NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team backcourts for 2021-22 season

Understandable regression occurred for the Wolverines in Juwan Howard’s 1st season as the head man at his alma mater. However, he simply spun yarn into gold last season following the losses of his experienced cornerstones Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske. The result was a 4-win improvement, a #1 regional seed, and a near Final Four berth for a team with preseason question marks.

Howard turned the screws on a near top-100 offensive and defensive the year before and made them a near top-50 program in both areas. He excelled on the recruiting trail and transformed the roster into a powerhouse again. Now he’s landed the 2nd best class in the nation complete with a pair of 5-stars and four top-50 players. With this group landing in Ann Arbor, the losses of four of the team’s top-5 perimeter threats don’t seem like such an insurmountable situation.

Led by 5-star Montverde Academy wing Caleb Houstan, the Wolverines immediately return a highly proficient scoring ace capable of creating mismatches across the floor. Houstan has consistently performed as a 50+% field goal and 40+% 3-point shooter at Montverde, on the EYBL circuit, and for Team Canada in FIBA competitions during his prep career. Count on the young wing earning a starting role immediately and pouring in big shooting performances throughout the season.

Returning guard Eli Brooks replicated his production from 2019 and even became a more efficient shooter for Coach Howard last season. He found an extra gear on the defensive end and took up some of the slack as a facilitator in the absence of Zavier Simpson. He will look to do more of the same this season with potentially even more responsibility for initiating the offense surrounded by the youth movement.

However, Brooks will find help across the board from Coastal Carolina transfer DeVante’ Jones this season. Jones notched 19.3 PPG last season, shot the ball very efficiently, and averaged 7.2 RPG at 6’1”. The pickup feels very much in the same vein as the Mike Smith addition a year prior, but the move worked very well for the Wolverines during the season. The experience, in this case, to stabilize the ship and minimize turnovers is incredibly important for a team wanting to contend for both the conference and national titles.

The more interesting pieces of Michigan’s recruiting class are guards Frankie Collins and Kobe Bufkin. Both speedy guards and crafty in space, the freshman duo will instantly impact Michigan’s transition game next season. Whether deployed together as a true 2nd unit or sprinkled into the rotation, Collins and Bufkin will be prominent features for Howard to utilize.

Although this year’s backcourt is much younger than it’s been in recent seasons, it is no less talented. With a few games under their belt, they can really take the pressure off the frontcourt duo of Dickinson and freshman Moussa Diabate. Expect Coach Howard to rid this group of any cobwebs early and humming towards national contention by March.