2019-2020 B1G Basketball Thread

[MichiFan87]

Franz Wagner's season is finally over and should be making a final decision this week between coming to Michigan or staying in Berlin to get paid by his club team. Nobody seems to know what he's thinking, but there's reason to believe that it would make more sense to go to Michigan (comes from a more affluent family so no immediate financial need to get paid, would have a bigger role at Michigan, easier for scouts to watch him play, apparently European contracts are multi-year which could make it more difficult to go to the NBA from there), but we'll find out soon enough.... Hopefully Michigan is looking to still bring in at least one grad transfer, regardless, but there isn't any news on that front.

That rumor about Howard not passing the recruiting test appears to be bogus. He's already been to some of the big summer AAU events and offered some players for the next 2 years.

UM Lowell and Presbyterian are also two of the guarantee games on the schedule. Barttorvik has both teams ranked significantly lower in his preseason ratings than they finished this year, so I guess they both lose significant contributors from this year, the upside of which is Michigan should be able to dominate both teams and leave time to help figure out who the best bench players are....

[betarhoalphadelta]

Trevion Williams was selected for the U-19 USA team competing in Greece this year. 

Obviously a great honor and opportunity for him, both to see the world and to gain additional coaching and experience that will hopefully accelerate his development. 

The biggest takeaway as it relates to 2019-2020 B1G basketball [IMHO] is this: the concern about Tre was whether his weight and conditioning would be appropriately where it needs to be to play enough minutes this coming year. Regardless of skill development or whatnot, I can only say that there's very little chance he would have been chosen for the U-19 team if he'd shown up overweight and out of shape. So I have to think this is a very positive sign that he's going to be ready contribute significant minutes if he's called on to do so this year. 

[Anonymous Coward]

Wrong thread onthe first try:

Though still unconfirmed, Michigan sites and twitter are gaining excitement for Franz Wagner being silently committed to Michigan. This includes a guarantee from a poster believed to be his dad.
It also comes after Juwan spoke of Franz by name in an interview, which was predicted to be a recruiting violation, but in hindsight may never have been -- consistent with Michigan's slow handling of the issue when the press asks for its position. Franz may be signed (making the coaches welcome to say his name) but not yet ready to go public.
For those who don't know, Franz is a 6-9 (and growing) German small forward playing for Alba Berlin. He's the younger of Mo. He's a high performer for the professional Euro team (*not on a pro contract) despite being underaged at this point in the recruiting cycle. He'd enter the 2019 class and play this year if it holds.
Because he was originally expected to spend the next year playing professionally in Europe before going in the 1st round next year, his recruiting profile is scant. The 247 guys however acknowledge that he'd be a guaranteed Top-50 kid and likely five-star.
He was a top priority for Beilein. Is an elite shooter. Would also be a huge get for Juwan, as this is arguably the only hole on the roster next year and Franz could be an upgrade over either draftee lost this year.

[MichiFan87]

Wagner finally signs with Michigan. He should be an immediate starter, potentially the team's best player, and a future pro. Consequently Michigan's rotation will probably look something like this (from PG to C):

Simpson - 30 mins
DeJulius - 10 mins
Brooks / Bajema / Nunez - 40 mins (I have no idea what will happen here.... If anyone emerges they might get 30 mins and the backup gets 10 mins)
Wagner - 30 mins
Johns - 15 mins
Livers - 30 mins
Castleton - 15 mins (yes I think he'll play some forward he did in a recent practice video)
Teske - 30 mins

It would be nice to get a graduate transfer at SG, but it's probably too late for that with no obvious good options.

[Anonymous Coward]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzluCROo4Qb/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_mid=W2X_9wAAAAGz6F770TK0q370X9pg

[Anonymous Coward]

https://mobile.twitter.com/eyreball/status/1147615585330704385

[Anonymous Coward]

https://mobile.twitter.com/draftprosnba/status/1142106204455526400

[Anonymous Coward]

Wagner finally signs with Michigan. He should be an immediate starter, potentially the team's best player, and a future pro. Consequently Michigan's rotation will probably look something like this (from PG to C):

Simpson - 30 mins
DeJulius - 10 mins
Brooks / Bajema / Nunez - 40 mins (I have no idea what will happen here.... If anyone emerges they might get 30 mins and the backup gets 10 mins)
Wagner - 30 mins
Johns - 15 mins
Livers - 30 mins
Castleton - 15 mins (yes I think he'll play some forward he did in a recent practice video)
Teske - 30 mins

It would be nice to get a graduate transfer at SG, but it's probably too late for that with no obvious good options.

Franz can be a 2/3/4, and like you I'm expecting a wing, but I think this team has a better ceiling with him at the 2. Also, had Beilein stayed, Livers sounded like a shoe-in for the 3. Especially given his 3-point strength matching the team's biggest need. I think that too raises the ceiling. Of course that requires a sophomore like Johns or Castleton to be able to man the 4 with Castleton as needed as the back-up 5.
There are several needles to thread there. If ultimately impossible, your line-up seems right ... and destined for a ~7-seed. But if Wagner and Livers are your wings, I think that's the only avenue that has Michigan in the conference's top tier, tied with Maryland at 1b behind MSU at 1a, and perhaps a 2-/3-seed. 🤞

[Anonymous Coward]

It's rare for a recruiting visit to be objectively interesting, and the Franz Wagner saga is one of them.

LINK

I kind of hate how this article is written. It could be 10% as long without missing anything important. Anyway, if you click through, don't read the whole thing, just focus on the source material (the Saddi Washington quotes). And if you don't want to click at all, here are the Cliff's Notes:

• Franz and his family learned of Beilein's departure as they were boarding the plane -- nearly cancelled; reluctantly boarded
• The next morning they were ~90-10 he'd pick Alba Berlin.
• By the end of the trip, without a head coach in sight or a guarantee any assistants would stick, the odds were 50-50
• And then Juwan was hired, got in his ear, and moved it to a done deal

That tells me that Franz probably had a decent bias towards getting the american cultural experience. But still. Threading a needle like this feels improbable. Saddi and Juwan did work.

[bayareabadger]

It's rare for a recruiting visit to be objectively interesting, and the Franz Wagner saga is one of them.

LINK

I kind of hate how this article is written. It could be 10% as long without missing anything important. Anyway, if you click through, don't read the whole thing, just focus on the source material (the Saddi Washington quotes). And if you don't want to click at all, here are the Cliff's Notes:

• Franz and his family learned of Beilein's departure as they were boarding the plane -- nearly cancelled; reluctantly boarded
• The next morning they were ~90-10 he'd pick Alba Berlin.
• By the end of the trip, without a head coach in sight or a guarantee any assistants would stick, the odds were 50-50
• And then Juwan was hired, got in his ear, and moved it to a done deal

That tells me that Franz probably had a decent bias towards getting the american cultural experience. But still. Threading a needle like this feels improbable. Saddi and Juwan did work.

A small aside, it's interesting we want just the facts ma'am here. Speaks to how the stars of media are tidbit gatherers rather than tale tellers. Ah well.

Also, at 6-foot-9, he can't play the 2, right? I mean, if he's quick enough to guard college 2s at that height and possesses a semblance of a jumper, he'll be a top-5 draft pick easy. Granted, Mich seems to have been heavy on 6-5 or taller SGs of late. (This falls into my hobby horse of fans seeming to want extra big guys playing up a spot, but that's another thing)

[MichiFan87]

Michigan's non-con schedule is finalized.

The guarantee games are Appalachian State, Elon, Houston Baptist, Presbyterian, and UM Lowell, none of which are any good but probably better than last year, at least.

Creighton, Oregon, @Louisville have been known, and now the Atlantis bracket is out, in which Michigan will face Iowa State, North Carolina or Alabama, and then one of Gonzaga / Seton Hall / Oregon / Southern Mississippi. I like how that shakes out by minimizing the chance that Michigan faces Oregon a second time and Southern Mississippi.

Overall it could be one of the toughest schedules in the country.

[ELA]

Yeah, that's definitely solid.  But, yet again (and MSU schedules equally stupid), the guarantee games being awful will make the numbers worse than they deserve to be.

[Anonymous Coward]

A small aside, it's interesting we want just the facts ma'am here. Speaks to how the stars of media are tidbit gatherers rather than tale tellers. Ah well.

Also, at 6-foot-9, he can't play the 2, right? I mean, if he's quick enough to guard college 2s at that height and possesses a semblance of a jumper, he'll be a top-5 draft pick easy. Granted, Mich seems to have been heavy on 6-5 or taller SGs of late. (This falls into my hobby horse of fans seeming to want extra big guys playing up a spot, but that's another thing)

With all of the switching we see on defense now, it probably doesn't matter like it used to.

[bayareabadger]

With all of the switching we see on defense now, it probably doesn't matter like it used to.

Maybe.  I remain skeptical of the idea of much larger players being slid to positions like that. Then again, it’s not the easiest to build a lineup where that happens. What would Michigan‘s look like?