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NBA Mock Draft 1.0-Post NBA Draft Lottery/NBA Combine

5/21/2019

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Photo via Belmont Basketball Twitter Account
By: Lucas Vargas

The NBA Draft Lottery may have put an end to tanking and the NBA Combine gave us a look at prospects following the conclusion of their college careers. Underclassmen that have not cemented their draft status already have until May 29 to remove their names from consideration and return to school. Here is 2019 NBA Mock Draft 1.0:
 
1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, Duke Blue Devils, Age 18   

There’s not much that needs to be said for the top pick in this year’s draft. Zion combines size and athleticism like few ever have while playing at an intensity level that often goes unmatched. I think he still has room to improve on his ball handling foundation and jump shot that once fully developed will allow him to potentially operate out of pick and rolls and punish teams that switch matchups. He is a willing and capable passer and there is at least the possibility of getting to play with Anthony Davis.
 
2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Murray State Racers, Age 19
 
Morant won over everyone in the NCAA tournament with a 17-point, 16 assist, and 11 rebound triple double performance in a 19-point win over Marquette that represented his season as a whole. Morant sees the floor better than anyone else in the draft and plays under control with a stellar basketball IQ. He possesses speed that is dangerous in transition or half-court offense. It has been an incredible journey so far for the under recruited point guard who will have the opportunity to learn from Mike Conley before taking over an NBA offense in the near future.
 
3. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, Duke Blue Devils, Age 18 

Barrett was viewed as the likely number one pick at this time a year ago, but the two names listed above are rightfully where they are at the present. Barrett averaged 22.6 points per game on 18.5 shots a game as the focal point of the Duke offense at least usage wise. He can handle the ball with the size of an NBA wing. His shooting numbers will continue to improve along with his efficiency and feel for the game as many believe Barrett’s game will better translate to the NBA thanks to the floor spacing that he wasn’t given in college. He has the potential to be a star in the league depending on if he can fit in and be featured in New York.
 
4. Los Angeles Lakers: DeAndre Hunter, Virginia Cavaliers, Age 21
 
DeAndre Hunter was the top NBA prospect for the National Champions. Hunter averaged 15.2 points per game this season which doesn’t jump off the page until you consider that Virginia only averaged 71. Hunter was a key contributor to an efficient offense, but Virginia is known for its defensive prowess. Hunter, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, will be able to guard at least 1-4 in the NBA with an improving jump shot that creates two-way versatility. Similar to Malcolm Brogdon’s effect on the Bucks, Hunter will do all the little things well and be reliable on both ends.
 
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Age 20 

The first pick in the John Beilein rebuild should be used to take one of the players responsible for defeating him in his last game for the Wolverines. Culver scored 22 points to eliminate Michigan in the Sweet 16 and was the focal point of the Red Raider offense all season. Culver contributed to the Elite 8 run as a freshman before breaking out and leading Texas Tech to a National Championship appearance. Despite other team’s keying in on him due to the lack of returning scorers, Culver averaged 18.5 points per game and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. His shot making and defensive abilities will fit in nicely with the aggressiveness of Collin Sexton to form the backcourt of the future in Cleveland.
 
6. Phoenix Suns: Darius Garland, Vanderbilt Commodores, Age 19 

Garland is a mystery in the draft class after only playing in 4 full games for the Commodores but came into college as one of the top ranked point guard recruits. In very limited action, Garland seemed to look more for his own shot, but Vanderbilt wasn’t stocked with talent by any means. Assuming he is healthy and can improve as a passer, Garland has potential to be a playmaking point guard that Phoenix needs to match with a core of Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, TJ Warren, and DeAndre Ayton after years of being irrelevant.
 
7. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, North Carolina Tar Heels, Age 19 

Chicago can take White to play either guard spot with his 6’5” height. White ran one of the fastest paced teams in college basketball and could go off at any time. His scoring was up and down over the season, but he had games scoring 33 points against Texas and Miami with a career high 34 against Syracuse displaying great change of pace and shooting range. He must get stronger to realize his full potential but could fit with Zach LaVine and rest of the frontcourt the Bulls have already assembled.
 
8. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, Duke Blue Devils, Age 19 

Cam Reddish probably saw his value take a big hit over the course of the season as he never looked to fit into the Duke offense dominated by RJ Barrett isolation or Zion attacking the rim. Reddish was touted as one of the best shooters in his recruiting class but only shot 33% from deep and 35.6% from the field on the season. There wasn’t much efficiency or peripheral stats to speak of but standing at 6’8”, the Hawks will value the potential to draft a wing with size that may be able to recapture his reputation as a lethal shooter alongside Trae Young.  
 
9. Washington Wizards: Nassir Little, North Carolina Tar Heels, Age 19 

The Wizards currently have John Wall, Bradley Beal, Troy Brown, Ian Mahinmi, and Dwight Howard under contract plus Jabari Parker with a team option for next season. Washington can go any number of ways for their future based on that situation with Wall and Beal the only players on the books after this upcoming season. Nassir Little never quite stood out for the Tar Heels, but the former McDonald’s All-American Game MVP has positional versatility and the physical foundation for a team like the Wizards to select as a piece for the future.
 
10. Atlanta Hawks: Jaxson Hayes, Texas Longhorns, Age 18

Jaxson Hayes didn’t have the same recruiting hype that most recent Longhorn lottery picks have had but looks to find himself in the same position. Hayes is just scratching the surface of his potential. He plays with great effort and energy as a rim runner and shot blocker. Hayes shot 72.8% from the field by shooting almost exclusively from the paint. He possesses no shooting or ball handling skills but has a ceiling almost as high as he can jump.
 
11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Age 21 

I am very high on Rui Hachimura as a prospect. Hachimura improved significantly each season at Gonzaga to the point where he averaged 19.7 points per game on 59% shooting. Gonzaga loved to get out and run and could do so because of Hachimura’s ability to push the ball himself off a defensive rebound. His jumper is brought up as a weakness, but he showed flashes from the mid-range and with the trajectory he has been on since arriving from Japan, Rui Hachimura could be a value pick at the end of the lottery.
 
12. Charlotte Hornets: Sekou Doumbouya, Limoges CSP (France), Age 18 

Doumbouya is very young but has been competing and holding his own against professionals in Europe. Doumbouya recently scored 34 points in one of the last regular season games for his Limoges team. He is 6’9” with both a spot up and a pull up jump shot. He is very raw now but looks like he could fit in with recent Europeans who can handle, pass, shoot, drive, and defend as versatile NBA forwards. The Hornets also have Tony Parker and Nicolas Batum who could ease the transition from France to the United States.
 
13. Miami Heat: Kevin Porter Jr., USC Trojans, Age 19 

Porter Jr. never had the chance to display his talents at USC and remains a question mark in the draft class. An athletic wing with NBA size, Porter ranked among the top of his position in several categories at the NBA combine. The Heat are a well-run organization that can take a prospect with potential at the back of the lottery to someday make an impact.
 
14. Boston Celtics: Goga Bitzade, Buducnost VOLI (Montenegro), Age 19 

The second European I have going in the first round, Bitzade is a 6’11” center with inside and outside aspects to his game. The Celtics offseason has several question marks before free agency that could make the flexibility of an international prospect attractive. Should he be called upon to make an immediate impact he could contribute as a reserve for the potential departures of Daniel Thies or Aron Baynes.
 
15. Detroit Pistons: PJ Washington, Kentucky Wildcats, Age 20 

Washington made a rare move for a Kentucky prospect and decided to return for a second year of school, and it paid off. He was tough to matchup with and really asserted himself in the second half of the season with an NBA ready body that shot 52% from the floor. He’ll be able to guard either forward spot and showed significant improvement as a 3-point shooter in his sophomore season. Washington adds value to whoever drafts him as a wing with the ability to play in the post.
 
16. Orlando Magic: Romeo Langford, Indiana Hoosiers, Age 19 

Romeo Langford averaged an inefficient 16.5 points per game but after the season announced he was playing through constant pain from a thumb injury in his shooting hand. The Magic are looking for scoring guards to help their frontcourt and Langford could become one of those. He must help himself by moving better off the ball to get better looks but if injury was partially responsible for his poor shooting numbers, then Langford could emerge as an answer for the Magic.
 
17. Brooklyn Nets: Bol Bol, Oregon Ducks, Age 19 

The Nets found a way to rebuild without much to work with in regard to high draft picks and now have a big offseason following a playoff appearance. Bol Bol saw injury derail his college season and take his draft stock down too. The Nets like to play fast and spread the floor which Bol Bol is equipped to handle. He’s 7’2” with a jump shot but along with the injury concerns he only weighed in at 208 pounds at the combine. If he is available at pick 17, the Nets could take a chance on a draft unknown.
 
18. Indiana Pacers: Keldon Johnson, Kentucky Wildcats, Age 19 

Johnson could be a 3 and D prospect for the Pacers who struggled after Victor Oladipo went down with an injury in January. Indiana can lose many of the other wing players that replaced Oladipo to free agency so acquiring depth at the position could be a goal in the draft.
 
19. San Antonio Spurs: Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Age 22 

Another Gonzaga big man that will be taken in the first round, Brandon Clarke averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game on 68.7% shooting. Clarke plays with an incredible motor as a mobile big man with defensive versatility and a high-flyer that can protect the rim. His offensive game outside the paint is somewhat limited but the Spurs pride themselves on player development and could use an intense rebounder like Clarke to help balance a guard heavy roster.
 
20. Boston Celtics: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech Hokies, Age 20 

The leading scorer for Virginia Tech this season, Alexander-Walker showed he could score from all three levels and averaged 4 assists a night. A 6’5” player with potential two-way skills is value for the Celtics, who own 3 first round picks.
 
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyler Herro, Kentucky Wildcats, Age 19 

The Thunder need shooters. While Herro didn’t shoot the ball statistically well at Kentucky he is one of the better pure shooters in the draft. The Thunder won’t need him to be a playmaker, they’ll value him as a catch and shoot floor spacing threat. He’s tall enough to get his shot off at 6’6” and should make an instant impact.  
 
22. Boston Celtics: Ty Jerome, Virginia Cavaliers, Age 21 

Ty Jerome was one the most composed point guard in college basketball apart from maybe Ja Morant. Even then, Jerome was the steady hand behind Virginia’s success. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 39.9% from deep as a junior. The Celtics are bound to lose at least one point guard this offseason and Jerome could fill in immediately with production in every area.
 
23. Utah Jazz: Carsen Edwards, Purdue Boilermakers, Age 21 

I have seen Carsen Edwards play since his junior year of high school and there is no place on the floor that he can’t score from. He’s slightly undersized by strong and explosive enough to make up for it. Edwards willed Purdue as far as he could despite receiving criticism at times in the regular season for taking bad shots. In the NCAA tournament, he averaged 34.8 points per game and set the record with 28 made 3-pointers in only 4 games. When he was locked in, he was simply unguardable. He’ll score points for whoever takes him.
 
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Dylan Windler, Belmont Bruins, Age 22
 
Windler is unfamiliar to most but features a rare all-around game. He averaged 21.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3 made three pointers a game in 33 minutes. He shot 54% from the field, 42.9% from deep, and 84.7% from the free throw line. At 6’8” and 200 pounds, Windler played as one of Belmont’s bigs and showed he could compete against the Maryland front line led by Bruno Fernando with 35 points and 11 rebounds in that NCAA Tournament game. He will probably play on the wing in the NBA, but he can play minutes as a stretch forward. The 76ers could use floor spacing and Windler provides that plus much more.
 
25. Portland Trail Blazers: Cameron Johnson, North Carolina Tar Heels, Age 23
 
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum did everything possible to carry the Blazers. What could a little more help look like at pick 25? It could come in the form of an experienced 6’9” wing that shoots the three-ball at 45.7%. The Blazers need to make picks that maximize the prime of their star’s careers.
 
26. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bruno Fernando, Maryland Terrapins, Age 20 

Fernando averaged a double double in his sophomore season. He is a more traditional back to the basket big man with great energy on the glass that the Cavs could view as an eventual replacement for Tristan Thompson.
 
27. Brooklyn Nets: Matisse Thybulle, Washington Huskies, Age 22 

The best pure defender in the draft, Thybulle was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. It’s hard to find players that take as much pride on the defensive end as he does and that alone could help him stick in the league. If he can make NBA threes his value can only go up.
 
28. Golden State Warriors: Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State Cyclones, Age 18 

Viewed as a “positionless” player, Horton-Tucker is built like PJ Tucker. The Warriors do a great job of finding players who fit their scheme and culture at the end of the first round and could get that plus a player with room to grow as he gets older.
 
29. San Antonio Spurs: Naz Reid, LSU Tigers, Age 19 

The word I use to describe Naz Reid is “relentless”. He reminds me a little bit of Montrezl Harrell with the strength and motor he brings to the game. Reid would provide the Spurs with more big man depth and could sharpen his skills under their system to become a more all-around role player.
 
30. Milwaukee Bucks: KZ Okpala, Stanford Cardinal, Age 20 

The Bucks have built a culture around drafting players with great length, athleticism, and positional versatility to become what they are now. Okpala checks all those boxes with plenty of potential. He’d fit right in for Milwaukee.
 
31. Brooklyn Nets: Grant Williams, Tennessee Volunteers, Age 20
32. Phoenix Suns: Daniel Gafford, Arkansas Razorbacks, Age 20
33. Philadelphia 76ers: Kyle Guy, Virginia Cavaliers, Age 21
34. Philadelphia 76ers: Chuma Okeke, Auburn Tigers, Age 20
35. Atlanta Hawks: Kris Wilkes, UCLA Bruins, Age 20
36. Charlotte Hornets: Jared Harper, Auburn Tigers, Age 21
37. Dallas Mavericks: Admiral Schofield, Tennessee Volunteers, Age 22
38. Chicago Bulls: Luguentz Dort, Arizona State Sun Devils, Age 20
39. New Orleans Pelicans: Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan Wolverines, Age 20
40. Sacramento Kings: Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State Wildcats, Age 21
41. Atlanta Hawks: Dedric Lawson, Kansas Jayhawks, Age 21
42. Philadelphia 76ers: Mfiondu Kabengele, Florida State Seminoles, Age 21
43. Minnesota Timberwolves: Eric Paschall, Villanova Wildcats, Age 22
44. Atlanta Hawks- Miye Oni, Yale Bulldogs, Age 21
45. Detroit Pistons: Jordan Nwora, Louisville Cardinals, Age 20
46. Orlando Magic: Terance Mann, Florida State Seminoles, Age 22
47. Sacramento Kings: Isaiah Roby, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Age 21
48. Los Angeles Clippers: Louis King, Oregon Ducks, Age 20
49. San Antonio Spurs: Charles Matthews, Michigan Wolverines, Age 22
50. Indiana Pacers: Juwan Morgan, Indiana Hoosiers, Age 22
51. Boston Celtics: Luka Samanic, Petrol Olimpija (Slovenia), Age 19
52. Charlotte Hornets: Darius Bazley, Age 18   
53. Utah Jazz: Nicolas Claxton, Georgia Bulldogs, Age 20
54. Philadelphia 76ers: Jalen Lecque, Age 18
55. New York Knicks: Tacko Fall, UCF Knights, Age 23
56. Los Angeles Clippers: Zach Norvell, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Age 21
57. New Orleans Pelicans: Terence Davis, Ole Miss Rebels, Age 22
58. Golden State Warriors: Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Age 22
59. Toronto Raptors: Aubrey Dawkins, UCF Knights, Age 24
60. Sacramento Kings: Brian Bowen, Sydney Kings (Australia), Age 20
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Top 10 Players of the John Beilein Era

5/14/2019

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Via Getty Images

By: Nick Hornburg

The day has finally arrived. John Beilein has coached his last game as the head man of the Michigan Wolverines and has accepted an offer to be the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. There is, without doubt, a lot to process here.

Beilein walked in when Michigan’s Basketball program was the whipping boy of the Big Ten, and what he did in Ann Arbor was nothing short of stunning: winning two regular season Big Ten Championships, two Big Ten Tournament Championships, five Sweet 16’s, three Elite Eights, two Final Fours, and two berths in the National Title Game, while putting six players in the first round of the NBA draft along the way (Ekpe Udoh does not count), all while running one of the most ethical programs in the country the whole way through.

Even more impressive is that within his twelve seasons at Crisler, Beilein managed to completely reinvent himself and his program between the two runs to the Title Game, making a run in 2013 with a high-octane, pacy team, before bottoming out and rebuilding his program before going deep in 2018 with a resilient team built on an impenetrable defense.

Now that it’s over, it’s time to look back at the players who have come through the program in John Beilein’s time. Will any of his players have their numbers retired in Ann Arbor? No. However, it is undeniable that Michigan fans have been treated to some exceptional players in the last 12 seasons, and now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the 10 best players of the John Beilein era at Michigan.

Let’s start with some honorable mentions:

Stu Douglass, G, 2008-2012
Stu Douglass is the first of many players mentioned here who’s importance is more a function of time and place than being able to blow people away on the court. Douglass’ career stats aren’t particularly impressive (6.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists), but he shot 40% from deep in his final two seasons, including a program-altering shot that propelled Michigan to the first Conference Championship of John Beilein’s tenure, setting the stage for what was to come.

Zak Irvin, G/F, 2013-2017
Expectations are a bitch, aren’t they? Zak Irvin came into Ann Arbor with more expected of him than any other player in Beilein’s tenure, and he will go down in history as a bit of a disappointment. But while the former blue-chip recruit never set the world afire, he was undeniably productive in his three years as a starter, posting double-digit scoring averages in all three seasons, while emerging as a solid swingman to complement point guard Derrick Walton Jr. (more on him in a little bit), and served as co-captain of the 2016-17 team that won the Conference Tournament and upset Louisville in what would be Rick Pitino’s last game.

Duncan Robinson, G/F, 2015-2018
Duncan Robinson transferred in from Williams College and had to sit out the 2014-15 season before suiting up for the Maize and Blue, and when he finally did, nobody minded the wait. Robinson scored 11.2 points per game while shooting 45% from beyond the arc in his first season, and while he never matched those numbers in subsequent seasons, his importance did not diminish. The New Hampshire native was a key cog in two Big Ten Tournament-winning teams, including being one of the many shooting weapons at John Beilein’s disposal in 2017-18, a season that saw him serve as co-captain while being named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, and compiling the silliest statistic of the season: When Duncan Robinson scored 6 or more points in a game in 2017-18, Michigan went 29-0.

Zavier Simpson, G, 2016-Present
I guess I’m dead to Alex Drain for not putting Zavier Simpson in the Top 10. The man formerly known as ‘X’ sat behind Derrick Walton Jr. in his freshman season, standing out for his impressive defense and his equally unimpressive offense. In his sophomore season, Simpson seized the starting job and has not let up since, marshaling the Wolverines to the Big Ten Tournament Title and the National Title Game in 2018. While defense will always be his calling card, Zavier Simpson took another step in 2018-19, as his offense improved thanks to developing the most hilarious pet move in college basketball. I find it difficult to put Simpson in the Top 10 now, as his story at Michigan is not yet complete, but I will remember that triple double against Ohio State for a long time.

D.J. Wilson, F, 2014-2017
I had to think long and hard about this one. D.J. Wilson’s status as a first-round draft pick overshadows that fact that he really only had one good season at Michigan, and he wasn’t even the best player on that team. For this reason, he is left outside of the Top 10, but it is staggering how physically talented he was, being able to play on the wing as well as at the rim and having a massive wingspan that made driving against him all but impossible. The Michigan team of 2016-17 would not have been able to win the Big Ten Tournament without him, as they hit their stride late in the season right when he did, as he averaged 15.3 points per game in the tournament, including scoring 26 against Purdue. An injury in his Freshman season effectively robbed him of his first two years in Ann Arbor, but that third season was a big one.

Now on to the Top 10…

10. Glenn Robinson III, F, 2012-2014
Glenn Robinson III was the highest rated recruit in the best Michigan recruiting class since the Fab Five, and while he did not end up as the best player of that class, his ability was never in question. Robinson was thrust into a starting role as a freshman, and posted per game averages of 11.0 points and 5.4 rebounds, as he emerged as a key part of the Final Four run in 2012-13. While he more or less stayed the same statistically in his second season (13.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg), he became a lot more consistent, and was an excellent complement on the Big Ten Title Winning team in 2013-14.

9. Zack Novak, G, 2008-2012
I can only dream of what Luke Yaklich could have done had he ever had Zack Novak at his disposal. Novak was a leader in every sense of the word, and he, along with Stu Douglass, established through sheer force of will what Michigan Basketball would become, winning the Big Ten Regular Season Title in 2011-12 and establishing himself as a cult hero in Ann Arbor. Novak is certainly not the only Michigan Basketball player to win over the fans in this way (see: Munger, Nicole), and he would never be mistaken for a top-shelf talent, averaging 8.1 points per game, along with 4.5 rebounds, across his Michigan career, but he more than made up for it by diving for every loose ball, hounding opponents on defense, and willing John Beilein’s program forward into it’s impressive future.

8. Caris LeVert, G, 2012-2016
If only Caris LeVert’s body held up more consistently. After a largely anonymous freshman season, LeVert became a force as a sophomore, averaging 12.9 points per game while shooting 40% from three, establishing himself as an NBA talent as Michigan won the Big Ten and reached the Elite Eight in 2013-14. Unfortunately, LeVert’s body had other ideas, so while he was measurably better in his junior and senior seasons (14.9 ppg in 2014-15, 16.5 ppg in 2015-16), he wasn’t able to play more than 18 games in either year. While we can look at LeVert and ask what could have been, he was a special talent who could change the course of a game, as well as the course of a season, when he was on the court. It is not a coincidence that Beilein’s lean years came when LeVert couldn’t stay healthy.

7. Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman, G, 2014-2018
At the outset of the 2017-18 season, I described Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman as ‘a rich man’s Zack Novak’. I was wrong with that comparison, MAAR was much more gifted offensively, was better in the clutch, and led in a more understated manner, but one (Alex Hsi) could argue that Rahkman’s impact on his team transcended his stats in the same way as his predecessor. Abdur-Rahkman was not a ball of energy, and was nowhere near the vocal presence that the notoriously fiery Zack Novak was, but there was absolutely no doubt who led the 2017-18 team behind the scenes in their run to the Final Four. Rahkman was an adequate starter in his junior season, and largely stayed that way for the rest of 2017, but announced himself to the world in a big way on Martin Luther King Day in 2018, draining two free throws to complete a comeback victory with 1.2 seconds left. From there, the captain would not be overlooked again, repeatedly coming through when it mattered with timely shooting and stout defending, and providing a calming, efficient counterpoint to Moe Wagner’s flamboyance. It was the perfect counterbalance in the dichotomy that propelled that team to a Big Ten Tournament Title and a Final Four banner.

6. Derrick Walton Jr., G, 2013-2017
Derrick Walton Jr. endured some tough seasons in Ann Arbor. An injury sidelined him for half of his sophomore campaign in 2014-15, and he somehow managed to play a massively underwhelming 2015-16 team into the NCAA tournament. But Walton’s improvement was perfectly linear, and his Michigan career ended in a big way, averaging 15.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his final campaign and leading Michigan to the 2017 Big Ten tournament Title. Walton’s numbers and accomplishments as a four-year starting point guard are impressive enough already, but he will always be remembered for how he, and the team he captained, responded to what could have been a complete disaster.
After the infamous aborted takeoff that almost derailed Michigan’s Big Ten Tournament run before it started, questions were asked whether they should even make the trip. It was put to a vote, and off they went, and in their first game, in which they had to wear practice jerseys, Walton (who had voted to forfeit the tournament and not go) hung 19 points on the Illini, firing the Wolverines through to the quarterfinals. After a tough quarterfinal against Purdue, Walton went supernova, scoring 29 in the semifinals against Minnesota and 22 against Wisconsin in the final, ushering in John Beilein’s second stage of dominance in Ann Arbor.

5. Manny Harris, G, 2007-2010
John Beilein’s first top player will always be overlooked because he played at the start of John Beilein’s tenure when Michigan was quite dreadful. While Harris doesn’t have any banners to his name, he was among the most lethal scorers in the Big Ten across his three seasons in Ann Arbor (17.0 ppg for his career). An All-Big Ten player in each of his three seasons, Harris shot 40.6% from beyond the arc across his Michigan career, including shooting 42.1% in his final season. Harris was also a plus rebounder (5.7 rebounds per game in his career), setting the template for future swingmen such as Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Zak Irvin. Harris is unfortunate to have played during a very dark time in the history of Michigan Basketball, and as a result, he doesn’t have the legacy of other players here, but let it not be forgotten that he was an extraordinary individual player.

4. Tim Hardaway Jr., G, 2010-2013
Tim Hardaway Jr. could have left Michigan for the NBA after his freshman season. He had it all going for him, 13.9 points per game as a freshman, solid shooting numbers, prodigious size (6-6 as a shooting guard), name recognition, unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, everything. Instead, he stayed at Michigan. Ultimately, this probably turned out the be the correct decision, as Hardaway’s contributions at Michigan will be remembered for a long time, and he still ended up being, at least for the moment, the best NBA player of John Beilein’s tenure. Hardaway had a good but somewhat underwhelming sophomore campaign in 2011-12, before becoming one half of one of the best backcourts in the country in 2012-13, providing a veteran presence on a team largely comprised of underclassmen as they shot their way to the Final Four.

A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Hardaway always had a reputation of being a high-volume scorer with poor shot selection and streaky shooting. And while that was largely true in his first two years, Hardaway was still very productive and ultimately shed that mold in his final season, improving as a rebounder, providing adequate defense, posting his best shooting numbers, and turning into an elite transition player. While Hardaway’s career numbers (14.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg) don’t match those of Manny Harris, Hardaway was more efficient, received less usage at his best, and provided a key locker room voice in situations that Manny Harris was unfortunately never in. As the vocal leader of the 2012-13 team in the wake of Zack Novak’s graduation. Hardaway’s career is not actually all that dissimilar from Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman, and while he also was never the top option on any Michigan team, his importance to that 2012-13 Final Four team cannot be overstated.

3. Moritz Wagner, F, 2015-2018
Michigan is not, and never will be, a “Basketball School”, but if there was ever a point where it came close, it was in 2018, and it was because of Moe Wagner. The German big man captivated Ann Arbor in a way that no Michigan Basketball player had done since Chris Webber. Wagner might as well have been grown in a lab with the purpose of creating a player to play in today’s style of basketball, a big who could run the floor, drive and finish at the rim, and, most especially, shoot from downtown. Moe shot 39.4% from beyond the arc in his last season in Ann Arbor, but it would be a massive injustice to only use Wagner’s numbers to justify the effect he had. Wagner was an NBA talent and he knew it, his flamboyance and brashness on the court reflected that. It made Michigan fall in love with him and made others detest him. It also didn’t hurt that no moment was big enough for Wagner.

His legend was set as he burned the Breslin Center to the ground to the tune of 27 points and a hell of a lot of tongue-wagging at the Michigan State crowd. He followed up at the Big Ten Tournament by posting 15 points and 8 rebounds against the Spartans in the semifinals, before dropping 17 points on Purdue in the final to secure a second consecutive Big Ten Tournament Title en route to John Beilein’s second Final Four berth. Wagner’s tangible accomplishments are absurd enough already: Two Big Ten Tournament Titles, National Runner-up in 2018, Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2018, named a 2018 All-Big Ten player by both coaches and the media, 2018 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team, 2018 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team. However, Wagner’s combination of self-confidence, attitude, and propensity to rise to the occasion was every bit as important. John Beilein has had better players at Michigan, but no other player in the last 12 years (25 years, for that matter) made Michigan fall in love with basketball the way Moe Wagner did.

2. Nik Stauskas, G, 2012-2014
Nik Stauskas would likely have made this list had he stayed for two or three years as an incrementally improving catch and shoot specialist. Stauskas averaged 11.0 points per game in 2012-13 as a freshman while shooting 44% on three point attempts, so merely sustaining his freshman performance for a few years would have been more than welcome. Instead, foreshadowed by a 22-point (7-8 from the field, 6-6 from deep) outburst in the 2013 Elite Eight against Florida, Stauskas learned how to play on the ball, complemented is deep shooting with a developing mid-range shot, and proceeded to launch the rest of the Big Ten into space. With a brand new starting backcourt in Derrick Walton Jr. and Caris LeVert, Stauskas took on more responsibility in 2013-14 and morphed from a sniper to a one-man offensive juggernaut, averaging 17.5 points per game while failing to crack double figures only four times, and he somehow became more efficient as an offensive player despite a massive increase in his usage.

After only scoring 9 in the season opener, Stauskas broke the 20-point mark in five straight games that November. 50 days later, Michigan hit its toughest stretch of the season, with three straight games against Top-10 teams, two of which were on the road. Stauskas rose to the occasion, hanging 23 on 3rd-ranked Wisconsin and silencing the Kohl center, which he then followed up by scoring 26 in a victory against 10th-ranked Iowa in Ann Arbor, before entering the Breslin Center in East Lansing and vexing Tom Izzo to the tune of 19 points on 5-6 shooting from deep in an upset of 3rd-ranked Michigan State. Stauskas went on to close the regular season as strong as anybody, scoring another 25 against Michigan State in a home victory, the first of the Wolverines’ five wins to close the regular season, which included Stauskas scoring 21, 24 and 21 in the final three games to seal the Big Ten Title for Michigan.

Stauskas did not go unnoticed, as he was unanimously selected to the All-Big Ten First Team by both the coaches and the media, and was named the 2014 Big Ten Player of The Year. He then carried his hot form into the postseason as well, never scoring less than 15 in a game, punctuating his Michigan career by dropping 24 in his final game as a Wolverine in the Elite Eight. It isn’t often that an unheralded college prospect vaults himself from a late-second/undrafted rating into the top 10 of the NBA draft, but that is exactly what Nik Stauskas did, going 8th overall in the 2014 NBA draft, a fitting reward for one of the greatest seasons in Michigan history. As a freshman, Nik Stauskas was efficient, ruthless, and consistent. As a sophomore, he was unstoppable.

1. Trey Burke, G, 2011-2013
Everyone knew John Beilein had something special on his hands when he poached Trey Burke from the heart of enemy territory (colloquially known as Columbus, Ohio) ahead of the 2011-12 season. The diminutive point guard delivered immediately, scoring 14.8 points per game and dishing out 4.2 assists per game as a freshman starter on a Big Ten Title winning team. Burke was graded as a late lottery pick right then and there, and he very well could have left, along with Tim Hardaway Jr., his backcourt partner. Instead, they both stayed, and Beilein’s program floored the ignition.

Burke led the line as the linchpin of John Beilein’s best team ever, scoring 18.6 points per game and dishing out 6.7 assists per game. Burke scored in double figures in every single regular season game in the 2012-13 season. The Wolverines’ point guard then hit a snag, starting off the NCAA tournament with a pair of underwhelming games and being held scoreless through one half against Kansas in the Sweet 16. After what happened next, John Beilein’s program had officially arrived. Burke clawed Michigan back into striking distance, before forcing overtime on the most ubiquitous shot of John Beilein’s coaching career. Burke starred again in overtime, finishing the game with 23 points and 10 assists, as Michigan upset top-seeded Kansas, en route to the National Title Game, a magical season than saw Burke take home the Wooden Award as the consensus National Player of the Year.

John Beilein has always developed excellent players at Michigan, but none of them legitimized this program the way Trey Burke did. Novak willed the program back to its feet, but Trey Burke defined it, and shot Michigan into the stratosphere of national relevance, leading a stacked Michigan team with a series of defining moments known to everyone who saw them (the steal, the shot). John Beilein painstakingly brought Michigan Basketball back from the dead, but this recent golden age, which Beilein will always be remembered for, began with Trey Burke.

Thank you very much Coach Beilein, and best of luck in Cleveland. You’ve earned it…

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The World's Best (Only) Michigan Softball Bracketology

5/6/2019

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By: Alex Drain

The college softball regular season is complete and this week is conference tournament weekend, which is do or die for mid-majors and bubble teams, while it is more about positioning for the top tier squads. Luckily, our beloved Michigan Wolverines fall into the latter category as it pertains to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Ten Regular season crown and securing the #1 seed in the B1G Tournament yesterday. Since there isn’t a very established field of softball bracketology to see where Michigan is in position to end up, I decided to throw this piece together using my own knowledge and conjectures fused with insight from some of the only people who attempt to forecast what the NCAA Softball Tournament field will look like.

How the bracket process works

RPI. That’s the name of the game. There isn’t a fancy method to the madness or anything like that, it’s basically just RPI. Last season, the teams that got the top 16 seeds in the tournament were teams 1-13, 15-17 in RPI on selection sunday. Also last year, the top 37 teams in RPI on selection sunday all got into the field. So there’s not a lot of fancy stuff to this, no Q1 and Q2 wins or adjustments for various efficiency factors like basketball. The bracket isn’t a direct translation to RPI, as the SEC and PAC-12 generally get bumped up, as do big name schools (like say, Michigan), while the smaller schools (Minnesota in 2017) from less powerful conferences can sometimes get snubbed from regional hosting. Still, following RPI is the easiest way to get an idea of the bracket and what teams will be in it.

Where things stand now

The RPI from this weekend is now out and Michigan stands exactly 16th, so right on the edge. Using last season’s method, Michigan would probably get a regional if the tourney started today. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. The top 7 squads in RPI (Oklahoma, Washington, UCLA, Arizona, Florida St., Texas, and Alabama) are all locks to host a regional and I have to think almost all of those 7 will be the top 7 seeds, in position to host super regionals. LSU at 9 and Florida at 10 are also probably locks due to the “Being in the SEC” factor, as well as the fact that they are two well established national programs. So those 9 teams feel like they will all get regionals regardless of what happens this weekend. That’s where things get interesting.

If you followed Michigan softball this year, which I assume everyone who took a small chunk out of their day to read this article did, you know that this was a historically competitive Big Ten, and that registers in RPI. Minnesota stands at #8 in RPI and Northwestern at #11 and if you’re a Gopher fan you have to feel some element of deja vu to 2017, when Minnesota was a top 12 RPI team yet were the only squad to get snubbed from regional hosting. I think Minnesota will get one this year though, mostly because they loaded up their non-conference schedule this year. They played Ole Miss, FSU, Tennessee, Bama (2x), Drake (2x), Arizona, James Madison, Texas (3x), USF (2x), and Florida. Woof. And that’s in addition to taking two out-of-three from Northwestern this past weekend. I think this is the year they get a regional, regardless of how they do this weekend. Northwestern I’m less sure about, and I almost feel like Michigan and Northwestern are competing for one spot as regional hosts heading into Bloomington this weekend.

Beyond that, Oklahoma St and Tennessee at 12 and 13 have to like their chances at hosting a regional if they can put together a good conference tourney performance given their status as major conference teams. James Madison sits at 14 and in a peculiar position as a perennially solid softball school that has hosted regionals before but also could easily be bumped for a bigger name like an SEC team (Ole Miss at 17) or Michigan. Kentucky, as an SEC team, is at 15 and are in a similar boat to Tennessee. The group of teams on the outside looking in include a bunch of SEC teams (Ole Miss 17, South Carolina 20, Auburn 21, Arkansas 22), Louisiana (a similar program as James Madison) and Texas Tech from the Big 12. Unless something major changes over the weekend, these 22 teams are the only ones I see in contention for the top 16.

Bubble Talk

The other part of bracketology is checking in on the teams that are on the edge of making the tournament, as well as other squads Michigan faced. The following former Michigan opponents are in the top 37 and in good position to make the tourney: Washington, UCLA, Arizona, LSU, Florida, James Madison, Stanford, Arizona St., North Carolina, USF, Louisville, and Ohio State. Of those teams, only Louisville and OSU enter the weekend in true bubble territory. Wisconsin, who Michigan could play in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, is 38th, right on the edge. Indiana is 48th and fading and would need a big weekend to have a shot at the tournament, while Illinois is 44th and only slightly better. Since Michigan could potentially play Illinois and OSU/Wisconsin in the tournament, it’s fair to say that the Wolverines will be encountering some hungry teams this weekend and need to be careful.

The Final Word for Michigan

Michigan’s in a pretty big good spot entering the weekend. They’re in the RPI Top 16, which is what you want, and will only go up if they have a good weekend, especially with the chance to bank as many as three RPI Top 50 wins in Bloomington. Regardless, if Michigan beats one of OSU/Wisconsin and then knocks off either Minnesota/Northwestern in the title game, Michigan fans can feel pretty good about Selection Sunday. A title game loss would still put Michigan firmly in contention. But another early exit? Then things get dicey.

Image Credit: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D51cnSfX4AARgg5.jpg
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