It was very insignificant, and I may be totally reading into this, but I was encouraged by Johns snagging the loose ball and immediately attacking the rim with it. Maybe he’s starting to feel some confidence.
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saw that too and definitely encouraging, maybe end of the season if we have another run Johns can be part of it
No “if” - WHEN!
Davis is totally limited because he’s a) not a rim protector and b) extremely foul prone. He’s our best low post scorer back to the basket but that’s not really been needed. His foul issues still haven’t really gotten better since he came in. I was just saying initially that I think Johns especially has the best shot at cracking the rotation that isn’t getting minutes. Technically Davis is in it but barely cuz he consistently gets tick late in the first half every game. I think most people would agree Johns is the one of them all who could get the most meaningful minutes consistently come the end of the year of Davis, Dejulius and him, but only if he can get comfortable on both ends. Dejulius I said would be unlikely but i could see him some games getting decent tick as a backup PG depending on different factors like pace, who would be checking him, who he’d be on the floor with etc. Johns looks the part and his size mobility and skill is too good I feel like for Michigan to not at least try to get him into the rotation, which I think the staff is or will
Eli Brooks plays point guard but doesn’t know how to dribble. I still have a hard time believing that he is a high major player, and am surprised Villanova was hard pressed for him. Maybe by next year he will show the gloss of why he was highly coveted.
Don’t get me wrong at times he does things well but there are times I wonder if his game translates to this level.
I think Brooks is a serviceable reserve scoring guard who’s playing for a top five team. No shame in that. He’s a member of a 7-man rotation on a great team. He doesn’t possess true point guard skill but I don’t recall him claiming that he did. Neither is it his fault that DeJulius isn’t yet ready.
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Agreed. Not entirely sure what people’s problem is with Brooks. He’s not starting caliber at a top 10 level, but not many guys are. His shooting has been fine, his assist to turnover ratio is 15/7 in 8 games, and he’s been decent on defense. Nowhere is he a glaring liability. What more are people looking for from a backup guard?
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We are already becoming spoiled
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I don’t get why people view it as such a major slight to Brooks to say that they hope DeJulius can break into the rotation.
I don’t think the criticism of Brooks is unwarranted personally. I literally was talking about this yesterday. He seems to be the worst defender of the 7 and offensively he can’t run the point guard unless there is zero pressure on him. If he gets trapped or sped up his vision becomes poor. But he’s a great shooter and Impact scorer off the bench. Brooks catches heat as a PG because that is what he was pegged as coming out of high school and at times what this team has tried to get him to do. He’s clearly not a PG but I think he’s a quality backup SG for us, who may be our best/most efficient shooter. I think the cricticisms are accurate but I think he does plenty of other things still to make him a valuable and extremely important piece to the rotation. He shoots well and his playmaking in the halfcourt as a wing is solid because he knows the system very well and knows where and when most guys are going to cut or end up being. Overall i think brooks does enough to warrant being a key part of this team. His good so far has easily outweighed the bad. And the way I see it, there is still plenty of growth left in his game because of his flaws! Can’t wait for the staff to further develop him!
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Do you think he can play the point eventually? He has had to have a steep learning curve playing against this level talent. His high school league was awful and he didn’t play in the high level AAU leagues. I still think there’s a lot of growth in his game.
Imo Brooks will only get better and be much better at PG by his junior and senior year, but he’s never going to be an accomplished PG. his future, like Stu Douglas, MAAR, is that of a nice college 2 guard. Matt McQuaid maybe, though I think he’s a better athlete than McQuaid.
Brooks strengths are b-ball iq; shooting; athleticism; unselfishness.
His ball handling is a limitation and size is not ideal for a 2 guard.
Hopefully he out performs my expectations and makes me look foolish when he develops into an NBA caliber guard
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So here is my fear as a M hoops fan. I’m half serious here; Teske, Poole, and Brazdeikis, along with Matthews leave college for NBA draft. Simpson considers draft but comes back as player/coach making 6 figures.
I would love to be denial about it but we have a lot of NBA potential talent on this roster. 6 guys!
Matthews
Poole
Iggy
Teske
Livers
Johns
I agree, no elite nba talent but tons of guys that I think will get drafted, I laughed the other day when I heard Balas say there was only 1 pro on this team.
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Matthews will go early, more likely than not, since he toyed with the idea last year and will probably end up this year even better. Iggy is a possibility too. Poole, I doubt it, though he may take a look at it. Teske will not go early. There is still a huge gap between what is a good big man for us, and who is an early-entry NBA-level guy. He will be helped enormously by another year here. No way Simpson goes early either.
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Matthews is gone for sure. I don’t think that’s a question. Iggy I have pegged gone too, but it’s still a bit early. Poole should enter his name in but I don’t think he’ll go. Those are the three I’d be worried about this season. Livers still isn’t getting the sort of run teams need from him to see ability, Teske still has a bit to go but he’s looking better and better.
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I don’t think Brooks is going to be a quality point guard for a championship caliber team. I think he could maybe develop into a competent secondary ball handler but that’s it. I don’t think his ceiling is super high in terms of overall production but I think he can become a pretty good shooter or scorer going forward. He’s not really elite in any one thing that makes me believe he can become an outright star either.
Regarding future draft picks, you guys gotta tone it down on Teske for now. He’s played 2 or 3 legit games in his entire career where he’s scored the ball. He’s doing a good job shot blocking but it’s not like he’s rising up high to block shots. In the NBA most those shots he blocks are either not bothered altogether or a foul. Athletically he’s not there to compete with a Javalle McGee, Dwight Howard or a Damontas Sabonis, and those are middle of the pack or lower tier centers. Just enjoy him while he’s here. He’s turning out to be a really good college center. If he continues to evolve his game and improve physically, maybe next year we can really delve into him as a possible NBA draft pick
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Watch Charles Matthews at minute 8:10 on the video while Poole is taking the three.
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Lol he’s like the consummate coach doing the don’t shoot, don’t shoot, and then the kid shoots it and makes it