84 | MAY 18 • 2023 Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s entanglement in the stands with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic during an NBA playoff game May 7 resulted in Jokic being assessed a technical foul and being fined $25,000 the next day by the NBA for “improp- er contact with a spectator sitting courtside.” The 6-foot-11, 284-pound Jokic could have been suspend- ed for elbowing Ishbia, a 5-10, 175-pound former Michigan State University (1999-2002) and Birmingham Seaholm High School point guard. Jokic elbowed Ishbia in the chest and sent him tumbling back into his seat while taking the game basketball away from him. Ishbia grabbed the ball after it went out of bounds. Ishbia didn’t lobby for a sus- pension. “Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far! That should be and is the only story,” Ishbia said in a Twitter post. “Suspending or fining any- one over last night’s incident would not be right. I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that.” The incident was the talk of the sports world. Outspoken ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith mocked Ishbia for his “flop” on Jokic’s shove and said Jokic should not be suspended. Before the next Nuggets-Suns playoff game, Nikola handed Ishbia a basketball and the two shook hands. Ishbia, 43, the billionaire CEO and chairman of Pontiac- based mortgage lender United Wholesale Mortgage, became the Suns’ majority owner Feb. 6. He’s one of 14 Jewish owners of NBA teams. Mat Ishbia vs. Nikola Jokic Ends Peacefully UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE Mat Ishbia Mikaela Schultz has announced she’ll return to the University of Michigan women’s golf team for the 2023-24 season, taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes whose 2020 season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the classroom, Schulz will begin a master’s program in social work after graduating this spring with a degree in biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience. She’s a two-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-America Scholar (2020, 2021) and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021, 2022). Returning to U-M was an easy decision for Schulz, 21, a Bloomfield Hills High School graduate from West Bloomfield. “These past four years have been incredible. I’ve grown in so many ways in all areas of my life,” Schulz said. “I didn’t even think of passing up the opportunity to play another year. U-M is truly my home away from home.” Schultz has helped the U-M women’s golf team reach unprecedented heights during her career there. The Wolverines won their first-ever Big Ten tournament championship in 2022 after being the runner-up in 2021. They played in the NCAA tournament in 2021 and 2022, finishing 20th each time, and are in the postseason again this spring. Schultz has been in the U-M lineup in 27 of 31 career events, averaging 75.68 per round. She has had four top-10 tournament finishes individually and nine sub-par rounds, including a career-low 5-under-par 67 in the second round of the 2021 Landfall Tradition. She won the 2019 Shirley Spork Invitational and the 2021 Wolverine Invitational at the U-M Golf Course. U-M women’s golf coach Jan Dowling is thrilled to have Schulz back. “She’ll bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, maturity and work ethic to our young team,” she said. Last summer, Schulz led the U.S. women’s golf team to a gold medal at the Maccabiah Games in Israel. She also was the individual golf medalist. Schulz is the daughter of former U-M women’s golfer Rachel Krickstein and is a cousin to pro golfers Morgan and Madison Pressel. Mikaela Schulz Returning to U-M Women’s Golf Team UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Mikaela Schulz of about 140 schools that connected with Canfield. “I honestly can’t remember if CMU contacted us or we contacted CMU, ” Canfield said. “There were so many schools we dealt with. ” Central Michigan coach Tony Barbee saw Adamczyk play in a game vs. Farmington on Jan. 31. Adamczyk knew he was coming. “Noah thought he could have done better that night, but anyone who watched the game could see that Noah can play, ” Canfield said. Canfield said Central Michigan is a good fit and the right choice for Adamczyk. “He could play for a lot of programs, ” he said. “The coaching staff and players at Central Michigan will notice right away in practice that he can score and defend. “Central Michigan is in a rebuilding mode. He’ll have an opportunity to play. The door is open. ” Adamczyk played in the Detroit Jewish Basketball League last summer in Southfield and impressed league founder and basketball fanatic Daniel Shamayev. “Noah was the youngest player in the league, but he easily blew away the competition the moment he stepped on the court, ” Shamayev said. “The first time he touched the ball, he instantly showed the entire league that despite his age, he was going to dominate. ” Adamczyk joins the small list of Jewish players and coaches scattered throughout Division I men’s basketball. Yarin Hasson, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, was on the 2023 NCAA champion Connecticut team. He didn’t get much playing time this past season but is expected to see the court more often next season. There are 10 Jewish coaches among the 363 Division I men’s basketball teams, according to the Coaches Database. Perhaps the most prominent is Jon Scheyer, 35, who took over at Duke last season after the 42-year run of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. Duke finished 27-9 and won the ACC tournament in Scheyer’s first season. Scheyer played for Duke from 2007-10 and was the captain of the 2010 team that won the NCAA tournament. Send sports news to stevestein502004@ yahoo.com. SPORTS continued from page 83 quick hits BY STEVE STEIN