As finals season gears up, the number five Michigan Wolverines enter the final three non-conference games of their schedule. They will take on Western Michigan at home this Saturday at 2 P.M. in what is their first game since their test against South Carolina. With three games spaced out, all against non-Big Six opponents, these are important times to get players into real game scenarios and let them get meaningful minutes.
Western Michigan -- An Overview:
The Broncos come into the game at 5-4 and off the heels of a fire-powered 88-77 road victory at Youngstown State. Picked last by Blue Ribbon in the MAC West to start the season, the MAC coaches felt a bit more positive slotting them in fourth in the preseason poll. WMU are currently 219th in the Torvik rankings, which is indeed last in the MAC. Steve Hawkins is in his 16th year at the helm of the Broncos and while he's finished eight seasons atop the MAC West, and another three in second place in the division, he is going to need a top-notch effort in conference play to right the ship for a team that lost four of five starters from last season, including NBA prospect Thomas Wilder.
Starting Five:
For the Broncos, senior Seth Dugan is currently in the middle of a big (no pun intended) season. The 7'0" center is the lone starter above the height of 6'5" for Steve Hawkins, but he has been key to the Broncos. Dugan currently averages a double-double with 17.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, along with 1.4 blocks and assists each. Dugan is shooting just under 60% from two and is the leading shot-taker for WMU with 11.6 per game. Hawkins revealed Dugan played much of last season with a stress fracture in his foot, but he seems to be fit-and-firing now. Dugan is two-for-seven from three also this year, but he generally leaves the outside shooting to his other line-up mates. He has a nice touch around the basket, but, as this is really his breakout season, he needs to find a bit more consistency within the game. He has ranged in performances from a 32 point, 22 rebound night against Detroit on 12-for-18 shooting, or he can have a seven point three-for-six night with seven rebounds like against Youngstown State. I spoke to my friend from Oakland University, Dakota Brecht, the Sports Director at 88.3 WXOU. The Golden Grizzlies were taken down by the Broncos in overtime earlier this season, and Brecht spoke a lot about the importance of Dugan. "He handles the ball extremely well and it has to take a strong big man down low to cover him." That is going to be key for Jon Teske to handle him down low. Brecht told me that he believed Teske possessed the skill set to slow Dugan, but as marked out, this is a match-up to watch.
Western's lone returning starter is another senior, Josh Davis. A 6'5" guard/wing, Davis came back to school as the leading returning scorer off last season's team, having averaged 10.7 points a game. His coach mentioned to Blue Ribbon that he spent the majority of last season with "basically" a broken left hand, and he also dealt with a torn hamstring over the summer. Currently, Davis is scoring 13.7 points and snaring 6.8 rebounds per game, good for second best on the team in both categories. He's shooting a shade under 49%, but the three-point shooting has seen a drop-off from last season; he is just 34.3% from long range this season (12-for-35) and, surprisingly, has no games with more than two threes made. Davis is a guy who made his breakout as a junior and has seen an extra bump this season too as leading minutes-getter for the Broncos. Watching out for his shot should be key, but with the early season struggles, Michigan may rather watch the drive and use Jordan Poole on him to contain either aspect of his game.
Western Michigan's third double-digit scorer is sophomore guard Michael Flowers. Standing 6'2", Flowers has been a great third piece for this Broncos team that Hawkins certainly liked heading into the season. He is averaging over twenty minutes per game more this season than last and is scoring 13.6 points per game. He's also grabbing 4.7 rebounds and dishing out a team-high 3.8 assists per game to go along with his scoring. He started out the season a bit hesitantly, but after the Oakland game something seemed to click with his shot. Excluding the first three games, where Flowers went zero-for-five from three, he's shooting an even 50% (fifteen-for-thirty) from outside. This includes a big 23 point night (four-for-five from three) at Cincinnati, and a team-high 25 points at Youngstown State as well. I'm imagining Zavier Simpson will be assigned with tracking him around the court on Saturday. He's built physically a bit like Carsen Edwards and I see a few elements in his game that are comparable, primarily that the two are both scoring guards that also pass well too. That could be a real fun guard match-up.
The fourth, and final, starter that has started all nine of WMU's games is junior guard Jared Printy. Printy is a 6'4" guard/wing from Iowa that, like Flowers, has seen a huge uptick in minutes and production this season. Printy is shooting 40.5% from three (17-for-42) with 7.6 points per game. He is averaging almost more points than minutes per game he had last season. This year has been an increase in nearly twenty, up from 7.9 to 26.7. Printy offers a consistent shooter on the court that sticks usually to the perimeter, he's only taken eleven two-pointers this season. He is a slightly slept-on member of the Broncos team, with the louder scoring 'key three' of Dugan, Davis, and Flowers. Still, Printy was the team's key player against Ole Miss in the second game of the season in a game that saw him go five-for-seven from three with seventeen points. He'll be coming off a fourteen point night against YSU, his first double-digit night since the one in Oxford, Miss.
Rounding out the starting five is Kawanise Wilkins. Known as "Squeaky", Wilkins is a 6'5" forward that is a strong 235 pounds. Squeaky is just a sophomore, having transferred from Barton Community College in Kansas, and he selected WMU over Loyola-Chicago. Wilkins is averaging 8.4 points and 4.2 boards per game in 24.4 minutes. His two-point percentage is at 61.3%, but while he can shoot the three, his clip behind the arc is less impressive at just 26.3% (five-for-nineteen). That said, he's a great free-throw shooter at a little over 82% on the season, and he hit a pair of threes against Youngstown State. Wilkins had a big game against Oakland (twenty points, a three (one-for-five), six-for-twelve shooting, and a season-high 38 minutes) and that stuck in the mind of Brecht who told me, "...the numbers may not show it but the guy can score. Some teams will focus their attentions on Dugan and Flowers but leave Wilkins open and he will hurt you." Michigan will need to keep their eyes on the JuCo transfer.
Bench Rundown:
The first man off the bench for the Broncos is likely Adrian Martin. A freshman from Georgia, Martin is a 6'3" guard that started one game (against Southern) in place of Wilkins earlier this season, but played a season-low six minutes on that night. He's averaging 17.4 minutes per game to go with 2.8 points and an even two rebounds. As a freshman, his shot is struggling at this stage of his career. He's just an 18.8% shooter thus far in his career with equally poor splits from two (4-for-22 -- 18.2%) and three (5-for-26 -- 19.2%). He hit two of those threes against YSU where he went for eight points, and he hit two more in the early-season bout against Aquinas, but if you take away those two games he is just one-for-fifteen from deep. Growing pains should only make Martin more likely to break out in the not-so-distant future.
Patrick Emilien is another freshman who comes off the bench to play solid minutes. Averaging 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game, Emilien is a 6'6" forward that has history with a Michigan player. He played alongside Ignas Brazdeikis during prep school and impress Hawkins enough to earn a scholarship. He's shooting 26.5% overall along with 25% shooting from three (five-for-twenty). He offers another bigger presence off the bench for WMU's smaller starting line-up and he can play either the three or four, creating some interesting match-ups. Described as "raw, but athletic", he is a prospect for the future.
Another Canadian freshman is William Boyer-Richard from Quebec. Standing 6'1" but a well-built 185 pounds, Boyer-Richard bench-presses nearly 300 pounds and offers a stronger bench guard to sub in when needed. He is nearly exclusively a three-point shooter with an average of almost four points and a 46.7% shot from deep (seven-for-fifteen). A good passer and smart player, he has seen a bit of a drop-off in minutes over the last three games, but he gives a change of pace for the Broncos as a more pass-first point guard as opposed to the multiple shooters and scorers that can handle the ball for them.
Finally, one more man to watch out for off the bench is TJ Clifford. Having played just six games, Clifford had his best evening against Youngstown State where he went four-for-five in twelve minutes for nine points. A 6'5" sophomore forward built similarly to Wilkins, Clifford struggled for game time last season, and even earlier this season, but coming off his best game of the season and having played in the one prior to this, his spark may be what Hawkins is looking for. Over his six games, he averages 7.7 minutes and 2.3 points per game, and is a likely breakout candidate for next season as he gains confidence into the system.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
In-state games are always interesting, especially as the players from Michigan on the other side really give it their all to show Michigan what they are missing out. It is now up to Michigan to put them back into line and continue their dominant play. This is a sort of team that I think can cause Michigan a bit of grief: two good scoring guards, a solid center, surrounding players with competent shooting ability. While WMU may not have been favored by many in the MAC, they do have a solid roster build with two key seniors who will organize their team on the court while a legendary coach in Kalamazoo in Steve Hawkins prepares for Michigan. Brecht talked about one of the potential keys being spurts, "Oakland should of never been in that game after coming out of the half very slow but due to the fact that WMU allows those runs, they were able to get back into it." Michigan should be able to handle their business, but going on some timely runs would be very helpful in allowing them to do so.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well! Special thanks to Dakota Brecht for added insight. You can follow him on Twitter @BrechtDakota.
Western Michigan -- An Overview:
The Broncos come into the game at 5-4 and off the heels of a fire-powered 88-77 road victory at Youngstown State. Picked last by Blue Ribbon in the MAC West to start the season, the MAC coaches felt a bit more positive slotting them in fourth in the preseason poll. WMU are currently 219th in the Torvik rankings, which is indeed last in the MAC. Steve Hawkins is in his 16th year at the helm of the Broncos and while he's finished eight seasons atop the MAC West, and another three in second place in the division, he is going to need a top-notch effort in conference play to right the ship for a team that lost four of five starters from last season, including NBA prospect Thomas Wilder.
Starting Five:
For the Broncos, senior Seth Dugan is currently in the middle of a big (no pun intended) season. The 7'0" center is the lone starter above the height of 6'5" for Steve Hawkins, but he has been key to the Broncos. Dugan currently averages a double-double with 17.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, along with 1.4 blocks and assists each. Dugan is shooting just under 60% from two and is the leading shot-taker for WMU with 11.6 per game. Hawkins revealed Dugan played much of last season with a stress fracture in his foot, but he seems to be fit-and-firing now. Dugan is two-for-seven from three also this year, but he generally leaves the outside shooting to his other line-up mates. He has a nice touch around the basket, but, as this is really his breakout season, he needs to find a bit more consistency within the game. He has ranged in performances from a 32 point, 22 rebound night against Detroit on 12-for-18 shooting, or he can have a seven point three-for-six night with seven rebounds like against Youngstown State. I spoke to my friend from Oakland University, Dakota Brecht, the Sports Director at 88.3 WXOU. The Golden Grizzlies were taken down by the Broncos in overtime earlier this season, and Brecht spoke a lot about the importance of Dugan. "He handles the ball extremely well and it has to take a strong big man down low to cover him." That is going to be key for Jon Teske to handle him down low. Brecht told me that he believed Teske possessed the skill set to slow Dugan, but as marked out, this is a match-up to watch.
Western's lone returning starter is another senior, Josh Davis. A 6'5" guard/wing, Davis came back to school as the leading returning scorer off last season's team, having averaged 10.7 points a game. His coach mentioned to Blue Ribbon that he spent the majority of last season with "basically" a broken left hand, and he also dealt with a torn hamstring over the summer. Currently, Davis is scoring 13.7 points and snaring 6.8 rebounds per game, good for second best on the team in both categories. He's shooting a shade under 49%, but the three-point shooting has seen a drop-off from last season; he is just 34.3% from long range this season (12-for-35) and, surprisingly, has no games with more than two threes made. Davis is a guy who made his breakout as a junior and has seen an extra bump this season too as leading minutes-getter for the Broncos. Watching out for his shot should be key, but with the early season struggles, Michigan may rather watch the drive and use Jordan Poole on him to contain either aspect of his game.
Western Michigan's third double-digit scorer is sophomore guard Michael Flowers. Standing 6'2", Flowers has been a great third piece for this Broncos team that Hawkins certainly liked heading into the season. He is averaging over twenty minutes per game more this season than last and is scoring 13.6 points per game. He's also grabbing 4.7 rebounds and dishing out a team-high 3.8 assists per game to go along with his scoring. He started out the season a bit hesitantly, but after the Oakland game something seemed to click with his shot. Excluding the first three games, where Flowers went zero-for-five from three, he's shooting an even 50% (fifteen-for-thirty) from outside. This includes a big 23 point night (four-for-five from three) at Cincinnati, and a team-high 25 points at Youngstown State as well. I'm imagining Zavier Simpson will be assigned with tracking him around the court on Saturday. He's built physically a bit like Carsen Edwards and I see a few elements in his game that are comparable, primarily that the two are both scoring guards that also pass well too. That could be a real fun guard match-up.
The fourth, and final, starter that has started all nine of WMU's games is junior guard Jared Printy. Printy is a 6'4" guard/wing from Iowa that, like Flowers, has seen a huge uptick in minutes and production this season. Printy is shooting 40.5% from three (17-for-42) with 7.6 points per game. He is averaging almost more points than minutes per game he had last season. This year has been an increase in nearly twenty, up from 7.9 to 26.7. Printy offers a consistent shooter on the court that sticks usually to the perimeter, he's only taken eleven two-pointers this season. He is a slightly slept-on member of the Broncos team, with the louder scoring 'key three' of Dugan, Davis, and Flowers. Still, Printy was the team's key player against Ole Miss in the second game of the season in a game that saw him go five-for-seven from three with seventeen points. He'll be coming off a fourteen point night against YSU, his first double-digit night since the one in Oxford, Miss.
Rounding out the starting five is Kawanise Wilkins. Known as "Squeaky", Wilkins is a 6'5" forward that is a strong 235 pounds. Squeaky is just a sophomore, having transferred from Barton Community College in Kansas, and he selected WMU over Loyola-Chicago. Wilkins is averaging 8.4 points and 4.2 boards per game in 24.4 minutes. His two-point percentage is at 61.3%, but while he can shoot the three, his clip behind the arc is less impressive at just 26.3% (five-for-nineteen). That said, he's a great free-throw shooter at a little over 82% on the season, and he hit a pair of threes against Youngstown State. Wilkins had a big game against Oakland (twenty points, a three (one-for-five), six-for-twelve shooting, and a season-high 38 minutes) and that stuck in the mind of Brecht who told me, "...the numbers may not show it but the guy can score. Some teams will focus their attentions on Dugan and Flowers but leave Wilkins open and he will hurt you." Michigan will need to keep their eyes on the JuCo transfer.
Bench Rundown:
The first man off the bench for the Broncos is likely Adrian Martin. A freshman from Georgia, Martin is a 6'3" guard that started one game (against Southern) in place of Wilkins earlier this season, but played a season-low six minutes on that night. He's averaging 17.4 minutes per game to go with 2.8 points and an even two rebounds. As a freshman, his shot is struggling at this stage of his career. He's just an 18.8% shooter thus far in his career with equally poor splits from two (4-for-22 -- 18.2%) and three (5-for-26 -- 19.2%). He hit two of those threes against YSU where he went for eight points, and he hit two more in the early-season bout against Aquinas, but if you take away those two games he is just one-for-fifteen from deep. Growing pains should only make Martin more likely to break out in the not-so-distant future.
Patrick Emilien is another freshman who comes off the bench to play solid minutes. Averaging 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game, Emilien is a 6'6" forward that has history with a Michigan player. He played alongside Ignas Brazdeikis during prep school and impress Hawkins enough to earn a scholarship. He's shooting 26.5% overall along with 25% shooting from three (five-for-twenty). He offers another bigger presence off the bench for WMU's smaller starting line-up and he can play either the three or four, creating some interesting match-ups. Described as "raw, but athletic", he is a prospect for the future.
Another Canadian freshman is William Boyer-Richard from Quebec. Standing 6'1" but a well-built 185 pounds, Boyer-Richard bench-presses nearly 300 pounds and offers a stronger bench guard to sub in when needed. He is nearly exclusively a three-point shooter with an average of almost four points and a 46.7% shot from deep (seven-for-fifteen). A good passer and smart player, he has seen a bit of a drop-off in minutes over the last three games, but he gives a change of pace for the Broncos as a more pass-first point guard as opposed to the multiple shooters and scorers that can handle the ball for them.
Finally, one more man to watch out for off the bench is TJ Clifford. Having played just six games, Clifford had his best evening against Youngstown State where he went four-for-five in twelve minutes for nine points. A 6'5" sophomore forward built similarly to Wilkins, Clifford struggled for game time last season, and even earlier this season, but coming off his best game of the season and having played in the one prior to this, his spark may be what Hawkins is looking for. Over his six games, he averages 7.7 minutes and 2.3 points per game, and is a likely breakout candidate for next season as he gains confidence into the system.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
In-state games are always interesting, especially as the players from Michigan on the other side really give it their all to show Michigan what they are missing out. It is now up to Michigan to put them back into line and continue their dominant play. This is a sort of team that I think can cause Michigan a bit of grief: two good scoring guards, a solid center, surrounding players with competent shooting ability. While WMU may not have been favored by many in the MAC, they do have a solid roster build with two key seniors who will organize their team on the court while a legendary coach in Kalamazoo in Steve Hawkins prepares for Michigan. Brecht talked about one of the potential keys being spurts, "Oakland should of never been in that game after coming out of the half very slow but due to the fact that WMU allows those runs, they were able to get back into it." Michigan should be able to handle their business, but going on some timely runs would be very helpful in allowing them to do so.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well! Special thanks to Dakota Brecht for added insight. You can follow him on Twitter @BrechtDakota.
Comments
Post a Comment