Brooks, DeJulius, Nunez Embracing Increased Role, New Style Of Play

As with any head coaching change, there is the modifications that follow, on and off the court. Juwan Howard took over Michigan Basketball after 12 seasons of John Beilein running the show.

Howard replaced Beilein, but who will replace the three starters who left for the NBA (Charles Matthews, Ignas Brazdeikis and Jordan Poole)? Junior guard Eli Brooks, sophomore guard David DeJulius and sophomore guard Adrien Nunez will have a say in how U-M gets the production that it’s losing from 2018-19.

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Poole averaged 33.1 minutes per game and 12.8 points per game last year as a sophomore. The shooting guard spot is up for grabs after Poole’s exit and it might not be just one guy stepping in to fill the void – Brooks, DeJulius and Nunez are all looking to make an impact and more of a contribution this season. Brooks and DeJulius also will likely spell senior point guard Zavier Simpson when he needs a breather.

Brooks played in 31 games as a freshman, averaging 1.8 points per game. He upped that number to 2.5 points per game as a sophomore, but is looking to make an even bigger jump in his junior campaign.

“You’ll see a lot from Eli,” Simpson said. “He’s a great guy, he can play with anybody, he does all the right things, makes the smart choices.”

Brooks believes he can break out this season and he likes the changes this season brings with it.

“Stepping into a different role, becoming an upperclassman, having to be more vocal,” Brooks said of how he’s evolving his game. “[The new coaching staff] definitely instilled a lot of confidence in me.

“I feel more free — just being able to trust myself and that I did the work to be able to make the shots, make the right play.”

DeJulius averaged just 3.8 minutes per game last season, appearing in 25 games. He, like Brooks, believes he has more to offer. He credits a lot of that to the work he’s put in this offseason.

“I’m a lot more comfortable [this year] thanks to my teammates, my coaching staff and all the hard work I’ve put in this offseason.

“My teammates are relying on me heavily to play good this year. It’s refreshing just knowing that your teammates have the confidence in you … it gives you confidence knowing your coaches and teammates are counting on you.”

He’s embracing the new role he will have after losing key pieces to the NBA.

“I understood that when I saw the players that we lost last year,” DeJulius said. “I knew that their playmaking and scoring is going to be a need … I made sure I stayed in the gym — working on my shot and working on my decision making.”

DeJulius and Brooks agreed that the two are pushing each other in the backcourt, despite being good friends.

“We push each other in practice, we make each other better,” Brooks said.

“[Eli] is a great player — smart, good IQ, solid, steady in everything he does,” DeJulius said of his teammate. “Just like [Simpson], playing with him in practice is always a pleasure and is going to make [us both] better, as well.”

Nunez played in 20 games last year as a freshman and scored a total of three points. He, like the others, knows there’s opportunity in the air and wants to take advantage of it

“Defense has been a big priority that Coach Juwan, Coach [Howard Eisley], Phil Martelli and Saddi [Washington] have all been preaching to me about,” Nunez said. “They’re not worried a lot on the offensive end, they want me to lock down defensively.

When asked if he’s the best shooter on the team, Nunez said “for sure” and even joked that he’s “better than everybody in the world.”

Nunez doesn’t have specific numbers that he wants to put up this year, but he did give some insight on what he wants this year to be about.

“Just a mentality of having confidence, being aggressive, being that energy guy, doing the little things and everything will just fall into place,” he said.

· Some of the players mentioned that the offense will be faster and more aggressive than it was under Beilein

“That’s what the coach wants so that’s what we’ll do,” Simpson said. “At the same time, we’ll make sure we stay poised, take good shots … Whatever coach wants me to do, I’m going to do.”

“[The offense] is pretty different,” Brooks said. “I think it plays to our strengths. There’s a lot of people to get involved. It’s been good so far.”

· DeJulius mentioned the differences between Howard and Beilein’s coaching styles.

“Night and day,” DeJulius said of the stark contrast. “But, they’re both great. You had Coach B, an offensive guru, an offensive minded coach, smart.

“[Coach Howard is] a coach that’s tough, comes from the Miami Heat, playing with the Fab Five, but a lot faster paced, giving us more freedom, more confidence to let our natural abilities flourish.”

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