The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 39 like my big brother, Derrick Walton Jr., I'm seeing how their careers are unfolding right now." Walton played for Howard with the NBA's Miami Heat and assured De- Julius he has a gem for a new coach. The sophomore wants to cash in on that fact. THE HERE AND NOW DeJulius knows he must make it happen, but — borrowing from an- other Michigan sport's lexicon — feels he possesses the license to do so. He knows this much — his goals for the team, and for himself, couldn't be higher. "I feel like it will be a real break- through year for me," DeJulius said. "My goal is to make the program bet- ter than it was when I first got here. That's by adding banners, getting a ring. "The year before I got here, they got to the national championship game. So last year was very bitter. I just want to help bring the program back to that state. Especially being Coach How- ard's first year, I want to go down in history as an intricate part of a team that kind of kick-started his career." To do so, those flashbacks to East English Village need to just keep com- ing, McCormick noted. "He's going to be a really good player," McCormick said. "I love his versatility. He's a two-way player. He can play the one and the two. I do think the next area of growth for Dave DeJulius is consistency. "In that exhibition game, he had 21 points and made 7 of 8 shots. We haven't seen that shooting since. They're going to need him to be able to knock down shots, but also be able to score in transition and be able to cre- ate offense for others." DeJulius knows what's expected, and what he expects for himself. How- ard himself has delivered that message with the sort of encouragement that enables. "He's telling me to play my game, and if I play my game, that's what the team needs from me — to be aggres- sive and defensively get after it," De- Julius said. "If I do those two things, then I feel like I'll be in the rotation very heavily this year." Those two things, and the occasional scrimmage-like three-point flurry, would change plenty for Howard's first crew of Wolverines. ❏ Michigan's Greatest Players From Detroit Sophomore guard David DeJulius takes great pride in coming from the nearby city of Detroit. He says when Detroit prep players move on to the next level, plenty of hopeful eyes focus on them. Here's a list of the top five basketball Wolverines ever from Detroit, ones that could (and did) become NBA All-Stars: 1. Jalen Rose, G (1991-94) — Rose proved the Pied Piper of the Fab Five, lead- ing the Wolverines to appearances in the NCAA title game in the springs of 1992 and 1993. He went on to play for six NBA squads, after scoring 1,788 points and dishing out 401 assists in three seasons at Crisler. 2. Chris Webber, F (1991-93) — Webber, a contemporary of Rose, also threw in with the Fab Five and made it to the cusp of a national championship in his two seasons with the Wolverines. He departed to a long NBA career after two years at Michigan, where he delivered 1,218 points and 702 rebounds. 3. Rudy Tomjanovich, F (1967-70) — Tomjanovich poured in 1,810 points and grabbed 1,044 rebounds in his three-year Michigan career, playing in some of the earliest days at Crisler Arena. He went on to NBA success at two levels, including coaching the Houston Rockets to consecutive NBA championships. 4. Terry Mills, C (1987-90) — Mills, who now works as an analyst on Michigan radio broadcasts, has one up on the aforementioned Michigan players. Mills played on the 1989 Michigan national championship team, producing the only title banner hanging in Crisler Arena. He scored 1,405 points and grabbed 682 rebounds in three seasons, before playing more than a decade in the NBA. 5. Robert Traylor, C (1995-98) — Robert "Tractor" Traylor rumbled his way through three Michigan seasons, scoring 1,210 points, snagging 748 rebounds and shattering one glass backboard in unforgettable fashion on a truly destruc- tive dunk. He played for five NBA squads and several international teams before his passing in 2011 of an apparent heart attack in Puerto Rico. — John Borton Jalen Rose was a two-time All-American (1992, 1994), and finished his U-M career as one of just two players in program history (along with Gary Grant) to compile 1,500 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists and 100 steals. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN