8 - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Michigan Daily - michiganclailycom

8 - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

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Q&A with MSU juniors

Sophomore pointguard Trey Burke will be tasked with another tough matchup in Spartan Keith Appling.
Michigan travels

By DANIEL WASSERMAN
Daily Sports Editor
For the first time since the
Fab Five roamed the Ann Arbor
streets, the Michigan men's bas-
ketball team seems to have a leg
up, or at least be on par with its
in-state rival, Michigan State.
Just 60 miles separate the two
top-10 teams, and with a pair of
the nation's top coaches - Mich-
igan's John
Beilein and B I
Michigan
State's Tom
Izzo - both
programs
should be
perennial contenders for years
to come.
The Spartans, tied with Indi-
ana atop the Big Ten standings,
hold a one-game lead over the
Wolverines, making Tuesday
night's tussle inside the Breslin
Center even more important.
Tensions should be high come
9 p.m. in East Lansing, and two
Spartans - center Adrelan
Payne and guard Keith Appling
- have experienced the intensity
of the rivalry over the course of
their past two years on campus.
After Michigan swept the Spar-
tans in the juniors' freshmen
seasons, the programs split last
year's contests. Payne, an Ohio
native, and Appling, a Michigan
native, should know a fair share
about this rivalry, right?
The Daily sat down with the
players at Big Ten Media Day in
October to find out.
The Michigan Daily: What did
you learn from rooming with
someone like Draymond Green?
(Green, one of Michigan State's
most heralded athletes of all
time, graduated last year and is
now playing for the NBA's Gold-
en State Warriors.)
Adreian Payne: I just learned
more of, you can say, things off
the court. You know, paying bills

on time, things like that. Just
life-learning lessons you will
take with you every day.
TMD: (Senior center Derrick
Nix) went through that legal
stuff at the beginning of the off-
season. (Nix was arrested, jailed
and pled guilty to two counts of
drug possession). Do you think
that helped him because now
he's a captain? Do you think that
helped shaped the leader that
he's turned into?
AP: I think that that helped
him a lot as far as sometimes
maybe you've gotta get knocked
down, you know, hit rock bottom.
before you realize that you have
to change and learn that people
look up to you and things like
that. I think that opened his eyes.
TMD: Growing up in Ohio,
was it easy for you to come here
and hate Michigan?
AP: Growing up in Ohio, I
never really watched basketball,
so I really never had rivalries or
anything big on Michigan or not.
Just coming up here and going to
Michigan State, it informed me
to have a rivalry against Michi-
gan. I didn't grow up in the fam-
ily atmosphere and the tradition
of Michigan State. Coach Izzo
has grown on me, so it's kind of
hard not to have that rivalry.
TMD: What's itegoing to be like
this year, with both teams being
top-15 preseason teams, because
that's not something that's hap-
pened recently?
AP: We really don't focus on
that, butwe'll come outevery day
and use it for fuel and just go out
and play hard every day.
TMD: What do you remem-
ber about last year's two games
against Michigan?
AP: You know, I don't really
want to talk about that.
TMD: Michigan State might
be flying a little more under the
radar than normal. Does that put
a chip on your shoulder?
Keith Appling: I wouldn't say

so because last year we flew
under the radar tremendously
and we were able to win the Big
Ten championship, so that's not
really one of the things we worry
about.
TMD: Draymond was the face
of Michigan State basketball, and
now Izzo's'been pointing at you a
lot. Do you feel any pressure to
fill his shoes, even a little bit?
KA: I don't feel pressure at
all because, at the end of the
day, this is what I signed up for.
I've just got to be prepared to do
whatever I can to help my team
win and be successful in the Big
Ten.
TMD: You grew up in Michi-
gan. Is this the best you ever
remember Michigan and Michi-
gan State being at the same time?
KA: (Laughter) Yeah, because
there's a lot of talent on both
teams, so when we step out on
that floor, it's going to be blood,
sweat and tears. I'm pretty sure
it's going to be a hard-fought
game.
TMD: What do you remember
about the two games last year?
KA: I remember they were
some hard-fought games. The
one in Ann Arbor, it was a tough
one. They played hard, we played
hard, it was a back-and-forth
game throughout the whole 40
minutes, but they were able to
come out with the win because
they werethe better team onthat
given night. But in the Breslin
(Center), we were kind of able to
repay them a little bit. It was fun,
that's what it's all about.
TMD: Do you have many fam-
ily members who are Michigan
fans who get in your ear around
that time?
KA: Nah, not really. Even if
they were Michigan fans, now
that I'm Michigan State, they're
Michigan State. They don't real-
ly bother me too much in the sea-
son anyway, so that's not one of
the things I have to worry about.

I

to East

By COLLEEN THOMAS
Daily Sports Editor
The stakes have never been this
high for a mid-February rivalry
game.
The Wolverines (8-3 Big Ten,
21-3 overall) and the Spartans
(9-2, 20-4) have faced off 169
times in the rivalry's history, and
just nine of those matchups have
come when both teams were in
the Top 25. And until Tuesday's
game, both teams have never both
been ranked in the Associated
Press' top 10.
Though rankings don't have
significant implications at this
pointin the season - there's stilla
month left in the regular season -
the matchup in East Lansing has
more substance than who stays in
the top 10 at the end of the week.
"It's the Big Ten title on the
line," said sophomore guard Trey
Burke. "Two top-10 teams going at
it, and Michigan-Michigan State
(is) one of the biggest rivalries in
college basketball."
Tuesday'sgamewill alsodecide
whether or not Michigan will
regain control of its destiny on the
road to the Big Ten regular-season
title. Currently,Indiana and Mich-
igan State sit in first place at 9-2 in
conference play, with Michigan
and Wisconsin in second place at
8-3. All year, Big Ten coaches have
stressed the depth and strength of
the conference and predicted that
the eventual champion wouldn't
come away with fewer than four
conference losses.
The tough conference slate
hasn't been kind to the Wolver-
ines. Michigan has dropped two
of its past three games - both
on the road - and has faced two
ranked opponents in the past 10
days. Though Michigan coach
John Beilein doesn't like to point
out certain games as "must-wins,"
a road victory tonight would put
them in better shape towards the
ultimate goal of a Big Ten title.
But it's not easy to play at the
Breslin Center. The Spartans

have won
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Lansing.
12 of the past 13 games - both point guards are in the top
se Wolverines at home five in assists per game in the Big
an State's lone loss was Ten.
lecision in 2011 when "Burke really makes a differ-
ard Stu Douglass hit a ence for those other guys," said
with 22 seconds left to Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.
d the win for Michigan. "(Freshman guard Nik) Stauskas
game will most likely will be a really good player, but
close. boy, Burke makes him a great play-
eason, the Wolverines er because he justgets him the ball
ered two close losses in the right place at the right time.
y hostile arenas - at Idon'tthink we've seen aguy who
Hall to Indiana ahd at can pull a game like Burke has ina
Center to Wisconsin. long time in this league.
inks that his youngteam "When you can shoot it or pass
ed to handle a raucous it, it really makes a difference, and
he's able to do both aswell as any."
k it's always new and Though Michigan State might
to play at a loud arena, not be as strong at the point guard
e same time, it's not as position as Michigan, the Spar-
as it was the first time," tans' strength lies in the interior.
id. "I'm sure our guys Nix, Payne and Dawson all average
eked when we went to over nine points per game and are
. There's always a level significant forces o, ne boards, as
tion along with (playing each grab over six rebounds per
a sold-out crowd)." game. Nix and Payne are often
sold-out Breslin Cen- in the game together, and their
ng the top-10 matchup height and strength will be dif-
:wo talent-studded ros- ficult for Michigan to match up
player will need to do against, as the Wolverines aren't
n both sides of the ball. expected to have redshirt junior
o matchups that Michi- Jordan Morgan playing signifi-
eed to win are the point cant minutes on Tuesday.
sition - Burke against In addition, the Wolverines
ding - and the battle in haven't always been a strong
with Wolverine fresh- rebounding team and have strug-
h McGary and redshirt gled keeping up on the boards
e Jon Horford opposing against more physical big men.
an trio of Derrick Nix, McGary and Horford have given
ayne and Branden Daw- Michigan viable options in lieu
of Morgan, but McGary's inex-
- arguably the best perience and a lack of a strong
rd in the nation - has defensive presence are where the
ing a lot of attention Wolverine big men struggle.
sing teams. Ohio State's "It's very important to stop
aft, one of the nation's their bigs," said junior guard Tim
nders, seemed to shut Hardaway Jr. "They do a good job
wn when matched up ofscoringinthe low post with Nix,
se, but the sophomore Payne and Dawson. A lot of their
d 18 points. points come off second-chance
pling, Michigan State's shots, so once the shot goes up, we
corer and one of the have to do a great job being physi-
e's best defenders, will cal and boxing them out and limit
handful for Burke. Both them to one-shot opportunities.
I Appling have the abil- They're a greatoffensive rebound-
only score, but create ing team, so we just got to do a
ties for their teammates great job helping our bigs out."

Uown

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
SUMMER SESSION '13


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0
0

Women's soccer inks seven

By ALEJANDRO ZON&IGA
DailySports Writer
The Michigan women's soccer
team enjoyed its most success-
ful season in almost a decade in
2012, taking first-seeded Penn
State to a penalty kick shootout
before bowing out of the NCAA
Tournament's Sweet 16. With one
of the most experienced coaching
staffs in the country and a loaded
recruiting class joining the pro-
gram this fall, the Wolverines
might experience even better
results in the near future.
On Monday, Michigan coach
Greg Ryan announced that seven
players had signed National Let-
ters of Intent for the 2013 season:
Taylor Bucklin, Bailey Haydock,
Jessica Heifetz, Missy Kreutz,
Madi Lewis, Anna Soccorsi and
Nicky Waldeck. The incoming
class will add to a roster that lost
just three seniors to graduation.
"We're very excited about this
class of signees," Ryan said in a
statement. "Each member of this
class is extremely talented and
plays the game of soccer at a very

high level. We expect them to
make an immediate and positive
impact on our team this season
and add to the culture that we've
created here at the University of
Michigan."
Taylor Bucklin could help
address the graduation of Haley
Kopmeyer, the program's most
successful goalkeeper. Kopmey-
er recorded more saves (383),
shutouts (27) and had the lowest.
goals-against average (0.96) than
any other netminder in Michigan
history. The Wolverines' roster
already features two goalkeep-
ers, sophomore Maddie Clarfield
and junior Zaryn Jennings, but
Bucklin has showcased her tal-
ents for the Canadian national
team at the CONCACAF Under-
17 Women's Championship and
the Under-17 Women's World
Cup.
The seven signees also include
a total of four defenders and
midfielders who will reinforce a
defense that allowed just 17 goals
and recorded 13 shutouts in 2012
- both program bests. The back
line is anchored by senior She-

lina Zadorski, who was recent-
ly called up to the Canadian
national team. The Wolverines
also picked up Virginia transfer
and Troy, Mich. native Olivia
Brannon on Jan. 9 - one of the
nation's top defenders.
Michigan had enjoyed a peri-
od of success when it made the
NCAA Tournament every year
between 1997 and 2004, but has
only danced three times since
then. When Debbie Rademacher
- the program's longtime coach
- resigned in 2007, the Wolver-
ines hired Ryan and associate
coach Dean Duerst to replace her.
When Ryan and Duerst arrived
in Ann Arbor, they had very little
with which to impress recruits.
The team didn't have a practice
field and even played some games
at Canton High School. But after
several delays, the UM Soccer
Complex was completed in 2010,
and Zadorsky and standout for-
ward Nkem Ezurike enrolled that
year. Since then, the coaches and
facilities have consistently drawn
strong recruiting classes and the
team has continued to improve.

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