Michigan basketball team’s expectations up
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan coach John Beilein doesn’t concern himself much with preseason predictions, as glowing as they may be when it comes to his Wolverines, a program on the rise.
Michigan is coming off its second NCAA tournament appearance in three years under Beilein and returns the crux of a team that ignored outside expectations and came within an eyelash of advancing to the round of 16.
Despite the position others consider the Wolverines to be in, Beilein looks at a team he characterizes as veteran but still young, and one that must replace a key cog in point guard Darius Morris.
That’s when Beilein’s cautious optimism sets in when questions arise whether the Wolverines are ready to become a tournament staple.
“I don’t think we’re there yet,” Beilein said Tuesday during Michigan’s media day. “We’re still going to be hunting every day and I think we still have a lot to prove.”
Especially at point guard, a void when Morris left for the NBA following a sophomore season when he was Michigan’s top scorer (15.0 ppg.) and handed out 235 assists.
The workload is one Beilein isn’t expecting any of the candidates vying for the position to match individually, it remains a position that will be critical to the Wolverines’ success.
Freshman Trey Burke is a pure point guard, but Beilein takes comfort in that senior Stu Douglass has logged plenty of minutes at the position and could be an option to take over there full-time this season.
Douglass, who has split time between the point and off-guard positions throughout his career, is willing to do whatever he’s asked. Part of his role may be bringing along Burke and fellow freshman Carlton Brundidge, leaving Douglass to possibly start at the point as one of Michigan’s most experienced backcourt players.
“I’m so used to not knowing where I’m going to play or where Coach needs me that now, it’s become comfortable for me,” Douglass said.
While Beilein develops a point guard, having key contributors at other positions may ease the transition. Sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. averaged 13.9 points last season and was Michigan’s top scorer in Big Ten play. Beilein said Tuesday he’s not concerned with Hardaway trying to do too much to cover the gap left by Morris, pointing to Hardaway’s maturity in being content with taking the next logical step in his development.
“Everybody says Darius is gone and everybody says I’m the focal point of the team,” Hardaway said. “But there’s no focal points on the team. That’s why we’re a team.
“There are five guys out there and all five of us can score at any given time. There’s no one-man team out there.”
Beilein said Michigan’s depth will keep Hardaway or senior Zack Novak from being forced to play too many minutes — which will be key during a season that includes a difficult test at the EA Sports Maui Invitational in November.
But if Beilein can find a point guard and if the Wolverines can sustain its difficult nonconference schedule, they could be in position to contend for a Big Ten championship.
While the confidence is there, carrying over from last season when Michigan nearly knocked off top-seeded Duke in the second round of the tournament, Beilein won’t buy into any early season hype suggesting the Wolverines are ready to settle among the nation’s college basketball elite.
“We like our team a lot, but I’m not going to be looking at, ‘Are we a top 20 (team), are we top 10, are we top 50?”’ Beilein said. “I want to be in the top 68 in March. That’s where we want to be — on that board.”