Michigan has a class of incoming freshmen is being widely considered as one of Coach Beilein's finest in his time at Michigan. With five talented players coming in, including multiple expected to help the team immediately, the future looks promising for the team. Here's a rundown of all five, in case you are unfamiliar.
David DeJulius:
To the casual fan, DeJulius may be the player most are familiar with. A point guard for Detroit's East English Village, he was Michigan's first commitment of this star-studded class all the way back in December of 2016. There's a lot to like about DeJulius' game and ability: he passes well, he can score, he seems like the perfect fit for John Beilein's offense. His ability to score off the dribble and from behind the three-point line will probably be the best out of any of Michigan's talented three point guards, and because of that it allows Beilein the option to play him at the two-guard alongside Simpson or Brooks. I almost see a bit of Derrick Walton in his game, in that (as Beilein mentioned he was hoping to find more guards to do) he will hit those tough twos off the dribble or stepping back. Plus, as already mentioned and shown by him on tape, he can make those moves from the three-point line too.
Additionally, all signs point to DeJulius being a big-game sort of player. There was his 46 point outing against Jermaine Jackson Jr. (Detroit Mercy) and Macomb Dakota in front of Beilein, or his 49 points on former Illinois state-champion Chicago Orr, or, most famously, 42 points in a comeback win over state-champion Clarkston and Michigan's Mr. Basketball Foster Loyer (Michigan State). DeJulius finished first runner-up to Loyer but his play against Clarkston opened many eyes to his game. Looking at him, I think you're getting someone who can contribute immediately as a freshman. As a multi-faceted scoring point guard, you have a lot in his game that could be used right away. Zavier Simpson this season took a lot of players off the dribble and finished around big men; this in itself is promising as that is an element of DeJulius' game that has already been demonstrated and will likely be improved upon. He's tough, he's strong, he's smart, and he's already displayed plenty of talent. It's tough to find a better point guard for this class in my opinion.
Brandon Johns:
Johns is the other recruit plucked from Michigan for the 2018 class. Looking at general thoughts from recruiting publications, I think Johns has been scouted so much he is almost underrated now by many. The 6'8" power forward has demonstrated for multiple years that there are many aspects to his game, and that is a reason he is being considered as a potential small-ball center for the Wolverines. The third-place man in the Michigan Mr. Basketball race has played on a high level for East Lansing and, along with Marcus Bingham (Michigan State) has been considered widely as one of the top prospects out of the state in this class. He averaged a double-double over his senior season and he will be given one of the best opportunities to play right away.
There's plenty to like about Johns' game. For one, he has a strong ability to hit from outside which is always a must in the Michigan offense. This is one of the biggest checks in his favor as this will allow him to play not only the four, but also allow Michigan to keep a pick-and-pop sort of game alive with him as the center that would otherwise be missing with the loss of Moritz Wagner. With his size, he can also finish strong at the rim with good drives and some very nice dunks throughout his high school and AAU career. What I personally like about his game is that you can't typecast him into one sort of role. He seems to be a natural four, but also you could seem him getting the physicality to be a smaller five, but if push came to shove you could have him as a three with Isaiah Livers and Jon Teske if you wanted also. His versatility is something I hope continues to be developed at Michigan as his future already looks very bright.
Ignas Brazdeikis:
Canada has treated Michigan rather well with Nik Stauskas. Fans will hope it will again with Brazdeikis, but all signs show that to be highly likely. The highest rated of the five (according to the 247Sports composite) incoming freshmen, Brazdeikis is also the most likely to immediately see 'starters minutes' for Michigan. Also standing at 6'8", Brazdeikis projects more to be a small forward who can hunt for his own shot in a variety of ways. The words "natural scorer" come to mind when thinking of him as he can take it to the rim rather easily, but also has the body to withstand contact. Combined with a summer of Camp Sanderson, I think that will be vital in his ability to play in the Big Ten. Additionally, he also has a nice mid-range game and while the three isn't his bread and butter, he has a very smooth jumper and will knock it down.
The most exciting thing about Brazdeikis is the idea that Michigan could immediately have a sixth man walking in the door and able to give them 20-25 minutes every game, even in Big Ten play, as just a freshman. With Charles Matthews still potentially leaving for the draft, there is even thought that he could start. Impact freshmen like this usually do not walk through the door for the Wolverines. Michigan have not had a game one true freshman starter since Kameron Chatman in 2014. If Matthews does indeed leave, you would have to assume that Brazdeikis would be the incumbent starter. You have plenty of talent in this class, but much of the hype has centered around Brazdeikis. There is good reason for that, and he will look to prove that this upcoming season.
Adrien Nunez:
Nunez was a rising star over the summer and Michigan was fortunate to jump on the wave. From no D1 scholarship offers at the start of the summer to playing at Michigan, Nunez had a huge summer boost. The 6'5" guard seems set to play a role at the two for Michigan and could do so potentially immediately. With the transfer of Ibi Watson, Jordan Poole will be a fairly unchallenged starter at shooting guard, however expecting Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman minutes right away seems a bit unrealistic. The two-point guard option I covered, but other than that Nunez seems to be a logical back-up, or at least a potential role player for the Wolverines in his first year.
Flat out, Nunez can shoot. Michigan, as did almost all other schools, jumped on the bandwagon late, but what they saw was a 6'5" guard with an already outstanding spot-up shot and serious capabilities off the dribble. With all that combined, the shot and the size, it seemed ridiculous to think Coach Beilein would not pick up on a recruit like that. Nunez is possibly in the best possible place to develop his game in an outstanding fit. Wing shooting will always be prioritized in the Michigan offense and it seems that his skill set is going to be a match made in heaven, even if not in his true freshman season.
Colin Castleton:
Michigan's final commitment of the class, much credit has to go to Luke Yaklich for exposing Beilein to him. In the NBA, a big man who can do it all is known as a "unicorn," with perhaps the best known of them being Kristaps Porzingis. Castleton has this sort of "unicorn" nature to his game. He is blessed with great size and a very strong outside shot, along with some solid post moves as well. He can do a lot of different things on the court, many that most centers can't, and he does all of them very well. With a varied offensive game and a good defensive game to match, I don't see any glaring reason that he won't compete immediately with Austin Davis and Jon Teske for minutes at the center position.
Of course, one of the keys to Castleton's summer will be Camp Sanderson and getting stronger and more ready for the Big Ten's physicality. He is already willing to play tough down low, which is a tremendous check in his favor. Still, the Big Ten is another beast and with players like Ethan Happ and Nick Ward looking likely to return, Matt Haarms continuing development at Purdue, Bruno Fernando possibly also returning for Maryland, that's a lot of tough centers who are all shifting focus towards their NBA prospects. Castleton's best attribute is that, like most centers with Wagner, the slower of foot like Ward will have serious trouble guarding Castleton. That is the biggest mark in his favor in terms of granting the 6'10" incoming freshman immediate playtime.
Final Thoughts:
This five person class has serious talent top-to-bottom. If Michigan is to make another deep run in the tournament, at least two freshmen will be key to that run, if not more. Usually, Beilein will level out his line-up at eight players by Big Ten season, but with this crop of incoming talent I would not be surprised if Michigan goes nine or ten deep off the bench even as the season approaches the back end. All-in-all, you can say all you want about these talented five players, but what Michigan fans really want is to see them on the court producing in maize and blue.
Follow me on Twitter @RMABTweets for all your sporting discussion needs.
David DeJulius:
To the casual fan, DeJulius may be the player most are familiar with. A point guard for Detroit's East English Village, he was Michigan's first commitment of this star-studded class all the way back in December of 2016. There's a lot to like about DeJulius' game and ability: he passes well, he can score, he seems like the perfect fit for John Beilein's offense. His ability to score off the dribble and from behind the three-point line will probably be the best out of any of Michigan's talented three point guards, and because of that it allows Beilein the option to play him at the two-guard alongside Simpson or Brooks. I almost see a bit of Derrick Walton in his game, in that (as Beilein mentioned he was hoping to find more guards to do) he will hit those tough twos off the dribble or stepping back. Plus, as already mentioned and shown by him on tape, he can make those moves from the three-point line too.
Additionally, all signs point to DeJulius being a big-game sort of player. There was his 46 point outing against Jermaine Jackson Jr. (Detroit Mercy) and Macomb Dakota in front of Beilein, or his 49 points on former Illinois state-champion Chicago Orr, or, most famously, 42 points in a comeback win over state-champion Clarkston and Michigan's Mr. Basketball Foster Loyer (Michigan State). DeJulius finished first runner-up to Loyer but his play against Clarkston opened many eyes to his game. Looking at him, I think you're getting someone who can contribute immediately as a freshman. As a multi-faceted scoring point guard, you have a lot in his game that could be used right away. Zavier Simpson this season took a lot of players off the dribble and finished around big men; this in itself is promising as that is an element of DeJulius' game that has already been demonstrated and will likely be improved upon. He's tough, he's strong, he's smart, and he's already displayed plenty of talent. It's tough to find a better point guard for this class in my opinion.
Brandon Johns:
Johns is the other recruit plucked from Michigan for the 2018 class. Looking at general thoughts from recruiting publications, I think Johns has been scouted so much he is almost underrated now by many. The 6'8" power forward has demonstrated for multiple years that there are many aspects to his game, and that is a reason he is being considered as a potential small-ball center for the Wolverines. The third-place man in the Michigan Mr. Basketball race has played on a high level for East Lansing and, along with Marcus Bingham (Michigan State) has been considered widely as one of the top prospects out of the state in this class. He averaged a double-double over his senior season and he will be given one of the best opportunities to play right away.
There's plenty to like about Johns' game. For one, he has a strong ability to hit from outside which is always a must in the Michigan offense. This is one of the biggest checks in his favor as this will allow him to play not only the four, but also allow Michigan to keep a pick-and-pop sort of game alive with him as the center that would otherwise be missing with the loss of Moritz Wagner. With his size, he can also finish strong at the rim with good drives and some very nice dunks throughout his high school and AAU career. What I personally like about his game is that you can't typecast him into one sort of role. He seems to be a natural four, but also you could seem him getting the physicality to be a smaller five, but if push came to shove you could have him as a three with Isaiah Livers and Jon Teske if you wanted also. His versatility is something I hope continues to be developed at Michigan as his future already looks very bright.
Ignas Brazdeikis:
Canada has treated Michigan rather well with Nik Stauskas. Fans will hope it will again with Brazdeikis, but all signs show that to be highly likely. The highest rated of the five (according to the 247Sports composite) incoming freshmen, Brazdeikis is also the most likely to immediately see 'starters minutes' for Michigan. Also standing at 6'8", Brazdeikis projects more to be a small forward who can hunt for his own shot in a variety of ways. The words "natural scorer" come to mind when thinking of him as he can take it to the rim rather easily, but also has the body to withstand contact. Combined with a summer of Camp Sanderson, I think that will be vital in his ability to play in the Big Ten. Additionally, he also has a nice mid-range game and while the three isn't his bread and butter, he has a very smooth jumper and will knock it down.
The most exciting thing about Brazdeikis is the idea that Michigan could immediately have a sixth man walking in the door and able to give them 20-25 minutes every game, even in Big Ten play, as just a freshman. With Charles Matthews still potentially leaving for the draft, there is even thought that he could start. Impact freshmen like this usually do not walk through the door for the Wolverines. Michigan have not had a game one true freshman starter since Kameron Chatman in 2014. If Matthews does indeed leave, you would have to assume that Brazdeikis would be the incumbent starter. You have plenty of talent in this class, but much of the hype has centered around Brazdeikis. There is good reason for that, and he will look to prove that this upcoming season.
Adrien Nunez:
Nunez was a rising star over the summer and Michigan was fortunate to jump on the wave. From no D1 scholarship offers at the start of the summer to playing at Michigan, Nunez had a huge summer boost. The 6'5" guard seems set to play a role at the two for Michigan and could do so potentially immediately. With the transfer of Ibi Watson, Jordan Poole will be a fairly unchallenged starter at shooting guard, however expecting Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman minutes right away seems a bit unrealistic. The two-point guard option I covered, but other than that Nunez seems to be a logical back-up, or at least a potential role player for the Wolverines in his first year.
Flat out, Nunez can shoot. Michigan, as did almost all other schools, jumped on the bandwagon late, but what they saw was a 6'5" guard with an already outstanding spot-up shot and serious capabilities off the dribble. With all that combined, the shot and the size, it seemed ridiculous to think Coach Beilein would not pick up on a recruit like that. Nunez is possibly in the best possible place to develop his game in an outstanding fit. Wing shooting will always be prioritized in the Michigan offense and it seems that his skill set is going to be a match made in heaven, even if not in his true freshman season.
Colin Castleton:
Michigan's final commitment of the class, much credit has to go to Luke Yaklich for exposing Beilein to him. In the NBA, a big man who can do it all is known as a "unicorn," with perhaps the best known of them being Kristaps Porzingis. Castleton has this sort of "unicorn" nature to his game. He is blessed with great size and a very strong outside shot, along with some solid post moves as well. He can do a lot of different things on the court, many that most centers can't, and he does all of them very well. With a varied offensive game and a good defensive game to match, I don't see any glaring reason that he won't compete immediately with Austin Davis and Jon Teske for minutes at the center position.
Of course, one of the keys to Castleton's summer will be Camp Sanderson and getting stronger and more ready for the Big Ten's physicality. He is already willing to play tough down low, which is a tremendous check in his favor. Still, the Big Ten is another beast and with players like Ethan Happ and Nick Ward looking likely to return, Matt Haarms continuing development at Purdue, Bruno Fernando possibly also returning for Maryland, that's a lot of tough centers who are all shifting focus towards their NBA prospects. Castleton's best attribute is that, like most centers with Wagner, the slower of foot like Ward will have serious trouble guarding Castleton. That is the biggest mark in his favor in terms of granting the 6'10" incoming freshman immediate playtime.
Final Thoughts:
This five person class has serious talent top-to-bottom. If Michigan is to make another deep run in the tournament, at least two freshmen will be key to that run, if not more. Usually, Beilein will level out his line-up at eight players by Big Ten season, but with this crop of incoming talent I would not be surprised if Michigan goes nine or ten deep off the bench even as the season approaches the back end. All-in-all, you can say all you want about these talented five players, but what Michigan fans really want is to see them on the court producing in maize and blue.
Follow me on Twitter @RMABTweets for all your sporting discussion needs.
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