Michigan Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Wolverines
Howard and the Wolverines have a few different ways they can run out a starting five, but one thing is for sure is they should be very deep this year. This is who we think will be taking the opening tip of the 2020-21 season.
Starters
Eli Brooks
Brooks turned himself into a pretty good shooting guard last year alongside Simpson, but he also did a good job at the point in relief. He could be the starter at either position for the Wolverines.
We think he will start as the shooting guard because of the addition of Mike Smith, but he could just as easily be the point guard with Chaundee Brown (as long as he gets a waiver to play) at the two. If Brooks can duplicate his outside shooting from last year and continue to improve his ball-handling, the Wolverines will have a great backcourt.
Mike Smith
Smith comes over from Columbia where he showed the ability to not only lead the offense, but he can also fill it up. He averaged 22.8 points per game last year and added in 4.5 assists. He adds another scorer for the Wolverines, but he will have to prove he can get the job done in the Big Ten.
His experience should give him an edge and allow him to start, but he will need to show he belongs if he wants to stay in the lineup. Brown and freshman Zeb Jackson could also take his place and it wouldn’t be shocking if either one of them were the starters.
Franz Wagner
Wagner is poised for a break out year in 2020. He had the start of his season slowed last year because of a broken wrist, but once he found his groove he showed flashes of the player they thought they were getting. Wagner has a lot of length, but can handle the ball and shoot it from outside. If he can make the kind of jump that his brother Moe made at Michigan, he could be one of the best players in the conference.
Isaiah Livers
Livers is the heart and soul of this team, and him deciding to return is a huge boost for the Wolverines. He is explosive off the dribble, can finish at the rim, and is also a very good shooter from the outside. When he is on the court, Michigan is a much better team. Oh, and he is also a very good defender. He might get the most press in the Big Ten, but make no mistake he could be a first-team All-Big Ten player this year.
Hunter Dickinson
There is a lot of hype surrounding Dickinson as he enters his first year at Michigan. He is a big body that was a great defender in high school. He is also very skilled around the basket and should be perfect for the pick and roll game that Howard likes to run. He is going to be the starter for the Wolverines, it just depends on if he starts from day one.
It is possible that Austin Davis starts to begin with but he is better in the backup position. If Dickinson can live up to the hype and give the Wolverines a good presence down low, Michigan should be very dangerous.