I remember watching last season's heartbreaking loss to Ohio State and thinking—this team is just one piece away from greatness. Having followed Michigan basketball for over a decade, I've seen how close calls often reveal more about a team's potential than easy victories do. That narrow 72-69 defeat actually showed me something crucial: this squad has the defensive foundation to compete with anyone in the Big Ten. What they need now is that final offensive spark to push them over the top.
The suspension situation with our starting point guard has been particularly tough to watch unfold. Being forced to the sidelines for two full seasons while his teammates continued developing created this strange dynamic where the team learned to win without him, but never quite reached their ceiling. I've spoken with several former players who've been through similar situations, and they all mention how difficult it is to reintegrate after that long of an absence. The chemistry doesn't just automatically return—it has to be rebuilt almost from scratch. What gives me hope is that I've been watching this player's offseason workouts, and his three-point percentage has improved dramatically. From what I've seen, he's shooting around 43% from beyond the arc during scrimmages, which would be a massive upgrade over last season's team average of 34%.
What really excites me about this year's roster is the depth at the forward position. We've got three players who could start for most Big Ten programs, and that kind of rotation luxury means we can maintain defensive intensity for all forty minutes. I've always believed that championship teams are built through their frontcourt depth—just look at our 2013 squad that made the Final Four with Mitch McGary and Jordan Morgan dominating the paint. This year's group has that same potential, especially with the development of our sophomore center who added fifteen pounds of muscle over the summer.
The scheduling this season plays right into our strengths too. We've got that early non-conference test against UCLA that will tell us everything we need to know about this team's tournament readiness. Personally, I think playing tough opponents early is always better than padding the win column with easy victories. It exposes weaknesses while there's still time to fix them. Last year's team learned that lesson the hard way when we stumbled against what seemed like weaker competition in December, only to discover those same flaws resurfaced during March Madness.
Offensively, I'd love to see more pick-and-roll actions involving our power forward. His mid-range game has become absolutely lethal based on what I observed during the preseason scrimmages. When he gets the ball at the elbow, he's shooting what looks like 58% from that spot, which is just unsustainable for most college players. If we can leverage that efficiency while incorporating more off-ball movement from our shooting guards, this offense could become nearly impossible to defend.
Defensively, we need to improve our perimeter defense significantly. Last season, opponents shot 37% from three-point range against us, which ranked us near the bottom of the Big Ten. That's simply unacceptable for a program with our defensive tradition. The good news is I've noticed much better communication during defensive rotations in the exhibition games. The players are talking more, switching more effectively, and showing that defensive intensity that made us so successful during the Beilein era.
The leadership void left by last year's graduating seniors was my biggest concern heading into the offseason, but from what I've seen, two players have really stepped up in that department. The junior small forward has taken charge during crunch time situations, and the redshirt sophomore has become much more vocal in directing defensive assignments. These intangible elements often separate good teams from great ones, and I'm seeing positive signs in that direction.
What many analysts overlook is how our bench production could actually become a strength rather than a weakness. Our second unit averages around 28 points per game in limited action last season, but I suspect that number will climb to at least 35 this year based on the depth we've developed. Having reliable scoring options when starters need rest could be the difference in those tight conference games that often come down to the final possession.
Looking at the broader landscape of college basketball, this feels like a year where the Big Ten could send seven or eight teams to the tournament, which means every conference game will be a battle. But having watched this program evolve over the years, I genuinely believe this squad has the right mix of veteran leadership and young talent to not just compete, but to dominate. The pieces are there—the suspended player's return adds that missing backcourt presence, the frontcourt depth gives us matchup advantages against nearly every opponent, and the improved shooting should space the floor more effectively.
My prediction might sound bold, but I see this team winning at least 27 regular season games and making a deep tournament run. The adversity they faced last year, including playing through key absences, has forged a resilience that will serve them well during the grueling conference schedule. When March arrives, I expect this team to be playing its best basketball—peaking at exactly the right moment to make some noise nationally. The foundation has been laid, the lessons have been learned, and now it's time to see this potential transformed into results on the court.
