2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Team Previews—Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines were a regular season contender last season who couldn’t get it done when tournament time came around. They enter the 2012-13 season once again with buildup surrounding the program, but this time they hope to finish what they start when March finally rolls around.
Odds to Win (By bovada.lv)
2013 NCAA Tournament: 15 to 1
2013 Big 10 Tournament: 5 to 1
The Wolverines are ranked fifth overall in both the AP and USA Today preseason polls.
Last Year’s Results
Michigan began last season with excitement surrounding the program, and they lived up to the hype in the regular season by winning a share of the Big Ten title. The team went 24-10 on the season and 13-5 in its own conference.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t live up to the expectations when tournament time came around. The Wolverines were a 4-seed, but they dropped their first contest to No. 13 Ohio University.
Roster Changes
Michigan’s leading scorer from last season, guard Trey Burke, considered entering the NBA draft, but he ultimately decided to return for his sophomore season, making the Wolverines NCAA contenders. However, not everybody will be returning, as seniors Zack Novak and Stu Douglass are gone from the roster. Forward Evan Smotrycz is also gone following his transfer to Maryland.
Michigan has arguably two of the top-5 Big Ten recruits coming in this season. The first is Glen Robinson III. The son of former NBA player Glen Robinson, he will add extreme athleticism to this roster. He is rated the 18th-best incoming freshman in the nation by ESPN, and he can make his impact felt above the rim on the fast break or from beyond the arc in the half court. He also has a great pull-up jumper that will be seen in both situations.
Also coming in this year is power forward/center Mitch McGary. The big man is rated No. 27 overall by ESPN, and his rebounding ability will be felt on both offense and defense. His ability to run the floor is fantastic for a big man, which means he will use his energy and aggression to keep the tempo high this season.
Key Players
The current backcourt in Michigan has a chance to become one of the best point guard-shooting guard combinations in all of college basketball. Burke will look to lead the team in scoring again for the second straight season, while Tim Hardaway Jr. has a chance to really boost his name into NBA draft conversations. [ad-6571516]
Junior Forward Jordan Morgan also has a chance to step up and make a name for himself if he develops in his third season. He has proven to be a decent impact player on the boards, and while his points dropped last season, he showed his freshman year he can make shots, shooting 62.7 percent from the field and scoring 9.2 points per contest.
Key Games
The Wolverines are set to being their season with a marquee matchup against sixth-ranked North Carolina State just three games into the year. NC State is a team who has huge potential in 2013, but their ranking could also prove to be a result of their incredible tournament run in 2012.
Once in conference, that’s when the schedule really picks up. There is a stretch between Feb. 2 and Feb. 12 where the team plays four games, all of which are against No. 1 Indiana, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 23 Wisconsin and No. 14 Michigan State.
The team concludes its regular season against the team that is considered the best in the country to start the year, the Indiana Hoosiers.
2013 Prediction
The Wolverines are entering the year as the No. 5 team in the country, and while it’s difficult at this point to project them much higher, it’s also unlikely we see them drop too far below No. 10 at any point this year. The incoming freshmen have potential to be very good, and while there will be the necessary adjustment period for the young players, the returners are going to impact this roster from day one.
This team is primed for another NCAA tournament appearance, but this time, they should be ready to avoid any colossal failures in the form of a first-round upset. At this point in the year, a Big Ten title seems tough to bank on with Indiana in their conference, but with the most talent they’ve had in quite some time, they should be considered legitimate contenders until they’re officially eliminated from championship contention.
