Questions We're Asking: Does Juwan Howard Need To Rein In Zavier Simpson

Does Juwan Howard need to rein in Zavier Simpson?

It has been an interesting career journey for Simpson. Think about his four seasons and the way he has been perceived:

• Seen as a defense-only PG that could maybe give Michigan a few minutes per game to afford rest to starter Derrick Walton. Fans anxiously anticipated a more skilled, balanced ball handler to arrive in the 2017 class and take the mantle from Walton, relegating Simpson forever to role-playing backup.

• Celebrated as the kryptonite to Michigan State's Cassius Winston, helping the Wolverines to a pair of wins over their in-state rival, including a Big Ten Tournament semifinals victory. Seen as a glue, lynchpin type player that sparked U-M to a Final Four with a bulldog mentality that epitomized the entire team.

• Recognized as one of the best leaders in college basketball, the straw that stirs Michigan's drink, and though he wasn't a Cassius killer in 2019 (MSU winning all three matchups), Simpson was seen as a player that extracted every ounce of talent from himself and those around him, cementing a legacy that would be forever celebrated.

• Not since his freshman year has Simpson had as many critics, fans and media alike (including me from time to time) arguing he's trying to do too much, taking over a primary-scorer role that doesn't suit his game nor the team. Still an incredible distributor of the ball, fearless going to the basket, always working to improve his shot, but playing more reckless, turning the ball over at an alarming rate.

Simpson's senior season has been less than ideal. At times, brilliant, but far too often maddeningly inconsistent. Take Saturday's loss to Oregon - Simpson led all players with 11 assists, seven better than anyone else on the court, and some so impressive they brought more than 12,000 maize-and-blue-clad fans out of their seats.

Simpson also had a pair of won't-be-denied drives to the hoop, scored eight points, and his final three assists led to baskets that tied the game at 63 apiece, and then gave Michigan 66-63 and 68-67 overtime leads.

On the other hand, Simpson's four turnovers also led all players, he missed his final three shots (all in overtime) on a day he was 3 of 11 from the floor, and he was taken advantage of defensively by Duck guard Payton Pritchard, who scored 15 of Oregon's final 17 points in regulation and overtime.

One aspect of Howard's early tenure lauded so far - the freedom he has afforded his players, which has in turn given new confidence to players such as junior Eli Brooks, and sophomores Brandon Johns Jr., and David DeJulius - has been a double-edged sword with Simpson. The senior point guard is committing a turnover every nine minutes, up from one every 17 minutes a year ago.

He is also taking a career-high 9.1 shots per game, and while Simpson is converting better from two (54.1 percent) and three (38.5 percent) than any time in his career, his numbers got a big boost from early non-conference games against overmatched opponents. Over the last month, as U-M has dropped 3 of 4, Simpson has taken 41 shots and has made just 15 (36.6 percent). He has also committed 13 turnovers.

Talk that Simpson should lose his starting job are silly. He has proven in his career to be a great player on both ends of the floor, a defensive stopper, an outstanding playmaker and ball handler, and someone that can get to the basket, his layups and hook shots often coming at key moments.

But the sloppiness, taking too many risks with the basketball, and poor decision-making with shot selection needs to be reduced. Can Howard coach Simpson to play smarter? More reserved? Can he put the genie back in the bottle after giving him so much freedom thus far? Simpson is a proud player that cares deeply about being a positive difference-maker for his team. A little self-reflection and a nudge from his coach will hopefully do the trick.

Can Michigan beat Alabama if Tide players don't skip the bowl game?

Over the weekend, Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy announced via Twitter he would play in the Tide's Jan. 1 bowl game against Michigan. No one else from Alabama has made an equally declarative statement but it would be easy to see a number of Jeudy's teammates following his lead - after all, if he won't skip the game to protect his draft stock, why should anyone else?

According to a 7-Round Mock Draft by CBSSports.com last week, Jeudy could be a Top 10 pick, and seven of his Alabama brothers could join him in the first round, including offensive linemen Jedrick Wills Jr., and Alex Leatherwood, fellow receiver Henry Ruggs III and four defensive players, at least one at every level.

Linebacker Dylan Moses won't play because of an ACL tear that ended his 2019 season, but if the other seven Tide players suit up in the Citrus Bowl can the Wolverines slay this dragon?

[Editor's Note: About 15 minutes after this was published, Tide coach Nick Saban announced that edge defender Terrell Lewis and cornerback Trevon Diggs, two of the eight projected first-rounders, will NOT play in the bowl game.]

It would be akin to taking down Ohio State - in the 247Sports.com college team talent composite rankings for 2019, Alabama actually ranked ahead of the Buckeyes, with a roster featuring 11 five-stars and 58 four-stars.

Michigan, by comparison, has four five-star and 36 four-stars, though three of those four-stars - tight end Mustapha Muhammad, linebacker Jordan Anthony and receiver Tarik Black - have entered the transfer portal (five-star defensive end Antonio Alfano and four-star DB Scooby Carter have entered it for Alabama).

In other words, Michigan has to overcome a significant talent deficiency to beat the Crimson Tide, and in Jim Harbaugh's tenure, U-M is 0-7 against teams ranked higher than the Wolverines per the 247Sports.com composite ranking (Michigan is 47-10 against teams it is more talented than).

The potential wild card in all of this is Alabama remains without its starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 10. In his place, three-star junior Mac Jones has started two games and is 1-1 (losing to Auburn in a game that knocked the Tide out of the playoff conversation). In the three games he has appeared in since Tagovailoa's injury, Jones has completed 43 of 62 attempts (69.4 percent) for 704 yards, with seven TDs and two picks.

His numbers are inflated from playing an FCS foe in Week 11, while his two miscues both proved costly, Auburn returning each interception for a touchdown.

If he's the central figure for Alabama's offense on Jan. 1, Michigan stands a chance, but the Tide boast an overpowering offensive line and one of the nation's biggest, most physical backs in former U-M recruiting target Najee Harris. It's likely Bama tries to overrun the Wolverines like Wisconsin and Ohio State did.

What does it all mean? There's a reason the Tide were installed as a seven-point favorite, and if most of their potential first-round picks play in the Citrus Bowl, Michigan will probably have to play ... ahem ... a "perfect" game, something we said Thanksgiving weekend against the Buckeyes too. While that contest could have been closer without three or four mistakes by the Wolverines, it shows just how impossible it is to achieve perfection.

What would it mean to Michigan to get Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones back?

Brandon Brown, Zach Shaw and I actually addressed this on our radio show Monday so have a listen if you desire.