Michigan Hoops: Charting the Wolverines in the NBA
By Joel Greer
Going 59-17 over the the last two seasons, and losing five underclassmen to the NBA, it’s no wonder why Michigan is off to a rocky start.
Head coach John Beilein’s attack has been called a variation of the “Princeton” offense which employs,constant motion, sound passing, back-door cuts, strong picks, and unselfish teamwork.
More from Michigan Wolverines
- Betting Preview: Best Bets for Michigan vs. Ohio State Rivalry
- Michigan Coach Shockingly Fired as Sign-Stealing Scandal Continues
- Betting Preview: Best Bets for Michigan vs. Penn State
- Known Blowhard Paul Finebaum Makes Ridiculous Michigan Prediction about National Championship
- Michigan Wolverines New Betting Favorite to Win National Championship
Four players are basically a combination of point guard, shooting guard and shooting forward who must be good three-point shooters. The fifth starter patrols the high or low post, and is expected to score on an offensive put-pack or an elbow jumper.
As Michigan fans have seen over the past few years, the offense can be a thing of beauty, providing two or three players are not in shooting slumps, and the center will control the paint, especially on the defensive end.
One problem this season has been three-point shooting. During the three-game losing streak (NJIT, Eastern Michigan, Arizona), Michigan shot 37 per cent from the floor and 31 percent from the three-point arc.
For comparison sake, the Wolverines shot 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point land during the 2013-14 season.
Defense is equally as troubling. Michigan kept its opponents to .318 three-point shooting last season, while this year it’s ballooned to 384.
There’s no doubt the Wolverines would be better with the addition of Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III, and Mitch McGary (if he won an NCAA legal appeal for flunking a marijuana drug test.) (It’s kind of comical since possession of pot carried only a $5 fine back in the early 1970’s in Ann Arbor).
All five (including Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Trey Burke from 2012-13) have joined the NBA. Let’s follow the slide show to see how the Ann Arbor Five are doing;