Last Year: 18-16; Fifth (11-9) in the Big Ten Conference, lost in the second round of the NIT
Head Coach: Juwan Howard (Fifth Year; 79-48 at Michigan, with two NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Dug McDaniel – 5’11”, 175 – Sophomore |
| SG Jaelin Llewellyn – 6’2″, 190 – Senior |
| SF Nimari Burnett – 6’4″, 200 – Senior |
| PF Olivier Nkamhoua – 6’9″, 235 – Senior (5th) |
| C Tarris Reed, Jr – 6’10”, 265 – Sophomore |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Dug McDaniel: 8.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.1 spg – 35.5% 3FG
Jaelin Llewellyn: 7.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.6 spg – 30.9% FG in eight games played
Nimari Burnett: 5.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.4 spg – 36.8% FG @ Alabama
Olivier Nkamhoua: 10.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.6 bpg, 51.3% FG @ Tennessee
Tarris Reed, Jr: 3.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 0.5 spg – 51.7% FG
Experienced Reserves
| F Tray Jackson – 6’10”, 215 – Senior (5th) |
| F Will Tschetter – 6’8″, 245 – Sophomore |
| W Jace Howard – 6’8″, 225 – Senior |
| F Terrance Williams II – 6’7″, 225 – Senior |
| F Youssef Khayat – 6’9″, 215 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Tray Jackson: 6.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.3 bpg, 0.2 spg – 37.5% 3FG @ Seton Hall
Will Tschetter: 2.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.4 apg – 49.0% FG
Jace Howard: 1.2 ppg, 0.9 rpg – 41.2% 3FG
Terrance Williams II: 6.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.3 spg – 38.5% FG
Youssef Khayat: 1.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg – 44.4% 3FG
Freshmen
| G George Washington III – 6’2″, 170 – Freshman – Consensus Top 150 recruit |
| F/C Lee Aaliya – 6’9″, 230 – Freshman / Argentina |
Of all the headlines Juwan Howard has made in his four-plus seasons as the head coach at Michigan, the latest was the most concerning. As the new season begins, there are more hopes for Howard to be healthy and well than there are for wins on the basketball court.
There has been a Big Ten title, a Sweet Sixteen, numerous contentious exchanges with other coaches, an Elite Eight run, a slap heard ’round the world – and so much more – since Howard became the head coach of the Wolverines. This fall, though, Michigan’s leader is resting up and rehabilitating after a successful heart procedure, and hoping to be back with his team by sometime close to the start of the regular season. In his absence, Phil Martelli, himself a longtime head coach and Howard’s assistant for the past four seasons, has been helping to run the show.
On the court, where Howard has established himself as a with-me or against-me personality, his last two teams haven’t exactly racked up the wins to back up such bravado. Michigan has gone just 37-31 over the past two seasons, and now the Maize & Blue must replace their top three scorers from a year ago. The real gut-punch is that all three of them had eligibility remaining; and while Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard – one of Juwan’s sons – have moved on to the NBA, star big man Hunter Dickinson hit the Transfer Portal and took his talents to Kansas.
Now, Juwan Howard is out to not only feel whole and well one more, but to rehabilitate his reputation and the once glowing-bright potential of Michigan basketball. He’s tried to pull together a promising group that won’t just win now – Howard hopes that it will be the foundation of what the Wolverines will emerge as in the years to come, as well. With a couple of key upgrades and some better health for one of last year’s biggest additions, Michigan is looking to climb back into the spotlight, and prove that the backslide was only momentary.
The team’s leading returning scorer is sophomore point guard Dug McDaniel, who stepped straight into Howard’s lineup to start 26 games as a rookie. McDaniel has an excellent handle and the confidence to abuse defenders off the bounce. He also led the Wolverines in helpers right away, posting a very strong 122 assists against just 56 turnovers despite his inexperience. McDanaiel is lightning-quick, and forces defenders onto their heels by attacking off the bounce. Though he stands less than six feet tall, McDaniel showed real flashes of three-level scoring potential, too. He did most of his damage away from the basket as a freshman, putting it on the floor and getting to open spots mostly inside the three point arc. McDaniel makes good use of his low center of gravity, cutting tight corners and accelerating quickly before changing directions as his defenders end up off-balance. He floated, ran up and fell away into making a solid 43.8% of his in-between attempts last season, per Bart Torvik, and when he’s feeling it, McDaniel can mix his shot types like a pitcher working around the zone.
“He was great,” former Rutgers guard Paul Mulcahy reflected on McDaniel following his first time facing the young Wolverine. “Quick. He was real handsy. Sometimes we weren’t aware of where he was on the court and he made us pay for that. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, as a freshman especially.” McDaniel is a good and aggressive defender who can put the pressure on full-court and doesn’t give his opponents much time to consider their next moves. With the polish that comes with a summer’s improvement, McDaniel should be even better as a sophomore, and Howard is hoping he can fully assume control of the Michigan attack.
“When you have someone that big and athletic…he’s the type of guy that can clean it up at the last second and make those crazy monster blocks”
– Jaelin Lllewellyn
It was expected when he committed to Michigan, that Tarris Reed, Jr, would have a couple of years to develop his considerable talents behind one of the nation’s best pivots. Well, Reed got one year. He also saw post duty with some regularity, it turned out, as a freshman, Reed is now undoubtedly Howard’s man in the middle after All-American center Dickinson moved on to the Jayhawks, and especially after rising prospect Papa Kante asked out of his National Letter of Intent with Michigan and signed with Pitt. Reed played just 12.6 minutes per game as a freshman, but they tended to be high-impact minutes. His first big introduction came as Reed snagged seven boards and three blocks, and was more noticeable than Dickinson at times against UNC in December at the Jumpman Invitational. Reed then owned the paint at times against Northwestern a couple of weeks later, and keyed a late surge in a win against Michigan State, posting eight points, ten boards and three blocks overall late in February. Reed is a unique combination of things: he possesses tremendous size, nimble feet, the coordination to use both in concert to make exceedingly difficult and precise plays for such a wide-bodied dude.
“When you have someone that big and that athletic, when you make a mistake on the defensive end, he’s the type of guy who can clean it up at the last second and make those crazy monster blocks,” Michigan’s Jaelin Llewellyn admired of Reed, speaking on the “Defend the Block” podcast. Due to his length and agility, Reed often joined Dickinson on the floor late in games to give the Wolverines impressive defensive fortifications around the basket.
This winter, it will be Reed and more Reed – and if he can avoid foul trouble, the second-year man from St. Louis may evolve into a one-man wrecking crew. He finished 13th in the Big Ten in blocks despite playing less than a third of each game, and Reed uses his nearly 7’5″ wingspan to corral rebounds that most players wouldn’t get to. Reed is yet unrefined offensively, but has both quickness and occasionally, excellent footwork to utilize in the paint. He has worked hard to get into the best shape of his life this summer in anticipation of playing somewhere close to the 30+ minutes which Dickinson saw last year. Reed has also been diligent about developing his patience and touch when operating under the basket. “Everything has to slow down so that it’s not such a rush,” Michigan assistant Phil Martelli told MLive’s Andrew Khan this summer, commenting on Reed’s progression. If the big sophomore can also develop some more touch at the charity stripe, it will pay off hugely in the years to come. Reed grabbed 52 offensive boards in his limited minutes a year ago, and got off 17 putback attempts, per Hoop-Math. He’s going to feast on the glass, and Reed is definitely going to be getting fouled, so he needs to make better than last year’s 40.0% in order to convert most of the and-1’s that are coming.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 26.4 – Defensive Rebounds Per Game (9th) |
| 8.0 – Opponent Offensive Rebounds Per Game (136th) |
| 4.6 – Team Steals Per Game (341st) |
| 4.6 – Team Blocks Per Game (28th) |
| .461- Assists Per Field Goal Made (304th) |
There’s a new scoring option for McDaniel to get comfortable with this year, as former Tennessee Volunteer Olivier Nkamhoua has followed the fur trade maps of the early 19th century and headed Northwest to Michigan. Having found a particularly rich pelt in Ann Arbor, Nkamhoua will offer both offensive and defensive versatility to Howard’s lineup. Nkamhoua – whose parents are from Cameroon and Finland, and who was born in Helsinki – tried out for the NBA Draft as he was in the Transfer Portal, and is coming off of his best season in Knoxville. Last year, he scored in double figures 17 times while starting each of Tennessee’s 36 games. Even better for a team in search of impact scorers, Nkamhoua scored 20 or more points five times, with a pair of 27-point explosions – including one against Duke to advance the Vols to a Sweet Sixteen appearance. He also failed to score more than six points in a game eight times, but Wolverine fans are by and large taking the glass-half-full angle which suggests that Tennessee was, after all, a pretty balanced team last year. He’s developed offensively quite a bit over the past two seasons, and Nkamhoua can score in the lane or from the perimeter, and has made better than 41% of his 190 mid-range attempts over the past two campaigns. Nkamhoua has also made 31 triples at a 37.3% clip over the last two seasons, and he ended with a 70.0% mark on attempts near the basket last winter – with 33 dunks.
While Nkamhoua doesn’t create a ton of his own looks – 75+% of his total made shots last year were assisted – but he balances things out by being a talented ball-mover who can set up his friends. “It’s a thrill to be able to bring in an efficient and skilled player like Olivier. He brings so many intangibles and experiences,” Howard said soon after Nkamhoua pledged to the Wolverines. “What people don’t realize is what a tremendous passer he is. He sees the floor and plays develop as good as anyone I have seen.” Nkamhoua handed out four or more assists in a half a dozen different games last season, and ought to provide a nice compliment up front as a skilled, shooting big next to the paint-focused Reed. Nkamhoua should also make for a good defensive bookend, as he’s got quick feet and very good awareness around the lane. Capable of guarding a variety of other bigs, Nkamhoua should allow Howard to mix and match lineups to his advantage.
The player who Howard had expected would be the team’s point guard last season – at least to start – was former Princeton transfer Llewellyn. Unfortunately, Llewellyn was lost for the season with a torn ACL after just eight games. He earned a waiver to continue competing, and has worked hard to get back into game shape. Though he didn’t exactly set the world on fire to start last season prior to the injury, Llewellyn is a scoring combo guard who can really fill it up when he’s hitting from the outing. Llewellyn has never been shy about lining up a three ball, but is also just a 27.7% career shooter from the land of trey – outside of his junior year, when he managed to rip off a 38.6% on 64 made triples. Even though he missed his first 11 tries from distance in Maize & Blue, the hope for Michigan fans has to be that Llewellyn has smoothed out his marksmanship while rehabilitating his injury, and will return to the court a more consistent launcher.
Llewellyn’s ballhandling and playmaking should be a really nice compliment to McDaniel, allowing the youngster to bolt around the halfcourt hunting quality looks, and could provide a key presence to Howard’s second unit. The last time he played a healthy season, Llewellyn ranked sixth in the Ivy League in points produced per game; and though the Tigers primarily needed Llewellyn to score, he has maintained a 14.9% career assist rate. Wolverines fans weren’t exactly in love with Llewellyn’s defense in his small sample size, and a knee injury doesn’t really help there, but given the tenacity he’s shown in getting back and the year he’s spent absorbing Michigan’s offense, Llewellyn should be a valuable addition when he gets back out there.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N – Florida – December 19 |
| @ St. John’s – November 13 |
| N – Arkansas / Stanford – November 23 |
| @ Oregon – December 2 |
| vs Memphis – November 22 |
He’s yet to deliver on the potential scouts saw when he was named a McDonald’s All-American four years ago, but Nimari Burnett will have the chance to shine for Michigan this year. The former Texas Tech and Alabama wing is a tremendous athlete who can really guard people, and is hoping to have finally found the right fit – and a clean bill of health. “I have watched and gotten to know Nimari for several years,” Howard has said of Burnett. “He has that ‘feel’ for the game that is just unique. This is why he has continued to excel on both ends of the floor. We also love his length, toughness and passion for the game. Nimari’s work ethic and leadership is off the charts.” Burnett missed all of the 2021-22 season following a torn ACL, then faced a couple of more significant dings over the course of last season – including a wrist injury which required surgery. He still managed to play 27 games, but Burnett has never truly been able to get untracked as a collegian. “He’s a great kid. He’s been through a lot,” Bama coach Nate Oats said last year of Burnett’s injury struggles. “He’s kept his head together, he’s had a great attitude through it all.” With Bufkin, Jett Howard, and their 28.2 combined points per game gone from Michigan’s wing, Burnett will have every opportunity to get lots of run. He was a good fit in the Crimson Tide’s ‘no mid-range’ offense last year, as Burnett is living his best life when he’s slashing to the rim or launching triples. He wasn’t terribly efficient at either last year, though, but with a full offseason and more confidence in his rehabilitated injuries, Burnett should be more effective. He’s always been a high-effort, versatile defender, and Michigan is counting on a better defense overall headed into this fall.
Howard’s second unit will be headed up by two experienced forwards and a talented new freshman scorer. The 4 spot in Ann Arbor, among all positions on the floor, is stout. Former Seton Hall transfer Tray Jackson will play some at both big spots, and Terrance Williams II returns at forward after starting 26 games a year ago. Williams can shoot the ball from distance, but Howard needs him to make 38.5%, as he did in 2021-22, rather than the 25.0% Williams shot on triple ties a year ago. The Wolverines return just 71 made three’s from last year’s rotation, and Williams could provide a big help by spacing the floor. He’s a 40.4% career shooter from mid-range, per Bart Torvik, so if Williams can figure out the three ball once more, he could keep on playing 25+ minutes per contest. Jackson has played for the Pirates and started off at Missouri, but the Detroit product will finish his career close to home. Like Williams, Jackson can score the ball, and has some shooting ability of his own. At 6’10”, he owns a career 46/36/75% slash line, and when Jackson is making outside shots, he can get into a rhythm and provide great minutes. The best-case scenario for Howard’s experienced bigs this year will be that they provide Reed some meaningful defensive help and make the perimeter shots they try at a tidy rate. It’s not an unreasonable thing to hope, and the oldsters have experience on their side.
Little did posterity know, at the time, that when a young colonel George Washington held together British forces after the disaster at the battle of the Monongahela, he would soon lead a different, rival country, and become one of the greatest individual leaders in world history. It’s not as though Michigan fans are expecting George Washington III, the ballyhooed freshman guard who will be debuting in Ann Arbor this fall, to equal that legacy. They’d certainly accept it if he was all that, though. As ‘ol George once rode under the Union Jack, Michigan’s GWIII was once an Ohio State pledge. After switching over to the Maize & Blue, he’s added a fair bit of zest to a great rivalry before ever stepping onto the floor. “After I thought about everything that comes with making that flip, I thought this is just going to make the rivalry that much more fun and that much more enjoyable,” Washington told reporters in May. The Wolverines are going to need Washington to be locked and loaded from deep right out of the box. There aren’t many great shooters on this team, but Washington can make jumpers all over the place, and he could get big minutes immediately if he’s able to effectively stretch defenses. Rated a Top 100 recruit, Washington is a bucket-getter who acquires his points stylishly. With a good handle and passing skills, Washington can run a bit of offense and set up his buddies. He’s also a lively, high-quality defender, and Washington projects as a strong two-way player. With Howard’s need for a deep threat combined with his own scoring pedigree and confidence, Washington should be ready for his next step into the spotlight as a rookie.
Reed will have some competition at the biggest spot, as Howard brought in a new import towards the end of August. After showing out at the FIBA U-19 World Cup this summer, Argentinian sensation Lee Aaliya chose to play for Michigan. The young post player broke out on the world stage by averaging 17.1 points, 9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks across the FIBA tournament, including a 31-point, 20-board tilt against Team Canada. Aaliya looks the part of a quality prospect, and shouldn’t get pushed around like some rookie bigs. Aaliya can shoot the ball out to three point range, and was highly productive on the glass at both ends of the floor against strong competition this summer.
Will Tschetter is also back, and will compete for minutes at both frontcourt spots. Despite averaging less than 11 minutes as a freshman, Tschetter started eight games and showed real scoring potential during his prep career. As an inside-outside offensive option without a clearly defined role, Tschetter will rely upon making jumpers and playing more of the energetic defense he brought last year in hopes of carving out a niche all his own. Youssef Khayat is also back, having appeared in just nine games as a rookie. The lanky big can shoot the ball, though, and could get a look this season if he’s ready from a defensive standpoint. Finally, there is Jace Howard, the coach’s other son. Though he has the size to play up front, Jace is more of a wing. He’s averaged just six minutes off the bench through three seasons and 55 career games, but played his largest role last season. If Jace Howard can shoot the ball well – he’s made 34.6% of his career triple tries – it will be the easiest path to his biggest role yet.
Michigan is in some flux. With their coach on the mend, lots of new faces and a couple of gaps in the lineup where comforting stars have been, this is a team which will need to identify and embrace an identity all their own. If they can do so by the start of conference play, this is also a group which has plenty of potential.
Despite good numbers in a lot of areas, last season was not as clean and easy as good numbers. Though the Wolverines did well on the boards – especially when deploying Reed and Dickinson together – they gave up frustrating putbacks; and overall, the Wolverines allowed their opponents to take nearly three more shots than they got off each game. And while their opponents rarely shot the ball very efficiently, few Michigan fans would say that their defense was good enough on the whole. With Reed stepping into the prime minutes in the middle, Burnett as a stopper on the wing and Nkamhoua’s ability to cover a range of opposing forwards, the hope is that this team will be more stout overall. That just leaves Michigan needing to identify some folks who will consistently get buckets of their own.
There is talent, youth, and plenty of potential in Ann Arbor. After the frustrations of the last two years, it is a different-enough team that Michigan should be able to somewhat start fresh. The hope is that Juwan Howard will make a complete recovery by early November, and that he will be able to grow closer to his team as they face the first skirmishes of the new year. It won’t be easy; after facing off against defending Big South champs UNC-Asheville in their first game, Michigan will likely play seven more Top 100 team’s over the first eight games on their schedule. If the new backcourt gels and the frontline is stout, the Wolverines will be fine. Just how much potential this team has will be answered as they get rolling, but after lots of talk about what is, what has been, and what could be, these Wolverines are ready to get to work and find out.
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