Michigan Basketball Will Be Fine When Action Resumes
Michigan hasn't played a basketball game since Jan. 22 and isn't set to return to the court until Feb. 14 at the earliest. If the Wolverines do tip off on Valentine's Day against Wisconsin, it will make five missed games and nearly a month of lost time on the court with each other. But don't worry, Juwan Howard's guys should be just fine, and here's why.
1. Depth
With almost a month to heal, Michigan will be fully stocked and ready for a tournament run. Fifth-year center Austin Davis' foot should be completely good to go and everyone else's dings and dents should also be feeling a lot better after less practice, no games and time on the couch. With 10 guys who have played meaningful minutes ready to do so again if needed, Michigan will be in arguably the best shape of any team in the country depth wise once they return to the court.
2. Defense/Length
Of those 10 players, all but two are at least 6-5. Eli Brooks is of course one of those shorter players, but at 6-1 with long arms, impressive bounce and an elite basketball IQ, he plays bigger than he is and is a nightmare for opposing players. Mike Smith is the other shorter player at just 5-11, but he guards just fine. He's obviously not going to threaten an offensive player like 6-9 Franz Wagner or 7-1 Hunter Dickinson, but he is by no means a liability on that end of the floor. Throw in hustle guys like Brandon Johns Jr. and Terrance Williams II at 6-8 and 6-7 respectively, bulldog perimeter defender Chaundee Brown Jr. and big, strong and athletic senior Isaiah Livers at 6-7 and you have a team that can be truly elite on defense. Michigan is holding teams to just a shade over 63 points per game in conference play and is winning games by 13 points per contest. If that defense can stay locked in, which it should, U-M will get back up to speed in a hurry.
3. Inside Presence
As I just mentioned, Dickinson goes 7-1 and hasn't really been stopped all year. He's had some down games, has gotten into foul trouble here and there and has played like a freshman at times, but no defender has owned him or taken him out of a game, and that's promising for some potential big matchups to come. The big rookie is averaging 15.1 points and 7.2 boards per game and poured in career-high 28 against a scrappy Minnesota team back in early-January. After scoring in double digits through his first 11 games, Dickinson has failed to do so during his last three outings. I'm sure none of the players wanted to miss nearly a month of game action, but hitting the reset button might actually allow Dickinson to get back to what he was doing earlier in the year when he was racking up Freshman of the Week honors every week.
4. Veteran Leadership
With fifth-year senior Austin Davis healthy and back on the floor, along with fifth-year senior transfer Mike Smith, seniors Eli Brooks and Isaiah Livers and junior transfer Chaundee Brown Jr. all playing pivotal roles for Michigan, there is such a strong core of leadership on Juwan Howard's team. Those five upperclassmen care so much and possess such strong leadership qualities that they simply won't allow each other or the younger players to fail or even hang their heads. You can see it throughout the game on the bench whenever a big play happens, during timeouts when Howard isn't the one talking and even when walk-ons get in the game. The winning culture that Juwan Howard has created is clearly visible and is another reason why this team will be ready and raring to go as soon as they're allowed and able.
5. Eagerness
The above point is why I think the eagerness factor is extremely relevant. The seniors and veterans feel that their time is running out and they'll use that to get ready in a hurry and will bring the youngsters along for the ride. There's no way to measure any of that, but I think it will be very clear that this Michigan team is foaming at the mouth and beyond ready to return to the floor. That's probably been the case for every team that missed time this year, but I think it will manifest itself in a very positive way for Michigan. Some teams returned to the floor with an abundance of rust and almost a sense of being lost. Even though Michigan's layoff has been the longest of any team in the conference by a lot, I really don't think they'll miss a beat.
