I don’t see him coming in and being ready to contribute day 1. I think soph dejulius and junior eli would be better next year.
2 Likes
But guard , particularly shooting guard won’t be weak in terms of depth in that class. You’ll have senior eli, junior Nunez, and soph Bajema, so this a move imo that you make if you think he’s got a real shot to play effectively in big minutes next year. I’m not seeing that personally. That’s not to say he won’t be a good player at some point but why not bank it then and shoot high for the 2020 group?
I definitely prefer the 2nd year bones over any top 25-50 freshman PG in 2020. Bones ability to play both guard position gives us a lot of cover for the 2020 season after X leaves.
1 Like
I just watched the film Dylan posted, I like him more now , he’s crafty and has kind of an odd style, which I like along with big range but I am still not sure I see an instant impact kid.
Don’t forget we already have zeb so in 2020 we got
Dejulius / zeb
Eli/Nunez/ bajema
I think it would make sense to shoot real high in 2020. For all we know we will have a shortage somewhere else by then that we could really use that spot for.
Not to insult the kids but relying on the “Brooks/Nunez” part of this equation has me breathing deeply into a paper bag.
7 Likes
I get the reservations about Brooks at this point but why are we so concerned about Nunez? I don’t think anyone expected him to be a contributor last year. He is exactly where we expected him to be. Just his freshman year, a lot of time still and influence for Sanderson and Beilein to do their work on what looks like a great jump shooter
2 Likes
I didn’t think of Zeb in my previous comments, but even with Zeb, there will be a lot of uncertainties at the PG position, similar to the situation at the beginning of 2017/2018. The rotation at 2 is also vulnerable, there is a possibility that Bajema grows a couple inches more and Nunez does not pan out. Even if Nunez becomes a reliable shooter off the bench, he has to catch up in almost all other aspects of the game.
I can’t claim to have “concerns” about Nunez, per se, but I think putting lots of eggs in the basket of a pretty low-ranked recruit who played a marginal role on his high school team, and basically got an offer from a hot AAU summer (and who hasn’t shown much here) is not something I feel great about.
That’s not to say he won’t break out, but I don’t want to rely on him being the starting 2.
4 Likes
Most of all Beilein is known for developing underrated talents, not for bringing one-and-done’s to fill the needs. Passing a high ceiling high character kid for a potential 2020 immediate impact player would have been so out of character for JB.
“He is exactly where we expected him to be”
We know nothing about where Nunez is at this point, unless you’re encouraged by his 1 for 13 from the floor.
3 Likes
You are right, of course. We don’t know whether Nunez will turn into a solid backup next year or continue in a bench role. However, historically a lot of Michigan players have become contributors as sophomores when they did not show much in their freshman year. My expectations are that three, if not four of last year’s freshmen will become solid contributors next year.
I wonder about where Hyland is in his recovery from injuries to his feet (re: jumping from burning building). His running and jumping mechanics do not look normal. Which could be due in part to his own playing style, as others have noted. I like Hyland as a prospect based on pure basketball skills shown on film. But I would be interested in knowing more about his injuries. UM has one of the top medical schools, coupled with Camp Sanderson for physical player development.
Small sample size obviously but it’s hard to be optimistic when the guy shot 7% (1 for 13) from three in garbage time minutes. A handful of the ones I remember seemed wide open
1 Like
Beilein liked this post on twitter:
These factors will have a lot to do with whether JB offers Bones. Intangibles are huge for JB and he has remarked that he pays a lot of attention to parents.
4 Likes
Franz and Pierce would both help next year.
It might be the biggest year over year improvement from this past year to next year. Team chemistry should improve…not that it was terrible this year.
I’m expecting almost zero contribution from Nunez.
That’s his point, unless anyone was expecting him to come in and be a day one contributor which I think was wishful thinking if you had then we are at where we thought we’d be. A kid who only got mop up duty minutes and was essentially a red shirt working on his game. We can’t make a judgement either way basically and he was always going to be a development guy.
I don’t believe that is historically correct. DJ and perhaps Teske are two examples I can think of who may fit your observation. But who else: guys like Levert, Spike, Poole, MAAR and even X all played significant, if limited roles, by the end of their first years. I’d argue that Beilein likes to get playing time to frosh he believes will be contributing the next year. Nunez was aways a fringe prospect, who was bringing one skill–a nice stroke. He may still find a place on the team, but not likely next year.
1 Like