Jon ‘Big Sleep’ Teske (and more)
Juwan Howard’s era / Wolverines Express
An obvious defensive anchor at 7’1, this looks like the year of Teske on the offensive end too. Not a go-to-guy by any means before, Beilein steadily nurtured the senior into one of the most important bigs in the country thanks to his defensive input. Last season highlights were mostly about his D value and versatility: impressive size to contain bodies on the low blocks as well as the ability to step out and match guards with his footwork. Those defensive tools are still there, Jon is happy to remind us of them every game, but besides his PnR society with Zavier Simpson where he excels as a roller, Teske’s usage has grown quite a bit. He’s sent to establish position deep and ask for the ball to create advantage in the paint. And he’s doing a good job, working on his post-moves over both shoulders, being more assertive around the rim, and getting buckets (13.3pts) while shooting more FTs than ever at 70%. He’s still an absolute beast cleaning the glass, especially his own, setting up the fast-break with a 1st pass to the guard. Teske’s show in the zone has had terrific moments like early on against App State or closing the Gavitt Games against Creighton. But what will really make him a better player is how he’ll adjust and manage double-teams in B1G play. Can he kick out the ball and find open shooter consistently? And does he have the patience and IQ to feed cutters from the top of the key and elbow? Early season shows promise in both regards.
I’m a fan of Colin Castleton’s footwork and post-moves since his freshman year. Smaller than Teske but craftier with his back to the basket, Castleton is a productive big man who has feel for the game and gets the job done around the rim. Skilled, quick and long, he’s starting to build up a PnR partnership with Zavier Simpson, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to have him taking over the scoring load as a second unit guy for long stretches. It looks quite clear Colin will be playing the 5 this season, as he had shared the court with Teske for a few minutes in the first game only, but said that it’d be very positive for him to expand his scoring threat and confidence by speeding up his shooting mechanics. He has fluid handle for a 6’11, so putting the ball on the deck and attacking closeouts remains a massive weapon in his skillset.
Brandon Johns Jr’s mix of shooting, mobility and athleticism remains key to unleash the Wolverines potential in the frontcourt. Playing up to 17 minutes per game, his offensive traits and defensive upside make him the ideal candidate to take the PF role, spacing the offense and running the lanes in transition like a wing. He’s also explosive finisher of dishes around the rim, but most of the time he remains a stationary shooting threat behind the 3pt lane or in the corners. On the other end, there is plenty of room to improve his concentration and defensive awareness. If he can hold his own on the glass, exploit mismatches by further using his athleticism with the ball on the floor, and associate with others, he will become a very reliable face up forward who allows Isaiah Livers to play SF more often.
