10 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com z Friday, March 16, 2012 - 7 * The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, March 16, 2012 - 7 Breakdown: Blue vs. Ohio ALDEN REISS/Daily Freshman guard Trey Burke, a native of Columbus, will be playing in his first NCAA Tournament on Friday night. Tournament play vs. Ohio By DANIEL WASSERMAN Daily Sports Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. - With its highest seed since 1998, the Michigan men's basketball team will kick play off in the NCAA Tournament on Friday against Ohio. Ohio VS. The 1998 Michigan team, a three- seed, was upset Ohi 27-7; in the tourna- Michigan 24-9 ment's open- ing weekend when: Friday and has since 7:20P.M. been banished Where: from the record Bridgestone books due to Arnea sanctions. The TV/Radio: Wolverines TNT have to look back to 1994 to find the last team that made it out of the opening weekend. Since then, Michigan has just four tournament wins. StandingInfrontoftheWolver- ines (13-5 Big Ten, 24-9 overall) are the MAC Champion Bobcats. Riding a four-game win streak, Ohio (11-5 MAC, 27-7 overall) is making its first appearance in the Big Dance since 2010, when it upset third-seeded Georgetown. "We're not going to overlook this team," said freshman point guard Trey Burke. "They won the MAC for a reason. We know how good they can play and how well they've been playing lately. Just watching film lately, we see ... their go-to guys and how good they can be." One of those players is guard D.J. Cooper. The junior leads Ohio with nearly 15 points and six assists per game. But Michigan also has some history on its side. This won't be the first time that the Wolverines will run into the Bobcats in post- season play. In 1964, Michigan defeated Ohio, 69-57, en route to the program's first Final Four. Additionally, in games follow- ing each of the Wolverines' eight regular-season losses this year, Michigan is yet to lose. The play- ers say their ability to bounce back is all mental, and they earned it in the film room. "You've got to put pride aside and grow up a little bit," said senior guard Stu Douglass. "Just take responsibility for your own actions and move on and ask yourself, 'what are you going to do for this team?' instead of saying, 'Woe is me, why is coach picking on me?' Maturity and growing up and the experience we had last year has helped us a lot." To avoid a similar fate to their 1964 tournament team, the Bob- cats will need to play the superb perimeter defense they've used all season, holding opposing 3-point shooters to just 29.6 percent. Perhaps the most important shooter on the floor for the Wol- verines is their primary ball handler, Burke. The correlation between strong performances from Burke and Michigan wins was magnified in Indianapolis at last week's Big Ten Tournament. In the opening round, Burke shot 75 percent from long range on his way to 30 points, lifting the Wolverines to a 73-69 overtime win over Minnesota. But the fol- lowing day, when the point guard was held without a 3-point make and finished with just five points, Michigan was throttled by Ohio State. The Columbus native is the only notable contributor that lacks NCAA Tournament experience. The rest of Michigan's starting lineup started in the Wolverines' 75-45 win over Tennessee and the ensuing 73-71 loss to Duke last March. But Burke, who has displayed exceptional composure all season, has the support of his teammates, who aren't concerned about his lack of experience. "I haven't even thought about (talking to him about staying calm), and I won't do it - won't even think about doing it," Dou- glass said. "The whole experience thing, needing that experience has kind of gone out the win- dow. It started with playoff-time experience with Minnesota, and he basically carries us the entire game. Then he had a rough game against Ohio State. So he's had a wide range of experiences already in postseason play." Should the Wolverines beat the Bobcats, they'll move on to face the winner of the Temple-South Florida game. The fifth-seeded Owls are the favorite, but the Bulls are riding the momentum of a convincing 65-54 win over California in the first round. By LUKE PASCH finishing up with an impressive Daily SportsaEditor 42-percent from behind the arc. He has also shown the capacity It's uncanny that in the year to drive when defenders get too that Michigan's Athletic Depart- close, and when he gets to the ment shortened "Ohio State" to line, he's lights out (91 percent). the simpler "Ohio" moniker, the Though Kellogg doesn't pos- Wolverines drew 13-seed Ohio sess quite the same talent his University in the second round of father Clark had when he was a the NCAA Tournament. starting forward for Ohio State The Bobcats are not rivals in the early 1980s, Nick averages with Michigan in the same sense just under nine points a game. If as the Buckeyes, nor do they he is not properly accounted for, present as talented of a lineup. you can tab him as that X-factor Yet a mere glimpse at Ohio's ros- player for the Bobcats. ter and its season's accomplish- From Douglass, expect to see ments proves that Friday night's the usual - solid fundamentals, matchup in Nashville shouldn't a decent shooting performance be a cakewalk for four-seed from long range and the occa- Michigan. sional cut to the basket. It's noth- Upon winning the Mid-Amer- ing flashy, but he gets the job ican Conference Tournament done. Championship against Akron on Edge: Douglass Saturday, Ohio punched its ticket Wing Guard: Tim Hardaway to March Madness and will look Jr. vs. Walter Offutt to bust brackets with an upset at You never really know which Bridgestone Arena. Tim Hardaway Jr. you're going Here, we break down how the to get. Will he pick his shots and two squads match up, position by attack the rim when the situation position. calls for it? Or will he settle for Point Guard: Trey Burke vs. shooting and missing contested D.J. Cooper 3-pointers ad nauseam? Nobody quite knows what to On Friday, Hardaway Jr. will make of Burke's performance in need to be versatile in his offen- the Big Ten Tournament semifi- sive approach because he'll likely nal against Ohio State last Satur- be matched up with experienced day. For the first time all season, redshirt junior Walter Offutt, the freshman actually played who transferred from Ohio like a freshman, getting himself State after the 2009-10 season. into foul trouble early, commit- In his first year back in action, ting a whopping eight turnovers Offutt has filled a Zack Novak- and shooting an abysmal 1-for-11 type role, leading the team with from the field. a solid defensive foundation and Surely, playing against such the ability to shoot and attack the a stingy defense played a fac- basket on the other end. tor, and Burke should fare better The edge in this matchup will against Ohio junior D.J. Cooper, likely depend on which Hard- who is not as widely known for away Jr. shows up, but expect his perimeter defense. Offutt to prove his worth on Fri- The Bobcat point guard is a day. prolific scorer, though, and he Edge: Offutt tends to be Ohio's go-to guy. He's Wing Forward: Zack Novak vs. the only one on the roster aver- Jon Smith aging more than 30 minutes per Throughout his senior season, game this season, and he leads Novak has symbolized the foun- the team with 14.6 points per dation of the Michigan basket- game. ball program, and his presence Though those 'numbers are in Ann Arbor has played a major comparable to Burke's (36 min- role in the Wolverines' turn- utes per game, 14.8 points per around over the past few years. game), Cooper is not nearly as Starting Friday, he has a chance efficient of a shooter. He typical- to put an exclamation point on ly relies on taking many attempts that turnaround by opening a from the field, which won't be deep run in the NCAA Tourna- effective against a Michigan ment. offense that likes to eat the clock And barring any Bobcat line- on its offensive possessions. up surprises, Novak has a good Edge:Burke chance to wreak havoc on the Shooting Guard: Stu Douglass perimeter. vs. Nick Kellogg The 6-foot-7 Smith is not Senior guard and co-captain known for guarding versatile Stu Douglass has an opportu- guard-forward hybrids like nity to prove that he is one of Novak, and he could have trouble his conference's best perimeter keepingup. defenders because Nick Keljogg Smith may get some easy is likely to challenge him from buckets underneath due to his long range. The sophomore has height advantage, but he hasn't rained 3-pointers all season long, proven to be much of a scorer at all this season. Edge: Novak Center: Jordan Morgan vs. Ivo Baltic Ivo Baltic has been a rock for Ohio all season long, and Morgan may need help from teammates to defend him in different areas of the floor. Baltic has shown the ability to step out and pop the midrange jumper, and occasion- ally the 3-pointer (he has five on the season). But then again, Baltic is no Jared Sullinger, who terrorized the Michigan frontcourt on Sat- urday to the tune of 24 points. Morgan has seen tougher play- ers come through his territory throughout Big Ten competition, so don't be surprised if he has a rebound performance against the Bobcats on Friday. Edge: Morgan Bench: Michigan coach John Beilein is not known to rely on his bench. This season, Burke, Hardaway Jr., Douglass and Novak all aver- age over 30 minutes on the floor per game. And the fifth starter, Morgan, would probably be clos- er to that mark if he wasn't con- sistently in foul trouble. That said, forward Evan Smotrycz has pieced together a solid sophomore campaign off the bench, shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. Ohio coach John Groce uses an extensive rotation in his line- up. He'll likely call on junior for- ward Reggie Keely to tangle with Morgan underneath at times, and he'll rely on 5-foot-9 freshman Stevie Taylor to provide a spark from the perimeter. . Beilein should be a bit wary that the Bobcats are consistently rotating and running the floor with fresh legs. Edge: Ohio intagibles: The outcome of this game may be very dependent on how Burke handles the pressure of playing in his first NCAA Tournament game. But Burke has played on a big stage at every level in his career, and he's about as cool and calm as freshmen come. It also helps that all of his non- freshmen teammates have tour- nament experience under their belts. Cooper, Keely and Baltic all have NCAA experience with Ohio as well. In 2010, Cooper led the Bobcats in an upset over Georgetown in the first round, scoring23 points. But winning in March requires great team leaders, and it's always hard betting against Novak and Douglass. Edge: Michigan Prediction: Michigan 65, Ohio 58 Wolverines focus.on Oklahoma in first-round matchup By COLLEEN THOMAS Daily Sports Writer Now that all the excitement and tears that came with being selected to the NCAA Tourna- ment have passed, it's back to work for the Michigan Oklahoma women's bas- ketball team. VS. Michigan The Wol- Matchup: verines (8-8 Okla. 20-12; Big Ten, 20-11 Mich. 20-11 overall) began When: Sanday Tuesday's 7:35 P.M. practice with Where' Lloyd a quick huddle Noble Center on the prac- T tice court, then TV/Radio: ESPN2 they made the trip upstairs to the film room to start breaking down their next opponent: Okla- homa. Though Michigan will have just a few days to prepare for Sunday's game in Norman, Okla. against the Sooners (11-7 Big 12, 20-12), the squad will have Junior center Rachel Sheffer and the Michigan women's basketball team earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2001. almost a full two weeks of post- season preparation under its and refining its plays instead of Iowa State. season runner-up in the confer- pa belt. The last time the Wolver- focusing practice on a certain "The Big 12 is a very com- ence, behind undefeated No. 1 mt ines took the court was March opponent. petitive conference, just like Baylor. The Sooners boast a tall too 3 in their Big Ten Tournament Now that it knows its first- the Big Ten," said junior guard lineup: six of eight players that me quarterfinal loss to Ohio State. round opponent, Michigan has Jenny Ryan. "They're very well- are scoring threats come in at ac They have taken some time taken a good look at Oklahoma. coached, they have great play- over 6-foot, and three average thr off to rest their bodies, which The Big 12 has some similarities ers and scorers. It's going to be a double digits. 371 have worn down over the course to the Big Ten, such as physical battle - we've seen Big 12 teams The sophomore duo of Aaryn of the season, but they haven't post play, but the Wolverines before, so we know the caliber Ellenberg and Morgan Hook is slowed down in practice. The don't really know much about of play. We're just excited to make up Oklahoma's backcourt, av week before Selection Mon- their opponent - the last time have the opportunity to take it at combining for 26 points per an day, the team was still working Michigan played a Big 12 oppo- them." game. Ellenberg was selected to hard, focusing on its strengths nent was Dec. 4, when it defeated Oklahoma was the regular- the All-Big 12 first team and sur- mt in the paint for the Sooners. Though Oklahoma has 6-foot-6 center Nicole Griffin, she isn't as dominant on the boards as Hand, averaging just three rebounds per game. But undersized post play is familiar to the Wolverines. Junior center Rachel Sheffer stands at 6-foot-1, but she has seen much success under the basket against taller, more physi- cal players throughout Big Ten play "The Big 12 is a very competitive conference." ssed the 1,0 ark this season ok Michigan s en Reynolds t complish. Elle reat behind th percent from1 Redshirt juni the team's lea eraging seven1 d tallying 13 p Despite beingj ay as well be t "(The Big 12 is) a well-known conference - they have big PAULSHERMAN/Daily girls," Sheffer said. "But again, the Big Ten has s lot of that, too. 00-career point. (The) Big Ten really is about post , something that play and (is) known for big play- enior guard Car- ers, (so) I think in that regards, wice as long to we'll be ready." enberg is also a While the Sooners will basi- te arc, averaging cally be playing a home game at long range. their arena in Norman, Okla. and or Whitney Hand are the higher-seeded team, the iding rebounder, Wolverines have confidence in boards per game themselves and their senior lead- oints per game. ership. And certainly, anything just 6-foot-1, she can happen in the tournament. he biggest threat After all, it is March.