College basketball is back! Michigan opens their season on the first game day of the season with a Hall of Fame Tip-Off campus site game against a Spartans side that does indeed wear green, but hails from Norfolk State. It's the season opener which means the sky is the limit for all 353 teams in the nation. Positive energy is abound. Norfolk State might not be too well-known among Michigan fans, so here is a breakdown for you.
2017-18 Recap:
The Spartans struggled in non-conference play going just 2-12 last season with a bad loss coming to Division III Lynchburg, but going on the road to beat Stony Brook to cap non-conference play. MEAC play was much friendlier as Norfolk State went 11-5 in conference play, snagged the #5 seed, but lost in the MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals. Despite the loss of Zaynah Robinson all last season, the Spartans' star point guard in the season prior as a junior, and his move to Northern Kentucky, NSU saw the rise of Steven Whitley who averaged 12.2 points per game (a team-high) and Alex Long, who was the other Spartan to average in double figures. Both will hope to continue their solid play.
Starting Five:
Derick Jamerson, Jr is a local lad who's set to make a massive leap in production. The Detroit native went to high school at Detroit Cornerstone before heading to Owens CC in Ohio, before finally landing at NSU. Standing at 6'5", the senior won the Spartans' preseason event's three-point shootout and is pretty clearly the side's top perimeter threat. He shot 40% from beyond the arc and averaged 8.5 points per game, but the Spartans hope he will be able to consistently take the ball to the rim (having averaged just a shot-and-a-half per game inside the arc last season). His 34 minutes in the exhibition were second on the team and he racked up ten points for NSU. It will likely be Charles Matthews tasked with guarding Jamerson, and I really like that match-up for the Wolverines if Matthews can stick with him on the perimeter and shut down any attempted drives.
Alex Long is a 6'8" senior forward and Preseason All-MEAC Second Team choice for the second season running. Weighing in at 225 pounds, Long has gained some muscle but is still not a huge presence on the inside. Still, he presents a consistent scoring threat with a 52% clip from inside the arc along with his 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Likely the biggest player of the Spartans starting five, this means that it will be up to Jon Teske to outmuscle the smaller man, but also stick with him and outrebound him. I might look for Brandon Johns to get some run here as a small-ball five against Long.
Redshirt senior Jordan Butler sat out last season with injury, pink eye, in fact, but would figure to be a solid candidate to start at the second forward spot. Standing at 6'6" and described as a "junkyard dog" by Robert Jones, Butler was a Preseason All-MEAC Third Team selection in 2016-17 and he played well that year, grabbing 6.7 boards to go with 7.2 points per game, while starting all but four games. He tallied a double-double in 35 minutes in the exhibition with 15 points and 11 rebounds. His strength down low will be key to playing him, Ignas Brazdeikis and Isaiah Livers both will need to take him outside and be ready to play some physical defense.
Mastadi Pitt is another returning guard who started a handful of games but saw the most action off the bench. The 6'1" sophomore is built more in the mold of Whitley (standing 210 pounds) though is nowhere near his level of production and efficiency shooting the ball. With 8.4 points per game, he played a key role, and he should figure to fit into a similar role this season as well. His career high is 23 points, but with multiple options for Norfolk State to go to, he will likely be called on to build upon a strong freshman season with similar consistency that he showed last year. Though, with Whitley out, he may be called upon to carry a burden of scoring as a result during this first month.
Nic Thomas was a constant, though inconsistent, man for the Spartans. The 6'2" junior shot just 32.3% from the field last year, remarkably shooting almost exactly the same from two (32.2%) from three (32.4%). Despite the 8.5 points per game, he's going to need to become more efficient to help his team. He started seven games last season and even despite the streakiness of his play, he would have to expect to be a key player this season. He has had several solid games scoring, the Spartans will need him to maintain that sort of consistency this season.
Bench Rundown:
Redshirt senior Armani Branch sat out last season after moving from VMI, but represents an interesting threat for the Spartans. With 7.8 points per game in 2016-17 for VMI, Branch can shoot the ball from outside, but is big enough at 6'7" to challenge whomever the four may be for Michigan on defense while also giving them a perimeter shooting option to think about. With so many options around the arc, another bigger man adding another option is something I think could suit Norfolk State.
Of the three freshmen Norfolk State brings in, Joe Bryant, Jr. is the one with the most hype. A 6'1", 225 pound guard, Bryant is tough and presents another bigger option at the guard position. Bryant only played twelve minutes in the exhibition game against Virginia State but scored 18 points while going seven-for-ten from the charity stripe. With Whitley out, and Pitt starting, Bryant will certainly see some run on the court. He's a strong driver with a good jumper and this freshman season could set him up for a real nice career at Norfolk State.
A pair of role players could also figure into the NSU plans this season. C.J. Kelly used his redshirt season last year and with a year under his belt, the 6'5" guard could be an impactful sub. The Spartans have been impressed with him and he could figure to be a scoring guard off the bench, perhaps for Thomas. There is also 6'4" sophomore, JuCo walk-on, Kyonze Chavis who scored eight points in the exhibition in 23 minutes of play. That served as a nice opportunity for Chavis to showcase some skills and perhaps help play his way into the starting line-up.
I do want to touch upon who the Spartans will be missing out on. Ex-Saint Louis player Jermaine Bishop stands at 6'1" and sat out last season as a transfer. He was an All-Freshman selection for the A-10 in his 2015-16 freshman year where he averaged just under nine points, and had a strong, albeit injury-shortened 2016-17 season averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 assists per game on improved outside shooting (from 32.6% to 36.6%). He was the Blue Ribbon choice for MEAC Newcomer of the Year and will be a disappointing miss for the Spartans.
Last season's star man, though, was Steven Whitley. A 6'3", 220 pound senior guard, he won the Team MVP award last season, which is logical given his team-high point total, a team-high in assists per game (4.7) and 5.7 boards as well. His 1.6 steals were the most on the team as well, and he led the team in shots per game with nearly ten. Named to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team, Whitley will miss the first month of the season due to surgery on a partially torn meniscus. The absence of these two guards will factor into what the Spartans can and can't do quite heavily.
Key Points:
1. Battle on the wings: I'm highlighting Derick Jamerson as a player that could possibly impress in front of his hometown fans. It will be Charles Matthews job to stop him. Matthews is bigger and stronger than the 6'5" swingman, and should be able to get to the hole against him, but the key is going to be knowing when to attack and how often.
2. Zavier's first dance: It's going to be a battle against a bigger guard for Zavier Simpson, not that that's abnormal. Mastadi Pitt is going to be physical with Simpson, as will Bryant when he checks into the game. I'm interested to see if Simpson can handle business with a guard that can be as physical, or perhaps even more, than he is. Neither man is very efficient, which is what Simpson feasts on when it comes to defense. If he can make some driving lay-ins around him, I think that will be crucial for Michigan.
3. Bench mob's impact: Depth is the question that Michigan fans may have, not if they have quality in it, but how deep could this team be? I still believe they will go eight-or-nine-deep, perhaps more in the early stages of the season, but how easily will the bench players be able to fill into the men they are replacing's spots. Look especially closely at the play of Livers and Brazdeikis and see what each of them will have to offer.
Score Prediction: Michigan 71: Norfolk State 56:
A reasonably sized margin, but I think this could definitely follow some of the earlier games of last season where games were quite close in the first 30 minutes or so before Michigan pulled away. NSU has some solid scoring quality and are going to be no slouches in the MEAC (they've been picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll). I do, however, think this should not be a massively problematic game for Michigan especially with no Bishop and now now Whitley, and they will take the home opener.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
2017-18 Recap:
The Spartans struggled in non-conference play going just 2-12 last season with a bad loss coming to Division III Lynchburg, but going on the road to beat Stony Brook to cap non-conference play. MEAC play was much friendlier as Norfolk State went 11-5 in conference play, snagged the #5 seed, but lost in the MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals. Despite the loss of Zaynah Robinson all last season, the Spartans' star point guard in the season prior as a junior, and his move to Northern Kentucky, NSU saw the rise of Steven Whitley who averaged 12.2 points per game (a team-high) and Alex Long, who was the other Spartan to average in double figures. Both will hope to continue their solid play.
Starting Five:
Derick Jamerson, Jr is a local lad who's set to make a massive leap in production. The Detroit native went to high school at Detroit Cornerstone before heading to Owens CC in Ohio, before finally landing at NSU. Standing at 6'5", the senior won the Spartans' preseason event's three-point shootout and is pretty clearly the side's top perimeter threat. He shot 40% from beyond the arc and averaged 8.5 points per game, but the Spartans hope he will be able to consistently take the ball to the rim (having averaged just a shot-and-a-half per game inside the arc last season). His 34 minutes in the exhibition were second on the team and he racked up ten points for NSU. It will likely be Charles Matthews tasked with guarding Jamerson, and I really like that match-up for the Wolverines if Matthews can stick with him on the perimeter and shut down any attempted drives.
Redshirt senior Jordan Butler sat out last season with injury, pink eye, in fact, but would figure to be a solid candidate to start at the second forward spot. Standing at 6'6" and described as a "junkyard dog" by Robert Jones, Butler was a Preseason All-MEAC Third Team selection in 2016-17 and he played well that year, grabbing 6.7 boards to go with 7.2 points per game, while starting all but four games. He tallied a double-double in 35 minutes in the exhibition with 15 points and 11 rebounds. His strength down low will be key to playing him, Ignas Brazdeikis and Isaiah Livers both will need to take him outside and be ready to play some physical defense.
Mastadi Pitt is another returning guard who started a handful of games but saw the most action off the bench. The 6'1" sophomore is built more in the mold of Whitley (standing 210 pounds) though is nowhere near his level of production and efficiency shooting the ball. With 8.4 points per game, he played a key role, and he should figure to fit into a similar role this season as well. His career high is 23 points, but with multiple options for Norfolk State to go to, he will likely be called on to build upon a strong freshman season with similar consistency that he showed last year. Though, with Whitley out, he may be called upon to carry a burden of scoring as a result during this first month.
Nic Thomas was a constant, though inconsistent, man for the Spartans. The 6'2" junior shot just 32.3% from the field last year, remarkably shooting almost exactly the same from two (32.2%) from three (32.4%). Despite the 8.5 points per game, he's going to need to become more efficient to help his team. He started seven games last season and even despite the streakiness of his play, he would have to expect to be a key player this season. He has had several solid games scoring, the Spartans will need him to maintain that sort of consistency this season.
Bench Rundown:
Redshirt senior Armani Branch sat out last season after moving from VMI, but represents an interesting threat for the Spartans. With 7.8 points per game in 2016-17 for VMI, Branch can shoot the ball from outside, but is big enough at 6'7" to challenge whomever the four may be for Michigan on defense while also giving them a perimeter shooting option to think about. With so many options around the arc, another bigger man adding another option is something I think could suit Norfolk State.
Of the three freshmen Norfolk State brings in, Joe Bryant, Jr. is the one with the most hype. A 6'1", 225 pound guard, Bryant is tough and presents another bigger option at the guard position. Bryant only played twelve minutes in the exhibition game against Virginia State but scored 18 points while going seven-for-ten from the charity stripe. With Whitley out, and Pitt starting, Bryant will certainly see some run on the court. He's a strong driver with a good jumper and this freshman season could set him up for a real nice career at Norfolk State.
A pair of role players could also figure into the NSU plans this season. C.J. Kelly used his redshirt season last year and with a year under his belt, the 6'5" guard could be an impactful sub. The Spartans have been impressed with him and he could figure to be a scoring guard off the bench, perhaps for Thomas. There is also 6'4" sophomore, JuCo walk-on, Kyonze Chavis who scored eight points in the exhibition in 23 minutes of play. That served as a nice opportunity for Chavis to showcase some skills and perhaps help play his way into the starting line-up.
I do want to touch upon who the Spartans will be missing out on. Ex-Saint Louis player Jermaine Bishop stands at 6'1" and sat out last season as a transfer. He was an All-Freshman selection for the A-10 in his 2015-16 freshman year where he averaged just under nine points, and had a strong, albeit injury-shortened 2016-17 season averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 assists per game on improved outside shooting (from 32.6% to 36.6%). He was the Blue Ribbon choice for MEAC Newcomer of the Year and will be a disappointing miss for the Spartans.
Last season's star man, though, was Steven Whitley. A 6'3", 220 pound senior guard, he won the Team MVP award last season, which is logical given his team-high point total, a team-high in assists per game (4.7) and 5.7 boards as well. His 1.6 steals were the most on the team as well, and he led the team in shots per game with nearly ten. Named to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team, Whitley will miss the first month of the season due to surgery on a partially torn meniscus. The absence of these two guards will factor into what the Spartans can and can't do quite heavily.
1. Battle on the wings: I'm highlighting Derick Jamerson as a player that could possibly impress in front of his hometown fans. It will be Charles Matthews job to stop him. Matthews is bigger and stronger than the 6'5" swingman, and should be able to get to the hole against him, but the key is going to be knowing when to attack and how often.
2. Zavier's first dance: It's going to be a battle against a bigger guard for Zavier Simpson, not that that's abnormal. Mastadi Pitt is going to be physical with Simpson, as will Bryant when he checks into the game. I'm interested to see if Simpson can handle business with a guard that can be as physical, or perhaps even more, than he is. Neither man is very efficient, which is what Simpson feasts on when it comes to defense. If he can make some driving lay-ins around him, I think that will be crucial for Michigan.
3. Bench mob's impact: Depth is the question that Michigan fans may have, not if they have quality in it, but how deep could this team be? I still believe they will go eight-or-nine-deep, perhaps more in the early stages of the season, but how easily will the bench players be able to fill into the men they are replacing's spots. Look especially closely at the play of Livers and Brazdeikis and see what each of them will have to offer.
Score Prediction: Michigan 71: Norfolk State 56:
A reasonably sized margin, but I think this could definitely follow some of the earlier games of last season where games were quite close in the first 30 minutes or so before Michigan pulled away. NSU has some solid scoring quality and are going to be no slouches in the MEAC (they've been picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll). I do, however, think this should not be a massively problematic game for Michigan especially with no Bishop and now now Whitley, and they will take the home opener.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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