2008 Michigan Wolverines Hoops Preview

John Beilein would love to appease long-suffering Michigan basketball fans by predicting a breakthrough season. Entering his second year as head coach, Beilein is not even close to making a bold proclamation about the state of his program.

“We hope we’ll be a better team and have more excitement in February,” says Beilein, whose team is coming off a 10–22 season.

There’s good reason for Beilein to temper any enthusiasm. He’ll start the season with only nine scholarship players. Starting center Ekpe Udoh transferred to Baylor, and another center, 6'10" recruit Robin Benzing, failed to qualify and did not enroll.

Instead of filling out his roster by giving scholarships to marginal prospects, Beilein decided to keep his options open.

“Rather than overreact,” he says, “we decided to be patient.”

With the inside-outside duo of sophomore guard Manny Harris and junior forward DeShawn Sims, the Wolverines should make more noise in the Big Ten this season. Harris quickly established himself as one of the league’s most talented players, averaging 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds as a freshman. Sims made giant strides after playing a spot role in his first season, averaging 12.3 points and leading the team in rebounding.

The offense still must improve dramatically before Michigan can become a contender. The Wolverines shot a league-worst 39.5 percent and 31.2 on 3-point tries, a huge problem for a system predicated on spreading defenses with long-range shooting. Without a stronger offense, the Wolverines can’t get into their quirky 1-3-1 zone often enough.

“The big challenge is to get points by running, and we have to shoot better,” Beilein says. “If you don’t make a lot of shots, you’re in defensive transition all the time.”

Frontcourt 

Udoh’s departure leaves the Wolverines very thin at the power spots. Zack Gibson has put on 15 pounds of muscle, up to 225, with the expectation of becoming the starting center. Gibson had nearly as many offensive rebounds as defensive boards last season as one of the team’s top reserves.

“Obviously, we didn’t want to lose Udoh, but you double (Gibson’s) minutes played, he’d have similar stats except for blocked shots,” Beilein says.

Sims is the team’s top post player, but he can also step outside and shoot the 3-pointer. Like many of his teammates, Sims has to do a better job at making those shots — he finished the season in a 6-of-36 slump from behind the arc. But his ability to guard post men and wing players makes him an invaluable asset defensively.

Small forward Anthony Wright saw his minutes spike upward during the Big Ten season, but he needs to shoot more consistently to maintain a starting role. He made only 28.5 percent of his 3-pointers. “If he didn’t make them in practice,” Beilein says, “we wouldn’t let him shoot them in games.”

Jevohn Shepherd, the frontcourt’s lone senior, will back up Wright. Freshman Ben Cronin and walk-on Eric Puls are the other options at the power positions.

Backcourt 

After getting thrown into the fire last season, Harris has a chance to lead the Big Ten in scoring. He’s not only a dangerous shooter, but he also has the driving ability that puts him at the foul line frequently. “He has a great will to win and his work habits are sound,” Beilein says.

Harris is capable of playing both guard spots, and he’ll also see action at small forward this season. That’s because Beilein has big plans for Arizona transfer Laval Lucas-Perry, who becomes eligible Dec. 20. “He’ll improve our defense and give us more outside shooting,” Beilein says.

The addition of Lucas-Perry will take some pressure off point guard Kelvin Grady, who struggled to run the offense as a freshman starter.

Recruits Zack Novak and Stu Douglass provide additional offensive options, but they’ll have to battle walk-ons C.J. Lee and David Merritt for minutes.

Final Analysis 

With three returning starters, the Wolverines could be a .500 team in Beilein’s second year. Harris and Sims are explosive players, but another solid recruiting class or two is required before Michigan can start making major progress. There’s just not enough depth, especially on the interior, and an injury to any of the starters would be devastating.