At 5-0, Michigan has gotten through act one of their non-conference season with no blemishes on their record. Before they gear up for another tough four game stretch, they need to get past their Thanksgiving break buy game against Southern Conference foe, Chattanooga.
Chattanooga -- An Overview:
In one word you can describe the Mocs: upheaval. The Mocs have just one returning scholarship player on the squad this season and bring in a whopping twelve newcomers to the side. Five players transferred, three of those being starters, another declared for the NBA Draft, Makinde London. This left Lamont Paris, a former assistant at Wisconsin under Bo Ryan, with a full-scale roster rebuild for this season. Two players, including Alex Tostado, previously of Maryland, will redshirt this year. After beating a Charlotte team by eleven points in their opening game, things looked possibly okay. Alas, Chattanooga fell apart a bit in Mobile, Alabama, in the Ungar Classic. Hosted by South Alabama, the Mocs lost to the hosts, Southeast Missouri, and then Jacksonville on three consecutive days. They enter Friday's meeting with Michigan at 2-4 and their only other victory coming over non-D1 opponent Cumberland.
Starting Five:
To credit Chattanooga, they are a well-balanced team. That said, currently, the side ticks with freshman forward Kevin Easley. Standing at 6'6", the freshman previously committed to VCU before Will Wade headed over to LSU. A four-star recruit according to ESPN, Easley was a major snag for Lamont Paris out of Indianapolis, and he has contributed plenty thus far. Easley currently leads the team with 15 points per game, and also is second with six rebounds per game. He also takes the most shots on the team (13.3 per game) and averages the most minutes on the team with just a tick under 30 per game. He scores in multiple ways including stepping outside to shoot the three, but at the collegiate level his stroke has been off as he is shooting just about 21% from deep (5-for-24). Still, Easley offers a variety of weapons and will force you to guard him around the basket, away from the basket, and in face-up positions as well.
Another key forward has been grad transfer Thomas Smallwood. Hailing from UAB, Smallwood played a limited amount of time in Birmingham, but the 7'0" center from France has had a strong season so far. He's had some of the more eye-popping lines of any Mocs player this season: four-for-five from three in the win at Charlotte, 18 points and 18 rebounds against Cumberland, seven-for-fourteen on the season from deep. Like the rest of his team, though, he struggled down in Mobile. He was just 6-for-22 from the field over the three days for a combined 17 points, going just two-for-seven from outside. He remains a key presence rebounding, helped greatly by his size and lanky arms, and should cause some match-up concerns for Jon Teske if he finds his form from the season opener. Interestingly, he is just a 37% shooter from inside the arc, which could imply that Teske has a solid day ahead of him on defense.
The third double-figure scorer on the team, joining Easley and Smallwood, is 5'9" freshman Donovann Toatley. Despite standing just 5'9", Toatley is an athletic and quick guard who was described by Paris as "explosive physically." He dishes out 2.8 assists per game, a team-high, and is currently averaging 10.2 points per game. Still, like plenty of college freshmen, he is still growing into the game. Toatley is just two-for-twenty shooting from outside, that's just 10% on the season, and averages 11.2 shots per game, only making 3.7, this for a 32.8% clip. He will put up shots, that is for certain, and that could play directly into the hands of Zavier Simpson in a match-up between the two smaller-stature guards. With what Michigan have shown thus far this season, I will personally not bet on this being his 'show out' game, however he is going to be on the court and given the chances to try and produce for the Mocs.
Of the newcomers to the program, there was perhaps no one more exciting than Jerry Johnson, Jr. Yet, the fact that I am previewing him fourth is also a testament to the fact that there is talent on this Chattanooga side. A redshirt-junior, Johnson averaged 11.4 points a game as a sophomore with Fairfield in 2016-17 before deciding to transfer. He's 6'1" and 220 pounds, adding in the college experience, and Johnson could be a key factor to Chattanooga this whole season. Despite leading his team with 18 points against Charlotte in the opener, he is not likely to take the most shots, but his ability from deep was dangerous. He's 10-for-22 (45.5%) on the season from behind the arc, but has developed his game more than just the three-point man role he held at Fairfield where he shot 36% (105-for-291) over his two years. He will be a player to watch for spotting up around the three-point line.
Rounding out the starting five is 6'4" junior Jonathan Scott. Described in Blue Ribbon by Paris as "such a hard worker" and a guy who can "stick open shots," Scott may not be the most prolific scorer on the team, but the junior college transfer makes things work. He averages 5.8 points per game and five boards on a fairly efficient 3.5 shots per game. He's not going to overwhelmingly surprise you with an offensive outburst, but he plays within his game and offers a nice balance as a wing man. I don't know if I put Charles Matthews on Scott when Easley is likely to affect the game more as a scorer, but putting Ignas Brazdeikis on him may be a bit overkill. No matter who guards him, I expect quality starter minutes out of him, but not stat-stuffing point totals. He also is prone to fouls, having fouled out against Jacksonville in 27 minutes and tallying four in the other two games in Mobile.
Bench Rundown:
The Mocs will trot out four men off their bench, including freshman Maurice Commander who gets starter-level minutes. The 6'0" guard averages just a shade more time on the court than Smallwood, and that line-up gives Chattanooga the freedom to go smaller. A talented point guard from Chicago, Commander had his peak performance in a 16 point outing over 32 minutes against Eastern Kentucky, but hit a skid in Alabama. He went just four-for-twenty over the three days with just three assists total. He can create off the dribble and create for others, but he is going to need to show a bit more of that over the course of the season.
Chattanooga's lone player, and lone returning starter, has been coming off the bench for Lamont Paris. David Jean-Baptiste is a 6'1" redshirt sophomore who averaged 6.3 points per game. Paris told Blue Ribbon, "Whatever his role ends up being, it's one that he's ready to embrace." That's been the case this season. Jean-Baptiste played with the Haitian National Team this summer and is coming off the best game of the season, a four-for-four night from the field with eleven points over Jacksonville. This was a bounce-back for him after two straight zero-for-five nights. He's averaging 4.8 points per game and offers a bit of experience off the bench for Chattanooga to turn to.
Justin Brown has seen double-digit minutes in every game this season so far. A 6'10" senior, he still holds freshman eligibility having redshirted last season due to an upper body injury. He's shooting 50% from the field, having gone ten-for-twenty with a five point per game average. The redshirt year may have been a blessing in disguise as his game has developed. Still, at just 205 pounds, Brown will still have to bulk a bit surely. The final player who's seen action in every game thus far is true freshman Keigan Kerby. A 6'7" winger, he's living outside the arc this season with all but two shots (both makes) coming from deep. His minute tally has ranged from 17 minutes against South Alabama to just two the game after. He's only one-for-eight from deep this season and will hope to use this season as a way to develop that shot over the year.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Chattanooga is going through a time of mass turnover and it is going to be a year of lots of learning. The Mocs, as I've covered, have plenty of talent, but a lot of it is very raw. Still, this is an elite Michigan defense that understands better than anyone just how key versatility in scoring threats are. While Chattanooga has multiple players to run through, their long-range shooting has been a shade under 30% this season, and despite their 73.4% mark from the line, Michigan does well to stay away from needless fouls especially thanks to their strong defense. The keys to me are going to be continuing to limit three-point shooting for Michigan (Michigan is holding foes to just a 24% clip) and rim protection by Jon Teske and Isaiah Livers to dissuade Mocs players from driving to the rim if their shots are not falling from deep. If Michigan can continue their stellar defensive work, they should find joy in offense as they have previously.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
Chattanooga -- An Overview:
In one word you can describe the Mocs: upheaval. The Mocs have just one returning scholarship player on the squad this season and bring in a whopping twelve newcomers to the side. Five players transferred, three of those being starters, another declared for the NBA Draft, Makinde London. This left Lamont Paris, a former assistant at Wisconsin under Bo Ryan, with a full-scale roster rebuild for this season. Two players, including Alex Tostado, previously of Maryland, will redshirt this year. After beating a Charlotte team by eleven points in their opening game, things looked possibly okay. Alas, Chattanooga fell apart a bit in Mobile, Alabama, in the Ungar Classic. Hosted by South Alabama, the Mocs lost to the hosts, Southeast Missouri, and then Jacksonville on three consecutive days. They enter Friday's meeting with Michigan at 2-4 and their only other victory coming over non-D1 opponent Cumberland.
Starting Five:
To credit Chattanooga, they are a well-balanced team. That said, currently, the side ticks with freshman forward Kevin Easley. Standing at 6'6", the freshman previously committed to VCU before Will Wade headed over to LSU. A four-star recruit according to ESPN, Easley was a major snag for Lamont Paris out of Indianapolis, and he has contributed plenty thus far. Easley currently leads the team with 15 points per game, and also is second with six rebounds per game. He also takes the most shots on the team (13.3 per game) and averages the most minutes on the team with just a tick under 30 per game. He scores in multiple ways including stepping outside to shoot the three, but at the collegiate level his stroke has been off as he is shooting just about 21% from deep (5-for-24). Still, Easley offers a variety of weapons and will force you to guard him around the basket, away from the basket, and in face-up positions as well.
Another key forward has been grad transfer Thomas Smallwood. Hailing from UAB, Smallwood played a limited amount of time in Birmingham, but the 7'0" center from France has had a strong season so far. He's had some of the more eye-popping lines of any Mocs player this season: four-for-five from three in the win at Charlotte, 18 points and 18 rebounds against Cumberland, seven-for-fourteen on the season from deep. Like the rest of his team, though, he struggled down in Mobile. He was just 6-for-22 from the field over the three days for a combined 17 points, going just two-for-seven from outside. He remains a key presence rebounding, helped greatly by his size and lanky arms, and should cause some match-up concerns for Jon Teske if he finds his form from the season opener. Interestingly, he is just a 37% shooter from inside the arc, which could imply that Teske has a solid day ahead of him on defense.
The third double-figure scorer on the team, joining Easley and Smallwood, is 5'9" freshman Donovann Toatley. Despite standing just 5'9", Toatley is an athletic and quick guard who was described by Paris as "explosive physically." He dishes out 2.8 assists per game, a team-high, and is currently averaging 10.2 points per game. Still, like plenty of college freshmen, he is still growing into the game. Toatley is just two-for-twenty shooting from outside, that's just 10% on the season, and averages 11.2 shots per game, only making 3.7, this for a 32.8% clip. He will put up shots, that is for certain, and that could play directly into the hands of Zavier Simpson in a match-up between the two smaller-stature guards. With what Michigan have shown thus far this season, I will personally not bet on this being his 'show out' game, however he is going to be on the court and given the chances to try and produce for the Mocs.
Of the newcomers to the program, there was perhaps no one more exciting than Jerry Johnson, Jr. Yet, the fact that I am previewing him fourth is also a testament to the fact that there is talent on this Chattanooga side. A redshirt-junior, Johnson averaged 11.4 points a game as a sophomore with Fairfield in 2016-17 before deciding to transfer. He's 6'1" and 220 pounds, adding in the college experience, and Johnson could be a key factor to Chattanooga this whole season. Despite leading his team with 18 points against Charlotte in the opener, he is not likely to take the most shots, but his ability from deep was dangerous. He's 10-for-22 (45.5%) on the season from behind the arc, but has developed his game more than just the three-point man role he held at Fairfield where he shot 36% (105-for-291) over his two years. He will be a player to watch for spotting up around the three-point line.
Rounding out the starting five is 6'4" junior Jonathan Scott. Described in Blue Ribbon by Paris as "such a hard worker" and a guy who can "stick open shots," Scott may not be the most prolific scorer on the team, but the junior college transfer makes things work. He averages 5.8 points per game and five boards on a fairly efficient 3.5 shots per game. He's not going to overwhelmingly surprise you with an offensive outburst, but he plays within his game and offers a nice balance as a wing man. I don't know if I put Charles Matthews on Scott when Easley is likely to affect the game more as a scorer, but putting Ignas Brazdeikis on him may be a bit overkill. No matter who guards him, I expect quality starter minutes out of him, but not stat-stuffing point totals. He also is prone to fouls, having fouled out against Jacksonville in 27 minutes and tallying four in the other two games in Mobile.
Bench Rundown:
The Mocs will trot out four men off their bench, including freshman Maurice Commander who gets starter-level minutes. The 6'0" guard averages just a shade more time on the court than Smallwood, and that line-up gives Chattanooga the freedom to go smaller. A talented point guard from Chicago, Commander had his peak performance in a 16 point outing over 32 minutes against Eastern Kentucky, but hit a skid in Alabama. He went just four-for-twenty over the three days with just three assists total. He can create off the dribble and create for others, but he is going to need to show a bit more of that over the course of the season.
Chattanooga's lone player, and lone returning starter, has been coming off the bench for Lamont Paris. David Jean-Baptiste is a 6'1" redshirt sophomore who averaged 6.3 points per game. Paris told Blue Ribbon, "Whatever his role ends up being, it's one that he's ready to embrace." That's been the case this season. Jean-Baptiste played with the Haitian National Team this summer and is coming off the best game of the season, a four-for-four night from the field with eleven points over Jacksonville. This was a bounce-back for him after two straight zero-for-five nights. He's averaging 4.8 points per game and offers a bit of experience off the bench for Chattanooga to turn to.
Justin Brown has seen double-digit minutes in every game this season so far. A 6'10" senior, he still holds freshman eligibility having redshirted last season due to an upper body injury. He's shooting 50% from the field, having gone ten-for-twenty with a five point per game average. The redshirt year may have been a blessing in disguise as his game has developed. Still, at just 205 pounds, Brown will still have to bulk a bit surely. The final player who's seen action in every game thus far is true freshman Keigan Kerby. A 6'7" winger, he's living outside the arc this season with all but two shots (both makes) coming from deep. His minute tally has ranged from 17 minutes against South Alabama to just two the game after. He's only one-for-eight from deep this season and will hope to use this season as a way to develop that shot over the year.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Chattanooga is going through a time of mass turnover and it is going to be a year of lots of learning. The Mocs, as I've covered, have plenty of talent, but a lot of it is very raw. Still, this is an elite Michigan defense that understands better than anyone just how key versatility in scoring threats are. While Chattanooga has multiple players to run through, their long-range shooting has been a shade under 30% this season, and despite their 73.4% mark from the line, Michigan does well to stay away from needless fouls especially thanks to their strong defense. The keys to me are going to be continuing to limit three-point shooting for Michigan (Michigan is holding foes to just a 24% clip) and rim protection by Jon Teske and Isaiah Livers to dissuade Mocs players from driving to the rim if their shots are not falling from deep. If Michigan can continue their stellar defensive work, they should find joy in offense as they have previously.
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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