Big Ten Basketball: 3 big surpises of 2019-20 season so far

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 15: Zavier Simpson #3 and Eli Brooks #55 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrate in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: Zavier Simpson #3, Isaiah Livers #4, and Colin Castleton #11 of the Michigan Wolverines look on in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

1. Michigan

When John Beilein left Michigan to coach the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, many in Ann Arbor wondered who the school would hire. After all, replacing the winningest head coach in your school’s history isn’t an easy task.

Faced with this task, Michigan turned to a familiar face, Juwan Howard. Howard, a member of the famous Fab Five, was chosen to succeed Beilein and was tasked with trying to keep Michigan just where it was, in contention year in and year out with the NCAA tournament expected every year.

So far, Howard has done just fine. His team, led by do-it-all guard Zavier Simpson, has propelled itself from unranked to the top 5 with two high-level wins over then #6 North Carolina and then #8 Gonzaga.

https://twitter.com/umichbball/status/1200534125091983361

Although losing to newly-minted #1 Louisville on Tuesday night, Michigan has been one of the biggest surprises so far in what was expected by some to be a down year for the Wolverines.

If players like Zavier Simpson (11.9 ppg, 8.9 apg), Jon Teske (13.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and Isaiah Livers (15.3 ppg, 48.9% 3-point) can continue to produce at their current rates, Michigan could be a force to be reckoned with throughout the year.

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