There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Michigan Wolverines’ basketball offense following the loss of its top three scorers — guards Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews, and forward Ignas Brazdeikis — from last season.
That uncertainty was taken up a notch on Oct. 21 when head coach Juwan Howard revealed that freshman guard Franz Wagner would miss the first several weeks of the 2019-20 campaign with a fractured wrist.
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Wagner was expected to play a significant role and perhaps even earn a starting job for the Wolverines this season, meaning others will now have to step up in U-M’s backcourt to help replace the scoring production he was expected to provide.
Sophomore guard David DeJulius and freshman guard Cole Bajema are two of the most likely candidates, with the latter admitting yesterday afternoon that he sees the golden opportunity in front of him heading into tonight's exhibition showdown with Saginaw Valley State.
“Everybody has to step up somewhere, so there are roles to leapt on,” he exclaimed. “I just need to prove myself in practice and prove I can play out there, and I’ll do that by working as hard as I can.”
Bajema is roommates with Wagner, and perhaps knows him better than any other Wolverine on the team.
“He’s been positive about it,” Bajema said of Wagner’s injury. “He came in with high expectations and then had this happen to him so it was unfortunate, but he’s handled it well.
“We’re both competitive, whether it be in video games or anything else we do. We have some arguments, but it’s all good.”
The Maize and Blue took down Detroit-Mercy, 82-75, in a secret scrimmage last week, marking the club’s first competitiveness outing against another opponent under Howard.
DeJulius was the star of the night, leading the team with 21 points and knocking down seven of his eight shots from deep.
“Coach gives us confidence to make plays ourselves, which means a lot more responsibility comes with that,” the sophomore explained.
“That means making the right reads and playing off each other’s strengths. This was kind of how it was in high school, with more responsibilities.
“The coaching staff allows us to play our game, and I’m reaping the benefits from it.”
“Confidence is the biggest thing [that has grown for me] from last year to this season. It grew each and every day, and I’ve been getting back to myself and who I knew I was.
“I’m an aggressive player on both ends of the floor who can make plays for myself and for others.”
Tonight's exhibition showdown with Saginaw Valley State will be the Wolverines’ final opportunity to work out any last-minute kinks that still need fixing, before the campaign officially gets underway on Tuesday against Appalachian State.
Though he was asked how excited he is to finally get back on the court following a long and tumultuous offseason, DeJulius chose to reflect one last time on how proud he is of his teammates for everything they went through following former head man John Beilein’s departure.
“There’s been a lot of talk surrounding us with the new staff, but we’ve been mature about it,” the sophomore confirmed. “In this age where everyone likes to run from adversity, we all stayed and no one transferred.
“That just shows how mature this team is, and how we stayed humble and worked hard.”
“I just have to work my butt off in practice and hope I can get some minutes out on the court,” Bajema chimed in. “I want to prove myself in practice and prove I can play out there.
“I’m definitely a little nervous [heading into tonight's game], but I feel like that’s normal for a freshman. I’ve been practicing ever since I got here in June, so I’m ready to get things going.
“I just want to play the best I’m capable of and do whatever I can to help the team win, because I know nothing is promised.”
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