Michigan will hang two more banners tonight during the opener with Norfolk State, one for the Big Ten title and another for the Final Four. We tackle some of head coach John Beilein’s pregame (and preseason) words in News and Views format …
NEWS: Freshman Ignas Brazdeikis is starting at power forward and could play any of three positions.
BEILEIN: “He probably has to get more comfortable with all the calls coming his way. He’ll play both positions [shooting guard and power forward]. He hit a three [after the whistle] … he can shoot the ball really well. He’s just got to make them in games and become that triple threat player. When he goes downhill he’s ambidextrous, can finish with either hand. The next step is to slow down, have a threat of a jump shot, which he has.”
VIEWS: He’s just so good at driving and finishing that he has a hard time not doing it. He’s Wreck-it-Ralph Jr. (Sr. being Mitch McGary). But he made 75 of 85 triples in one recent three-point shooting drill, and that’s elite. He just needs to be more confident in that stroke during games … which he will. It took guys like Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman a few years, but Brazdeikis is a confident guy.
