Hoopsageddon Rounds 7-8: The Benchening

[Scheduling note: As of now Brian's on play 11,481 of 19,000 of the Indiana UFR so that will be a bit delayed. So here's some #content]

Here it began. There it continued. And then it went on. Now we are on the final two rounds of our gimmicky Big Ten players preview. How things stand:

By the way we did these picks before last week so nobody had any game information go on. Alex is up.

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ALEX—ROUND 7, PICK 2: Tre Demps, SG, Northwestern

TEAM: PG: Bronson Koenig (UW), SG: Caris LeVert (UM), SF: Jarrod Uthoff (IA), PF: Malcolm Hill (IL), C: Thomas Bryant (Ind). Bench: Robert Carter (C/PF, Md), Tre Demps (SG, NW)

Caris never comes off the floor. Demps only takes the end of half/game heaves for my team and that's it.

[Jump for TWO MORE MICHIGAN PLAYERS we took horray!]

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BRIAN—ROUND 7, PICK 3: Vince Edwards, SF, Purdue

TEAM: PG: Yogi Ferrell (IU), SG: Melo Trimble (MD), SF: Keita Bates-Diop (OSU), PF: Troy Williams (IU), C: Alex Olah (NW). Bench: Vince Edwards (PF, Purdue), Jae'Sean Tate (OSU) 

Like, well, every basketball coach these days, Brian is just following Beilein around and offering whoever he almost gets. [UMHoops]

Yes, Brian drafts all the recruiting almosts. What can I say? John Beilein can identify talent. 

Vince Edwards is another guy who fills up a box score in virtually every department. Last year he ended up on the Kenpom leaderboards in eFG, OREBs, assist rate, and shooting percentage, all as a true freshman. He shot 58% from the floor, he was in a dead heat for the highest assist rate on the team, and he's a strong rebounder on both ends of the floor despite playing on a team with enormous guys falling out their ears. 

The main flaw in his game was GRIII-level three point shooting (33%), and given his proficiency at the line that's something that should work itself out over time. While this pick was made before Purdue started their season, it is a pleasant thing to note that he's started the season 5/8 from deep with 8 assists in 45 minutes of play so far. Edwards is Denzel Valentine 2.0.

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SETH – ROUND 7, PICK 4: Shavon Shields, Wing, Nebraska
ROUND 8, PICK 1: Spike Albrecht, G, Michigan

Look closely. [Fuller]

TEAM: PG: Bryant McIntosh (NW), SG: Eron Harris (MSU), SF: Aubrey Dawkins (UM),  PF: Jake Layman (MD), C: Diamond Stone (MD)/AJ Hammons (PU). Bench: Spike Albrecht (PG, UM), Shavon Shields (Wing, Neb)

I know why Shields dropped this far despite being a better basketball player than plenty of those already off the board. More than anybody in the conference I think I can make a case that Shield's numbers are disproportionate to his ability, since the book on Nebrasketball last year was crash on Shields and make Petteway beat you. It's why Shields shot a super low 19.5% (16% in conference) on his 89 threes, when he was at least respectable 35% shooter heretofore. Opponents left him mid-range only, so that's what he took: 279(!) two-point attempts for an eFG% of 46, also drawing tons of fouls.

He got his FT% up to 83 last year so putting him on the line isn't a good strategy.
His assist rate of 16.1 is impressive for a wing, especially considering whom he's dishing to. And he's just basketball savvy. When they beat Wisconsin a few years ago it was with a 2nd half strategy of that Shield's came up with. He's also one of the conference's better defenders. I don't need him to take over a game, but he'll be a perfect fit for me when I need to end one.

As for getting that lead, I'm taking John Beilein's secret weapon. If you don't know Spike's game by now I don't know why you're reading this. Highlights: 41% career from behind the arc (sometimes way behind said arc). Sixth-best assist rate in the Big Ten last year. That little rim floater. The granny style scoop that works because you're expecting him to do one of those under the rim roundabouts. Remember how he performed when the national championship game refs decided to handicap Trey Burke with two fouls, and last year when Michigan was basically a bubble team with him as the starter. He'll never be a great on-ball defender, but he's picked up Burke's sly steal. Unless Brian plans to leave Melo on the bench I don't think you can ask for a better backup PG.

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BRIAN—ROUND 8, PICK 2: Ricky Doyle, C, Michigan

HEY BIG DRIPPER! [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

TEAM: PG: Yogi Ferrell (IU), SG: Melo Trimble (MD), SF: Keita Bates-Diop (OSU), PF: Troy Williams (IU), C: Alex Olah (NW). Bench: Vince Edwards (PF, Purdue), Jae'Sean Tate (PF, OSU), Ricky Doyle (C, UM)

I need a backup center. Ricky Doyle had a very promising freshman year, shooting 61% and getting to the line a lot. He was also a quality offensive rebounder. Doyle has a Nnanna Egwu-like DREB number but I think that's more an aberration based on Michigan's rebounding strategy, low sample size, and freshman stuff than a long-term problem.

Doyle was almost a good shot blocker last year, frequently just missing; a year at Camp Sanderson should make him a more effective off-ball defender, and with the return of Derrick Walton he will be a much more frequent target as the roll man. Once there he finishes with both hands effectively; he's also got a lovely baby hook and some post moves. Going from year one to year two he should improve significantly.

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ALEX—ROUND 8, PICK 3: Rasheed Sulaimon, Wing, Maryland

[via Duke Athletics]

TEAM: PG: Bronson Koenig (UW), SG: Caris LeVert (UM), SF: Jarrod Uthoff (IA), PF: Malcolm Hill (IL), C: Thomas Bryant (Ind). Bench: Robert Carter (C/PF, Md), Tre Demps (SG, NW), Rasheed Sulaimon (W, Neb)

Sulaimon is just a bench #shooter.

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ACE—ROUND 8, PICK 4: Rapheal Davis, G/F, Purdue

Judo CHOP! [Michael Takeda|Purdue Exponent]

Team: PG: Derrick Walton (U-M), SG: Zak Irvin (UM), SF: Denzel Valentine (MSU), PF: Nigel Hayes (UW), C: Matt Costello (MSU). Bench: James Blackmon (SG, IU), Caleb Swanigan (PF/C, PU), Rapheal Davis (G/F, PU)

While I was very tempted to go with Duncan Robinson here, my team boasts plenty of shooting prowess, and meanwhile the strength of this conference—and therefore the other teams in this exercise—lies among the guards/wings. I'd like someone who can guard all of them, and that someone is Rapheal Davis, who beat out the usual array of shot-blockers/rebounders to take home B1G Defensive Player of the Year honors last season.

At 6'6, 217 pounds, Davis has the combination of size, athleticism, and dogged effort to defend any position from point guard through power forward, and he manages to lock down opponents without committing many fouls. D'Angelo Russell, the best offensive player in the conference last season, called Davis the toughest defender he faced, and the numbers back that up: in two games against Purdue, he needed 44 shot equivalents to score 48 points and had eight turnovers cancel out his seven assists. Despite being the inferior team, the Boilers split the season series with the Buckeyes, which need a late comeback at home to even it up.

Davis isn't a great offensive player, but I don't need him to be that, and he's by no means awful; he hit 50% of his twos, knocked down 73% of his free throws with a FT rate north of 50, and the career 30% three-point shooter showed signs of developing an outside shot in Big Ten play, when he made them at a 38% clip. As a situational defensive stopper who can function as the fourth or fifth offensive option, he makes this a complete team.

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The teams:

Next time on Hoopsageddon: eh, there probably won't be a next time. Ace wins. Final tally of players by team:

• 6: Michigan (Walton, LeVert, Irvin, Dawkins, Doyle, Albrecht)
• 5: Maryland (Melo, Layman, Carter, Stone, Sulaimon)
• 4: Indiana (Ferrell, T.Williams, T.Bryant, Blackmon)
• 3: Michigan State (Valentine, E.Harris, Costello), Purdue (Swanigan, Edwards, Davis, Hammons), and Northwestern (McIntosh, Olah, Demps)
• 2: Ohio State (KBD, Tate), Wisconsin (Koenig, Hayes)
• 1: Nebraska (Shields), Illinois (M.Hill), Iowa (Uthoff)
• 0: Minnesota, Penn State, Rutgers

We may be homers. Michigan may be good.