2005 Michigan Wolverines Basketball Preview

2005 Michigan Wolverines Team Preview

Can Michigan get out of its funk and final get back to the NCAA Tournament? They have not been there since 1998 and some feel this could be a breakthrough year for the wily Wolverines.

One major positive is the fact that everyone is back from last season and that spells experience. The big question is has this team learned anything from their experience last year that included dropping 13 of their last 14 games, 3 forwards combining for 143 turnovers (the team averaged 15.9 per game), and star guard Daniel Horton’s brush with the law after being charged with domestic violence and earning a 12-game suspension? Assuming they are a group that will benefit from their miscues, fans at Ann Arbor should see a much better team and enjoy a more productive season than they did last year.

Horton can be the difference maker on this team. Last season the team plummeted after his suspension. He needs to be as smart off court as he is on. Horton is best when shooting, averaging 12.4 points per game last season. In 2003-04 he was the NIT’s MVP, leading Michigan to the Invitational Championship.

Guard Lester Abram, who missed most of last season due to injury, is another key player who is back. In 2003-04 he averaged 13.1 PPG and 4.2 RPG and was the team’s MVP. The club’s best all-around player, he is a real team guy who thinks of himself last.
Guard Dion Harris started last season but will probably become the best reserve scorer in the league. When Abram or Horton need to sit down he’s more than capable of coming in and scoring quickly and often.

Courtney Sims, a junior, starts at center/forward. The talented big man who can shoot and block the ball, didn’t have a great sophomore year, but he has the talent and drive to make 2005-06 a breakthrough season.

Last year’s Wolverines may have been an anomaly. If this team can focus all of their energy on the court and work hard to improve from last year’s mistakes chances are they’ll do a lot better than last year’s 4 and 12 conference finish.

For more info on the 2005 Wolverines check out the official Michigan athletic site.