Mo is back, I’d love to see a lineup that looks like…

1- Simpson
2 - Matthews
3/4 - Livers, Iggy, Johns (take your pick)
5 - Wagner

If we lose Mo it makes it harder to run with Matthews at the 2 but having Mo would allow us to be very versatile in other spots.

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I’d be very surprised if we didn’t see Michigan play with a switchable small ball lineup at times next year. Especially when you try to piece together a rotation without Moe.

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Really like these highlights and am excited about Johns. With that being said, it is interesting how explosive he is jumping off two feet, but has almost no explosion jumping from one. I think every single dunk in that video, he jumps off two feet. He gets very little air time and is currently a below the rim player jumping from one leg. Will be interesting to see his development once he gets to college in this regard.

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Yeah, I think Johns has the bulk to handle it and it’s the best way to get your best players on the court for as many minutes as possible. I would think a Mo-less rotation could look something like this

Xavier - Dejulius
Poole - Matthews/Brooks
Matthews - Bradzeikis
Livers - Johns
Teske - Johns

Gets your best 9 on the court

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I could really see Brooks as the backup 1 and Dejulius as the 2. Brooks just feels like the more natural distributor first scorer second. Dejulius I can see thriving in a role as a scoring guard more than Brooks. If Matthews does get run at the 2 though Beilein might keep DD at the 1 and potentially leaving Brooks on the outside looking in for PT much like this year.

It’s usually the opposite, so that’s a good thing.

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1-3-1 aggressive zone coming?!?

IMO Johns is both 1) blessed with the ability to jump high off two feet; and 2) in the positive habit of jumping off of two feet when he needs power. He seems to finish off one leg in situations calling for more finishing finesse. John’s habits of reserving jumping off one in finesse situations reduces his risk of injury, imo. Excited about Johns because he can score in every way imaginable.

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This is also my theory of his two feet one foot jumping habits. I believe he has that one foot explosion. Just doesn’t have to show it in high school.

Definitely a plus in my book. Two feet off running gets more vertical than one foot.

Good chance one of DeJulius or Brooks isn’t in the rotation.
If Simpson and Poole are playing 30+ minutes a game, I don’t see room for both DeJulius and Brooks to get minutes. As of this moment I think it’s likeky to be one or the other

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Possible, but unless Matthews develops a much better handle, I think there is easily room for both. You really need at least two people that can get the ball up court most, if not all of the time.

Fair point, there is hope though. Hardaway developed handles between freshman and sophomore seasons.

If Matthews and Poole have a Stauskas & Levert freshman to sophomore year type summer we will be in great shape. I really think they will. An abundance of talent makes everyone work harder

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East Lansing makes State Quarterfinals. Johns with 27.

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East Lansing falls to Holland West Ottawa 58-55 in quarterfinals.