ROSEMONT, ILL. — Michigan has been practicing for several days now, and a number of players have already made a good early impression. Head coach Juwan Howard assessed many of them during Wednesday’s Big Ten Media Day.
Sophomore center Colin Castleton met Howard early, and Howard has made him one of his projects.
“I love him. Colin is talented, man,” he said. “I remember Coach [John] Beilein telling me last year, they played Maryland … I watched part of that game. Colin came in and gave the team a big lift off the bench. They went on a nice little run at Maryland.
“I talked to Coach Beilein maybe the next day and he said, ‘man, you’re’ going to like this surfer looking dude that we have,’ talking about Colin. So now I’ve got a chance to work with him, and I see the talent level. He’s long; he’s athletic, got good ball skills for his size, shooting the ball better from the outside. He’s playing hard, competing. He and Jon [Teske] are learning from one another.”
There are going to some possessions where you see them both on the court at the same time depending on certain matchups, he added. Teske has improved, too, and is shooting the ball well. He’ll be a ‘stretch five’ at times, Howard said, and he’s done a great job mentoring Castleton.
“Not just generating offense, but they teach the young players how to do it the right way,” he said. “They’ve got some guys they can lean on to ask questions, help through them during those tough moments, tough times.
I was once a freshman. It didn’t happen right away. I had a guy Eric Riley who was I fighting for his position, but talk about a pure individual. He was still teaching me and not into himself. He was giving and feeding more into the team. I have those types of guys. I have feeders, guys that are giving more to the team, helping and serving one another. That’s a coach’s dream. Thank you Coach Beilein, because he recruited most of those guys. Beilein, Saddi Washington, DeAndre Haynes and Luke Yaklich.”
Howard isn’t certain how deep he’ll go into the bench, calling the competition “The Hunger Games.” Whoever earns the right will play, he said.
Junior Isaiah Livers, though, is a near lock to start. He’s lost weight and is moving much better.
Isaiah’s got talent man. He’s skilled,” Howard said. “He’s a big wing that can play inside and outside. “I know from Coach Beilein sometimes he’s played some five, but he was a lot thicker. Isaiah had to transform and has gotten his body to a point where he’s looked at as being lighter, moving faster, a lot quicker.
“I want to see Isaiah be a better defender on the perimeter than he’s shown. I think that’s going to help him just get better and better and develop him, because I may be moving ahead, but I feel in my heart he has a chance to play on the next level. He can shoot the ball, a pure high character kid. He asks questions; he wants to bet better.
“I’m going to put him in his strengths and utilize him. He’s going to have a chance to score, but I also want him to be a two-way player.”
Senior point guard Zavier Simpson, meanwhile, will continue to be the glue.
"The ball is in his hands; he’s like the quarterback,” Howard said. “He’s going to make a lot of decisions for us. Players trust him; the coaching staff trusts him. Everyone always talks about his limited shooting. He’s been working extremely hard on his shooting. He’s been on top of our shooting drills — at times he has the best scores … the highest number, best shooting percentage.
“Now it’s about just feeding him more and more confidence, let him just relax and just play, not feel like I have to coach every possession. I will trust him, and he will trust us. I wish we could have him longer than one year. The kid is an excellent leader, a great competitor, a winner in practice. He wants to win every drill. In shooting, he wants to win every drill. That’s the type of guy you want in the trenches with you. He’s a coach’s dream.”
Junior Eli Brooks, meanwhile, has been one of the pleasant surprises. He’s playing both the one and the two.
“Eli, man, wow,” Howard said. “That kid right there, now I understand why he played as a freshman because he gets it. He has a basketball mind. He picks up things so quick. We only have to tell him one time and his IQ … he can transition and can apply it quickly.
“Eli can shoot the basketball. He’s very super crafty with the ball getting into the paint whether he’s making a play for himself or others. He’s competitive. Some would say he’s undersized, but I think that’s what really makes him edgy because he’s been counted as being smaller at his position. But I look at Eli as being a combo guard.”
On the wing, freshman Franz Wagner has made a huge early impression.
“Franz is talented. He’s a big, huge pickup for us,” Howard said.: “My opinion, if Franz lived in the United State it would be equivalent to like when today’s players are rated as a five star. He’s that good. To be almost 6-9 at the wing position. He has a high IQ. He’s tough, skilled, can put the ball on the floor, create his own shot and is not afraid to dunk on you.
“One thing I did not mention which I should have first was, he is an underrated defender. We all talk about his skill level offensively, the guy can defend and he wants to defend. That’s the beauty of Franz. He is going to be a pro. I’m putting a lot of pressure on him, but how I foresee it. I don’t have all the answers, but I think he’s going to be a good pro.”
Sophomore shooting guard David DeJulius has been working hard and “making himself a big name,” Howard said. And finally, sophomore forward Brandon Johns remains an X factor. He’s got all the skills but needs to be more assertive and gain confidence.
“Brandon, the kid has a beautiful shot. He’s athletic. Skill wise, we still haven’t tapped all the way into what he has. Once he figures that part out, whoa,” Howard said. “This kid is interesting … when I talk to him during practice, he makes great eye contact, has trust, and you see that want in him and knows I’ll do what I can to help him get better.
“He knows he has the opportunity to play. We’re going to lean on him. He can be one of those stretch fours that can be able to go out on two, three, four and five. He has that ability. Now it’s just basically picking up concepts, learning terminology. But he’s going to be good.”
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