The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - 7A With Big Ten Tournament on the horizon, DeShawn Sims looks back on season Tournament sweep is Michigan's only chance to make it to Big Dance By CHRIS MESZAROS Daily Sports Editor With his playing days at Crisler Arena finished and with the Wol- verines' postseason hopes resting solely on an improbable run in the Big Ten Tournament, senior for- ward DeShawn Sims took some time yesterday to reflect on the past year for the Michigan basketball team. And if the inconsistent Wol- verines want to go anywhere in the tournament which starts this Thursday, they will need the usu- ally reliable Sims to power them past a daunting list of foes, start- ing with a potential matchup Fri- day with No. 5 Ohio State should Michigan defeat Iowa in its first round game. For Sims, it is a somber reality that his playing days in the Maize and Blue are coming to a close. But the senior still has the Big Ten Tour- nament squarely on his mind. "I'm just going in to it thinking about playing Iowa. Getting my mind refreshed after Saturday's loss," Sims said. The senior is second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.9 points per game this season, and was named to the second team All-Big Ten. Other than Michigan'swin over Connecti- cut, the Wolverines have lost each time Sims has scored fewer than 12 points this season. For Sims, the disappointment began early in the season. After Michigan started as the nation's 15th-ranked team, the Wolverines' goals were dashed as their many flaws were revealed. At the Old Spice Tournament in Orlando, Fla., Michigan fell to both unranked Marquette and Alabama, its firstlosses of the season. "We went into it playing some teams thatweren'treally good and it just exposed a lot of our weaknesses and it was kind of hard to bounce back from it," Sims said. From there, the season spiraled downwardwith keylosses downthe stretch in the Big Ten regular sea- son, with a one point loss to Michi- gan State athome and two key losses to Wisconsin. Despite the disappointment, Sims still shined. The senior led the Wol- verines with 28 points in Michigan's upset win over then-15th-ranked Ohio State and nearly propelled Michigan past Michigan State in Ann Arbor before his buzzer-beat- ing layup attempt rimmed out. But with the Big Ten Tourna- ment just two days away, Sims and his teammates know that they really have nothingto lose. Michigan coach John Beilein announced this week that the team would not participate in the Col- lege Basketball Invitation, which selects teams after the NCAA Tournament and NIT and was Michigan's only likely postseason destination. That being the case, Sims and the Wolverines realize that it is all or nothing in Indianapolis. After a blowout 64-48 loss to No. 11 Michi- gan State, Michigan will once again have to try to rebound after a blow to its confidence. "We've bounced back after some very disappointing losses this year, we've done it not consistently but we've bounced back," Beilein said. "This is another one of those times when I hope we have a bounce back and that will be our only intention." While Sims realizes that his career at Michigan is in its twi- light, he still is keeping optimistic about the Wolverines' chances this weekend. And if Michigan has any chance to pull an improbable come- back, it will need its senior leader to loosen up the team for tough run. "Once you know that you have to put it all on the line and you don't have another game, it's easier to play that way," Sims said. "We knew had another game after Michigan State and another game after Minnesota. If you know you get another chance you kind of take it for granted but if you know there's not another chance you put it all out there." SAID ALSALAH/Daily Senior forward DeShawn Sims, seen here in the Wolverines' Jan.17 win over Connecticut, averages 16.9 points per game and was named to the second team All-Big Ten. > S ARIEL BOND/Dail Freshman defenseman Lee Moffie has been in and out of the lineup this season, playing in 25 of Michigan's games. He has 10 points on the season Wolverines look to Moffie to play a b e er role against ich igan State Schultz leads Blue to fifth-place finish at Fresno State Classic Kim finishes tied (Tuesday),it leaves a little bitter taste in our mouths," Sapp said. for second-best "We felt like we could have got- ten on top of the leaderboard if round in the event we had done a few things a little better in round three." at four under par But Sapp was very content with the play of his two top players, By MATT KRASNOFF junior Lion Kim and sophomore For the Daily Matt Thompson. Thompson shot one under par in the windy con- After spending the week of ditions of round three, and Kim spring break playing on the links shot four under par in round two, of Pebble Beach and Cypress tying for the second-best individ- Point in California, it was time for ual round of the tournament. the Michigan men's golf team to "The way our season has gone, get back to work. if Matt and Lion play well, we play Michigan coach Andrew Sapp well as a team," Sapp said. took six players to participate in Sapp added that the consis- the Fresno State Lexus Classic on tency of freshman Jack Schultz Monday and Tuesday. After tying has been a great sign for the Wol- for 13th in the Puerto Rico Clas- verines. Schultz finished with a sic two weeks ago, the Wolverines team-best three over par overall, finished fifth in a field of fifteen which put him in a tie for 14th in that included national power- the overall individual standings. houses Oregon and Washington. Brigham Young and No. 24 San All six players played in the Diego, who tied to win the tour- 54-hole event, with only the nament, each finished the tour- top five scores counting in each nament twenty strokes over par round. When the California sun - seven better than the Wolver- set just a little too early Mon- ines' twenty seven over par. day evening, round two had to The team returns to Ann be halted and was completed on Arbor and will get a break before Tuesday morning. Michigan travels to Florida on But, it didn't stop Michigan March 26 for the FAU/Spring from dominating the second Break Championships. And with round. After a mediocre first the season in full swing, it is clear round, the team regrouped to that playing everyday in the nice shoot a tournament-best round of weather over break helped the six under par. young squad - which has five "I think they just got a little . underclassmen - gain some con- upset with themselves after the fidence. first round," Sapp said. "They all "We just hope that we get some played a lot more focused and good weather in Ann Arbor so a lot better...unfortunately we we can finally play outside. The weren't able to keep it going in the more we're able to play when third round." we're at home, I think the more Overall, Sapp was satisfied comfortable we'll be when we're with his team's play, but he was in our next tournament," Sapp a bit upset about the Wolverines' said. "Hopefully with the better poor third round. weather and playing conditions "Fifth place in a good field is we'll be able to keep improving a good finish, but when we were throughout the rest of the sea- flirting with the lead early on son." THINK YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY FOR OUR BROOMBALL TEAM? YOU PROBABLY AREN'T, BUT YOU COULD STILL WRITE FOR DAILY SPORTS. E-MAIL RYAN KARTJE AT RKARTJE@UMICH.EDU Captain Summers likely out with lower-body injury By MICHAEL FLOREK Daily Sports Writer As Chris Summers faced the Yost Ice Arena student section for the final time Saturday, no one in the crowd noticed. There was no reaction when the senior captain took one stride out to the outside of the faceoff circle, made a looping turn and coasted before stepping on the bench. Maybe it was because it was during a TV timeout in the first period of Saturday's blowout of Lake Superior State. or maybe it was because the crowd expected him back after what Michigan coach Red Beren- son later described as a lower- body injury - after all, Summers had missed just three games his whole career. He hasn't returned to the ice since, in practice or a game. And as Michigan heads into its CCHA quarterfinals series against arch- rival No. 10 Michigan State, Sum- Dame. mers's final appearance in Munn But after he dressed in 13 con- Ice Arena is in jeopardy as well. secutive games, Moffie was pulled "I would say if he doesn't skate for his defensive lapses. In the tomorrow he won't play this week- final five games of that stretch in end," Berenson said yesterday. late January, Moffie had a plus/ "We're going day to day. I'm not minus rating of minus-five. He has optimistic, but we'll see." played in just four of the last ten If Summers doesn't play Friday, games. his replacement will be freshman "I've know from the start that defenseman Lee Moffie, who has the defense is my thing that will played in just 25 games, far fewer keep me out of the lineup, they made that pretty clear," Moffie said. "I'm an offensive defense- r pl ing man, if I'm not producing and I'm playing out there for goals, I'm not really f a spot every worth a lot to this team." orSince then Moffie has been part tin e ou're in of a three-man race for the sixth defenseman along with junior the lineup." Tristin Llewellyn and sophomore Greg Pateryn. "I kind of like this position. You're not comfortable at all. than the 161 games of work in four You're playing for a spot every years Summers has amassed. time you're in the lineup. It makes Despite his inexperience, Mof- you play harder and it's playoffs, fie found a niche as an offensive getting back in, hopefully I'll be defenseman early in the season energized and have a good week- which kept him in the lineup. His end." offensive skills paid off early, After 25 games in the lineup and he found a regular spot after and 14 more as a healthy scratch, a two-point game against Notre Moffie has partially developed from his pure offensive roots. His defensive zone coverage has improved and both Moffie and Berenson have expressed confi- dence in the freshman's ability going into Friday. But the dependence on Moffie's play won't be nearly as much as it was with the Wolverines' goalten- ding situation. Junior goalie Bryan Hogan went out with a groin inju- ry in the first period against Notre Dame on Feb. 25 and has yet to return. Junior Shawn Hunwick has filled the void in goal for the past four games, registering two shutouts. By now, Michigan is used to rallying around players who are forced to step in for injured star players. "It can make your team better too, if your team tries to pick up the slack for a player you know is missing," Berenson said. "A good example is Bryan Hogan. Hun- wick's never started a game at Michigan and here we are going into the playoffs and I don't think anybody in that locker room is worried about Shawn Hunwick because they are going to make sure he has a chance to play well."