Based on the shooting form, I would have more faith in DDJ shooting 40 percent from behind the line than Eli. Why do you think DDJ might never get there? Or was that just a general comment?
i think livers is a true 3 who will be able to showcase his talent next year. he’s a prime breakout candidate and i think he’s more perimeter oriented. Johns at the 4. I think the 2 guard spot is up for grabs between Eli/Jalen/Franz/possible graduate transfer. I think shooting would be the most ideal complement between everyone skillsets so I would hope not Eli starting but maybe his shot can improve this summer
Bob, may be wrong but thinking that Eli will be mostly catch and shoot while DDJ not as much. Thinking DDJs shots may be more difficult leading to lower over all percentage.
Again just the way I see them developing but we will see.
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i don’t see any reason why Eli might not start making buckets. And he is a good defender. What he can’t do–me either–is add three-four inches. As I monitor the back and forth here, I grow increasingly confident about next year’s team and its potential. But the two is undoubtedly the position with the most questions.
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No doubt the 2 is the position with the most questions. I like Eli’s game, but I don’t love it. It will be interesting to see what he does with an entire offseason where instead of “backup PG” he possibly has his mind set at “Starting 2”.
As far as Wilson and Bajema go, I’m not fully caught up with what everyone has been saying, but I really like both of their games. Physically, it is much easier to see Wilson contributing as a freshman compared to Bajema, especially with competition level factored in.
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You know the way Eli Brooks is being scrutinized is similar to how MAAR was (including myself). So I will contend that Brooks will have a significant role the upcoming season especially during the early part of the season. JB will lean on his upper classmen until it is necessary to sit them because a freshman is more productive. And as I have stated before Wilson and Cole will have to prove they can guard anyone before JB doles out significant minutes to them. This forum almost looks at Johns and DDJ as after thoughts and I have learned to let the process play out.
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Yeah, I do find that people forget all too often how large the jump typically is for Beilein recruits between freshman and sophomore year. It could be massive for a lot of the guys, Johns DDJ Nunez and Castleton could all easily make the leap, Johns especially IMO.
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Johns is really hard to read, could be anywhere between the 2nd year DJ Wilson and the third year DJ Wilson. I think that his pass to playing time should start from defense and rebounding, then other parts of his game will follow.
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I think Johns could be a major stud since he’ll be able to play and focus solely on the 4 position since we have plenty of depth there. Eli concerns bc he’s not really a productive player on the offensive side of the ball and we already have a low ceiling with teske and Z
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Just out of curiosity, why do you classify Teske as a low ceiling offensive player? He averaged 9.5ppg on the season with a 56.5% eFG%…and was better in conference (11.5ppg, 59.6% eFG% with 36% 3pt%). For comparison, Moe Wagner his last year went for 13.9ppg in conference with a 60.1% eFG% & 41.7% 3pt%.
I’m NOT saying Teske has Moe’s offensive game, but he definitely flashed a different offensive element late in the season (ended with 5 double-doubles over the team’s final 10 games).
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Teske is also the best screener at Michigan going back to at least Graham Brown.
You can be a very good offensive player without being proficient at shooting 3s. Can also be a subpar player even while shooting 3s at a good %.
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He’s a good screener but I’ll have to go JMo and McGary ahead of him. Burke/McGary against Kansas was a clinic.
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Agreed. I think Brooks plays around 10-15 minutes backing up both guards spots and I’m comfortable with that. Anything more though and we may be in trouble. Someone else needs to step up and grab the starting 2 spot. Lots of options but no obvious choice at this point.
Jalen Wilson, heck of a player…
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I don’t think anyone looks at Johns or DDJ as afterthoughts, they clearly have very good athleticism for the 4 and 1 positions and while Johns looked befuddled, he’s a freshman and was a fairly highly ranked recruit. DDJ looked surprisingly strong and moved well and while it’s concerning he didn’t win the backup 1 job while Brooks left the door open, again, he was a freshman. DJJ couldn’t stick a 3, but so much of his recruiting hype was about it, and Michigan’s player development has been so good on that score, that I’m not freaked out yet.
I don’t see the Brooks/MAAR comparison. Look at the stats. MAAR had the same sort of freshman year as Brooks in terms of offensive efficiency but then had a massive improvement as a sophomore. In the Big 10, MAAR put up 10 points a game on .572 true shooting. Brooks put up 1 point a game on .300 true shooting.
Brooks defends well and I thought as a freshman he looked like he’d make a real leap as a sophomore because he seems an intelligent, hardworking player, and hell he’s a guard Villanova and Beilein wanted and they know more than I do. But he didn’t make the leap. Even Wilson, statistically, showed more improvement despite being unable to crack the rotation as a sophomore, and obviously he was physically gifted.
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If my memory is correct , maar was much better his soph year . Right? Either way I have fAith in eli and expect him to have a solid year, but he’ll never be on maars level imo
MAAR by sophomore year did not have a Jordan Poole in front of him and he wasn’t yet the player he became his Jr/Sr years. He showed solid defense like Eli did. Plus MAAR’s freshman year he was forced to get major minutes because of injuries and that team was not pretty at times. Eli has had major minute takers ahead of him.
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Yes, I am excited to see what Wilson can bring to the court this season. With the current roster, I’d presume he’ll end up as one of the 3 players in the rotation at the wing spots
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He isn’t a shot creator for himself or others. Great role player, but that necessarily gives him a “low ceiling” in my opinion.
True, but I thought maar flashed things even early that I don’t see from eli. That said I think eli has underrated creation/vision. Even when he’s driving out of control I see what he’s trying to do and is looking at. I feel like eli could be good distributing next year if guys cut off the angles and shifts in the d he creates.
I guess I never saw eye to eye with people who were hard on maar early. I thought it was unwarranted for the most part. I understand those down on eli and am ok with their critiques. He’s got to be better. I think he will though and over the next two years will be a nice upper class combo for Michigan and most will be happy coach b offered him.
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