Via City League Hoops:

When we posted updated Big Ten recruiting rankings a month ago we thought we were nearly at the end but there’s been additional action across the conference. Michigan State and Minnesota added recruits and several services updated their rankings one final time. We also added in rankings from 247 Sports including their team composite ranking as a reference point (national ranking in parentheses).

After the jump we look team-by-team across the league, a breakdown of the top ten incoming recruits in the conference, and a bonus historical chart of recruiting rankings over the last year.

Action since last rankings:

•  Apr 24, 2013 -Michigan State adds commitment from Alvin Ellis
• May 7, 2013 -Minnesota adds commitment from Dre Mathieu

Top 10 Incoming Prospects

Indiana

Illinois

Michigan

Zak Irvin gets a fifth star from ESPN.

Purdue

Wisconsin

Ohio State

Penn State

Graham Woodward moves up to a 3-star on ESPN.

Nebraska

Tai Webster drops to a 3-star on ESPN.

Michigan State

Ellis commits to MSU after decommitting from Minnesota in early April.

Minnesota

JUCO PG Dre Mathieu commits to Minnesota.

Northwestern

Iowa

Bonus Historical Chart

Trey Burke’s time in Ann Arbor is over and it won’t soon be forgotten. His impact as Michigan’s point guard was obvious. He dominated the ball, scored, created, and defended. Burke was the National Player of the Year because of his impressive statistics. He was a winner and carried Michigan to heights it hadn’t seen in 20 years. There is no shortage of numbers to prove how great Burke’s sophomore season was.

We know about Burke’s production but there’s one element of his game that shouldn’t be overlooked – or at least hasn’t been quantified – his ability to create late in the shot clock. According to Synergy Sports, Burke was the most productive late clock player in the Big Ten. He used 53 offensive possessions with less than four seconds remaining on the shot clock (more than any player in the league) and scored 1.097 points per. He was also the 10th most efficient late clock player in the league – an impressive feat considering only one of the nine players better than him used more than 17 late clock possessions.

Trim that list to players that used at least 20 late clock possessions last and you are left with an impressive group of guards but also a list that Burke clearly dominates.

Hardaway (.833), Abrams (.793), Appling (.75), Jackson (.741) and Hearn (.667) make up the next group of five. The graph below illustrates just how effective Burke was compared to his Big Ten peers that were forced to create in late clock scenarios.

Keep in mind that only seven Big Ten players that used at least 24% of their teams’ possessions had an offensive rating (estimated points per 100 possessions) over 100. Extended over 100 possessions, Burke’s late clock efficiency would rank 7th best in the Big Ten among higher usage players.

Because of Burke’s effectiveness, it should come as no surprise that Michigan ranked favorably in the league in terms of late clock offense.

Burke used 43% of Michigan’s late clock possessions and he was the most effective Wolverine. Burke’s 53 late clock possessions were more than any other player in Division I (Nebraska’s Dylan Talley is the only other high-major player to break the 40 mark) which makes his effectiveness even more impressive.

That was good news last season but now it’s something for John Beilein to ponder all summer. The Michigan head coach loses his dependable late clock options next season without a proven replacement.

Michigan loses its primary late clock guys and there’s not an obvious answer to replace them. Dealing with fewer than 13 possessions, sample size wreaks havoc on the available data. Mitch McGary’s .286 points per possession are as useful as Spike Albrecht’s 1.5 points per possession.  Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III both used fewer than 15 late clock possessions despite playing heavy minutes all season. Not to mention that the majority of both players’ late clock opportunities were set out-of-bounds plays or assisted – usually by Trey Burke.

Most teams know who is going to handle the ball late in the clock and while it’s not always the point guard, it’s someone that can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. . Michigan doesn’t just lose that guy, it loses arguably the best player in the country at creating in late clock situations. The Wolverines also lose their No. 2 in Tim Hardaway Jr., meaning they lose 60% of their late clock usage from a season ago.

Late clock possessions are still a small part of the game, just 4.4% of Michigan’s offensive possessions ended with under four seconds on the shot clock. Roughly 5.3% of Michigan’s half court sets (128 of 2412) boiled down to a shot with less than four seconds remaining which equates to three or four possessions per game. But in close games those possessions can be critical and John Beilein will be relying on a new face to takeover.

Derrick Walton and Spike Albrecht are potential options at the point guard spot. Zak Irvin and Nik Stauskas both have the skillset to create from the wings and Glenn Robinson III is hoping to expand his offensive skills on the perimeter. All are viable options but the majority of them are either unproven or more comfortable in supporting roles. The ability of one or two players to emerge as a consistent, reliable late clock isolation threat will be one of the first critical questions for John Beilein to answer.

(Thanks to KJ, who unknowingly inspired part of this post)

When Noah Dickerson was 10 and 11 years old growing up in New Jersey, he remembers his mother holding a select few colleges especially close to her heart. One of those schools was based quite a ways west from his home: the Michigan Wolverines.

“We would always talk about schools around the house, and one of them was Michigan. She loved that school,” Dickerson recalled. “It was one of her favorite schools growing up as a kid. She just kept it around the house. She used to hang up Michigan posters and things like that.”

As a result, Dickerson said, he developed a fondness for the Maize and Blue, as well.

“It just gradually became one of my favorite schools.”

How fitting, then, that as the 6-foot-8 former football standout makes a name for himself on Nike’s EYBL circuit this summer, Michigan would come calling. Dickerson, a class of 2015 prospect, is averaging 14 points and four rebounds per game playing almost exclusively for the 17U Georgia Stars. Although his team has had an up-and-down summer, they are still 6-3 in the EYBL and the Atlanta-based big man is making a name for himself with his physical play and versatility.

Dickerson said he needed to acclimate himself at first to the rigors of playing in the premiere Nike league.

“This was my first time ever playing in the EYBL, so I was really unfamiliar with how it was going to be,” Dickerson said. “The first couple of games I wasn’t doing so well, but then I started to understand how the game was played and what I can do to be a dominant player in the league. So I started to gradually get better.”

Get better he did. Dickerson has garnered attention from most southern schools, holding offers from Tennessee, Virginia, Auburn, Marshall, Georgia and Georgia Tech. However, schools who have shown interest are more spread across the country — Ohio State, Michigan, Texas and Georgetown have all contacted Dickerson but are yet to offer.

The standout forward said he plays with a mixture of physicality and versatility, valuable assets in big men that often aren’t both seen in one player.

“I’m a power forward. I use my body to bully my way into the paint. But since I’m big, I know a lot of big guys won’t want to guard me on the perimeter so I can shoot and shoot consistently,” Dickerson said. “I’m just about doing different things on the court to help my team win.”

All of this sounds good to Michigan, who recently reached out to Dickerson through Jeff Meyer. Dickerson said in the course of his discussions with Meyer, they have talked about the leaps and bounds Mitch McGary was able to take over the course of just one season under Michigan coaches’ tutelage.

Dickerson said knowing he will get better under his coaches is one of the most important aspects of a program he would consider.

“A program that I would go to would have great forward coaches,” Dickerson said. “I don’t want to just go to school and stay where I’m at — I want to go to school and I want to graduate and get better throughout my years at that school. I want to know that I will be pushed to get better throughout four years.

Dickerson said he would like to get into contact with Michigan assistant Bacari Alexander, who deals primarily with Michigan’s big men, and he should have that opportunity at Michigan’s College Practice camp on June 1st. Dickerson confirmed that he plans to attend Michigan’s Camp, getting his first taste of campus in Ann Arbor, along with Elite Camps at Virginia and Tennessee in the coming month.

It appears Michigan is simply reciprocating interest that Dickerson has held in the program since he was young. Dickerson said he has watched the Fab Five documentary released a few years ago “about 12 times”. He’s also not opposed to playing his college ball in a cooler climate.

“I like the snow. I know that sounds kind of weird, but I grew up with snow,” he explained. “I love the snow, I can’t stand the heat. It’s up north. My mom lives down in the south, but most of my family lives up north. It’s easy for them to come to games and things like that.”

But at the end of the day, it’s Michigan’s tradition that has Dickerson’s attention.

“Michigan has such a rich history and they’ve been such a great program,” Dickerson said.

“It’s Michigan, you know? That’s big time.”

With the NBA Draft order set in stone after last night’s lottery, the NBA Draft picture is slowing coming into focus. With just over a month until the June 27th draft, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.’s draft stock continues to improve and the duo could be the first pair of Michigan players to go in the first round since Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard in 1994.

Trey Burke didn’t participate in drills at the NBA Draft Combine or post any sort of eye popping measurables but there’s little doubt he’s the top point guard in the draft. While there were whispers last week that Burke could be a potential No. 1 pick, that talk was put to rest as the Cleveland Cavaliers landed the No. 1 spot in the lottery. However, Orlando (2), New Orleans (6 ) and Sacramento (7) are three teams that would strongly consider drafting Burke and it would be surprising if he fell past seventh overall.

Tim Hardaway Jr. was one of the stars of the combine – impressing with his vertical, bench press, shooting ability and everything in between – and his stock is pushing toward the first round. About half of the prominent mock drafts have Hardaway slotted as a late first round pick while the others have him in the first half of the second round.

After the jump we round up all of the top NBA Mock Drafts with assorted notes and quotes from various analysts.

Trey Burke

• ESPN: No. 2 to Orlando

“The Magic need a point guard but might have been reluctant to take Burke at No. 1. What about No. 2? I think there’s a good chance. He’s a bit small for his position, but Orlando needs a leader, someone with moxie, and Burke seems like the best fit. Ben McLemore is a possibility here, too.”

• Draft Express: No. 7 to Sacramento
• CBS Sports: No. 6 to New Orleans

“Trey Burke, PG, Michigan: I know New Orleans likes Greivis Vasquez, but Trey Burke would be an upgrade at the point guard spot. He can shoot, pass and is lethal in the pick and roll. (Previous: 4)”

• NBA Draft.net: No. 6 to New Orleans
• Sheridan Hoops: No. 6 to New Orleans

“No chance New Orleans passes on Burke. Austin Rivers showed he is not a point guard, and if given the chance to take Burke – who had an outside shot at the top pick – the Pelicans will rush the stage on draft night. With Rivers and Eric Gordon, the Pelicans are deep at shooting guard and can even entertain trade offers for Gordon, who is signed to a massive extension.”

Nik Stauskas, an NBA junkie in his own right, likes the idea of Burke heading to the Magic.

Hope my man Trey goes to Orlando with the #2 pick. That would be a good look for him!

— Nik Stauskas (@NStauskas11) May 22, 2013

Tim Hardaway Jr.

About half of the mock drafts out there have Hardaway sneaking into the first round including ESPN and NBA Draft.net. Hardaway has played well and should have plenty more opportunities to impress as he earns workouts over the coming month. Hardaway tied for third in the bench press at the combine, repping 185 pounds 16 times.

• ESPN: No. 27 to Denver

Hardaway had one of the best performances of anyone at the combine. Not only did he shoot the ball well, but he brought an intensity with him that few players could match. While the Nuggets have both Andre Iguodala and Evan Fournier at the position, the team needs as much shooting as it can get.

• Draft Express: No. 32 to Oklahoma City
• CBS Sports: No. 33 to Cleveland

“Would give Cleveland a long wing who can shoot the ball — which is a need in the organization. (Previous: 42)”

• NBA Draft.net: No. 23 to Indiana

“Nik Stauskas, he’s not just a shooter.” That fact was proven again and again so many times that it became a running joke to anyone who watched more thana few Michigan games. Over and over, Michigan’s freshman guard from Mississauga, Ontario showed off his diverse skill set against the country’s best players. And every time an analyst saw it live, he acted as if he was the first person to realize that Stauskas was more than “just a shooter.”

That being said, it’s clear that Stauskas has a specialty: long range shooting. He can do other things, just none as well as he can shoot 3-pointers. The 6-foot-6 freshman found his way into the starting line up by the seventh game and made an immediate impact. He found his way quickly and proved to be a quick learner on offense – reaching double figures in 22 of Michigan’s first 24 games. On defense, however, his progress was more freshman-like. Stauskas routinely experienced difficulty playing sound team defense and appeared to struggle with some of the defensive principles, especially once the Big Ten season kicked in.

By the end of the season, Stauskas was a critical cog in Michigan’s lethal offensive machine, even if he finished the year on a bit of a streaky note. Michigan’s Canadian import appears to be the kind of dead-eye 3-point shooter Michigan is used to playing against, someone in the mold of a John Diebler or a Blake Hoffarber. But don’t forget — that’s not all he is.

The Good

• 3-point shooting: Duh. Nik Stauskas kicked off his college career by shooting a scorching 56 percent from beyond the arc for the non-conference slate. At that time, it seemed like the kid had been dropped from another planet — when he made less than half of his threes in any single game it felt as if something was wrong. At one point early on in the year, Stauskas was asked what his shooting percentage was in high school, and he said he liked to “keep it around 60 percent.” Inevitably, the freshman’s red-hot shooting numbers cooled when the conference season rolled around. Stauskas fell back to earth, and there were times when it was particularly painful — he simply became human. With the Big Ten season came better defenses, and some brought with them particular shooter-proof strategies (remember Ohio State’s and Indiana’s “lock the rails” technique?). Overall, though, it was a terrific shooting year for Stauskas, especially when you consider his age. In his first college season, he shot 44 percent from beyond the arc and 50 percent from inside for an effective field goal percentage of just under 60 — that’s good for 52nd in the nation, according to Ken Pomeroy.
• Ball screen offense: Stauskas was obviously a great jump shooter but his ability to create with the ball screen was unmatched in the Big Ten – except perhaps in his own backcourt.

Source: Synergy Sports (min. 50 poss.)

• Among players that used at least 50 ball screens, Stauskas led the Big Ten in derived ball offense. Michigan scored 1.14 points per shot when Stauskas shot the ball off the ball screen and 1.24 points per possession when he passed the ball off the ball screen. Those numbers are incredibly impressive and his combined 1.18 points per ball screen possession ranked 12th nationally. Michigan loses Trey Burke’s 487 ball screen possessions (and Tim Hardaway Jr.’s 126) so there will be opportunity for Stauskas in this regard.
• Efficiency: Shooters are usually the most efficient offensive players because their usage is a bit lower and the majority of their field goal attempts are open shots. Stauskas is no exception to this rule as his offensive rating of 122.8 placed him at 32nd in the country. Stauskas had an eFG% of 72% (1.44 PPP) on catch and shoot opportunities which accounted for 43% of his offense but he was proficient in all parts of the offense. Alongside great players like Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., Stauskas found his niche and didn’t play outside of himself. He rarely turned the ball over, generally made smart passes and made a respectable half of his two point attempts. There’s not much to complain about with Stauskas’s offensive performance as a freshman.

Room for improvement

• Defense: This was perhaps Stauskas’s most glaring weakness as a freshman. It seemed as though Stauskas had a difficult time learning some of the key defensive principles early on, but he also struggled with his one-on-one perimeter defense. His lack of aggressiveness on the defensive end stood out like a sore thumb. Stauskas committed just .87 fouls per 40 minutes, the 2nd lowest rate in the country. It’s not as though Stauskas was abysmal all season — there were just times when his defense was a liability. You could single out individual poor defensive performances for almost any player on the roster but conference games at Michigan State and Penn State were certainly learning experiences for the freshman. Stauskas is long and he isn’t amazingly slow — on offense he was able to consistently get by defenders — so this is an area where it’s possible for him to improve.
• Making shots against elite competition: There’s no denying Stauskas can shoot. But the fact is, there was a significant drop off between his long-range shooting numbers in the non-conference season and the Big Ten season. Stauskas’s 57 percent non-conference rate was never going to be sustainable in Big Ten play but 36% in conference play and 38% in the NCAA tournament (3-of-18 against teams other than Florida) are just average numbers for an elite shooter. This trend makes quite a bit of sense; good teams were able to limit Michigan’s primary playmakers without devoting their entire defenses and, in turn, negate Stauskas. There are fewer opportunities available against great defensive teams and he needs to work on getting his shot off against elite competition if he wants to be considered a truly lethal shooter.
• Rebounding: This critique is a little more contingent on what sort of player Stauskas hopes to be. Last year, Michigan got great production from Tim Hardaway Jr. on the defensive glass and it was a major factor in Michigan’s ability to push the ball. With Hardaway grabbing rebounds, he could start the fast break immediately. Michigan’s fast break attack will undoubtedly suffer next year without the virtuosity of Trey Burke, but it would surprise me if they went away from it too drastically. If Stauskas learns to crash the glass, it could make a big difference in the Wolverines’ ability to push the ball — and at 6-foot-6, it isn’t unreasonable to see this as a possibility. The Michigan coaching staff loves having guards who can rebound, and that seems to be a reasonable expectation for Stauskas.

Grade: B+

Stauskas set Michigan’s freshman record for 3-pointers made in a season with 80, started almost every game, averaged double figures and ranked in the top-40 nationally in offensive efficiency. Given the leap that Michigan players have made between their freshman and sophomore years in Ann Arbor it’s exciting to think about where Stauskas can take his game from here.

Bottom Line: In Nik Stauskas, John Beilein finally has a player who could be developed into a knock-down 3-point shooter. He has all the tools, and his shot is already technically as sound as they come. When Stauskas can get that shot off against the Big Ten’s best and nail it on a consistent basis, he will be considered a great sharpshooter. The talent Michigan has returning and the freshmen coming in indicate the Wolverines will again be a very good offensive team, meaning Stauskas should find himself with plenty of opportunities offensively.

It remains to be seen what sort of role Stauskas takes over with an entirely new backcourt coming in next season. Michigan loses its two primary playmakers in the backcourt but has two talented freshmen to replace them. There’s also talk of Glenn Robinson III playing more minutes at the three position, where Stauskas played the majority of his minutes. But while there are obvious question marks, Stauskas is also the most experienced player on Michigan’s roster with meaningful minutes at the one, two or three spot. Stauskas has the ability to play a bigger role, but there will be heavy competition to be a go to player on the 2013-14 roster.  If Stauskas becomes more consistent – especially defensively – and continues to expand his game there’s also a chance that he could emerge as one of the go to players in Michigan’s backcourt.

Tim Hardaway Jr. was one of the stars of the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and could be moving toward the first round according to ESPN’s Chad Ford.

Hardaway Jr. has been hiding in plain sight for the past three years. Whether it was comparisons to his father or the fact he was surrounded by so much talent at Michigan the past two years, he’s struggled to convince scouts he’s a first rounder. I’m not so sure that’s the case anymore.

His performance at the combine, shooting the ball in the athletic testing, and in Friday’s live action 3-on-3′s put him in the same groupings with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jamaal Franklin, Glen Rice Jr. and Allen Crabbe for the next 2-guard to come off the board after McLemore and Oladipo get drafted.

Ford now has Hardaway at No. 28 on his Top 100 and also made the case for Trey Burke (or Ben McLemore) going No. 1 overall.

Mike Rothstein profiles Trey Burke after spending two days of draft prep with the point guard:

His game has been honed for this moment since he was a sophomore in high school. Burke has been thinking about the draft, about where he’ll go, about the next stage of his life, almost daily.

“It gives me goose bumps, really,” Burke said the next day, after an appointment with a chiropractor.

Burke could become the highest draft pick from Columbus, Ohio, since Antonio Daniels went fourth overall in 1997, and the highest pick out of Michigan since Robert Traylor went sixth in 1998. In preparation, he has worked out twice almost every weekday, training with the same man who got him ready for his two-year college stint, Anthony Rhodman.

As he completes the metamorphosis to the pros, Burke has kept his circle tight. His representation is, literally, family. His trainer, Rhodman, has worked with him for five years. One of his main sounding boards, Ronnie Steward, is almost like family.

“It’s not even a circle,” Burke’s father, Benji, said. “We call it ‘keeping a dot.’ We don’t want anybody outside that we really don’t know.

“It’s really a family thing. Just a family thing.”

AJ Turner, a guard formerly in the class of 2014 at De La Salle, has decided to reclassify to the class of 2015. Turner will also be transferring from De La Salle to New Hampton School in New Hampshire. Turner will repeat his junior year and play two seasons with New Hampton.

Turner was thought to be one of the leading candidates for Michigan’s Mr. Basketball award next season after averaging 18 points and six assists and earning third team All-State mention. Michigan is continuing its recruitment of the talented swingman, along with Michigan State, Northwestern and others. Turner is rejecting interview requests at this point but released the following statement on his move.

As reported this weekend my family and I have decided that it would be best for me as a student-athlete to transfer and reclassify to New Hampton Prep in New Hampshire. I will now do two years of school at New Hampton and will graduate in the class of 2015.

I began school at an early age and have always taken pride in my academics and that will continue going forward. I have been an honor roll student all of my life and I have already passed the ACT. I know the decision I have made is a challenge but I am up to facing that challenge and I feel it will only help me down the road grow as a student-athlete.

It has been made aware to me and my family that I am extremely young for the class of 2014 so I find great excitement in reclassifying into the proper graduating class for my age. My family and I have decided that New Hampton Prep will give me the opportunity to graduate in my proper class of 2015. It will also give me the opportunity to flourish academically and continue to develop as a basketball player and grow as a young man.

With that said I would like to thank Coach Hutchins and the New Hampton family for opening their arms and bringing me in. I am excited to start the opportunity that they have provided for me.

First and foremost I would like to thank DeLaSalle Collegiate High School for the opportunity given to me since I was a freshman. I would like to thank them for developing me into the young man that I have become.

I would like to start off by personally thanking Coach Greg Esler for all you have done for me and for giving me the chance to be a Pilot. I will always be thankful and grateful to you and the rest of the coaching staff at DeLaSalle. All the traits you have taught me on and off the court such as hard work, leadership, and discipline I will take with me to New Hampton and through out the rest of my life.

Brother Bob has always supported me and has always been in my corner so I will also like to thank him for all he has done.

A special thanks also to Principle Adams, Mr. Dean, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Albani, Brother Tom, Brother Pat, and the rest of the teachers, staff, counselors, and parents at DeLaSalle.

The hardest part of this decision was choosing to leave my teammates, friends, and classmates.  All the success that we have shared I will cherish forever.  Although I am moving on to a different place I will always be a Pilot at heart and these friendships and memories will last a life time.

Report Cards are back and a month late is better than never. We’ll start with the NBA Draft prospects and work our way through.

When Tim Hardaway Jr. committed to Michigan, he was a 6-foot-4, rail-thin 3-star prospect whose skills were limited mostly to outside shooting. As his body and his skill set developed at Michigan, so did his role.

He carried Michigan to the NCAA tournament in his freshman season, supplementing Darius Morris’s passing with a torrid 3-point shooting streak to close the season. His sophomore year brought the challenge of deciphering his role alongside another new, supremely talented back-court mate, Trey Burke. While his sophomore year was a step back, his final season was clearly two steps forward. Hardaway improved across-the-board and expanded his game to include rebounding and ball-handling duties, as well as an augmented defensive role. His new versatility allowed him to finally feel secure in his role alongside Burke, who blossomed into the best player in the country.

While Hardaway improved steadily during his time at Michigan, game-to-game consistency was always a struggle. This rule held true this past season — there were times Hardaway appeared utterly unstoppable, and times when he seemed to force matters. Especially during the later portion of the season, it felt as though Hardaway attempted to put the team on his back at times, often with disappointing results (see: Final Four). But while his career-long lack of consistency persisted into this past season, Hardaway’s disposition and effort was never questioned and he won Michigan a lot of games (at times almost by himself). His scoring may have been up-and-down, but Hardaway limited the “disappearances” that plagued his first two seasons in Ann Arbor.

The Good

• 3-point shooting: One of the major mysteries of Hardaway’s sophomore slump was what had happened to his 3-point shot. The Miami native shot well from beyond the arc as a freshman – especially down the stretch. But as a sophomore, Hardaway hit just 28 percent of his threes. This season, however, Hardaway’s shooting numbers were back to normal, as Michigan’s off-guard hit 37 percent of his tries from beyond the arc, the best of his career. Hardaway attempted fewer threes as a junior – 42% of his FGAs were from long range compared to 47% and 55% in his first two seasons – and was far more effective.
• Versatility: This one is tough. Anyone that watched Michigan play would agree that Hardaway was a more versatile player as a junior. He moved to the more demanding 2-guard position in Michigan’s offense. He handled the ball more, he attacked the basket more and he was a better defensive rebounder than ever before. But at first glance the numbers don’t really back that up. Hardaway attempted marginally more twos but his 2PFG% dropped. A look at Hardaway’s 2-point shooting shows constant regression throughout the year.

Despite the regression in 2-point shooting, Hardaway was still more aggressive. Here’s a look at the Synergy Sports data for the biggest play-type shifts (positive and negative) in Hardaway’s game. More transition, isolation and spot ups with fewer shots off screens.

• Transition Offense: The biggest shift in Hardaway’s game lies in the first column of the last graph: transition offense. Hardaway was able to find significantly more opportunities in transition with 19.5% of his offensive plays coming in transition compared to 14.8% as a sophomore. And he made them count. Hardaway scored 1.37 points per transition opportunity compared to just 1.18 points per transition attempt as a sophomore.
• Disposition: There’s no denying it: there have been times throughout Hardaway’s impressive career when the guard’s attitude left something to be desired. It wasn’t so much that Hardaway had a bad attitude, it was that he struggled to deal with adversity. He would miss two, three, or four shots and would grow frustrated and fall out of his game. Hardaway displayed consistent effort night-in and night-out during his junior season, perhaps as a result of finally feeling comfortable in his role alongside Trey Burke. When he wasn’t hitting shots, Hardaway made sure to affect the game in other ways rather than sulk, and he almost always left his distinct fingerprint on games as a result.

Room for improvement

• Consistency: Hardaway has been a remarkably streaky shooter throughout his career at Michigan. Capable of going off from beyond the arc at any time, Hardaway has also been capable of shooting himself entirely out of a game. Evidence for this streakiness abounds from looking at per-game statistics from this past year: over eight early-season games, Hardaway goes 9-for-36 from 3-point land only to hit four of eight against West Virginia and eight of his next 14 triple attempts; in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, Hardaway hits eight of 12 3-pointers, but goes 5-for-33 from beyond the arc the rest of the way. Developing a consistent shooting touch will be key if Hardaway wants to carve out a niche for himself at the next level.
• Defense: Hardaway certainly talked about playing better defense as a junior – and John Beilein backed him up. There’s no doubt that Hardaway put more effort in on the defensive end. I would bet he took more charges last year than his first two seasons combined. However, he was still plagued by defensive lapses enough to call defense a weakness. The tools were there and Hardaway put them to better use but the focus wasn’t always.
• Shot selection: While Hardaway’s 3-point shooting percentage was up from last year, his two-point shooting percentage was down, from 54 percent last season to 48 percent this season. That doesn’t say a whole lot, especially considering that he took a few more twos than he did last season. But it’s worth noting when talking about Hardaway’s shot selection. Hardaway had a tendency, especially in the NCAA tournament, to take frustration shots. I don’t think these shots were borne of selfishness — I think Hardaway simply had a tendency to take dumb shots when he wasn’t getting the opportunities he wanted.

Grade: A-

Hardaway improved in every area from last season, and was absolutely critical to Michigan’s most successful team in two decades. For the most part, Hardaway played within his role and was a great leader for a young Wolverines squad.

Bottom Line: Tim Hardaway Jr. has had one of the most successful careers of any Michigan basketball player in the Beilein era. He came in as a relatively unheralded freshman and worked his way toward becoming a first-team All-Big Ten player who will likely find himself playing in the NBA next year. He was one of the hardest workers on the team and set an excellent example from young players with his legendary preparation and diligence.

There are flaws to Hardaway’s game, but on the whole his career at Michigan was an unmitigated success. He was at times frustrating to follow because of his streakiness, and there were times as he was growing into his role that he seemed to let the pressure get to him emotionally. But we got to watch Hardaway for three years work his way into the player he is now: a versatile, tough, smart player who will do whatever his team needs him to do to win. Other than his backcourt mate, the National Player of the Year, there are few players over the last decade that won more games by putting Michigan on their back than Hardaway managed to do – a feat even more impressive considering who he shared the ball with.