2011 Michigan Basketball Season Preview

2010-11 Results

Overall: 21-14 (Home 14-5 Road 5-5 Neutral 2-4 Postseason 2-2)
Big Ten: 9-9
Conference Tournament: Lost to Ohio State in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Postseason: Lost in the third round of the NCAA tournament to Duke.

Last season Michigan got off to a fast start in non-conference play going 10-2 though they did seem to struggle in neutral site games going 0-2. After a 1-6 start in conference play and with the hopes of making the NCAA tournament looking dim, they faced rival Michigan State. Not only did they win that game but were able to win eight of their final eleven conference games. Now expectations are high for Michigan with four returning starters and a highly recruited freshman point guard Tim Burke.

Last season, the Wolverines ranked fourth in the Big Ten in points allowed per game with 62.5. They were tenth in points scored averaging 66.5 a game. Offensively the team made nearly 70 percent of their foul shots and 35 percent from three point range.

Roster

Returning Starters
Stu Douglass
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Evan Smotrycz
Jordan Morgan

Other Returning Players
Adreian Payne
Zack Novak
Matt Vogrich
Corey Person
Colton Christian

Newcomers
Trey Burke
Carlton Brundidge
Max Bielfeldt

Head Coach
John Beilein

Key Losses

Michigan will miss team MVP Darius Morris who entered the NBA draft. Last season he led the team with 235 assist and averaged 15 points per game.

Schedule

Date	Opponent / Event
Fri., Nov. 4	vs. Wayne State ex
Fri., Nov. 11	vs. Ferris State
Mon., Nov. 14	vs. Towson (1)
Thu., Nov. 17	vs. Western Illinois
EA Sports Maui Invitational
Mon., Nov. 21	vs. Memphis
Tue., Nov. 22	Duke or Tennessee
Wed., Nov. 23	TBD
Regular Season
Tue., Nov. 29	at Virginia
Sat., Dec. 3	vs. Iowa State
Sat., Dec. 10	vs. Oakland
Tue., Dec. 13	vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Sat., Dec. 17	vs. Alabama A&M
Thu., Dec. 22	vs. Bradley
Thu., Dec. 29	vs. Penn State *
Sun., Jan. 1	vs. Minnesota *
Thu., Jan. 5	at Indiana *
Sun., Jan. 8	vs. Wisconsin *
Wed., Jan. 11	vs. Northwestern *
Sat., Jan. 14	at Iowa *
Tue., Jan. 17	vs. Michigan State *
Sat., Jan. 21	at Arkansas
Tue., Jan. 24	at Purdue *
Sun., Jan. 29	at Ohio State *
Wed., Feb. 1	vs. Indiana *
Sun., Feb. 5	at Michigan State *
Wed., Feb. 8	at Nebraska *
Sun., Feb. 12	vs. Illinois *
Sat., Feb. 18	vs. Ohio State *
Tue., Feb. 21	at Northwestern *
Sat., Feb. 25	vs. Purdue (2) *
Sun., Feb. 26	vs. Purdue (2) *
Thu., Mar. 1	at Illinois *
Sun., Mar. 4	at Penn State *
Big Ten Tournament
Thu., Mar. 8	First Round
Fri., Mar. 9	Quarterfinals
Sat., Mar. 10	Semifinals
Sun., Mar. 11	Championship
*Conference Game

2011-12 Preview

Michigan has yet to finish over .500 in Big Ten play under John Beilein. They have finished 21-14, 9-9 Big Ten twice in the past three years. With freshman Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., Beilen’s team is primed to get over the hump. This should finally be the year that the Wolverines finish with a winning record in conference play.

Overall the team had an excellent preseason which should transition to success this season. Two members remain from Beilein’s first recruiting class, Stu Douglas and guard/forward Zack Novak.

Backcourt

Trey Burke, Stu Douglas, and Tim Hardaway Jr. will start in the Wolverines backcourt. Burke will start but only rarely do freshman point guards excel. It will be interesting to follow Michigan to see whether Burke can lead the team to a Big Ten title. Burke will likely be the quickest player on the floor most nights and is an excellent three point shooter.

Stu Douglass will see a lot of playing time though he could wind up on the bench when Michigan goes with a bigger lineup. He can play the point when needed and has a knack for defending the best guards of other teams. Though over his career he seems to lose his shooting touch the more minutes he plays.

Hardaway will be difficult for anyone to defend. Last season as a freshman he average 13.9 points a game. He is an above average free throw shooter making 76.5 percent of his shots last year and hit 36.7 percent from three point range.

Carlton Brundidge may see limited time as a freshman but you have to love his game. He is a strong guard that attacks the basket. With so many returning players he may have a hard time getting more than five minutes a game. He needs to work on limiting turnovers and his perimeter shot.

Frontcourt

Michigan’s front court is likely to determine their success this season. Jordan Morgan will start at center and is athletic with a lot of potential. He will need to step up his defense against Jared Sullinger and other top centers in the conference. One key to Morgan’s success in 2011-2012 will be to stay out of foul trouble. If Morgan can stay on the floor more he should break double digits in scoring.

Evan Smotrycz is a 6-9 power forward. Last season he shot 38.9 percent from three point range while averaging 6.3 points per game. He will need to improve on his 2.3 rebounds per game to be able to play 30 plus minutes a night.

Zack Novak is an excellent rebounder and led the team with 5.8 boards a year ago. That will likely earn him more playing time from coach John Beilein.

Jon Horford will see time off the bench after a good freshman season. He will look to earn more minutes this year.

More Big Ten Basketball Predictions

Ohio State Buckeyes	Michigan State Spartans	Michigan Wolverines
Wisconsin Badgers	Indiana Hoosiers	Purdue Boilermakers
Northwestern Wildcats	Iowa Hawkeyes	Minnesota Golden Gophers
Illinois Fighting Illini	Nebraska Cornhuskers	Penn State Nittany Lions

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