Really? Just the two of us?
Beilein likes centers that roll and 4s that are true floor stretchers. It’s not a foregone conclusion that Dickinson and Williams could do those things, but at this point neither of them are proven in those roles or have them as core parts of their games.
Beilein also started Deshawn Sims and Mo Wagner at the 5 for 2 years each, neither of whom was primarily a roll guy, and Sims and GRIII at the 4, neither of whom was a true floor stretcher. IMO, both Dickinson and Williams are guys who would have flourished in Beilein’s offense even if they prove to not have the abilities of which you speak–Dickinson as a great passing high post center a la Mitch McGary, and Williams as a combo 3/4. Moreover, I think both have the talent to do the things you’re talking about. I’m with LA on this.
Worth remembering that Beilein spent a decent amount of time working around not really having a center, aside from his final 3 seasons, and a few minutes of McGary.
Deshawn Sims wasn’t a center, Morgan was about the size of Terrence Williams, we started Evan Smotrycz.
I don’t see a particularly strong Dickinson/McGary comparison, and I think much of the time when Mo wasn’t rolling it was because he was popping. I’m sure Beilein in this theoretical could find ways to use Dickinson and Williams, but they aren’t ideally suited to his offense and I could see them transferring in such a scenario.
Respectfully, I couldn’t disagree more on Dickinson. There’s no reason he can’t be a roll man—Austin Davis isn’t exactly fleet of foot, and he’s fine in P&R game—and Dickinson’s elite passing ability and ability to shoot from the line and potentially out to the line would have made him a perfect Beilein high post 5.
Further, the idea that Beilein had a set offense which did not change with personnel is at odds with his experience. JB never, and I mean never, ran a lot of P&R throughout his coaching career until the combination of Laval Jordan and Trey Burke transformed Michigan into a national leader in P&R usage. JB replaced Kevin Pittsnogle at WVU with 5s who had no range, and changed his offense as a result. I can think of numerous other examples off the top of my head including, but not limited to, playing PGs who could shoot like Burke and Walton and ones who couldn’t like Simpson and Morris. He adjusted, and the guys who weren’t perfect fits didn’t transfer, and managed to somehow survive and thrive.
I also think Williams would have thrived under Beilein. He’s a hardworking, fundamentally sound, versatile, mistake free player—MAAR was such a player, even if not an ideal Beilein 2, and Beilein loved him.
All of this is theoretical of course, but it’s a fun discussion. Enjoying it.
It could be that Beilein might have evolved – in fact given Sparty’s success in defending the X/T P/R last year, he was talking about needing a little post-up ability. But the Davis thing is instructive to me – Beilein didn’t find a way to use a guy that a different coach found a way to use. I think you’d still be asking both of those guys to deemphasize elements of their game they’d like to have featured. Some guys are fine with that and some coaches are as well, but in many cases you get transfers, as we’ve seen.
And he recruited Ricky Doyle and Austin Davis, both of whom were way more one dimensional than Dickinson.
Doyle transferred and he didn’t play Davis.
You’re changing the argument. Doyle transferred because he had a sleep apnea condition that affected his stamina. Regardless of whether Davis barely played, JB recruited him. You don’t use a scholarship on a guy you don’t want. Same thing with his first big man recruit going way back - Ben Cronin. He was a big, traditional center type. And again, JB was recruiting Dickinson before he left.
He also recruited Jon Teske. While he worked to develop Teske’s shooting, it wasn’t like he expected him to be Mo Wagner. And while Dickinson is a strong post player, he also is a good passer and has a solid shot. Oh…and Beilein recruited him too!
I think Beilein showed that he was willing to recruit, develop, and adapt to a variety of players in his career…and I think Juwan is too. Beilein signed Charles Matthews, Darius Morris, Glenn Robinson, Duncan Robinson, Xavier Simpson, etc.
I’m confident that if someone waved a magic wand tomorrow and Beilein took over as head coach, he would make it work. Roles and systems may change a little…but he’d maximize value in his own way just like Juwan will try to do. I would be happy with either on the sideline.
Neither Doyle nor Davis was in a class with Dickinson from a talent perspective—they were both “huh” recruits who got beat out by better players (and in Doyle’s case, a health condition). Beilein knew what he wanted on offense, yet recruited and signed both early in the process. That says to me that he thought they could do what he wanted/needed, despite neither being an ideal roll guy or floor spacer, and both being more post up types. Beilein didn’t play Davis over Teske or a small ball Livers, both of whom are vastly more talented—Juwan played Davis over Castleton (who, for that matter, was another Beilein 5 recruit who didn’t fall into the categories you list) only after Castleton played badly the first half of the season.
Coaching changes usually lead to transfers. I think it’s unrealistic to think that any hypothetical change from Howard back to Beilein would be any different.
Dark days for hoops news when we’re legitimately debating the potential fallout of a board member’s dream.
It’s only mid June. We got a longggggg ways to go still.
FWIW, I always figured Beilein didn’t play Davis due to his astronomical foul rate, not because of what he did or didn’t do on the offensive end.
Well maybe someone else should contribute a dream we can talk about. 
You guys are discussing a hypothetical of who would transfer if Juwan Howard left and Beilein came back? It must be June 
The level of money the b1g and sec will be making compared to the other conferences is stupid. Very few excuses for any schools in those conferences to lose coaches over money.