Scouting the Competition: Michigan Wolverines

The ACC/Big 10 challenge is upon us, and NC State will face 4-2 Michigan tonight at 7PM on ESPN 2. Let’s breakdown the season for the Wolverines thus far.

The Schedule (4-2): 

• Northern Michigan 11/13 70-44 W
• Elon 11/16 88-68 W
• Xavier 11/20 86-70 L
• Uconn 11/25 60-74 L
• UNC Charlotte 11/26 102-47 W
• Texas 11/27 78-72 W

Key Players: 

Caris LeVert G/F 6-7 205 lbs Sr.

The senior guard is having a great start to his final season as he is averaging 18.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 4.0 apg. The Wolverines are happy to have him healthy and have been getting the most out of him. On the season he is shooting the rock with excellent accuracy as his splits are as follows, 53% FG, 56% 3FG, and 88% FT.

With LeVert thus far teams have struggled matching up with the athletic wing as he has been so deadly from behind the arc, in his last game out he went 3-5 as his team beat the Longhorns in Nassau. If LeVert can keep up his stellar ply Michigan should exceed expectations in the Big 10.

Derrick Walton Jr PG 6-1 190 lbs Jr.

Last season was a lost season due to injury but this year Walton appears to be healthy as he is second on his team in minutes per game at 29. Not only is he second in minutes but he is second in scoring as well, averaging a hair over 10 points per game.

Walton has been leathal from beyond the arc as he has connected on 14-22 attempts, good for 63 percent. The Wolverines love having him back as he adds great experience and talent to the back court.

What They do well:

One thing that Michigan has done this season is shoot the three ball, and they have shot it with incredible accuracy. So far the Wolverines have buried 63 three pointers at a conversion rate of 44 percent. In fact, they have four player shooting over 40 percent on the season.

Both Walton and LeVert are great at penetration and finding the open man for kick out three pointers. William & Mary transfer Duncan Robinson (G/F 6-8) has been on the receiving end of these kick outs and boosts the Wolverine’s three point attack. His length allows him clean looks, and he is making 57 percent of his attempts on the season. In all the Wolverines are ranked 8th in the NCAA when it comes to burying the 3 ball.

Summary: 

Michigan depends a lot on the 3, but they have the players that can create for one another on the perimeter. Both Walton and LeVert have been leading the charge for the Wolverines. A lot of the offensive workload rests on LeVert, but he has been up to the challenge of carrying them thus far. He has been impressive, averaging 18.5 ppg without being a real high volume scorer.

John Beilein has brought success to this basketball program and always seems to have a well coached group. Look for him to keep his team in contention throughout the season. If his team stays healthy they could certainly be a dark horse to win the Big 10.