The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 9A
Gibson quietly looms large
By MARK GIANNOTTO
Daily Sports Writer
Back when he played for Grand
Blanc High School, the recruiting
websitePrepSpotlight.comdubbed
Zack Gibson "the biggest sleeper in
the state of Michigan."
The site was talking about his
potential as a basketball player, but
anyone who knows Gibson will tell
you that quiet description is just as
applicable off the court.
Now a redshirt sophomore on
the Michigan men's basketball
team, Gibson doesn't mind talk-
ing with reporters. He just doesn't
have much to say to them. That
doesn't shock his teammate and
friend, redshirt junior C.J. Lee,
who says Gibson can't help his
quiet demeanor.
"That's just his personality,"
Lee said. "That's just how he is.
That's how he's been as long as I've
known him."
Lee didn't meet Gibson until last
year, when the two transferred to
Michigan from East Coast schools
- Gibson from Rutgers and Lee
from Manhattan. Because of their
similar circumstances, Lee and
Gibson bonded while sitting out
a year in accordance with NCAA
transfer rules.
"We were both able to help each
other out in terms of keeping your
confidence and staying ready and
coming in and fighting every day,"
Lee said "It's tough when you're
of the season. His 11 points were a
bright spot for the Wolverines in a
95-67 drubbing. Last week against
Iowa, he had another solid show-
ing, scoring eight points and grab-
bing five rebounds.
But his quiet demeanor has
had its downfalls. Despite leading
Michigan in field goal percentage
this season, Gibson has attempted
just 82 shots, sixth most on the
team. Watching him on the court,
it's clear he isn't the type of player
to demand the ball.
"Zack just wants to contribute,"
Lee said. "I don't think it's a mat-
ter of whether Zack gets a bunch
of shots. I don't think he looks at it
like that. I think he looks at where
he can have an immediate impact
in the game."
But Gibson's 6-foot-10, 220-
pound frame and ability to shoot
accurately from 3-point range
make him a natural fit in Beilein's
complicated offense. Before the
season began, some thought Gib-
son could become Michigan's own
version of Kevin Pittsnogle, the
3-point-slinging big man Beilein
made famous at West Virginia.
Gibson isn't a Pittsnogle yet, but
Beilein recognizes he must find
more opportunities for his talent-
ed big man.
"We're trying to find new ways
to get him shots from the perim-
eter," Beilein said. "He's a good,
solid shooter and so that opens
things up."
Touted freshman is
used to competition
By COLT ROSET
Daily Sports V
Last year, as a high
Thomas Kelley plan
five recruiting trips.1
National all-
around cham-
pion, almost
every school
was interested
in him.
But Kelley
was interested
in just a few
- including
Michigan.
"(Michigan)
was by far the
best school, so
I thought, 'If I
like Michigan,
there's no rea-
son I shouldn't
NSWEIG scheduled recruiting trips, to Min-
Vriter nesota. Decidedly unimpressed,
he promptly cancelled the rest and
school senior, committed to the Wolverines.
ned to take So far, Kelley couldn't be happier
As the Junior with his choice.
"I think we're all like brothers
now," Kelley said of his new team.
KELLEY "I've only been here for a couple
months and these are some of my
closest friends I'll ever have."
Now, Kelley is part of arguably the
best freshman class in the nation.
Only Stanford's freshmen, led by
TEAR: freshman standouts Tim Gentry and Ryan
Lieberman, can compare.
OMETOWN: Though it didn't directly affect
ibertyville, lil. his decision, it didn't hurt that fresh-
VENTS: man Ben Baldus-Strauss, a longtime
igh bar, floor club rival, was also coming to Ann
Arbor.
nd rings Kelley and Baldus-Strauss have
known each other for more than 10
years as competitors from nearby
1. gyms in Illinois. After years of only
liked what he seeing each other at big meets, they
te more of his See KELLEY, Page 11A
Y
H
Li
E
H
ar
JEREMYCHO/Daily
Redshirt Sophomore Zack Gibson is quiet -both on and off the court.
not seeing the results of your hard tic about the demotion, Gibson did
work, and you're just practicing what came natural - he keptquiet.
and not playing in games." Besides, coming off the bench was
Eight games into this season, a lot better than sitting out.
Gibson was the starting center for "Either way, whether you start
the 3-5 Wolverines. But after an or come off the bench, you just
embarrassing Dec. 1 loss to Har- have to bring the energy and just
vard, Michigan coach John Beilein play hard every time you're out
made the decision to bench Gib- there," Gibson said.
son, instead starting sophomore Playing hard is exactly what he
Ekpe Udoh against Duke. has done. Against the Blue Devils,
Rather than say anything dras- Gibson had one of his best games
go there,'"Kelley said
Suffice it to say he
saw. He made just on
D-men focus on winning turnover battle
Sloppy defensive
puck handling led to
easy goals for Irish
By NATE SANDALS
Daily Sports Editor
In football, there's the turnover
differential, and in basketball, the
assist-to-turnover ratio. In hock-
ey, there's no concrete measure-
ment in the box score for fans to
see how many times their team
turned the puck over.
But that hasn't stopped the
Michigan coaching staff from let-
tingits players know whenthey're
being careless with the puck.
"We look at turnover numbers
not even after the game, but every
period," Michigan assistant coach
Billy Powers said. "It's something
that we're always conscious of."
Knowing they've been too
reckless with the puck in recent
games, the Wolverines are work-
ing on playing smarter with and
without the puck.
Michigan's blueliners have
taken it to heart.
Flashy stats like goals and
assists are harder to come by for
the defensive corps. But within
Michigan's group of defensemen,
there is always a friendly contest
to see who leads in other stats -
like fewest turnovers and highest
plus/minus rating.
"It's kind of an unspoken com-
petition, guys are always compet-
ing, but we never really talk about
ing after last season, the return-
ing players were worried they
wouldn't live up to Michigan
expectations.
"I think with this team, over
the spring the guys coming back,
the upperclassmen, they were a
little nervous," Powers said. "I
think it made everyone focus."
That extra attention has gotten
the Wolverines on the winning side
of closely contested games this sea-
son. But with the toughest stretch
of the conference schedule ahead
of it, Michigan still has to cut down
on turnovers, because scrambling
can only take a team so far.
The coaches have set a high
standard for the number of turn-
overs they expect the team to give
up each game - under 10. It seems
like a difficult goal to reach, but
for Summers, the trick to fewer
turnovers is simple.
"It's not rocket science, it's just
hard work," Summers said.
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it," sophomore defenseman Chris
Summers said. "It's always there.
We're athletes so we've got to be
competitive."
The intensity in practice
appears to have translated into
the games. Despite the turnovers,
Michigan is still off to its best
start in program history.
While the entire college hockey
world is aware of the top-ranked
Wolverines' 22-2 record, the team
is quick to say the win-loss totals
don't necessarily reflect its level
of play each weekend.
"Nobody's that good, and I
see that in our team. We're not
that good," Michigan coach
Red Berenson said of his team's
record. "We're not that bad. But
we're not that good."
Michigan has simply fought to
cover its errors, Berenson said.
"I like the fact that our team,
when we make a mistake, we work
harder to recover," Berenson said.
"Our second efforts are so much
better this year, as a team, start-
ing with our defensemen."
Last year's squad struggled
with turnovers, too, especially
when working the puck out of the
defensive zone. But last season's
team gave up one-and-a-half
more goals per game.
It's the second efforts that
have set this year's team apart
- the blocked shots, the tipped
passes, the diving deflections.
Powers offers a simple expla-
nation for Michigan's ability to
recover this season: fear.
With a huge group of talented
seniors and underclassmen leav-
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elcome Weekend
saturday, JarUary 26 and unday, January 27
If you have never been to St. Mary Student Parish, or if you have
been away for awhile, we invite you to join us for
Mass and a Welcoming Reception (Reception before the 9 pm Mass)
Come and bring a friend! All are welcome!
MaSs Schedule: Saturday 5:00 pm
Sunday 8:30, 10:00,1& 10:10 amul; Noon;
2:00 (Spanish), 5:00, 7:00 & 9:00 pm
St. Mary Student Parish
331 Thompson SI., Ann Arbor
4(at William and Thopson,,across from CottacInn)
www.stmarystudentparish.org
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