Our last profile of the returning players is a three-for-one! One projected starter, two men who could play roles off the bench. We'll delve into what to potentially expect for Michigan's two returning big men as well as the incumbent back-up point guard. Without any further delay, let's get into it.
Jon Teske's Introduction:
The man known as 'Big Jon' lives up to his nickname. Standing at a whopping seven feet, one inch, Teske gave Michigan a serious post threat and defensive wall on the defensive end. After limited minutes in his freshman season where the game seemed a bit too fast for the young freshman, Teske blossomed into the legit back-up center Michigan needed whenever Moe Wagner needed a rest, or got into foul trouble. It's not too difficult to imagine him giving the offense a different look at the five spot next season as a starter, but expect improvements all around in his game.
Last Season:
Big Jon may not have gotten the most minutes, but he played in all 41 games and started two last season. There were three notable performances, each serving as a bit of a break-out in and of themselves. First, in just the third game of the season of Southern Mississippi, where Teske scored ten and grabbed 11 boards to get a double-double, his first in his college career. Next was his first start, in Little Caesar's Arena against Detroit. Despite the weaker opposition, this was a test to see how he could handle the starter's role. With Austin Davis fouling out in just seven minutes, Teske played the lion's share of minutes at the five with a team-high 28 minutes scoring 15 points to go with ten rebounds. This was the proof that Teske, against lower opposition, could handle his role in the starting spot and set into motion the remainder of his season.
Of course, there was no bigger moment of Teske's season than his massive dunk on Isaac Haas in a national break-out game against Purdue in the Big Ten conference final. Wagner finished the game with four fouls, as did Teske, but the minutes Teske contributed were vital to the team's second straight conference tournament championship. Those two of 14 points gained on that dunk will forever be immortalized, but it's important to highlight the mid-range jumpers he showcased as well. This should be a sign of things to come for the Michigan big man; if you'd gone to any Michigan game last season early for warm-ups, you'd frequently see Big Jon shooting the three, and hitting on a fairly regular basis. This is something that would be huge for him to expand upon as it leaves the pick-and-pop game that was so effective with Wagner in play next season.
Strong Points:
Teske's defending was his strength last season, and with his height that is not surprising. With eight multi-block games, improvement in that will be expected but that is already a great start considering his average of just over 12 minutes per game. Teske also showcased outstanding hands on defense, especially for a big man, emphasized by a three steal game against Iowa late in the season. This was a massively underrated part of his game last season, and I expect that to continue this season as (despite the 19 games with at least one steal) it's something that stats do not show in full. Teske's rebounding numbers were also impressive and with more time will continue to grow.
Areas of Improvement:
In general, Teske's offense is pretty solid already, but needs additional fleshing out. The addition of a consistent mid-range jump shot and three-point shot will give him an added dimension. I would also love to see his finishing improve a bit this season, you saw pressure from the defense add a bit of difficulty to some of Teske's shots around the rim last, but this is something you can fix with contact drills in practice and as he spends the summer at Camp Sanderson you get the feeling he will be the one imposing far more defensive pressure than that which he will receive.
Final Thoughts:
I'm very excited to see Teske's improvements as a whole as he (presumably) comes into the starting line-up next season. I think you have a player still raw enough to mold into the sort of player that fits Beilein's need, but not so raw as to not be close to a finished product. I don't think you'll see tons of national media focus on him, but Michigan fans will know what to expect.
Eli Brooks' Introduction:
The third of three freshman was actually the first of them to start a game. The point guard saw ups (hitting two clutch free throws to send the game against UCLA to overtime) and downs (just one Big Ten/postseason game of double-digit minutes played) in his first year in Ann Arbor, but the future still looks bright and time is on his side.
Last Season:
There was certainly good reason for Brooks to win the starting spot over Zavier Simpson early in the season. The sophomore point guard was going through a sophomore slump while the freshman demonstrated a steady in LSU (outside of one late-game turnover). He won the spot in Maui and did not disappoint in games like the aforementioned UCLA game as well as dishing out six assists at home against Indiana. Unfortunately for him, however, Simpson was soon just playing too good to not start and Eli fell into a cold spell in scoring points. He would still see spot minutes, but a handful of DNPs in conference season but a damper on the brightness of the early-season. Of course, this is not only negative. He will be able to come into next season with a better expectation on what to expect for what is also a difficult to navigate Big Ten conference season for freshmen.
Strong Points:
Ball security is a huge priority for John Beilein coached teams. Brooks showed that in spades. Compare his amount of multi-assist games (seven) to multi-turnover games (zero). It was especially clear early in the season that even if he did not always find the basket on shots, he would be involved in that process and keep the offense going, which is a huge step to show for a freshman point guard in the Beilein system. I believe Brooks is a smart, high-basketball IQ player and that will help him out greatly when it comes to getting minutes next season.
Areas of Improvement:
While showing himself to be a bit more pass-first than score-first in college, it would be great for Eli to develop a sort of 'signature move' on offense, something like a shot of the dribble, or real strong move to the hoop, or even just a consistent three. With David DeJulius coming in, I think you'll have him as a score-first style of point guard and he will pressure both Brooks and Simpson even for minutes. Brooks has shown the ability to hit the three, that is something I believe he can show to be a consistent element of his game. If it is, there is certainly a spot for him in the line-up.
Final Thoughts:
If you can gain entry into the starting line-up as a freshman point guard for Michigan, that says something about your quality. Brooks has plenty of ability and I think that's pretty clear to everyone in Ann Arbor. A good summer and strong non-conference season I think will translate to an overall great season.
Austin Davis' Introduction:
A redshirt sophomore, Davis is a center at what he has described as his dream school. Davis only got spot minutes at the center position last season, with Teske ahead of him in the pecking order and small-ball line-ups favoring Isaiah Livers at the five more prevalent in the playbook, so it is hard to make concrete judgments. But those minutes offered glimmers of what to expect and can make it easier to make projections for his season to come.
Last Season:
Austin saw action in 16 games last season, but only once played double-digit minutes; he played 12 against Alabama A&M with Wagner out injured. Davis frequently took high-percentage shots around the rim as he went nine-for-fourteen on the season, rounding to a very nice 64%. I liked the post moves he was able to showcase and I think that there's something there in terms of a jumper perhaps, but ultimately I see Davis being able to make his living around the rim for the Wolverines. He also notably finished the game at North Carolina with two blocks, both late in the game.
Strong Points:
With the summer here, I expect Davis to get bigger and thus be a more physical presence inside. This bodes well for what were already his strong points, playing post defense and scoring around the post. The redshirt year and the year almost as an understudy I predict will serve him well next season. Even with Colin Castleton coming in and presumably challenging for minutes, the question of him being ready for the college game, and more specifically, the Big Ten's physical nature, will be raised. This would tend to favor Davis' chances for getting good minutes as the back-up center next season.
Areas of Improvement:
In all four games of his where he played more than five minutes, all four against non power opponents, Davis committed at least two fouls, peaking with fouling out against Detroit in just seven minutes (despite a four point, five rebound game). Once he learns how to keep pace with the speed of these higher-quality games I think you'll see less of that, but part of his improvement will be simply adjusting to the game. The team could always play a small-ball line-up on the occasions Teske gets an early foul, but against teams like Purdue and Wisconsin with bigger centers, you will need that post presence to neutralize them. That is where Davis will come in handy.
Final Thoughts (An Overview):
While these three did not play huge minutes, both players covered here projected as back-ups have the opportunity this summer to impress, to compete, and to win minutes while Teske will have the chances to prove himself worthy of the faith that is likely to be given to him. You would have to love to see all three of these guys taking a big stride in their games as the season develops, and I think that opportunity will be there for them.
All stats taken from Sports Reference. Please follow my Twitter @RMABTweets and interact with me. I love hearing your takes about anything sports related!
Jon Teske's Introduction:
The man known as 'Big Jon' lives up to his nickname. Standing at a whopping seven feet, one inch, Teske gave Michigan a serious post threat and defensive wall on the defensive end. After limited minutes in his freshman season where the game seemed a bit too fast for the young freshman, Teske blossomed into the legit back-up center Michigan needed whenever Moe Wagner needed a rest, or got into foul trouble. It's not too difficult to imagine him giving the offense a different look at the five spot next season as a starter, but expect improvements all around in his game.
Last Season:
Big Jon may not have gotten the most minutes, but he played in all 41 games and started two last season. There were three notable performances, each serving as a bit of a break-out in and of themselves. First, in just the third game of the season of Southern Mississippi, where Teske scored ten and grabbed 11 boards to get a double-double, his first in his college career. Next was his first start, in Little Caesar's Arena against Detroit. Despite the weaker opposition, this was a test to see how he could handle the starter's role. With Austin Davis fouling out in just seven minutes, Teske played the lion's share of minutes at the five with a team-high 28 minutes scoring 15 points to go with ten rebounds. This was the proof that Teske, against lower opposition, could handle his role in the starting spot and set into motion the remainder of his season.
Of course, there was no bigger moment of Teske's season than his massive dunk on Isaac Haas in a national break-out game against Purdue in the Big Ten conference final. Wagner finished the game with four fouls, as did Teske, but the minutes Teske contributed were vital to the team's second straight conference tournament championship. Those two of 14 points gained on that dunk will forever be immortalized, but it's important to highlight the mid-range jumpers he showcased as well. This should be a sign of things to come for the Michigan big man; if you'd gone to any Michigan game last season early for warm-ups, you'd frequently see Big Jon shooting the three, and hitting on a fairly regular basis. This is something that would be huge for him to expand upon as it leaves the pick-and-pop game that was so effective with Wagner in play next season.
Strong Points:
Teske's defending was his strength last season, and with his height that is not surprising. With eight multi-block games, improvement in that will be expected but that is already a great start considering his average of just over 12 minutes per game. Teske also showcased outstanding hands on defense, especially for a big man, emphasized by a three steal game against Iowa late in the season. This was a massively underrated part of his game last season, and I expect that to continue this season as (despite the 19 games with at least one steal) it's something that stats do not show in full. Teske's rebounding numbers were also impressive and with more time will continue to grow.
Areas of Improvement:
In general, Teske's offense is pretty solid already, but needs additional fleshing out. The addition of a consistent mid-range jump shot and three-point shot will give him an added dimension. I would also love to see his finishing improve a bit this season, you saw pressure from the defense add a bit of difficulty to some of Teske's shots around the rim last, but this is something you can fix with contact drills in practice and as he spends the summer at Camp Sanderson you get the feeling he will be the one imposing far more defensive pressure than that which he will receive.
Final Thoughts:
I'm very excited to see Teske's improvements as a whole as he (presumably) comes into the starting line-up next season. I think you have a player still raw enough to mold into the sort of player that fits Beilein's need, but not so raw as to not be close to a finished product. I don't think you'll see tons of national media focus on him, but Michigan fans will know what to expect.
Eli Brooks' Introduction:
The third of three freshman was actually the first of them to start a game. The point guard saw ups (hitting two clutch free throws to send the game against UCLA to overtime) and downs (just one Big Ten/postseason game of double-digit minutes played) in his first year in Ann Arbor, but the future still looks bright and time is on his side.
Last Season:
There was certainly good reason for Brooks to win the starting spot over Zavier Simpson early in the season. The sophomore point guard was going through a sophomore slump while the freshman demonstrated a steady in LSU (outside of one late-game turnover). He won the spot in Maui and did not disappoint in games like the aforementioned UCLA game as well as dishing out six assists at home against Indiana. Unfortunately for him, however, Simpson was soon just playing too good to not start and Eli fell into a cold spell in scoring points. He would still see spot minutes, but a handful of DNPs in conference season but a damper on the brightness of the early-season. Of course, this is not only negative. He will be able to come into next season with a better expectation on what to expect for what is also a difficult to navigate Big Ten conference season for freshmen.
Strong Points:
Ball security is a huge priority for John Beilein coached teams. Brooks showed that in spades. Compare his amount of multi-assist games (seven) to multi-turnover games (zero). It was especially clear early in the season that even if he did not always find the basket on shots, he would be involved in that process and keep the offense going, which is a huge step to show for a freshman point guard in the Beilein system. I believe Brooks is a smart, high-basketball IQ player and that will help him out greatly when it comes to getting minutes next season.
Areas of Improvement:
While showing himself to be a bit more pass-first than score-first in college, it would be great for Eli to develop a sort of 'signature move' on offense, something like a shot of the dribble, or real strong move to the hoop, or even just a consistent three. With David DeJulius coming in, I think you'll have him as a score-first style of point guard and he will pressure both Brooks and Simpson even for minutes. Brooks has shown the ability to hit the three, that is something I believe he can show to be a consistent element of his game. If it is, there is certainly a spot for him in the line-up.
Final Thoughts:
If you can gain entry into the starting line-up as a freshman point guard for Michigan, that says something about your quality. Brooks has plenty of ability and I think that's pretty clear to everyone in Ann Arbor. A good summer and strong non-conference season I think will translate to an overall great season.
Austin Davis' Introduction:
A redshirt sophomore, Davis is a center at what he has described as his dream school. Davis only got spot minutes at the center position last season, with Teske ahead of him in the pecking order and small-ball line-ups favoring Isaiah Livers at the five more prevalent in the playbook, so it is hard to make concrete judgments. But those minutes offered glimmers of what to expect and can make it easier to make projections for his season to come.
Last Season:
Austin saw action in 16 games last season, but only once played double-digit minutes; he played 12 against Alabama A&M with Wagner out injured. Davis frequently took high-percentage shots around the rim as he went nine-for-fourteen on the season, rounding to a very nice 64%. I liked the post moves he was able to showcase and I think that there's something there in terms of a jumper perhaps, but ultimately I see Davis being able to make his living around the rim for the Wolverines. He also notably finished the game at North Carolina with two blocks, both late in the game.
Strong Points:
With the summer here, I expect Davis to get bigger and thus be a more physical presence inside. This bodes well for what were already his strong points, playing post defense and scoring around the post. The redshirt year and the year almost as an understudy I predict will serve him well next season. Even with Colin Castleton coming in and presumably challenging for minutes, the question of him being ready for the college game, and more specifically, the Big Ten's physical nature, will be raised. This would tend to favor Davis' chances for getting good minutes as the back-up center next season.
Areas of Improvement:
In all four games of his where he played more than five minutes, all four against non power opponents, Davis committed at least two fouls, peaking with fouling out against Detroit in just seven minutes (despite a four point, five rebound game). Once he learns how to keep pace with the speed of these higher-quality games I think you'll see less of that, but part of his improvement will be simply adjusting to the game. The team could always play a small-ball line-up on the occasions Teske gets an early foul, but against teams like Purdue and Wisconsin with bigger centers, you will need that post presence to neutralize them. That is where Davis will come in handy.
Final Thoughts (An Overview):
While these three did not play huge minutes, both players covered here projected as back-ups have the opportunity this summer to impress, to compete, and to win minutes while Teske will have the chances to prove himself worthy of the faith that is likely to be given to him. You would have to love to see all three of these guys taking a big stride in their games as the season develops, and I think that opportunity will be there for them.
All stats taken from Sports Reference. Please follow my Twitter @RMABTweets and interact with me. I love hearing your takes about anything sports related!
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