Michigan Wolverines Basketball

As if things couldn't get any worse for the Michigan Wolverines, they have to head to Tucson to play No. 3 Arizona Saturday. 

How the Wolverines recover from a second deflating home loss in a row could determine just how brutal their season will end up being. 

While hope is something that is hard to find in Ann Arbor at the moment, the Wolverines do have a chance of upsetting the third-ranked Wildcats if they get their act together in the frontcourt. 

In the losses to NJIT and Eastern Michigan, the starting frontcourt duo of Mark Donnal and Kameron Chatman combined to score 10 points. Regardless of who the opponents were during the two-game span, those numbers are flat-out unacceptable to post at a big-time program like Michigan. 

To add to the misery, the players off the bench at the forward position have contributed little. Ricky Doyle earned a whopping six points in both games, while Max Bielfeldt contributed five points in Tuesday's loss to Eastern Michigan. 

Scoring points hasn't been the only problem for the Michigan forwards this season, as rebounding has turned into a major issue as well. During their two-game losing streak, the Wolverines have been out-rebounded 62-53. This is not a concern tied to the two losses, either, as two guards currently lead the team in rebounding. 

If you base Saturday's result at the McKale Center just off those frontcourt statistics, Michigan could be in for an extremely long day in the desert. If you also look at Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski's numbers to start the season, a 20- or 30-point loss at the hands of Sean Miller's team becomes a even bigger reality. 

With all that in mind, it is still possible the Wolverines find a way to keep the score close enough for Caris LeVert to take over in the final minutes. 

One way for John Beilein to get the best out of his big men Saturday is to switch up the starting lineup. Donnal is experiencing plenty of growing pains in his freshman season, and it would not be a bad idea at all to let him come off the bench. 

The ideal replacement for Donnal would be Doyle, who has scored over 10 points in three of his last six games. Beilein has already shown he has trust in his other freshman forward, as Doyle has played more minutes than Donnal in five of the last six games. 

Since the Michigan head coach clearly has a preference as to which big man he wants to use, he should finally pull the trigger and sit Donnal. If he does do that, Beilein could also light a spark under Donnal to get his season going. 

Putting Doyle alongside Chatman in the frontcourt may not put the Wolverines on the same level as the Wildcats, but it could give them a chance to challenge them over 40 minutes. 

While a switch in the starting five can solve a few issues for the Wolverines, they still need to improve their shooting. For Michigan to have a chance at opening up the court for the bigs, the team has to shoot better than it did against Eastern Michigan. In the defeat to their in-state rival, the Wolverines were 14-of-43 from the field. 

Beilein: they're coachable... They're hurting right now but we've got to be resilient

— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) December 10, 2014

As we saw in the loss to NJIT, LeVert is capable of carrying the team during long stretches when he gets hot from the field, but the Wolverines need to develop another scorer in the paint to keep some attention off the star guard. If not, LeVert could be in for a rough night against the guard duo of T.J. McConnell and Gabe York. 

If the passing of LeVert, Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. can open up the Arizona defense early on in the game, the Wolverines could create chances in the paint. Even if they only make a few shots down low, the Michigan big men will keep Arizona's defense honest. 

If that happens, the guards could exploit some one-on-one matchups during half-court sets to make big shots from beyond the arc. Add in a boost off the bench from Spike Albrecht, and the Wolverines could have the perfect formula to keep things interesting in Tucson. 

Beating Arizona after two soul-crushing defeats is not an impossible task for the Wolverines, but a lot has to go right in the paint for them to avoid a third straight deflating loss in nonconference play.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

All statistics obtained from ESPN.com. 

Michigan’s 72-70 loss Saturday to the New Jersey Institute of Technology floored everyone who witnessed it unfold.

Well, everyone but the Highlanders, that is.

To say that senior Daquan Holiday knew his team would down the No. 17-ranked Wolverines at the Crisler Center would be inaccurate. However, to say he thought it never had a chance couldn’t be further from the truth.

“The funny thing is, when we got to Michigan, the first person we saw was—I guess—a Michigan [fan], and he started singing the fight song right in front of our face,” said the 6’8”, 205-pound power forward, who scored four points and raked in six key rebounds. “We took that personally. We take everything to heart.

“We came in with a chip on our shoulder. We knew we didn’t have anything to lose.”

Holiday was right. NJIT didn’t have anything to lose but another game—as it had done 50 times in a row during his four-year career. The win, albeit one, was monumental for the Highlanders, who entered at 2-5, with three of their losses coming by five or less.

“We didn’t want to regret anything,” said Damon Lynn, a 5'11", 165-pound sophomore guard who buried Michigan by scoring 20 points, including 18 from three-point range (6-of-10). “We want to play every game like it’s our last, and this game was a big game—one of the biggest on our schedule—so coming out here, we didn’t come out here just to compete.

“We came out to actually win.”

UPDATE: Here's the link to a recent interview with NJIT.

https://twitter.com/AdamBiggers81/status/542052625923842048

 

No Frontcourt for Young Men

Coach John Beilein got 10 points and four rebounds from Mark Donnal (7, 2), Ricky Doyle (2, 2) and Kam Chatman (1, 0).

Donnal, a redshirt frosh, hit two threes, which of course helped, but he was a no-show in the paint.

Doyle, a true freshman, missed and attempted one field goal, which didn’t help. Like Donnal, Doyle must learn how to better assert himself in the post and on the boards. Second-chance scoring opportunities were there, but Doyle wasn’t.

The pair of 6'9," 240-pounders left a lot to be desired Saturday. 

As for Chatman, things couldn’t have gone any worse. The 6'7", 200-pound true frosh looked out of place, was pushed around and missed each of his six attempts from the field. His lone point came from a free throw.

It’s not going to happen overnight, but the Wolverines need to get their frontcourt on the fast track or risk losing plenty more games they should win. That’s not to discredit the Highlanders at all, but the score would have probably been different if Beilein’s forwards were more involved.

Too Much Caris?

If he’s not on your favorite list for Big Ten Player of the Year, put him on it right now. Caris LeVert is easily one of the league’s most dynamic, athletic and skilled players on the court.

He’s scored more than 20 points four times this season and burst for a career-high 32 points Saturday afternoon. Those should have been enough, right? There was no way that Michigan would lose to the self-proclaimed drifters out of New Jersey after LeVert went nuts, right?

Right?

"I probably wouldn’t believe it," replied Lynn, laughing. "He's an awesome player. I really like his game."

In 2013-14, the Wolverines were 4-3 when LeVert scored 20 or more. Of course, stats can be stretched to fit context. There probably aren’t too many negatives that come from a 6’7”, 200-pound first-rounder going off—but Michigan can’t rely on him to do everything.

It seemed as if that were the case Saturday. LeVert can take over when needed and even carry the team. But even he needs help. Had he received a small donation from his forwards, we’d be talking about a slim victory rather than a crushing defeat to coach Jim Engles' boys.

Where’s the Secondary Help?

With exception to seven points from senior captain Spike Albrecht, the Wolverines basically received zilch from their bench Saturday. On top of that, Zak Irvin scored just five points. That total would have been fine in 2013-14, but much more is expected from the 6’6”, 215-pound sophomore.

Defensively, Michigan was at its worst, allowing the Highlanders to scold the team for an astonishing 58.7 percent (27-of-46) from the field and 64.7 percent from long range (11-of-17). Some of those shots were contested, but the Wolverines couldn’t do much to throw off Lynn, who hit a pair of late threes to help progress the upset.

"We really don’t have a defense for those step-back jump shots…," Beilein said.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand by the writer.

Michigan showed its extra gear during Tuesday night’s 68-65 ACC—Big Ten Challenge victory over Syracuse.

Although it took them a few miles to engage, the Wolverines reached another level of intensity when Spike Albrecht dropped a Magic-like dime to Ricky Doyle, who followed the dish with a raucous dunk. Albrecht also hit a three that pushed Michigan to a 66-63 edge with 26.7 seconds to play, further proving that he was far from a one-hit wonder in the 2013 Final Four.

The Wolverines crossed another developmental plane when Caris LeVert took matters into his own hands, drawing contact from Orange frosh Kaleb Joseph and hitting a pair of free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining to ice the deal for coach John Beilein, who got his second career win (2-9) over Jim Boeheim.

Nonetheless, the Wolverines made a strong impression on the legendary Syracuse coach.

“I thought we played the best game we played all year,” he said. “Michigan’s a good team, and it moves the ball as well as anyone. Overall, we played pretty well—defensively, we forced them to take some tough shots. We let them get inside a couple of times, and they got some baskets under the basket that we shouldn’t have let happen.

“But you know, they’re a good offensive team.”

For a relatively young and “good offensive team,” topping the Orange (5-2) was a step in the right direction—the widespread involvement from contributor to starter certainly bodes well, as the Wolverines prepare for the road ahead.

“Our bench really stepped up when we needed it to," LeVert said. “It was a great atmosphere (here tonight), and we got a big win."

Ranked No. 17 in the land, Michigan (6-1) continues to prove that it’s capable of running with anyone on any court. Despite losing 60-55 to Villanova, the Wolverines learned a lot about playing tough—ask D.J. Wilson and Zak Irvin, who were met with hearty blocks during the Legends Classic title game in Brooklyn.

Their 70-63 win over Oregon the game prior was also a test, which the Wolverines passed without much issue. The tune-ups with Detroit-Mercy, Hillsdale, Bucknell and Nicholls State also served a purpose. The picture is becoming more clear: Beilein’s got a nice group on his hands this season.

Physicality

Doyle and Kam Chatman, who scored 10 points and had nine boards versus Syracuse, are getting on board with the game plan—they're throwing around their weight and learning to produce in big-time environments.

Acclimating the youth to the rough-and-tumble ways of Division I hoops, and ultimately the Big Ten, as early as possible should be one of Beilein's main objectives.  So far, he's doing just fine. Michigan is the No. 4-ranked defensive rebounding team in the Big Ten (31.1 RPG), but it's No. 14 with 236 total offensive boards. 

Long-Distance Calling

Spike Albrecht hits deep 3-pt FG with 30.6 sec remaining to lead No. 17 Michigan over Syracuse, 68-65. http://t.co/OxG2jR6Q10

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 3, 2014

After sinking a long-range dagger Tuesday night, Irvin called himself on the 3-phone. Albrecht made three of five attempts. After drilling one in the second half, he kissed the three middle fingers on his shooting (right) hand. 

These guys are hitting them from everywhere, and they know it. Beilein's done well with shooting teams, and the 2014-15 Wolverines are making 42.1 percent of their tries, the third-best percentage in the Big Ten. 

Of course, league play will be the real test. But converting better than 40 percent as a team has to be a beautiful thing for the Wolverines. Albrecht, Irvin and LeVert are at 40 or slightly better, while Derrick Walton rings up 39 percent from Three Land. 

Michigan's 152 attempts are tied with Michigan State for most in the league. The Wolverines made 11 of 33 on Tuesday night, which is a trademark of a high-risk, even-higher-reward offense. 

If the Wolverines continue shooting like there's no tomorrow, and making those shots, it'll be a long haul for opponents. Michigan's fast and accurate, and that combination is blowout-friendly. 

LeVert’s on the Verge

Stars possess takeover qualities. LeVert, a Naismith candidate, demonstrated that ability versus the Orange, but he’s flashed it several times since last year—a season in which he scored 20 or more seven times. He’s off to an incredible start this year, averaging 16.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

And he’s already hit 20 thrice.

After Tuesday’s win over Syracuse, the 6’7”, 200-pound junior agreed with the suggestion that his team is learning as it goes but seems to be gaining momentum. He went on to praise Albrecht’s spark and said that he was impressed by Irvin, who is averaging 17.7 points and 3.1 assists per outing.

Get Some Zzzs

Beilein can relax because he has a pair of go-to, takeover threats—LeVert, of course, is option A, and Irvin is option B.

Or is it the other way around?

Irvin, a 6’6”, 215-pound sophomore, appears to be in the midst of the patented Beilein freshman-to-sophomore leap year; the same leap LeVert experienced in 2013-14 as a sophomore.

If the trend continues, Irvin could join LeVert as a draft selection this spring. That’s been the case for underclassmen such as Nik Stauskas, Trey Burke, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary.

Earlier this week, Beilein said that Irvin and LeVert “have been terrific right now.” He propped Irvin’s athletic development and said that LeVert had one of his finest collegiate games versus Villanova—16 points, six rebounds, three steals and an assist.

Those are good signs, especially for early in the year. Michigan has already played a trio of March-like games, and the same was true Tuesday night versus the Orange.

“That was a heck of a basketball game for December,” said Beilein, who is correct.

Don't look now, but it looks like Michigan is going to continue its ascent and be a real player in the race for the Big Ten title. 

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBigger81.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand by the writer.

Michigan lost the Legends Classic championship game Tuesday night to Villanova because it is young—well, that and because JayVaughn Pinkston upended Zak Irvin’s attempt at last-second heroics.

But that’s beside the point.

The No. 19-ranked Wolverines’ 60-55 setback to the No. 12-ranked Wildcats at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was a lesson learned—a difficult one, but a necessary process for a young team looking to establish an identity without stars Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III.

It wasn’t pretty.

In fact, during a halftime interview with ESPN 2, Villanova coach Jay Wright expressed his disgust with the 14-turnover first half (seven by each team).

https://twitter.com/AdamBiggers81/status/537455730899841025

Youth led to their first loss of 2014, but the Wolverines underclassmen will likely pay dividends in the immediate future.

Fighting back from a 13-point deficit in the second half wouldn't have been possible without Zak Irvin and Ricky Doyle. Mark Donnal, D.J. Wilson and Kameron Chatman pitched in too. However, in terms of development, it's imperative for them to catch Doyle sooner, rather than later. Once that happens, coach John Beilein will have a well-rounded team ready to chase titles and banners. 

That said, it's time to examine what each freshman or sophomore has to offer. 

Ricky is a Young Boy

Doyle is blocking shots, rebounding and scoring points.

At 6'9" and roughly 240 pounds, he has the ideal physical size to throw down in the Big Ten. He's not always as assertive as he could be though. He could have taken a firmer stance with Daniel Ochefu—a 6'11", 245-pound junior who scored 10 points and grabbed four boards—but he's adapting to differences in strength. 

It takes more than four games and a trip to Italy to do that. 

Brute high school kids, the ones Doyle faced a year ago, are lightweight pests compared to guys like as Ochefu. But on the other hand, don't expect to see Doyle get pushed around later in the season. Beilein can toughen up a kid within a few months—just look at what he did with Mitch McGary, who played a few minutes in college before becoming a first-round NBA draft pick. 

Go figure. 

But back to Doyle: Offensively, he presents options. Again, his size is the obvious advantage, but he's also skilled underneath and above the rim. He cleans up messes and goes hard to the rim, but he also has touch. 

He's Only a Sophomore

He cooled off a little Tuesday night, but Zak Irvin seems to be warming up each time he takes the floor. He had a rough shooting night, making just four of 13, but he's hitting shots when Beilein needs them most.

Take into account his second-half three and dunk that helped pad his team's 19-5 run versus Villanova. 

Take into account his drives and foul shots that assisted in ousting the Ducks. 

And take into account that he's only a sophomore.

The bar has been set high. Expectations for Irvin aren't yet through the roof, but they're getting there. The 6'6", 215-pound winger can do it all ways—he can dunk, display range and score by grinding in the lane. 

Irvin probably won't want to remember being stuffed by Pinkston—but he should. Simply put, he went at a senior with a sophomore effort. 

Chalk it up as an experience. If you don't get swatted like that, you're not playing hard. That's how the game goes. 

Donnal, Wilson and Chatman

https://twitter.com/AdamBiggers81/status/537453429313253376

Wilson found out that halfway isn't good enough—it's all or nothing.

That's probably why Dylan Ennis, a 6'2" junior guard, welcomed the 6'9" freshman to college hoops with a hearty block. It wasn't quite as violent as Pinkston's rejection of Irvin, but it definitely conveyed the right message. 

And Wilson probably picked up the hint: It's now a man's game. 

Conversely, Donnal and Chatman have also struggled through the first five outings.

Basically, Donnal has difficulty finding himself within plays. He has looked lost and out of place while watching others scramble for position on the floor and against defenders. That may be a "speed of the game" thing, or it could mean that Donnal, like a lot of freshmen, will need more than a handful of games to show what he can do. 

So far, the 6'9", 240-pounder hasn't been able to win the one-on-ones in the paint and at the rim (and that's a necessary component of being a forward). But he'll get there. Beilein will make sure of that. 

Chatman is working to find his stroke. The 6'7", 200-pound winger can shoot from afar. He can also drive the lane and hit the mid-range jumper. 

Once he figures out how this whole college basketball thing operates, he'll be fine. There shouldn't be any worries about Chatman. 

They're learning, and that's why they take the floor and keep score. 

That said, other than suffering a loss, Tuesday was a productive night for the young Wolverines. 

Beilein: "It was an NCAA tournament environment. And here we are in November."

— Brendan F. Quinn (@BFQuinn) November 26, 2014

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Are you worried about Michigan? Was Tuesday night's loss a reason to panic? Start a conversation in the comments section.

While a narrow loss at the Legends Classic can be overlooked in most circumstances, looking deeper into the problems could be cause for panic at Michigan.

The Wolverines had a solid showing on paper, defeating Oregon 70-63 in the semifinals before losing to Villanova in a highly entertaining 60-55 game.

The Wildcats have the potential to be one of the top teams in the nation after earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament last season, meaning there is little reason to cry about a loss to them in November.

The problem is that Villanova beat Michigan down low, something that will be a bigger problem throughout the season. 

Jay Wright's squad is known for its guard play, which it hopes to use to overcome issues in the frontcourt. This is the same strategy that the Wolverines have coming into the year.

Even head coach John Beilein noted the similarities in the game plan after the loss per USA Today:

Watching them play VCU (on Monday), they were playing, like, Michigan basketball. They're hitting the open man, they've got the extra pass that leads to the basket. Really good experienced players, with great balance. They play the way we want to play. ... Very unselfish, have a post game, have a great point guard and good wings.

This was a perfect matchup for Michigan with strength against strength, but it still could not pull out a win playing its own game. Things are going to get a lot worse when opponents can match up their strength against the Wolverines' weakness.

It was no secret coming into the year that the Wolverines had lost a lot of talent in the frontcourt. Sure, the team would miss Nik Stauskas' scoring, but losing Glenn Robinson III, Mitch McGary, Jon Horford and Jordan Morgan left the program barren in the low post.

Mark Donnal, Ricky Doyle and possibly D.J. Wilson are really the best options down low this season. They're all freshmen, and none of them is taller than 6'9". Junior Max Bielfeldt is only 6'7". This should make it no surprise KenPom.com (subscription required) lists the squad at 204th in the nation in effective height, accounting for position and usage.

Although none of the first few opponents exposed this problem, Oregon was able to keep things interesting Monday night by outrebounding Michigan 41-29. This included an impressive 18 offensive rebounds for the Ducks out of a possible 40 chances. 

The rebounding numbers as a whole have not been as good as they should be against opponents that do not have much frontcourt skill:

	Michigan	Opponent
Hillsdale	35	28
Bucknell	37	29
Detroit	37	25
Oregon	29	41
Villanova	31	35

While Oregon didn't really have quality scorers in the low post (or much of anything outside of Joseph Young), the poor interior defense still helped the game remain closer than it should've been.

During the game, Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports noted this as a major storyline going forward:

Big question about Michigan is going to be whether any of their frontcourt guys emerge. Not a star, just someone to provide balance.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) November 25, 2014

The problem was not solved against Villanova, with Jim Jackson of the Big Ten Network calling it one of the top issues:

Michigan has no post presence, haven't shot free throw and 9 t.o's. There young w/talent, but have a lot to learn.

— Jim Jackson (@jimjackson419) November 26, 2014

Once again, it was not exposed as much since the Wildcats love to shoot from the outside (and they struggled, going 6-of-20 thanks to solid perimeter defense).

However, little-used forward Daniel Ochefu was still able to get off some easy shots, as he went 5-of-7 from the field. Only twice in his career has the 6'11" junior tallied more field goals in a game.

Meanwhile, the real problems came from JayVaughn Pinkston, who was quiet for most of the game before making his presence felt late. He and Caris LeVert traded baskets twice in the final two minutes, although Pinkston's were way too easy since there was no rim protector trying to stop him.

The star forward then came through defensively with one of the biggest blocks you will ever see:

Here is the Pinkston game-saving blocked shot https://t.co/P9A2jtw0u0 via @vine #NovaNation

— VUSports (Eric W.) (@VUSportsdotcom) November 26, 2014

Sorry everybody—that was a clean block. No foul.

Pinkston doesn't usually play in the low post, but he showed what can happen when Michigan matches up against someone with size and strength.

The Wolverines have talented wings with height like LeVert, Kameron Chatman and Zak Irvin. These skilled performers will be great on the offensive end all year, and they'll be able to guard the perimeter against similar players.

However, none of them has the strength to stop anyone in the post, which puts more pressure on the thin frontcourt.

While the young players might improve over the course of the year, they will not grow, and they will still struggle in non-conference games against Syracuse and Arizona, both of which know how to get points in the post.

The Big Ten will be even tougher, as the players try to defend against players like Frank Kaminsky and Branden Dawson.

Offensively, the Wolverines should be just fine with LeVert and Irvin making big plays while the backcourt consistently makes shots from deep. Beilein has never really relied on low-post scoring, and this year will not be much different.

Still, the lack of an interior defense will haunt them throughout the season. When Michigan wants to make a big stop late in games, an opponent can easily go inside and either score or come through with an offensive rebound and points on the second opportunity.

Michigan is still a very good team with a young roster that will only get better. However, this glaring weakness will prevent greatness as well as contention in the Big Ten this season.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

Spike Albrecht’s ascent at Michigan has been anything but rapid.

But it’s been constant.

As a freshman, he averaged just more than eight minutes per game, highlighted by a 17-point performance during the Wolverines’ 2013 national title loss to Louisville.

As a sophomore reserve on another talented team, he averaged nearly 15 minutes and flashed a few more cards as the Wolverines crashed into the Elite Eight.

Today, he’s well-versed in the patient, methodical approach, ready to take full advantage once his name’s called.

And because of that work ethic and demeanor, he’s due for a steep increase in minutes and responsibility this season. And because of that, he’s the perfect example for the Wolverines’ incoming group of freshmen: Stay the course, and you’ll be rewarded.

That’s the lesson.

Assisting the Tone

Everyone learns at an individual pace, Albrecht said. Some are faster than others. However, making progress is always the end goal, and that’s an idea he continues to preach to teammates and learn from coaches.

After logging heavy and often mistake-filled reps with the new kids during a recent practice, Albrecht discussed his development with coach John Beilein, who recalled a slightly different scenario from two years ago while simultaneously reminding Albrecht that it takes more than a couple of months of practices and an exhibition in order to jell.

“Coach B was giving me a hard time, and I was telling him I felt like I picked it up way faster than these guys [freshmen] but he was like ‘No, you were right there with them,’” Albrecht said, laughing. “So, you know, everyone goes through it...

...just guys still have to study the playbook a little bit more and things like that so we don’t have breakdowns in games; it’s fine we’re having them in practice right now, but as we get going, we’ve got to clean that up.”

Two years ago, he was a mere afterthought until April—the Louisville game opened a few eyes. This past season, he was a seldom-mentioned backup who hit double-digit scoring once—a 10-point effort during a 72-70 loss to then No. 1-ranked Arizona.

If anyone knows about taking strides, it’s Albrecht—who’s been thrust to the front of the bench and into a captaincy role. He'll learn how to adjust to the new while helping mold eight new players. 

Strength by Design

If Caris LeVert, Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin make up the fabric of Wolverines basketball, then Albrecht is the needle that stitches everything together into a uniform pattern.

He’s been praised by Beilein and teammates for developing into a true go-to.

Whether it’s a question about a play, something about campus or all or none of the aforementioned, Albrecht says that he’s always willing to help—and that’s an important dynamic of team building. Everyone is focused on becoming more effective on the court and tighter away from it.

“I think this year’s group, out of my three years, this is the closest-knit group we’ve had,” Albrecht said. “I don’t know why. Maybe the trip to Italy helped—I’m sure it did.

But this team seems to have a really good—the guys on the team seem to have a really good relationship with each other. And I think that off-the-court friendships, you know, that transitions on the court. I think that’s why we’re picking things up so quickly.”

The "picking things up so quickly" comment was in reference to chemistry. Both Beilein and Albrecht stressed that the Wolverines have miles to go before they're in a firm position to contend for championships. 

Talent-wise, everything is there. They'll be OK this season, as freshmen Kameron Chatman, Mark Donnal (RS), Ricky Doyle and Aubrey Dawkins, along with Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and D.J. Wilson, join the show. 

Albrecht and the rest of the wily “veterans”—Irvin, Walton, Bielfeldt and LeVert—shouldn’t have too much difficulty with the 2014 crop, which ranked No. 27 overall and No. 4 in the Big Ten, per 247Sports.

“From where we were at before Italy, we’ve come a long, long way," he said. 

Hear what Albrecht had to say about his first game (2:15). He also discusses what it was like to see players get rings for 2012 during his freshman season (3:20).

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer.

Young teams are nothing new for John Beilein—he’s had more than a few during his seven-year reign at Michigan.

However, the 2014-15 team is one of his most inexperienced, as there are just four Wolverines returning with meaningful minutes on file—leaving nine, including four true freshmen, with a lot to learn from players such as Derrick Walton and Caris LeVert, who aren’t exactly seasoned vets.

But that doesn’t mean they haven’t played as such. Actually, their situations are the opposite of most underclassmen—they’re ahead of their time.

“I think so. I think I’ve played in a lot of big games—especially as a freshman, going all the way to the Final Four [and national championship]. And last year, playing in the Big Ten championship, tournament and regular season—I think I’ve played in a lot of big games,” said LeVert, a 6’7”, 200-pound junior guard/wing.

Like LeVert, Walton has also shone bright on the biggest stages. As a freshman, he proved that he was indeed Beilein’s next star point guard by helping the Wolverines to the Elite Eight. This year, the 6’0”, 185-pound sophomore is prepared to assume the role of student-teacher at the ripe age of 19.

“Sometimes I do,” he replied, grinning, when asked if he thought he was beyond his years. “[But I always] think team-first—and just know that you’re not just out here playing for yourself, you’re out here playing for the younger guys and just making sure they build great habits.

“Of course as a point guard you want to show a lot of responsibility, but like I said, I just want to help the younger guys gain great habits—so any way I can be a great example to them, I’m happy to [do so]…”

While Zak Irvin and Spike Albrecht are certainly part of the equation, the majority of expectations seem to fall on Walton and LeVert, a pair of all-conference contenders who happen to have the keys to the ignition.

LeVert’s Ascent

In 2012-13, LeVert entered Ann Arbor looking for a chance. Instead, he was nearly redshirted before finishing the year with a pocket-change line of 2.3 points and 10.8 minutes per game. But persistence later paid off in the form of eight points during Michigan’s 61-56 victory over Syracuse in the 2013 Final Four.

The stove was lit.

The next year, 2013-14, LeVert kicked his scoring average to 12.9 points per game while breaking the 20-point barrier seven times. For that, he’s now being viewed as one of the league’s premier scorers and a first-round NBA draft pick. 

Rebounding from foot surgery shouldn't be an issue, as LeVert insists that he's moved well past that unfortunate 11-week stretch of the summer. He regained a lot of his feel during Michigan's team trip to Italy. The next step is to return to game mode. 

Beilein says that he's seen several positive strides from LeVert during early drills and practices. However, he warns that it's far too early to really speculate about the junior's future production on the court. 

The leadership will be there, though, he says. 

Walton Wants Next

Taking over for Trey Burke, a program legend, didn’t seem to bother Walton, who held his own by scoring 10 or more points 12 times and slinging four or more assists 14 times in 2013-14.

He hasn’t missed a game since joining Michigan, playing in 37, and he’s on pace to take over in much the same way as his predecessor—meaning, like Burke, he can be as good as he wants to be.

Those prospects combined with the immense potential of those around him makes for an entertaining season. The bar’s been set; now it’s up to the next generation to prove that it can match previous highs.

“I think it’s more exciting, the fact that, if you think about it, we kind of control our fate and how quickly we grow up and start to jell as a unit. It’s very exciting,” Walton said.

Taking Root

This goes for every team in every sport: Teammates play better when they like each other. There’s no need to do any math or dig up stats; it’s fact. Chemistry, not talent or athleticism, is the key ingredient to winning.

This past year, Beilein’s team was supposed to be “down,” yet it ran to the Elite Eight—not because it was necessarily a great team, but because the players all wanted the same thing, and they enjoyed pursuing it as one.

That same philosophy applies to this season, as trust is abundant and bonds grow stronger by the day.

“We’re kind of joined at the hip, we’re always around each other,” Walton said. “Us emerging as leaders is that much easier, we can always point out each other’s faults. With us being great friends, it helps us be better leaders for the younger guys.”

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references to were obtained firsthand by the writer

In essence, John Beilein’s entire team at Michigan has a lot to prove this season. 

And it has a few holes to plug.

The Wolverines just lost stars Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III to the NBA—so there goes roughly 30 points, a couple of blocks and steals, about seven assists and 73 manpower-minutes of production per game. Dealing with those types of losses isn’t easy for any coach—not even Beilein, who is one of the game’s best.

However, the program was left in good care, as Caris LeVert, Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin will forge ahead with a robust group of recruits, looking to take another swing at the Big Ten and represent their conference in The Big Dance come March.

In one capacity or another, everyone has something to prove to himself, his coaches and his teammates. But for the sake of being specific, this piece will focus on LeVert, Walton and Irvin, the obvious leaders on the floor and in the stat columns.

And it'll take a quick glance at the newcomers. 

Irvin is Ready to Shine

He has handles like a point guard and great marksmanship from everywhere, and he’s 6’6” and 215 pounds—Irvin is the real deal. Now a sophomore, he’s due for much more than the 15.4 minutes per game he played in 2013-14.

Given his potential, it’s easy to tab Irvin as the guy with the most to prove. His freshman numbers don’t tell the whole story. He averaged nearly seven points in those 15 minutes, so he could easily reach double digits in 25 minutes this season.

Irvin is one of the most versatile and athletic threats on the Wolverines roster, regardless of what his stats say. Look for him to become a major part of the game plan in 2014-15. He’s due for a proper introduction.

Leveling LeVert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSl32gO7omQ

Coming off foot surgery, LeVert, a 6’7”, 200-pound wing, is also facing high expectations. He’s among the Big Ten’s best NBA prospects and he’s certainly in the early conference player of the year conversation.

As a sophomore, he averaged 12.9 points per game, but he scored more than 20 seven times, including 23 during Michigan’s 79-70 victory on Feb. 23 over Michigan State. Just a week earlier, he put up a career-high 25 in a 75-62 loss to Wisconsin.

LeVert can score in bunches. And after a somewhat disappointing 2014 NCAA tournament in which he peaked at 14 (while playing with a fractured foot), he’s probably charged and ready to really prove that he can string together big games on a regular basis—and on the biggest stages.

The Ball’s in Walton’s Hands

As the point guard, it’s on Walton to run plays, make smart decisions and play defense. He does that. He’ll have to prove that he can do it all of the time this season. If 2013-14 is of any indication, he will.

As a freshman, Walton certainly had his good days. He never committed more than three turnovers in a game, and he had eight games in which he committed none (two in the NCAA tournament). But he was a spotty scorer. There’d be nights that he’d erupt for 16, and nights when he’d be held to five.

That’s how the game goes. Some games are good, some aren’t.

With that said, look for Walton to prove that he’s among the Big Ten’s best and possibly even one of the better sophomores in the game today.

Michigan Hoops Preview: The Vets | Derrick Walton Stares Down Expectations For The Second Year Leap http://t.co/MlC51Agn0K

— Wolverine Sports Now (@WolverineSN) October 21, 2014

Meet the New Guys

Beilein’s recruited well, and his 2014 class is an incredibly well-rounded example of that. Ricky Doyle, a 6’9”, 240-pound power forward, joins the mix with an abundance of talent. But it’s Kameron Chatman, a 6’7”, 200-pound wing, who commands the most attention.

Comprised of a mixture of one part guard, one part forward and two parts athleticism, Chatman, the No. 27-ranked recruit of 2014 per the 247Sports composite, could prove to be an instant contributor for Michigan, which surpassed popular expectations by reaching the Elite Eight in 2014.

If the frosh gets going at full tilt, the Wolverines could end up becoming a team to beat in March. He’d add a dynamic inside-outside layer to an offense that’s boiling over with possibilities. Pairing a hot Chatman with LeVert and Irvin could be dangerous. A front of Chatman and Doyle/Mark Donnal certainly sparks interest, too.

And don’t sleep on a frosh tandem of Chatman and D.J. Wilson, a 6’8”, 200-pounder who lives above the rim and in the paint.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81