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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com


Sophomore point guard Trey Burke, a Columbus native, has one win in his career against the Buckeyes.
Burke, Craft at it again

By STEVEl BRAID
Daily SportsEditor
Trey Burke can try to deflect
the questions all he wants, and
he can try to play the "the team,
the team, the team" card as much
as he pleases.
But for the No.O
3 Michigan
men's basket- at Michigan
ball team, suc- Matchup:
cess against OSU 17-4;
No. 10 Ohio Michigan 20-2
State on Tues-
day night day 9nsM.
will hinge on
whether the Where: Crisler
sophomore Center
point guard TV/Radio:
wins his indi- ESPN
vidual match-
up against Buckeye point guard
Aaron Craft.
Burke and Craft have squared
off four times in their careers,
and Burke has struggled mightily
on the offensive end against his
Ohio State counterpart. In those
four contests, Burke has averaged
12.5 points, 4.5 assists and five
turnovers, while shooting below
33 percent - numbers well below
his career averages. And in their
last meeting, a 56-53 Buckeye
victory three weeks ago, Burke
shot just 4-of-13 from the field
while dishing out four assists and
committing four turnovers.
"We've been trying to find dif-
ferent ways in our scouting to
give Trey the freedom to do some
things, just to get him away from
Craft," said Michigan coach John
Beilein."(Craft) is agood (defend-
er), he's a really good one."
Though Burke has stumbled
against Craft and Ohio State -
he has led the Wolverines to just

one victory against the Buckeyes
- he's looking forward to round
two of 2013, relishing the oppor-
tunity to go against one of the
better defenders in the country.
"I love playing against Craft,"
Burke said. "He's a guy that
makes me work and it's always
a battle. Growing up watching
him, and him watching me - we
played in the same AAU program
- it's just fun playing against
him. Although it's tough because
he makes you work, he makes you
better, believe it or not."
In their first matchup of the
season three weeks ago, Michi-
gan (7-2 Big Ten, 20-2 overall)
came out with very little energy
and fell behind by 21 points mid-
way through the first half. The
Wolverines rallied back, but
it was too little, too late. With
Craft tightly guarding him,
Burke missed a go-ahead 3-point
attempt in the waningseconds.
Michigan will try to be better
prepared this time around. On
the defensive side, Michigan will
hope to contain Ohio State for-
ward Deshaun Thomas. Thomas
led Ohio State (7-2, 17-4) with 20
points and four rebounds when
the two teams last met - he
was the only Buckeye to score
in double digits - and is one of
only three players across the
nation that averages more than
20 points and six rebounds per
game.
But Ohio State won't need
much offense if it can recreate the
defensive intensity it displayed
during the teams' first matchup.
The Buckeyes played one of their
best games defensively against
the high-powered Wolverine
offense - Michigan's 53 points,
22 first-half points and 38-per-

cent shooting from the floor were
all season lows. Ohio State also
forced 13 turnovers, scoring 18
points off of those miscues.
If it's even possible, the Buck-
eyes defense might be even better
now than it was three weeks ago.
In their last five games, they have
allowed an average of 56 points
and have hounded their past four
opponents into shooting worse
than 38 percent from the floor.
"Their defense sets the table
for everything they do," Beilein
said. "And obviously DeShaun
Thomas - he's as talented a play-
er as I've seen in this league."
As for who will start at cen-
ter for Michigan, the decision
hasn't. Redshirt junior Jordan
Morgan, who has been recover-
ing from a right ankle sprain suf-
fered against Illinois a week ago,
sat out against Northwestern last
Wednesday and played just two
ineffective minutes against Indi-
ana on Saturday. Redshirt sopho-
more Jon Horford has started the
past two games in place of Mor-
gan, but saw just I0 minutes of
action against the Hoosiers.
"I'm not sure who will start
tomorrow night," Beilein said.
"Jordan practiced a bit (yester-
day) but there was some soreness
from just playing those two min-
utes (against Indiana). I'm very
happy we did not play him more
the other day."
Between trying to avenge their
loss in Columbus, and avoiding
their first losing streak of the
season, the Wolverines won't be
lacking for motivation.
"They really played a great
game against us in Columbus and
hopefully we've improved since
then," Beilein said. "I expect a
charged-up atmosphere"

At Breslin, MSU rolls
By DANIEL FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
EAST LANSING - After
achieving something it had not
done in over 10 years - gaining
entry into the Associated Press
Top-25 poll -the Michigan wom-
en'sbasketballteamattemptedto
do something else it hadn't done
in over a decade - beat Michigan
State in East Lansing. 4
With both teams wearing
jerseys highlighted with pink to
support the fight against breast
cancer, the Wolverines (5-4 Big
Ten, 16-6 overall) took the court
on Monday, aiming to do an addi- TRACY KO/Daily
tional thing they haven't accom- Senior forward Rachel Sheffer tied for the team lead with 12 points in the loss.
plished in 13 points and 10 rebounds, and basket of the half off an offen-
over five MICHIGAN 46 Sheffer added 12 points and five sive rebound and put back by
years - MSU 61 rebounds. Jordan, but that was quickly
beat the "At the end of the first half, answered with a Michigan
Spartans (6-3,18-4) in any capac- the last four minutes, I thought State basket.
ity. Both were not to be, as Michi- they were able to drive (on "They wore us down in the
gan lost, 61-46. . us)," Barnes Arico said. "They second half," Barnes Arico said.
In a see-saw first half, both rebounded the ball pretty well "They were very physical. We
teams went back and forth, put- too and gave themselves a lot of couldn't get anything going
ting on a display of defensive second-chance opportunities." offensively. They did a great job
prowess. Led by forward Klarissa Bell's on us. Even when we tried to
"It was a tough game early," seven first-half points, along make some runs, they were able
said Michigan coach Kim with five points each by forwards to stop the runs and come away
Barnes Arico. "It was a com- Annalise Pickrel and Becca Mills with the victory."
petitive game early and then off the bench, the Spartans shot Such was the case for the
they made that run at the end 45 percent from the field. They Wolverines in the game, and
of the first half and the start of also committed just three turn- especially the second half, as
the second half, which really overs, compared to the Wolver- they finally knocked down
opened up the game and we ines'eight. their first 3-pointer of the game
weren't able to come back from With the entire lower bowl with 15:09 remaining. After
it." of the Breslin Center filled with the made shot by senior for-
With both teams playing Michigan State supporters ward Sam Arnold, the Spartans
stingy defense, the Wolverines dressed in its traditional green answered with a 3-pointer of
finished 0-for-8 from beyond and special pink gear, the Spar- their own by guard Jasmine
the arc. Forced to adjust, Michi- tans continued their hot streak Thomas. Three other Spartans
gan relied on its two senior for- into the second half, scoring the also finished with nine points.
wards and leading rebounders, first nine points of the stanza. Despite managing to chop
Rachel Sheffer and Nya Jordan, Michigan was able to get the lead down to 12, it was ulti-
to carry the team. good looks down low for Shef- mately Michigan's poor end
The duo combined for 14 fer, but nothing was falling to the first half and beginning
points and nine rebounds in the for the Wolverines as they fell to the second that doomed the
first half, but with the rest of the behind by 16 points. Barnes Wolverines.
team struggling from the field - Arico called a timeout after a "(The loss) was due in part to
shooting just 4-for-15 - Michi- 3-pointer by guard Kiana John- their defense but we've got to
gan found itself down seven at son at the 17-minute mark in an be able to make plays and make
the half after Michigan State effort to stop the Spartans' run. shots better than that to be suc-
went into the locker room on a It was finally after the time- cessful in this league,". Barnes
15-4 run. Jordan finished with out that Michigan got its first Arico said.
I i~ i \sla~istv' o ait ~h .r n wil

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Dre

King: Webber ready

P.ublication..... .

Thursday, February 14th

By DANIEL WASSERMAN
Daily SportsEditor
Jimmy King is confident that
Chris Webber, the embattled for-
mer Wolverine, will soon be ready
to apologize for his role in the Ed
Martin scandal, and that when he
will, the 1992 and 1993 Final Four
banners will again be able to hang
from the Crisler Center rafters.
Jalen Rose, though, is skeptical
the conversation between Web-
ber and the administration will
ever take place.
Speaking at Monday night's
Mock Rock event, which Rose
emceed, King's outlook on the
ordeal painted a brighter picture
than what most, including Rose,
foresee.
Since the sanctions were
handed down in the fall of 2002,
the University hasn't been able to
acknowledge the Fab Five, Web-
ber or publicly display the ban-
ners. That self-imposed ban ends
thisMay.
"I know Chris even wants it,"
King said. "I think that now that
it's January 2013 ... we, internal-
ly, amongst ourselves, will start
trying to reach out ourselves. I
wouldn't be surprised in the next
couple of weeks or months to
come, that,youknow, Chris opens
up and starts to publicly acknowl-
edge the ban being over."
But Rose's response to King's
statements sounded more real-
istic, even though some believe
there's been somewhat of a rift
going on between Rose and Web-
ber. Rose admitted that Webber
had initially agreed to be a part of

"Fab Five," the ESPN documen- simply needs to acknowledge that
tary that Rose produced in 2011, he made a mistake."
but later backed out. Rose simply hopes that he will
"I hope that (Athletic Direc- "be around to see it," but fears
tor) Dave (Brandon) finds a way that the sides might one day be
to figure it out and massage it to forced to come together due to a
the point where both sides end up tragic event like a funeral.
being pleased," Rose said. "The Added King: "I think (Web-
tough part for me is, I love Chris. ber's) always wanted to (apolo-
He's my brother and my team- gize). I think over the course of
mate and we're not the Fab Five him being vilified, people point-
without him. I love Dave. He has a ing the finger at him, that where
job to do. He's an athletic director he's probably withdrawn a little
of the school. I get his side also. bit. But now that the ban is up this
"The tricky part of it is, do year, in the next couple of months,
you not acknowledge what we I think now he's back to, 'Okay,
brought to the table because you I'm willing to come back and have
feel like Chris in particular isn't, an open discussion."'
I guess, apologizing or coming With the success that the cur-
back. That's something that we rent Wolverine squad is having,
can't control. ... I just hope that if the Fab Five and its related sanc-
he decides not to apologize or not tions have become a prominent
to come back, that that does't storyline again. ShouldthisMich-
create a negative domino and igan team make a Final Four run,
affect all ofus." its season would end just weeks
It remains to be seen whether before the disassociation period
the Athletic Department even ends. By then, the picture might
has the power to put the banners be alot clearer.
back up, since the wins were offi- "I don't know what it's going
cially vacated. Brandon has made to take, I just hope that (Univer-
comments suggesting that they sity President) Mary Sue Coleman
can't be, but Rose pointed out that and Dave Brandon are open for
actions otherschools, like UMass, the conversation," King said. "I
have taken suggest otherwise. don't know where we start. Just
The one thing everyone can know that that line is there and
agree on is that Webber needs to that Chris and Jalen and Ray and
come forth with an apology. Bran- Juwan and myself... are willing to
don explicitly outlined this point discuss the possibility of putting
in "Fab Five." the banners back up. ... Maybe
"There are a lot of things that our views are different in that,
we admitted where we had made but that's why we need to have an
mistakes, could've done things open discussion.
better and we apologized," he "We're part of the basketball
said. "What we're looking for is history and we want to remain a
the same thing from Chris. Chris part of that history."

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