8- Tuesday, February 21, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Michigan carries momentum into Evanston* By LUKE PASCH Daily SportsEditor Jared Sullinger, Robbie Hum- mel and Draymond Green are all names you'd expect to see among the leadingscorers in Big Ten bas- ketball this season. Maybe Jordan Taylor and Tim too. Hardaway Jr., Michigan at What about N'Westem the lanky senior Matchup: forward from Michigan 20-7; Northwestern, NU 16-10 John Shurna? Fetrn n When: Tues- Feacuring an day S p m. awkward shoot-d ing release that Where: Welsh- one Wildcat Ryan Arena blogger com- TV/Radio: pared to In- BTN N-Out French fries - ugly at first sight, with a tasty result - the 6-foot-9 Shurna is leading the conference in scor- ing with 20.2 points per game. On Saturday, he registered 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting against Min- nesota to break Northwestern's all-time scoring record. Shurna may be the most unher- alded name in college basketball considering his achievements, but Tuesday night has implications that extend much furtherthan his personal accolades. No. 11 Michi- gan (10-4 Big Ten, 20-7 overall) will ride a three-game winning streak into Evanston and tip off against a relatively underrated Nforthwestern (6-8, 16-10) squad. basket. So far this season, Michigan and Northwestern lead the con- ference in 3-point attempts with 616 and 605, respectively, and the Wildcats knock them down at a marginally better rate. "Bill obviously is one of the best coaches in the country," Beilein said. "Shurna and particularly Crawford (are good), but now their point guard (David Sobo- lewski), oh my goodness. He's hav- ing an incredible freshman year." Sobolewski, along with Wol- verine freshman stud Trey Burke, should provide an intriguing matchup at the point guard posi- tion. On Saturday, Burke proved that he could find success on any stage, knocking down a pair of clutch baskets to topple Ohio State * in front of a sellout crowd and ESPN cameras. Though Sobo- lewski hasn't had the same type of exposure and doesn't score the ball as well as Burke, his efficient play has been impressive for a freshman in the Big Ten. His 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio is tops in the league, and he has just 31 turnovers despite playing over 35 minutes a game this season. As the two freshmen prepare to lead their teams down the stretch, they'll look to secure postseason glory for their seniors, who have all been in this situation before. "It's tough," Douglass said. "It's going to be something that we have to really stay focused for. We can't let up these last few games." Senior guard and team captain Stu Douglass expects Northwestern to be ready for a battle at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston on Tuesday evening. Just like Shurna, the Wildcats are often overlooked by most of the conference. But they've actu- ally maintained an 11-3 home record this season, which includes a marquee victory over then-No. 6 Michigan State in mid-January. "It seems like they don't miss at home, especially Shurna," said senior guard and co-captain Stu Douglass. "(Junior guard Drew) Crawford has been huge for them this year. ... (We have to hold) those two toa minimum." The 6-foot-5 Crawford is right behind Shurna, averaging 16.6 points per game - good for fourth place in the conference. And the pair combined for 41 points inAnn Arbor on Jan. 11, when the Wild- cats pushed the Wolverines to overtime before falling, 66-64. This time around, the race for the Big Ten title looms. The Wol- verines - who have allibut assured themselves an NCAA Tournament bid - are aiming for the regular- season championship, currently tied for second place with No. 8 Ohio State after trumping the Buckeyes at home on Saturday night. Northwestern, whose post- season chances are less certain, knows it can't afford to lose down the stretch in pursuit of the pro- gram's first-ever NCAA bid. "We realize that they want this game as bad as ever," Douglass said. "I think I just saw Lunardi had them as 'lastfour in.' They win this game, it puts them even closer. I don't know if it'd be a shoe-in, but it's as pretty close asit gets for them." Added Michigan coach John Beilein: "I just think they're areal- ly good team. Their field-goal per- centage is up from last year, their 3-point percentage is up from last year at this time, their defensive field-goal percentage (is) better." Northwestern coach Bill Car- mody's system, at least on the offensive end, is strikingly simi- lar to Beilein's. With a roster that doesn't feature much length or athleticism, his team relies primarily on creating space for shooters on the perimeter, with occasional back-door cuts to the THE RACE TO THE BIG TEN TITLE Three rivals - Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State - have beaten each other up this season and face a stiff final four contests to determine the conference champion. MICHIGAN STATE 11-3 BIG TEN, 22-5 OVERALL LAST BIG TEN TITLE: 2009 - FEB. 22 AT MINNESOTA - FEB. 25 VS. NEBRASKA FEB. 28 AT INDIANA - MAR. 4 VS. OHIO STATE MICHIGAN 10-4 BIG TEN, 20-7 OVERALL LAST BIG TEN TITLE: 1986 - FEB. 21 AT NORTHWESTERN " FEB. 25 VS. PURDUE - MAR.1 AT ILLINOIS - MAR. 4 AT PENN STATE OHIO STATE 10-4 BIG TEN, 22-5 OVERALL LAST BIG TEN TITLE: 2011 - FEB. 21 VS. ILLINOIS - FEB. 26 VS. WISCONSIN - FEB. 29 AT NORTHWESTERN - MAR. 4 AT MICHIGAN STATE It's a new day in Detroit. One filled with high-tech startups. Cutting-edge medical research. One-of-a-kind restaurants. World-renowned museums. And affordable, desirable places to live. Engineering, Technology and Healthcare Event Friday, March 9, 2012 Hear from companies likeCompuware, Quicken Loans and the Detroit Medical Center. Learn about opportunities that make Detroit a great place for young professionals. Tour the downtown area and network with employers who are hiring college graduates now. Registration Fee: $10 before 2/29 or $15 after Bus transportation included with registration. Sponsored by Quicken Loans and Compuware For more information, scan the QR code below or visit mitalent.org/LWD 0 o 4 1N ~" ii LIVE WORK detro it! PURE ICH IGAN'