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2007 Michigan Basketball Predictions & Season Preview

Michigan made one great move in the offseason by hiring West Virginia’s John Beilein to take over their basketball program. Find out how quickly he will make an impact in this 2007 Michigan Wolverines predictions and season preview article.

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Beilein put West Virginia hoops on the map, taking them from obscurity to the elite. Now he has the challenge of reviving a former powerhouse. It’s not going to be easy for Beilein and he’s not going to be able to show Wolverines fans much improvement in season number one.

The Wolverines lost their top four scorers from last year’s team and only has 11 scholarship athletes on their current roster. Beilein is faced with an additional challenge because his offenses at West Virginia have called for a healthy dose of three-point shooting and he currently does not have the caliber of shooters to be firing away. We can still expect to see his Princeton-style offense and for him to get the Wolverines playing with a higher basketball IQ.

Ekpe Udoh and DeShawn Sims will have to make the transition from off-the-bench guys to, perhaps, the two most important players for this team. Udoh recorded 67 blocks as a frosh and Beilein looks for him to lead the country in this category. Michigan will look for his defense to lead to run outs and other offensive opportunities. Sims will likely be the Wolverines’ number one scoring option and Beilein thinks this 6’8’’ forward has three-point range. I’m not so sure, but I’ll gladly be pleasantly surprised. Keep in mind that Sims did not make even one three last season.

In the frontcourt, Jerret Smith’s growth as a PG is paramount for the Wolverines to begin their transformation. The Wolverines averaged more turnovers than assists last season. He needs to take care of the basketball for this team, keep them organized, and be a dependable playmaker when the shot clock is running down. His 3.4 assists and 2.6 turnovers he averaged last season are not going to cut it. Look for true freshman Manny Harris and Kelvin Grady to get significant minutes right out of the gate as well.

Beilein is going to need a couple recruiting classes before we can see what he is really capable of at Michigan. Expect the type of kids coming in and the complexion of this team to change. The bookie are giving Michigan no shot at a Big Ten title this season with the posted college basketball odds and I think we’d all have to agree. The Wolverines will likely finish below .500 in the league, but with expectations low this could be a good team to keep an eye on with your college basketball picks.