The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, December 3, 2009 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.comThursday, December 3, 2009 - 5A
Blue shooting
woes continue
'M' could send two to World Juniors
By CHRIS MESZAROS
Daily Sports Writer
Coming into the season, Michi-
gan coach John Beilein knew that
just like last year, the Wolverines
had to be the hunters instead of the
hunted - they needed to focus on
their opponents and not on their
ranking.
But for the third straight game,
the Michigan basketball team
looked like roadkill throughout
much
of yes- BOSTON COLLEGE 62
terday's MICHIGAN 58
62-58 loss
to Boston College at Crisler Arena.
"We have our goals," sophomore
guard Stu Douglass said. "But we
just didn't focus on playing and
hunting like Coach talked about
in the preseason and we just got to
get back to what we know we can
do."
Even though the Wolverines
(3-3) lost by just four points, the
score was deceptive. The Eagles
dominated in both scoring and
rebounding, nailing 47 percent
of their shots and outrebounding
Michigan 43-32.
While M ichigan couldn't help
its conference in the Big Ten/ACC
Challenge, the Big Ten still pulled
off its first victory in its 11year his-
tory, winning six games to five.
Michigan's problems last night
were similar to those during last
weekend's Old Spice Classic. The
Wolverines got off to a slow start,
struggled to shoot 3-pointers
and couldn't make key defensive
stops.
By the halfway point of the first
half, Boston College (5-2) had built
a 23-12 lead, setting Michigan
behind the eight-ball for the entire
game.
In fact, the Wolverines were
lucky to get out of the period down
10 after the Eagles shot 54 percent
from the court, led by forward
Corey Raji. He sliced through
a brittle Wolverine defense all
night, finishing with 24 points. He
was one rebound short of a double-
double,, , '.t
"(Raji) didn't have too many
people guarding him today, he's
rolrcnA" "l~li enA 1n t
ously, they're a pretty good team
or we're a pretty bad team. I know
the score came close at the end, but
there was no doubt who the better
team was out there today."
Down 57-40 with five minutes
to play, senior forward Zack Gib-
son made two quick 3-pointers off
of screens to bring the Wolverines
within 11. While Michigan made it
appear as if the game was close, it
was simply a mirage as the Eagles
ran out the clock in the final min-
utes.
"We missed some opportuni-
ties," Beilein said. "DeShawn obvi-
ously got in foul trouble, but Zack
gave us a good lift, too. We're just
not a well-functioning as a unit
rightnow, and that's what I'm sup-
posed to do, figure that out."
Like in its other losses, Michi-
gan didn't have enough contribu-
tors. While junior Manny Harris
led the team with 19 points, he was
dormant throughout much of the
game, scoring just six points in the
first half and missing key layups
down the stretch.
After the game, Harris blamed
the loss on himself, even though
the finger could be pointed in a
multitude of directions.
"There are things out there, if
it's either leadership or talking
more or my defensive habits," Har-
ris said. "Just a lot of areas where I
think I could make our team bet-
ter, and I'm not doing it. They kind
of feed off what I do, and I don't
think I'm doing something right.
There's no way we should lose
three straight games."
The loss is a considerable shock
after the Wolverines were ranked
15th in the nation in the AP pre-
season poll. Michigan nowhas to
pull itself together before the holi-
day break if it wants to salvage the
first part of the season.
That won't be easy. The Wolver-
ines head to Utah and No. 1Kansas
in the coming weeks.
tf"It would have been hard for me
to say,'listen we're there,'" Beilein
said of his team's preseason No. 15
ranking. "At the same time, there is
a concern - w6 need to win games
against good teams...And collec-
tively, we'll band together and find
a way to do it."
By RYAN KARTJE junior Olympic level is amazing."
Daily Sports Writer In addition to Brown and Wohl-
berg, 2010 commit Jon Merrill
Chris Brbwn will be the first to was among the 11 defensemen
tell you how disappointed he was. selected.
The U.S. Junior National Team With the U.S. National Devel-
held a tryout camp last summer to opment Program Under-18 team,
determine the United States team both Brown and Wohlberg had
for the 2009 World Junior Cham- theopportunity to compete on the
pionships, and Brown's name international stage.
wasn't on the guest list. "I know what to expect having
"I used that as motivation to done it before," Wohlberg said.
never stop working," the fresh- "I've played those countries, and I
man forward said. know what to expect about them."
So when Michigan coach Red Last year, then-sophomores
Berenson told Brown and team- Matt Rust and Aaron Palushaj
mate David Wohlberg that they were selected to the team, and
both have been invited to join the both missed the Great Lakes
U.S. preliminary team, both were Invitational Tournament, which
pleasantly surprised. coincides with the World Junior
"It's a tremendous honor just to Championships.
represent your country," Brown "We go through this every
said. "To be on the world stage at a year," Berenson said. "It puts
holes in our game, and we obvi-
ously don't have a lot of depth this
year.
"As much as sometimes I hate
to see them go, it's an opportunity
for them to represent their coun-
try in a great tournament. They
only get one or two opportunities
like this, and I think that's a pret-
ty special thing."
But two trends could possibly
be detrimental for Michigan next
month. Players in the past have
returned from the championships
either fatigued from the constant
hockey or with a changed style
of play after they compete with a
completely different set of talent.
But Rust doesn't agree.
After scoring just two goals
before the World Juniors Cham-
pionships last year, Rust broke out
of his slump in a big way after the
international event, scoring nine
goals in 21 games.
"You're playing against the best
kids in the world," Rust said. "The
speed of play is faster, guys are
stronger, the puck moves quicker,
so you learn to up your ante for
your play and that helps in the sec-
ond half of the season here."
And Brown assures that if he
and Wohlberg make the final U.S.
roster, neither will slump, since
U.S. coach Dean Blais knows what
both bring to the table.
"We really don't change styles,"
Brown said. "Every coach knows
I'm going to play physical and be a
power forward, and I think that's
why U.S.A. Hockey invited me.
It's the same type of thing that I
do here.
"It won't be a hard transition
back."
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