With the season less than a week from tipping Michigan basketball may be on the brink of something that it hasn’t achieved in over 30 years.
After falling short of the Final Four last March, Michigan basketball is determined to make amends for its earlier than expected ending to their 2020-21 season with an even deeper run in 2022.
There hasn’t been this much anticipation for a season since arguably the days when their current coach was wearing the maize and blue uniform himself.
It starts with the glue leader of the roster and he is back, in Eli Brooks. His veteran presence is going to be more valuable than words can express.
His ball-handling skills, three-point prowess, and defense will be counted on once more to help Michigan basketball reach even further heights than it did just months ago after hoisting the Big Ten championship in Ann Arbor.
Then the conversation switches to the uber-talented big man who passed on the pros for another chance at college glory.
Hunter Dickinson returns to wreak havoc on the Big Ten and beyond.
The freshman of the year will be called upon to improve his 14 points and seven boards a game to even more and work his way towards player of the year discussion as one of the conference favorites to land the award.
Then there’s five-star Caleb Houstan who enters the mix. He’s already making noise by earning preseason All-Big Ten honors even before he steps foot on the hardwood. His accolades are long and well-known, so it’s easy to see why he will be inserted into the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
DeVante Jones is the newbie who dominated the Sun Belt Conference. He was the floor general for his squad who reached the CBI championship in March in which he had his lowest output of the season in points with eight.
At Michigan, he won’t have to carry his teammates on his back because he has such a wealth of talent that surrounds him.
The bench could be a starting five for most schools in the country. Moussa Diabate will give the Wolverines the most dangerous 1-2 punch at center with Dickinson. Zeb Jackson can play either role of point or shooting guard and Terrance Williams will be depended upon to take the next step in his development process, along with Jackson. Frankie Collins, Isaiah Barnes, and Kobe Bufkin should manage a lot of minutes as well.
The schedule isn’t that daunting at first glance but will change as time grows.
Going to Chapel Hill for the ACC/Big Ten challenge highlights the non-conference part of the docket. Seton Hall and San Diego State at home will be noteworthy tests as well.
Then there’s the always treacherous Big Ten with stops at Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, and the rest that will threaten the Wolverines night in and night out in the country’s loftiest conference.
Altogether Michigan has all the pieces that it needs for a chase at the crown come April.
Dealing with the pressure of living up to all the hype will take its toll, but some in this group have been through the grinder before and know exactly what it takes to stick around in a do-or-die situation come tournament time.
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