Michigan will likely have junior Moe Wagner manning the center position this winter, but the Wolverines feature two very important youngsters behind him — sophomore Jon Teske and redshirt freshman Austin Davis.
Davis didn’t see any game action last year as a freshman, while Teske only averaged 3.1 minutes in 20 games.
Both men spoke about where they improved the most this offseason.
“Definitely on the defensive end,” Davis said. “I’ve worked hard in the weight room, and feel a lot more comfortable running the floor now. With that being said, I’d say the defensive end is still where I have to improve the most. I also have to get more comfortable within the offense.”
Teske echoed a similar sentiment.
“I got a lot better in the weight room,” he said. “I wanted to work on my jump hooks and improve my outside shooting.”
The 7-1, 255-pounder isn’t the only center who has a jump shot as part of his arsenal though — Davis spoke about his as well.
“I’m definitely more comfortable with it,” he laughed. “But it’s still not a huge part of my game.”
Centers who can the shoot ball from the outside have been a key weapon in head coach John Beilein’s offense, as Wagner demonstrated last year (39.5 percent from behind the arc).
Now one of the most experienced players on the team, the two centers spoke about how much of a leader Wagner has been to them.
“He’s taught me so much,” Davis exclaimed. “It’s great to play against him every day, because he points out things that you’re not going to pick up on your own.”
“He makes us so much better in practice,” Teske added. “He has so many moves that he can do — he can shoot from the outside, he has a low post game and he can drive. Trying to guard him each day is a difficult task, but it makes myself and the team better. He and [former big man] Mark [Donnal] really helped me a lot last year.”
While Wagner has gained a reputation for showing plenty of intensity and passion on the court, both Davis and Teske explained that's an area areas they need to improve on.
“I’ve tried to get better in that area,” Teske said. “If that’s what it’ll take to help the team win, them I’m all for it.”
Davis, on the other hand, has garnered a new nickname that exudes intensity.
“I used to be called Big Country, but I think that was a bit laidback,” he explained. “Big Bull is a little more aggressive — it’s also a different mindset. Being aggressive isn’t a totally foreign concept to me, but it’s definitely something I need to work on.”
Beilein cited toward the end of last season that he perhaps regretted redshirting Davis, and the 6-10, 245-pounder gave his thoughts on the head man’s comments.
“It just means that he’s expecting a lot from me this year,” Davis confirmed. “There’s minutes to be had, and I’m looking forward to earning those minutes. I also can’t wait to get settled in and see what I can do here.”
Teske also shared his thoughts regarding what he’s most looking forward to in the 2017-2018 campaign.
“Practice gets long, so I’m looking anxious to play actual games against different guys,” he laughed. “Since we’re so young, I also think we’re going to shock a lot of people this season.”
The two centers only have to wait just over two more weeks (the season tips off Nov. 11 against North Florida) to show the country what they're capable of.
Redshirt freshman Austin Davis
Sophomore Jon Teske
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