2020-21 Roster Speculation

Michigan Basketball
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Since this is a Roster Speculation Thread, and I have no insider knowledge, here’s my attempt at an ideal roster for next season…

Using the current rotation as a starting point, seems like the Coaching Staff is comfortable with Brooks, DDJ, Wagner, Livers, Johns, Davis. All 6 have eligibility remaining. Add in the 5 current recruits (1 signee and 4 current verbals), and roster’s up to 11.

G - Brooks, DeJulius, Jackson
F - Howard, Johns, Livers, Todd, Wagner, Williams
C - Davis, Dickinson

Not a bad starting point for a ranked-caliber team.

2 more scholarship slots.
Returnees: Bajema, Castelton, Nunez
Recruits: Brown, Christopher … potential Grad Transfers, if needed

If Christopher wants to come, you add him to the Guard mix. In my opinion, Bajema would be a good depth option to retain for 2020-21 and '21-22, especially if Christopher is a 1-and-done candidate and Brooks is in a 4th/final year of eligibility.

That roster – with 3 SRs and 2 legitimate 1-and-done candidates – would also allow Michigan to aggressively recruit the Class of '21.

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What is up with so many posts being withdrawn?

As for speculation on next years roster and rotation. I have no issue with Eli playing most of the minutes at the PG slot.

As for scholarships and post season moves, its hard for me to imagine a situation where both Bajema and Nunez stay. Or a situation where both Davis and Castleton stay.

But as has been mentioned many times before the summer is sure to be have a few announcements.

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I’ve been thinking about this a lot, but it is at least a slight possibility (greater than zero):

If Livers returns and Todd does indeed come…if I’m Brandon Johns Jr. and I have NBA aspirations, I have to entertain the idea of transferring. I just think he’d have better opportunities to grow and showcase his game elsewhere if he were to sit 1, play 2.
(Now imagine Greg Brown committing too)

Again I’m just trying to put myself in his shoes and imagine what his goals may be. He’s good enough to be playing 30 minutes at a high major school for 2 years, but there are scenarios where he remains a 18-22mpg player at UM for the duration.

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Let me be clear, I don’t WANT this to happen. Just hadn’t seen it thrown out there…

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Yeah I’ve mentioned this a little while back that I could see it making sense for Brandon to transfer. However, Ant Wright (who presumably has some inside track on this) feels confident he’ll be back next year.

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If our team is so good that Junior Johns is not getting much playing time then we will be a likely national champion pick. Which is to say that guys like Johns could still be NBA bound even while playing a smallish roles. I personally think he will continue to develop into one of our better players regardless of who comes here.

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Johns will not transfer. He loves Juwan.

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Does anyone else not want Greg Brown to come because it might threaten Johns’ future at Michigan?

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This is where I tend to land too… same for DDJ. But I just had to pose the question of whether he’d have better NBA chances elsewhere, should Livers and Todd be in the mix as well.

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I’m not seeing it. Players with NBA aspirations rarely think spending five years in college is the way to go and rightly so. Johns has earned Juwan’s trust and substantially increased playing time. Giving up on that because of an incoming freshman is such a defeatist attitude that it hardly goes with making the NBA. He’s going to have to beat out good players to get there and it’s not like Todd is the next Zion Williamson. He’s a freshman who’s likely to go through some of the same struggles Johns did.

Johns transferring after a disappointing freshman season was more of a worry to me. He was mostly getting minutes at a position he wouldn’t play in the pros and was behind Castleton there, Livers was going to be back and Wilson was coming in and looked ready to contribute right away. He stuck that out, traded Beilein for Juwan and has seen his role and game blossom. Sure, anyone could leave, but I’d put Johns at the bottom of my list.

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I don’t really understand the Brown recruitment. It just does not seem like there is much room, need or fit at this point. Obviously he is a great talent, but there really isn’t a need for another 3/4 type at this point unless they think Todd might not show up.

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Brown would be a pretty ideal small ball five. Much more likely than him ever playing the three.

If you can go huge with Dickinson or athletic with Brown, that’s a nice spot.

More importantly, I think there’s always room for top 10 players if they are interested.

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Definitely room for a top-10 player somewhere, especially with so many unknowns (Todd signing, Livers returning, Castleton coming back, etc). It’s also a situation where Juwan has a relationship with the family already, we’re getting the last visit, and he’s coming to town for a huge rivalry game. It’s unlikely we get him, but that’s about the best situation you can be in for a last minute recruitment of a top-10 player. It also doesn’t hurt when the other recruits in attendance see a top-10 player giving Michigan a look.

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If we get Christopher and nobody of immediate relevance transfers or leaves for any other reason we are going to be one of the best teams in the country next season. If that is the case, some guys that are actually pretty good aren’t going to see many minutes or be in the rotation at all which is just the reality of the situation. With that being said…

Pg: Brooks 25 / DDJ 15
Sg: Christoper 30 / DDJ 10
Sf: Wagner 30 / Livers 10
Pf: Livers 20 / Todd 10 / Johns 10
C: Dickinson 15 / Todd 15 / Johns 10

Obviously I have an 8 man rotation set which would be most ideal for the biggest games at least. Zeb Jackson and one of Davis or Castleton are notables being left out and I would probably actually expect one of the 2 centers to get in there a little bit too. I am not sure how Todd would feel about not starting and playing so much at the 5 and not sure how Juwan would feel about no true center for 25 minutes but I think this rotation could be a killer.

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According to Webb Brown is way lighter than Todd and views himself as a 3/4

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No HS kid is ever gonna call himself a C, for whatever reason. It’s genuinely baffling to me but whatever. They think it implies they are incapable of doing anything besides rebounding or posting up or something.

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247 has them both at 195 lbs but with Brown a couple inches shorter

edit: note clicking on the link to the profiles gives a different height and weight than the preview that is showing up here

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Everyone views themselves at a smaller position, but there’s no reason that a Todd/Brown frontcourt couldn’t be extremely effective. So could a Brown/Dickinson lineup…

The point is that Michigan doesn’t really have any length and rim protection returning next year. There are opportunities.

I don’t think you really have to worry about specific positions because it will be a mix and match situation (even without Brown).

It would be the same idea as Eli Brooks and Josh Christopher aren’t really point guards (for their own reasons) but together they would make a good starting backcourt.

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my 2 cents

Brooks
Christopher
Livers
Todd
Dickinson

Franz, Johns, DDJ off the bench

if Cole or either Zeb or Williams are so good they force Juwan’s hand, then they play

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Maybe Dickinson starts, maybe he doesn’t but there’s no way he’s going to be a 30+ minute per game big like Teske IMO. I think he’s a guy who gives you a look for 15-22 minutes per game.

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