Michigan Basketball: Projected depth chart and rotation for 2023-24 season
Power forward
Starter – Olivier Nkamhoua: 10.8 ppg / 5 rpg /25.3 mpg
The 6 foot 9 Nkamhoua is not just another transfer joining the Wolverines, but he is another grad student with experience to offer. The Helsinki native is coming off a season when he finished with the tenth most made two-point field goals in the SEC. Those two-point field goals were the catalyst for his five 20-point performances, with his season-high output being the 27 he scored versus Texas as well as in a 13-point victory over Duke in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Those baskets are going to continue to happen around the painted area, as Nkamhoua is great at sealing off his defender for a post-entry. When he does not have a clear path to the basket, he is able to execute on a turnaround jumper from the block. The high-low that he benefitted from so much with Julian Phillips in Tennessee, will look even better at Ann Arbour with Terrance Williams and newly added Lee Aaliya.
Off the bench – Terrance Williams: 6.1ppg / 5.9 rpg / 26.6 mpg
Terrance Williams is going to be a victim of the domino effect that the addition of Argentinian center Lee Aaliya will create. In his third year at Michigan, the 6 foot 7 forward started 26 of the 32 games he played, but he was in a time share for minutes with the duo of Tarris Reed and Will Tschetter. A lot of that had to do with the fact that Jett Howard was vacuuming up 32 minutes a game with Joey Baker backing him up, therefore Tarris and Tschetter had nowhere else to play.
With Howard and Baker gone, Williams was the largest scoring threat in the frontcourt until Aaliya bumped Nkamhoua to power forward.. His point production will not come from beyond the arc, as he connected on just 25 percent of three-pointers last season. His lack of success, however, will not prevent Williams from shooting from deep as he had seven attempts from three in two games last season and attempted six in a game once. Since Williams is much more successful from mid-range, expect him to take the larger defenders off the dribble for a pull-up jumper.
Off the bench – Tray Jackson: 6.5 ppg /14.6 mpg
Tray Jackson is a grad transfer who joins the Wolverines after three seasons with Seton Hall. The 6’10 forward averaged just over 14 minutes per game while backing up K.C Ndefo with the Pirates. but Jackson does bring experience playing in a major conference. Despite reaching three made three-pointers in just two games last season. At Seton Hall Head Coach Shaheen Holloway would put Jackson in a position to set a perimeter screen for the ballhandler, then have him pop out beyond the arc for a shot attempt. There is no doubt McDaniel will appreciate that two-man game, as he frequently utilized it with Hunter Dickenson. McDaniel will also appreciate how Jackson gets up the floor and finishes at the rim in transition.
Limited minutes – Jackson Selvala: 1 fga / 7 total minutes
The 6 foot 7 grad student had a different variation of a graduation at the start of the 2022-23 season, it was then that Selvala ‘graduated’ from team manager to walk-on. The Academic All Big-Ten member’s greatest contribution will be playing defense in practice.