The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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46 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2017 2017-18 BASKETBALL PREVIEW Much of improvement comes with experience, he noted, and experience breeds confidence. Comfort level with the offense, just playing in col- lege games and getting used to the level of competition will help them moving forward, he predicted. For Davis, that means trusting that he's as good as his coaches and team- mates think he is. He's dropped 30 pounds since he arrived in Ann Ar- bor, but he still sometimes plays like he's the slower big man he was when he first arrived. "He's a physical kid and really good around the basket," Washing- ton said. "Anything up around the basket he gets his hands on is his. He's good at finishing around the rim. … Now we've just have to get him to react a little bit quicker on both sides of the floor. "Both of these kids have permis- sion to go out and play hard, and really try to elevate their game to another level. They are different in ways, and both of them will be useful for us this season in some capacity." POWER FORWARDS AND WINGS ARE BATTLING FOR TIME With three players vying for the center position, several others are battling for playing time at power forward and on the wings. Fifth-year senior Duncan Robinson (6-8, 215) is competing with true freshman Isa- iah Livers (6-7, 230) for the right to start at the four, and it's been a great contest. "It's different as night and day, but both can shoot," Beilein said. "But I'm not comparing Duncan to Isaiah in that area. We've gotten great lead- ership from Duncan, and Isaiah has shown great ability to pick things up. His athleticism is something that's even better than I thought, and after a year with [strength] Coach [Jon] Sanderson, it will be even better. "Both of these guys are very skilled, both can pass and both can shoot. Isaiah's probably going to go to the backboard every time, Duncan never, but both are playing the same position. It's a good complement to have." Livers goes back and forth between Washington and wings coach Luke Yaklich, one of Beilein's new staff additions this summer. He's honing all parts of his game and will play a significant role in his first year. "He's definitely a kid who can play inside and out. That was one of the reasons we recruited him, because of his skill level, his ability to play a variety of positions for us in this sys- tem," Washington said. "He's shoot- ing it well, and we've worked a ton with him on fine-tuning his shot. "He's a worker bee, always going to work on his game. Even in this first couple of months with him you can see how his shot has evolved since he got here this summer. He has a great attitude and approach to practice and workouts every day." Robinson is a program veteran now in his fourth year, counting his NCAA-mandated year on the side- lines after transferring. He started three games last season and played in all 38. While he averaged 7.7 points per game and shot 42.4 percent from three-point range, many believe he has another level he can reach. He'll never be an elite defender and still has work to do on that end of the floor, but he has the ability to be one of the nation's best shooters. "Duncan will be playing wherever Coach needs him to play," Yaklich said. "He's a smart kid, able to pick up a lot of things, and he obviously has a skill set that is at an elite level. As an elite-level shooter, he'll be able to space the floor and open up op- portunities for other players." They could even post him up at times in certain matchups, Washing- ton added, should they be presented in games. Robinson has backed down smaller defenders and beaten them with a turnaround, mid-range jumper on occasion during his career, and Washington has spent some time with him in that area. He's not alone, either, in that skill. "Charles Matthews, maybe even [guard/wing] Ibi Watson on some occasions, I'll get my hands on them and we'll work at getting them to have some comfort level in the post," Washington said. "At the end of the day, that can work whether you're a big man or just a big guard going against a Sophomore Jon Teske — a 7-1, 255-pound center — played sparingly last year (averaging 3.1 minutes in 20 games), but is expected to take on a bigger role in 2017-18. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN