Michigan Basketball: Charles Matthews provides Wolverines with backcourt depth

The former Kentucky guard chose Michigan basketball over Xavier.

The backcourt that ran the show the last few years for John Beilein will no longer be in uniform in 2017-18.

Caris LeVert (and his constant foot injuries) is likely to be selected Thursday night in the 2016 NBA Draft, while Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. have one more season of eligibility remaining.

The Wolverines are searching for talented newcomers who can fill the shoes of these three versatile guards.

They landed one piece to the puzzle on Monday night as former Kentucky Wildcat Charles Matthews committed to the Wolverines over the Xavier Musketeers. Matthews will have to sit out the 2016-17 season before having three years of eligibility remaining, starting in 2017-18.

Matthews, a former top-45 recruit in the class of 2015, averaged just 1.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game in 10.3 minutes per outing last season with the Wildcats. He shot an solid 44 percent from the field, but hit just 25 percent of his threes and 41 percent of his free throws.

The Chicago, IL native is not exactly advanced on the offensive end, but with a season to sit out, Matthews will have a perfect opportunity to compete against Walton and Irvin in practice on a daily basis, while also adjusting to Beilein’s offensive heavy scheme.

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Matthews is already an above-average on-ball defender due to his length, athleticism and size (6’6″). He can guard multiple positions and should be able to force more turnovers in extended minutes.

Filling out his offensive game and developing consistency with his jump shot would give Matthews versatility and an all-around game that could help him before a major factor in the Big Ten in two years.

But Matthews’ presence alone will not launch the Wolverines into the top 1/3 of the Big Ten standings.

The program will need continued production from Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who will be a senior in two seasons, and a quick impact from four-star 2016 point guard Xavier Simpson and three-star 2016 shooting guard Ibi Watson.

Duncan Robinson, who will also be a senior, will provide the sharp shooting, while Michigan has already landed 2017 shooting guard Jordan Poole, a four-star recruit that had interest from Kansas, Utah, Wake Forest and Wisconsin, amongst others.

There’s a lot of unknowns (Simpson, Watson and Poole in particular), but Michigan seems to have a solid core group of guards. With three scholarships remaining for the 2017-18 season due to the number of transfers the team endured this offseason, they could always add another combo guard to fill out their depth.

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However, the addition of Matthews could be a true gem, especially if he builds his offense up in his “off-season.”

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