7th Annual Abla Report
The 2005-2006 University of Michigan Men’s Basketball Team Scouting Report
Reviewed after non-conference game against the University of Miami on November 29, 2005.
By Tim Abla
1 Jerret Smith (Fr.)
will have more of an impact early on than Shepherd…needs to have much quicker feet on defense…nice passing on fast breaks, sees the floor well…yet another lefty (YAL)…needs to adjust to the speed of the college game…physically looks strong enough to handle the college game…Amaker shows confidence in him early on…not going to be a scorer this year
4 Daniel Horton (Sr.)
this is it, he’s the senior leader of the team…I have a feeling he’ll have the season we’ve been waiting for for two years…needs to stay out of foul trouble…can be the hot hand and carry this team, but consistency is more important…underrated defensively…still seems to be running the point on a team full of shooting guards…ready to take the key shot…needs to avoid off-court troubles
5 Dion Harris (Jr.)
will benefit more than anyone from having Horton and Abram back…won’t need to feel the pressure to carry the team this year…tons better when he plays aggressively instead of sitting back looking for 3’s…gets to the line when playing his game…shooting percentage will go up since teams can’t key on him this year…still feel like he should be running the point…most all-around talent on the team
15 Jevohn Shepherd (Fr.)
barely played…like most freshmen, needs to find a comfort zone in limited minutes…won’t be a key player this year…another leaper…bulk of points will come from cleanup around the basket
22 Sherrod Harrell (Sr.)
barring injuries, should only see the floor when a) there is major foul trouble, or b) Amaker doesn’t like the effort and wants to send a message
23 Brent Petway (Jr.)
DNP (ineligible until late-December or early-January)…YAL…began showing a little 10-12 footer last year, would be nice to have since teams leave him free…primary energy source for this team…will never be a go-to guy for offense…but the perfect alley-oop guy (right out of time-outs)
24 Ron Coleman (So.)
probably going to lose minutes this season…if freshmen struggle, could gain those minutes back…needs to realize he’s low on the scoring food chain…most valuable when rebounding and active…has a good three-point shot that can be a weapon since teams forget about him on the offensive end…needs to avoid the “Gavin Groninger Career Growth” plan…most fundamentally-sound shot on the team
25 Graham Brown (Sr.)
heart of the team based on effort and toughness but has a lower ceiling than others…still, he provides a rebounding presence that the team desperately needs…gets more shots blocked than any big man I’ve ever seen…YAL…needs to improve free throw shooting…doesn’t lose confidence on the offensive end despite difficulties inside…team always seems intent on establishing his inside game early on in games
31 Chris Hunter (Sr.)
quick feet, poor shooting coordination…if his hands caught up with his feet, he’d be pretty good…since they haven’t, he’s frustrating around the basket…soft touch at the line…good for one or two three-point attempts a game, and surprisingly shoots them well…good energy guy off the bench with Petway…great on the offensive glass…wildly inconsistent point totals per game
32 Lester Abram (Jr.) (medical redshirt last season)
changed number to 32 (from 2)…the quiet unsung hero who always seems to be the most valuable player…YAL…oh so smooth…oh so steady…the team suffers when he isn’t playing…looks healthy after the year off…has the ability to shut down opposing guards
44 Courtney Sims (Jr.)
quickly entered Amaker’s doghouse last year…back in the penthouse this year…needs to be quick, not sluggish (which is what got him in the doghouse last year)…pretty good on fast breaks for a large guy…nice little jump hook…needs to become a guy the team can ride — can he?…seems like he should get to the line more than he does…needs to keep the weight down…just a key player for this team
50 Amadou Ba (Jr.)
won’t even sniff the floor until the final minute of blowouts
Miscellaneous Team Notes
still no semblance of an offensive plan other than “swing the ball around and hope (or turn the ball over)”…would love to see some cuts to the basket, especially along the baseline…team full of awkward-looking shooters…as usual, stronger offensive-rebounding than defensive…not bad defensively though…good free throw shooting team, should help them win some games…but can they get the big defensive rebound?…so much better when Horton, Harris, and Abram are in the rotation…experienced team, no more excuses this year…better off with balanced scoring than one guy popping off…the big men are so much better when the guards are penetrating…team needs to play like it has a chip on its shoulder (right now team just reflects the coach)…will struggle when not hitting 3’s…Amaker seems allergic to timeouts — rarely calls any in the first 16 minutes…Horton, Harris, Abram, and Sims will average double digits, Hunter will be close…Horton will lead the team in scoring, Brown will lead in rebounds…easy non-conference schedule should bloat the win total…make-or-break year for the players and Amaker because of seniors
Most important questions for the season
Apparently I didn’t actually supply the answers in some early versions of the Abla Report. 🙂
1) Can they keep Horton, Harris, and Abram together for the entire season?
2) Can they get the turnovers down?
3) Can Horton, Harris, and Sims stay out of foul trouble?
4) Can they stop a run, especially on the road?
5) Can they win Big Ten road games (aka Are they tough enough)?
6) Can Amaker make in-game decisions to win games?
Predictions
My heart says this should be a strong team that can make noise in the conference, but my gut tells me they need to prove something before I fully buy in.
18 wins + 2 wins in Big Ten Tournament
5th place in Big Ten regular season
NCAA tournament 8 seed