Last year Michigan was
plagued by injuries, to say the least. Lester Abram is back
after missing all but three games with a shoulder injury. Graham
Brown missed a month after hernia surgery, Daniel Horton missed
most of the season with a knee injury and a team suspension and
Chris Hunter spent some time on the sidelines with an ankle
injury…just to name a few. With everyone expected to be healthy,
the Wolverines should be a dangerous team. Barring another group
of unexpected injuries, any failure will fall on the shoulders
of Coach Tommy Amaker.
Who’s Out: Forward J.C. Mathis saw action in 20 games,
averaging 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds. Dani Wohl saw an
unexpected amount of playing time and even earned five starts.
The 5-11 guard had another year of eligibility but opted not to
play after graduating from UofM. He wouldn’t have seen many
minutes this year, although he shouldn’t have last year either.
Who’s In: Kendric Price is a long, athletic small
forward. The competition wasn’t tough at Buckingham Browne and
Nichols School in Boston, Massachusetts, but 24.0 points, 14.0
rebounds, 6.0 assists and 6.0 blocks per game is impressive
anywhere. At 6-8, 200 pounds, Price needs to become bigger,
stronger and tougher. He has a solid outside shot and will be
given an opportunity for plenty of playing time. Jevohn Shepherd
is the other newcomer who is expected to make an immediate
impact. The 6-5 wing can score, averaging 28.0 points per game
at West Hill Collegiate in Toronto, Ontario. Point guard Jerret
Smith is not the most talented newcomer, but he may very well
make the biggest impact as a freshman. Smith will provide a
quality option off the bench to back up point guard Daniel
Horton. Walk-on Phillip DeVries rounds out the group. The 6-10
center from Shelby Township, Michigan won’t see many minutes but
is a quality big man on the defensive end.
Who to Watch: With Dion Harris, Daniel Horton and Lester
Abram slated to play a full season, the perimeter is extremely
strong. The play of the big men will determine how far the
Wolverines can really go. Coach Amaker has plenty of options and
experience with Courtney Sims, Chris Hunter, Brent Petway and
Graham Brown, all of who have starting experience. Hunter and
Brown aren’t flashy, but are consistent when health isn’t an
issue. Petway might be too flashy and isn’t productive on the
offensive end except for a few amazing dunks per game. They
don’t call him ‘Air Georgia’ for nothing. It is Sims who has the
most potential to become a dominating player in the conference.
The 6-11, 240 pound Roslindale, Massachusetts product averaged
9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per contest.
Projected Conference Rank: With the talent, they could be
a top three team in the Big Ten. In recent years, the Wolverines
have always seemed to have an excuse for not winning, usually a
very legitimate one. So far there are no good excuses, so Ann
Arbor is expecting Amaker to win. The Big Ten will be very tough
and the Wolverines will end up much better than what the Maize
and Blue faithful had to put up with last year. A 7th
place finish will have Michigan leaning on the dismal side of
the NCAA curtain.
Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting
Five:
Daniel Horton,
Senior, Guard, 12.4 points per game
Dion Harris, Junior,
Guard, 14.3 points per game
Lester Abram, Junior,
Guard, 6.7 points per game
Chris Hunter, Senior,
Forward, 9.3 points per game
Courtney Sims,
Junior, Forward, 9.8 points per game
