8A - Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cam I
8A - Wednesday, January 28, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
1
No longer just
Harris shows
By RUTH LINCOLN
Daily Sports Editor
Last season, Manny Harris was
one-dimensional.
The then-freshman guard
would slither around defenders
and slash to the basket with amaz-
ing moves. He led the Michigan
men's basketball team in scoring
in 21 of 32 games,
including nine of
its 10 wins. Michigan at
Harris was a Ohio State
pure scorer, but
not much else. Michigan
One year later, 14-6; Ohio
and 20 games State 13-5
into the season, When: Tonight
the sophomore 6:30 P.M.
forward has set-
tled into his new Where: Value
position with ca
different mind- TV: BTN
set. Live Blog:
"Last year we http://thegame.
won 10 games," blogs.michigan-
Harris said at daily.com
Michigan Media
Day on Oct. 14.
"I was in full-attack mode, and
it wasn't enough. So this year,
I'm just getting my teammates
involved and believing that they
can knock shots down because
they can."
Despite a recent shooting slump
- 3-of-18 in his last two games -
Harris has become the versatile
threat Michigan coach John Beil-
ein wants out of his star player.
At this time last season, Harris
had 61 assists and 91 rebounds.
Entering tonight's matchup
with Ohio State in Columbus, he's
bumped those figures up to 91 and
152, respectively, while still con-
tributing a larger percentage of
offense than this time last season.
Against Oakland on Dec. 20, Har-
ris had 13 assists and was one short
of tying Gary Grant's 1987 single-
game school record.
"We expect some great things
from him," sophomore point guard
Kelvin Grady said of Harris on Oct.
a slasher,
versatility
span. The five opponents are a
combined 79-18.
The Buckeyes (3-4 Big Ten, 13-5
overall) play a 1-2-2 zone defense
that can easily collapse on a player
willing to drive to the basket.
The Wolverines struggled
against the system when the two
teams squared offjust11days ago in
Ohio State's 65-58 win. Once again,
Michigan (4-4, 14-6) will rely on
Harris to find his teammates when
he gets double-teamed.
But even is he doesn't put up hug
scoring numbers, Beilein knows
Harris's presence will be felt.
"You see these matchups on TV,
(which player) is leading the Big
Ten, all that," Beilein said. "That
should not be a stat that's relative.
It should be, 'Are you winning?'
Beilein emphasizes assist-to-
turnover ratio as the trademark of
a winning team, and he praises the
"little things" like the assist rather
than the basket.
And when Beilein's grooming
his next crop of players, he's not
looking at the scoreboard, either.
"When I recruit a kid, after a
game, I say, 'How'd you guys do?'"
Beilein said at his weekly radio show
on Jan. 26. "He'll say, 'Well, we won.'
I never ask him how many points he
has unless he brings it up.
"I'll say, 'How many assists did
you have? How many rebounds did
you have? What'd you think you
did well in the game?' That's the
way you do it because that's the
common thing. ... It's winning the
game that everyone has to realize
is the real deal."
Although former Michigancoach
Tommy Amaker recruited Har-
ris, the Detroit native has bought
into Beilein's philosophy, even if he
doesn't reach double figures.
MAX COLLINS/Daily "I've had 20-something and
sts than at this time last season. we lost," Harris said. "The big-
gest thing is we're winning. I'll get
their best for the next two mine soon. I'm not worried about
After Ohio State, Michigan that part."
SAM WOLSON/Daily
Sophomore Carl Hagelin and his linemaes combined for four goals last weekend.
Hage lin, Rust
and Palushaj
reunite to spark
stagnant offense
By CHRIS MESZAROS attribute of the second line is its
Daily Sports Writer speed. Hagelin is one of the fastest
players in the country, and Palush-
A reunion could spark memo- aj and Rust aren't slouches.
ries of high school glory days or Just 36 seconds into last Satur-
awkward family gatherings. day's game against Michigan State,
But Michigan hockey coach Red Palushaj slid the puck to Rust, who
Berenson'sideaofareunioninvolves sped past the Spartan defense
a whole lot of lamp-lighters. before whipping a wrist shot into
After his team scored just one the net.
goal in Michigan's series two Later in the game, Hagelin made
weeks ago against Bowling Green, a similar play, receivinga pass from
Berenson decided to mix up the Rust and skating past the Spartan
forwards on Michigan's top two defensemen before scoring just 12
lines. He moved sophomore Aaron seconds into the third period. '
Palushaj to play with sophomores "He has the ability to create
Matt Rust and Carl Hagelin, who offense just by cutting back or
were all part of a high-flying offen- beating a guy with his speed,"
sive line last season. Rust said of Hagelin. "And Aaron
"I think it was more of a point is a guy who just has tremendous
that Coach wanted to get some playmaking ability. He can just
more scoring going," Rust said. find you wherever on the ice. I've
"Especially with me and Carl being never seen a player that can pass
kind of snakebitten, he wanted to it through four pairs of skates, or
put Palushaj back with us to get us over and under sticks like Aaron
going." can."
And after the all-sophomore line Palushaj describes himself as
combined for four goals and six the linemate who likes to slow the
assists in the Wolverines' sweep play in the neutral zone to draw
of Michigan State last weekend, it attention from the defense. He
looks like this reunion has helped then takes advantage of his line-
Michigan finda permanent second mates' speed as they streak down
line. the wings by delivering them the
The three sophomores played puck, which creates a scoring
together for about half of last sea- opportunity for the Wolverines.
son, becoming Michigan's second Palushaj tallied three assists
most productive line with 89 total Saturday, one each to Hagelin,
points. The three have put up bet- Rust and junior acting captain
ter combined statistics this year Chris Summers.
than last, but Hagelin and Rust "For Palushaj, it's been good for
struggled to score throughout the him," Berenson said. "He's been in
first half of the season. But the a bit of a rut since he's been back.
addition of Palushaj, who has 31 When you're playing with Carl and
points so far this season, will likely Rust, they play so hard that things
help. happen, andhe complements them.
"Starting last year, it didn't take He can make plays even if he's not
too long for us to get used to each scoring."
other and start putting up num- Like the rest of Michigan's
bers,"Palushaj said. "Ijust thought unpredictable season, it's hard to
it would be a matter of time before tell what will happen next for the
we played together again and just line. But as No. 1Notre Dame looms
start producing again." large this weekend, the sophomore
Besides the scoring threat that trio must continue its success for
it provides, perhaps the greatest Michigan to beat the Irish.
MEN'S TRACKA DFED
From Jamaica to A2,
Peddlar adjusts well
Sophomore Manny Harris currently has 30 more assi
14. "But at the same time, we've to be at
got players around, too, that he'll weeks..
make better. We'll make him bet- plays No. 16 Purdue, unranked
ter, but he'll make us better, too." Penn State, No. 2 Connecticut and - Alex Prosperi
And the Wolverines will need No. 9 Michigan State in a 14-day contributed to this report.
By ROGER SAUERHAFT
Daily Sports Writer
The only other time Robert
Peddlar had ever seen snow was
on television, and his warmest
coat was his blazer.
But as the Jamaican native
sat in class last winter, Peddlar,
a sophomore on the Michigan
men's track and field team, saw
something new out the window.
"I was so amazed," Peddlar
said of the snow. "I remember the
first time I was out of class, just
to be in it and touch it and feel
what it was like."
Assistant coach David Kaiser
said when Peddlar showed up in
Ann Arbor a few weeks before his
first semester, it was comical how
underdressed he was.
Kaiser laughed as he described
a SO-degree outdoor practice dur-
ing Peddlar's first year. Through
chattering teeth while shivering,
Peddlar voiced his disbelief that
practice wasn't indoors. He was
grossly unprepared for the win-
ter in front of him.
"We gave him a pair of gloves
and a cap, but as far as a true win-
ter coat, he didn't even have one,"
Kaiser said. "Winters in Jamaica
are like our summers here, so
when temperatures got below 50,
he was pretty uncomfortable."
Junior captain Frank Shot-
well said teammates rallied
around Peddlar and that he never
doubted his teammate's ability to
adapt.
"Seeing him all bundled up
is the funniest thing," Shot-
well said. "He was wearing long
sleeves and sweats in August
when we were out in spandex.
But I knew he was going to make
it. He's a tough kid."
Peddlar weathered his way
through injuries last season and
has improved this year. A week
after he finished a close second in
the 60-meter hurdles at the East-
ern Michigan Invitational, he
won both the long jump and the
high jump against Ohio State in
"The Dual" on January 17.
Peddlar said he has adjusted
very well since August 2007
and doesn't get bothered by the
weather anymore. He said he
chose Michigan for its outstand-
ing academics, and he hopes to
apply to the Ross School of Busi-
ness.
But Michigan might never
have been on Peddlar's radar if
not for his high school coach at
Wolmer's Boys School, former
Wolverine runner Neil Gardner.
He considered Gardner's words
to be gospel, and when making
his college decision, it was Gard-
ner's advice he listened to most.
"Ifa track career was the only
thing I wanted, Michigan wasn't
the place for me," Peddlar said of
Gardner's advice. "But if I want-
ed to be well off in life, I should
come to this institution because
it not only builds you academi-
cally, but also athletically and in
other areas.
"When he told me this was a
good place, I believed him."