The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/589596
2015-16 BASKETBALL PREVIEW TIME TO TAKE OFF There is one certainty: whoever mans the court for the Wolverines on any given gameday will have been battle tested, either in games or in practice. Depth promotes competition, and com- petition breeds improvement across the board. Junior Derrick Walton saw plenty of it last year from Dawkins and his other young teammates who stepped up in the point guard's absence. "You could just see them start to get comfortable," Walton said. "At first, it just seemed like everything was real fast, always with something changing. Being there to watch practices, seeing them adjust to the way Coach does stuff, they began to hold themselves a lot more accountable throughout the season. Seeing that was really exciting." They're all back — from last year's freshmen to injured veterans, and there are even newcomers anxious to crack the lineup. Dawkins believes he's up to the challenge after an offseason ded- icated to improving in all facets. He spent hours on his own doing drills to improve his ball handling, shooting and conditioning. He credits strength coach Jon Sanderson for the latter, in addition to adding five inches to his vertical jump, which now eclipses 40 inches. "It's just in my knowledge of the game," Dawkins said of his greatest area of improvement since arriving in Ann Arbor. "I've gotten a little smarter here and there, and my IQ should keep growing. I've worked on my game and think that's gotten better, too." Hearing that Beilein thinks so, too, provides more motivation. "It's good to hear. You always like that positive reinforcement," Dawkins said. "For him to feel that way about me gives me confidence, as well. I'm excited for the season." So are a few folks back in Palo Alto. When Johnny Dawkins watches film of his son now, he can only shake his head and smile — with a coach's caveat. "It's the same old, same old," the younger Dawkins said with a laugh. "He's still always giving me teaching points, telling me what I can get better at." There's always room for improve- ment, after all. But the sky's the limit and Dawkins seems primed to take a huge leap if he continues to work as hard as he has been. "We'll see what happens, where we can fit him in," Beilein said. "He's got a great attitude and is a great kid." One with a chip on his shoulder that could help him become a star. ❏ Second-Year Leaps A number of players have made huge jumps from their freshman to sopho- more seasons under head coach John Beilein. Here are four who went from relatively unheralded freshmen to sophomore sensations: