Michigan basketball: Brandon Johns improving; can he crack rotation?

Michigan basketball's Brandon Johns will be the first to admit it.

Defense wasn't a major focus of his in high school. 

"I mean, I played defense, but I didn’t really play defense," Johns said with a chuckle.

There are a lot of adjustments that Johns, a freshman center out of East Lansing who turned 19 on Friday, has made since arriving in Ann Arbor. 

Learning how to play defense is chief among them.

The Wolverines allow 55.2 points per game, third fewest in the country, and rank No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

If someone can't hold their own on that end of the court, odds are they won't see much playing time.

Which is why it's no coincidence that Johns averages just 4.1 minutes per game. 

"I lacked a lot on defense," Johns said. "I think that’s probably the hardest transition from high school to college, is just defense. So, now looking at myself and looking at myself back then, I can see a big improvement of defensive aspects, and also just physicality."

Johns, though, could be on the brink of more playing time. After Dec. 8's 89-78 win over South Carolina, Michigan coach John Beilein told reporters that Johns had a good week of practice on the scout team. He appeared to carry that over this week, as U-M enters the final stretch of its non-conference schedule, beginning Saturday against Western Michigan (2 p.m., Big Ten Network).

"Just being stronger at the basket. Finishing more against a body. Guarding better. He had a couple really good defensive stops today," Beilein said. "These are the little things. You’re not going to be back there long. We can’t have you make a mistake on offense, a mistake on defense, that’s four points for us.

"You really have to get some of the basic fundamentals down. Not what play we’re running. I’m talking, if you’ve got leverage, finish it. Go get a 50-50 rebound. Run the floor really well. Typical things that a lot of young kids don’t have coming in. They’ve always been able to get it without trying as hard. Now you’ve got to try hard and get it done.”

It's not a surprise that it has taken this long for Johns to find his way. Ignas Brazdeikis, the freshman forward who leads the team in scoring and averages 28.8 minutes per game, is an outlier. It takes a lot for a true freshman to earn Beilein's trust.

As for Johns, he has had to adapt to the speed, intensity and physicality of the college game — all while learning a relatively new position.

Although Johns played center "a little bit" on the AAU circuit, it's not his natural spot, and it probably isn't his long-term one, either.

But with Brazdeikis playing the majority of the minutes at power forward and sophomore Isaiah Livers taking the rest, Johns needed a switch if he was going to play at all this season.

“I think his eventual position will be a four man, sort of a four, three, but you are who you can guard, and that’s where he is right now," said Beilein. "I’m just trying to get him on the floor. What’s his easiest path to getting on the floor this year? That may be the easiest path right now."

Friday afternoon, Johns appeared to be at ease with his current situation. 

That didn't come easily. At the beginning of the season, Johns saw every practice as an opportunity to show what he could do and prove he deserved to get into games. 

He became worried about messing up, which in turn affected how he practiced.

After a conversation with Beilein, Johns realized he needed to become comfortable with making mistakes and growing from them.

"I kinda realized, you can’t really have that mood or that kinda stigma about you going into the game or even in practice," Johns said. "Because it’s just gonna hold you down and prevent you from getting better.”

It might've taken some time, but Johns' role is coming into shape. Michigan needs a reliable backup for center Jon Teske, who is averaging 26.5 minutes per game, and to extend its rotation. 

Johns has pushed himself into consideration.

"Obviously you’re not gonna do everything perfect if you’re a freshman," Johns said. "You're still learning a lot of concepts and everything. So, it takes time. Like I said, it’s a process. I’m just trying to keep my head up. Stay positive. Keep moving forward.”

Contact Orion Sang: osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang.