Kornacki: Brazdeikis is Confident, Coachable and Ready to Contribute

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The five freshmen on the University of Michigan men's basketball team have each impressed coach John Beilein.

He said 6-foot-6 guard Adrien Nuñez and 6-foot-11 forward Colin Castleton are works in progress, shining one moment and showing definite needs for development the next.

Beilein noted that 6-foot point guard David DeJulius, nicknamed "Pit Bull" by Wolverines assistant coach Luke Yaklich, and 6-foot-8 forward Brandon Johns Jr. both are vying for serious playing time.

However, Ignas Brazdeikis, the 6-foot-7, 215-pounder who is playing big guard and both forward positions, has shown so much in the team's exhibition tour of Spain and early practices that he could make the starting five.

Zavier Simpson refined his shot and is back at point guard. Swingman Charles Matthews, who opted against entering the NBA Draft, should be a force. Big guard Jordan Poole, who has impressed Beilein with an improved "pace" to his game, appears ready for a big jump in minutes.

Power forward Isaiah Livers, who said he's looking to be more "aggressive" this season and had a great practice Monday (Oct. 22), is back on the front line along with Jon Teske, who replaces Moritz Wagner at center and has improved his strength, quickness and outside shot.

Where Brazdeikis best fits in remains to be determined, but he's being counted upon for big contributions.

"Iggy's been such a pleasure to coach," said Beilein. "The kid wants to be such a good player. For a player that's so highly rated, the player that is so college-ready to play, he's a sponge.

"This is the guy (like) the (Tim) Hardaways, the (Caris) Leverts and guys like Nik Stauskas, the guys who came in and were sponges. That's really good for all of us to coach -- 'Yes, sir. No, sir.' -- and I just love coaching him. So, he's got a chance to play right away and could be in the starting lineup even. We'll wait and see what happens."

Brazdeikis played like an upperclassman in the practice and scrimmage. He used his body to rebound and then instantly put back a shot. He gets back ultra-fast on defense, and he showed great poise after getting a shot blocked by Castleton and quickly grabbing the errant ball. When he passed to Matthews at the top of the key, and Matthews fired a three-point shot, Brazdeikis darted to where he anticipated a possible rebound coming and grabbed it.

Born in Lithuania, Brazdeikis attended high school in Canada.

The Wolverines do a drill in which a player goes to free throw line alone as the rest of the team lines up along the baseline. Make it, and you get another. Miss it, and everyone has to run gassers to the other baseline and back. Brazdeikis was one of the few who calmly drained the pressure free throw. He also made several three-point shots with perfect backspin that softly sliced through the net.

Brazdeikis, who was born in Lithuania and played at Orangeville Prep northwest of Toronto, averaged 28.4 points and 8.4 rebounds as a senior after getting 30.0 points and 10.0 rebounds as a junior. He also played for Team Canada's U16 and U17 teams and on the World team at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit.

The left-handed shooter, who writes and does most things with his right hand except for sports, led the Wolverines with 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in Spain in August.

"The biggest adjustment I've made since coming here in June is definitely in my decision-making where I have to decide to shoot or slash," said Brazdeikis. "The closeouts are a lot faster at the college level. I feel I'm adjusting really well."

Playing solid defense is as important as learning the offense for incoming freshmen, and dictates their minutes.

Beilein said, "Nik Stauskas (who is also from Ontario) told me this way back, 'He's strong. He's just strong.' He's bought into the defense ... and he's deflecting the ball, he's stealing the ball. He knows that if he can get a stop on defense, we're running, and he likes to run."

Yaklich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said, "Iggy's had a great first 14 practices. In Spain, we were teaching so much on the fly in 10 practices. We throw the kitchen sink at these guys a little bit, and he's a really quick learner. He's strong, and Iggy learned how to play with his feet and his chest rather than reaching with his hands. That's been a great improvement so far.

"Ignas sees the floor well defensively and has a college body. He can get through screens and be physical when it's time to do that. He has a chance to be a really good two-way player, and his goal is to be an elite two-way player."

What's enabled him to adjust so quickly to the speed and power of the college game?

"I think it's attributable to my confidence," said Brazdeikis. "I'm very confident. Nothing ever startles me. I play basketball thinking I'm the best player on the court. That never changes for me, and I don't think it ever will. I came in with the mentality that I'm ready for this. Whatever they throw at me, I'm going to soak it in.

"I think about it 24/7. The plays, the defense, everything, it's in my mind, it doesn't shift. So, doing that all the time kind of readies me."

Brazdeikis wears No. 13 just as Wagner, the star of the Final Four team, did before leaving after his junior season to become the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers. He also gives off a similar vibe to Wagner -- the intense, emotional competitor who also has fun on the court and connects so well with others.

"On my visit," said Brazdeikis, "(Wagner) was my host. He took care of me and my family, and so I got to know him pretty well. He was really cool and said a lot of cool things. One thing that stuck with me is, 'If you're a pro, you're a pro.' I believe he's saying, if you're meant to be a pro, if you're meant to be a professional, then that's what it's going to be. I liked what he said there, and he made sure that I knew that Coach Beilein was a great coach, and I definitely love him right now."

John Beilein
Beilein, in his 44th season in coaching, likens Brazdeikis' coachability to that of several former Wolverines now in the NBA.

Brazdeikis said he developed his confidence by moving from Lithuania to Chicago to Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and then on to Etikobe and Oakville in Ontario.

"My dad taught me to not show too much emotion to everyone and be careful with who you trust," said Brazdeikis. "It's just a mentality I've always had. A lot people doubt themselves coming into college, and a lot of freshmen feel they don't have to respect older players. I respect the elderly players on the team, but I feel they should respect me as well.

"So, I came here to prove that, and I'm loving the team right now."

Livers, who started 22 games last year as a freshman, is impressed.

"He's blown past pretty much everyone if he has some leverage," said Livers. "He's just very downhill. Iggy also picked up on our defensive rotations so fast, like the second day of practice. That was very impressive.

"He came in going after it. The first open gym, and he was already talking. I'm like, 'Yeah, OK.' Me, Charles, Jordan and Zavier love to have more people come in and just go after it. That was one goal I had over the summer, going after it. I was always a passive basketball player, and watching him, I learned a lot more about how to do that. And you don't hear of a lot of freshmen coming in and talking like Conor McGregor. His philosophy is based on Conor McGregor, and I think that's where all of his confidence comes from."

Wolverine fans will get to see him and the other talented freshmen soon.

Michigan will open the season Nov. 6 at Crisler Center against Norfolk State with Beilein one win away from No. 800. Holy Cross then visits Nov. 10 before the Wolverines travel to Villanova Nov. 14 for a rematch of the 2018 national championship game won by the Wildcats in San Antonio.