8A - Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
BASEBALL
ivichigan's new probmem Finally, a home game
V
By EVERETT COOK
Daily Sports Editor
March and April are odd
months for top-tier college bas-
ketball programs.
In March, there are the ups-
and-downs of the NCAA Tour-
nament - elation followed by
disappointment for all but one
college program. For college bas-
ketball fans, it's the best month of
the year.
But then comes April, one of
the worst months of the college
basketball year, where a wash of
talented players from powerhouse
programs forego remaining years
of eligibility to enter the NBA
Draft.
This is a problem for elite pro-
grams, and until very recently, one
that Michigan hadn't grappled
with.
Butnow,withaninfluxoffresh-
man talent, along with under-the-
radar players developed in Ann
Arbor, the problem has become
very real for the Wolverines.
"You don't know - they are 18
years old," said Michigan coach
John Beilein. "You get them, and
you're hoping they will be here
and unpack their bags, or, that
they are in a situation if their sec-
and or third year that is too good
to pass up to leave. There's the
whole process everybody goes
through, and that's part of what
all us coaches are dealing with
right now."
This year, Michigan is dealing
with two kinds of potential depar-
tures - highly-recruited fresh-
men with enough talent to leave
for the NBA early, and players who
were overlooked as recruits that
developed their talent in college.
Freshman forward Glenn Rob-
inson III fills in the former cate-
gory; based on physical attributes
alone, he could be drafted in the
first round. He struggled at times
against Big Ten competition, but
the NBA puts a lot of stock in
potential, and Robinson has loads
of it.
The two players in the latter
Michigan basketball coach John Bellein is preparing for a veteran Knasas team that balances freshman and veteran talent.
category are sophomore point
guard Trey Burke and junior
forward Tim Hardaway Jr. It's
almost a foregone conclusion that
Burke - who almost left after his
freshman year - willbe gone after
this season. His team has done
well, getting to the Sweet 16 for
the first time since 1994, and he's
established himself as the premier
point guard in the country, win-
ning Sport's Illustrated's Player of
the Year award.
Hardaway is the bigger ques-
tion. He has improved on the
inconsistent streaks that plagued
him last year, but still isn't listed
in the first round of many mock
drafts.
In March, during the Big
Dance, having this amount of tal-
ent is a beautiful thing. In April,
when the slippers come off, it can
be very dangerous.
"The only approach you can
have is that you have to really
build your relationships with
players here and make it the best
place they can be without going to
the point where you aren't teach-
ing them to be a man," Beilein
said. "You just do what you do,
but you can't control itnas much as
you think you could control it. You
just try to make that atmosphere
which enriches their life and they
appreciate it."
The best example of figuring
out how to best balance talent and
longevity will be on the opposite
bench during Michigan's game
against Kansas on Friday. Bill Self
leads a Jayhawks team riding the
line between talented and too tal-
ented; a team that has four seniors
as its top five scorers, yet recently
held a senior day ceremony for
freshman Ben McLemore - the
team's leading scorer - in antici-
pation thathe will leave early next
year.
The Jayhawks have successful-
ly balanced freshman talent with
veteran talent this year, all with a
top-five recruiting class waiting in
the wings.
Self has been one of the best
models for managing elite talent
since the NBA passed the "one-
and-done" rule, which forced
high-school players to be at least
19 years old or be one year out of
high school before entering the
NBA Draft.
There are currently 13 former
Kansas players on NBA rosters, a
list that includes one-and-dones
(Xavier Henry), four-year players
(Nick Collison) and everything in
between (Mario Chalmers,Thom-
as Robinson, etc.). The Jayhawks
have sent more players to the NBA
than most other college programs
but have still made the Final Four
twice since 2005, winning tourna-
ment in 2008.
As Beilein is finding, there is a
fine line between recruiting tal-
ent and recruiting the elite type
of talent that will leave a program
after a year. As Michigan contin-
ues to elevate itself in the world of
college basketball recruiting - all
three signed recruits for nextyear
are atnleastfour-stars - it will con-
tinue to try and find the balance,
just like Self and Kansas.
"Coaches have recruited too
well, really well, and got them-
selves fired because they didn't
have a roster in a couple years
because everybody is in the
league," Beilein said. "You recruit
too low, and you are going to get
yourself fired because you don't
have good enough players. That's
the thing you have to continue to
work through. We have a couple
guys coming out of high school
that were not seen as pro pros-
pects that are now pro prospects.
"It's a good problem to have."
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By ALEX TAYLOR nity to play at home offers it
Daily Sports Writer the chance to get into a routine
- something the Wolverines
hile the Michigan base- haven't been able to do with
team has been able to play their recent schedule.
rious stadiums across the "Consistency is the thing we
n, it has yet to play a game strive for the most," Bakich said.
y Fischer - the stadium in "The consistency of just sleep-
h the team feels most com- ing in our own beds and being
ble playing in. at home and being in a familiar
ednesday, the Wolverines setting should carry over to our
1 overall) will finally play play on the field."
, this A key factor in Michigan's
to West- Westen success thus far in the season
Michigan Michign at has been the play of freshmen
) at Ray Travis Maezes, Jacob Cronen-
tr Sta- MiChigan worth and Evan Hill. Hill was
in their Matchup: just named Big Ten Freshmen of
home Western 7-16; the Week for his one-hit perfor-
. Michigan 10-11 mance Saturday against West-
ichigan's When: ern Illinois, the second time he
ious two Wednesday has won this award. Though
e open- 4:05 P.M. major contributors, these fresh-
against Where: Ray men will have to rely on the
and and Fisher Stadium experiences of upper-classmen
ern Illi- for tips on how the field will
were TV/Radio: play.
eled due "For the younger guys it will
inclement be the first time they will have
her. This ever played a real game on
recurring theme lately as the field," said junior outfield
igan was suppose to take Michael O'Neill. "But the older
ale yesterday at Citi Field in guys know just how the field
York City, but the trip was plays."
elled due to a winter storm. Besides fall practices, Michi-
st last weekend, the Wol- gan hasn't been afforded the
es had to play a home series opportunity to play much on
rian College due to unplay- Ray Fischer stadium because of
field conditions at Ray the unusually cold spring.
her. Michigan dropped this The Wolverines will take
s, losing two of the three on a Broncos team that hasn't
es, to the Fighting Leath- enjoyed much success this
cks. While it's defense and year. Highlights of their season
ling kept them within strik- include a victory over Minne-
distance, the Wolverines' sota and taking No. 30 Florida
se was unable to string Gulf Coast, a team that Michi-
:her the necessary hits to gan lost to 11-6, to extra innings.
he game Last May, the Broncos defeated
it Michigan coach Erik Michigan 13-6 in Kalamazoo,
ch and the rest of the Wol- Mich.
tes refuse to allow these The Wolverines hope the
-nal factors to influence advantages of playing at home,
on-field performance. in front of their fans, will give
Vhether we play at Citi field them the chance to avenge last
drian College it's all the year's defeat.
," Bakich said. "Our focus "It's your home field, you just
ing to be about what we have an advantage," O'Neill said.
to do to win the ballgame." "It's kind of hard to describe,
r Michigan, the opportu- but it's there."
At season's end, Berenson
preparing for early departures
McGary, football star?
-
By LIZ VUKELICH
Daily Sports Editor
Following its 3-1 loss to Notre
Dame on Sunday in the CCHA
Championship game that ended
its 22-year streak of NCAA
Tournament appearances, the
Michigan hockey team is already
focusing on rebuilding its streak
from one.
But two of NOTEBOOK
the Wolverines'
top defensemen might throw a
wrench in those plans. Fresh-
* man Jacob Trouba and junior Jon
Merrill will decide in the upcom-
ing weeks whether or not to leave
Michigan and play in the NHL.
The Winnipeg Jets drafted
Trouba in the first round this past
summer, and Merrill was a set-
ond-round pick by the New Jersey
Devils in 2010.
Michigan coach Red Berenson
met with both players earlier in
the week to weigh their options
and he already has an inkling as to
what Merrill might do.
"I'm leaning towards it's going
to be time for Jonny to move,"
Berenson said. "I think (the Dev-
Sils) have been really patient. They
could have signed him after his
first year."
Merrill has certainly faced set-
backs since his stellar freshman
campaign when he immediately
established himself as an impact
player. There was discussion as to
whether he would leave atnthe end
of his sophomore year, or even in
the middle of the season, follow-
ing a lengthy half-season suspen-
sion for a violation of team rules.
It seems to be more of a toss up
as to what Trouba - arguably the
Wolverines' best player - might
do, though.
"What I feel and what I think is
best for me is what I'll do." Trouba
said. "There's not really a wrong
decision to make, but there's defi-
nitely one that's more beneficial.
"Being here has been probably
one of the most fun years I've ever
had playing hockey on and off the
ice. This is a lot of fun and it's a
hard place to leave. Getting my
education is something I want to
PAUL SHERMAN /Daily
Freshman defenseman Jacoub Trouba is potentially leaving early for the NHL.
do and another year towards that
would be a bigstep."
Berenson said he wouldn't be
surprised if Trouba does decide
to stay in Ann Arbor, citing that
a second year of college hockey
could be exponentially beneficial
for his growth and maturation.
The Wolverines have attrib-
uted their turnaround this season
to the depth of the blue line. But
with Trouba and Merrill's uncer-
tain statuses combined with the
graduation of senior Lee Moffie,
there are some question marks as
to which current players can step
up to fill the gap and assist the
transition of the three incoming
freshmen defensemen.
"If we lost Merrill, you don't
replace Jonny Merrill at the
level he was playing," Berenson
said. "Kevin Clare should be able
to step in and add to our top-5
(defensemen), and you know Mac
Bennett should be ready to have
his absolutely best year."
BERENSON BACK: Berenson
signed a three-year extension on
his contract this summer to keep
him on through the Wolverines'
2015-16 campaign.
Though the veteran coach has
expressed excitement at Michi-
A
gan's inaugural year in the newly-
formed Big Ten hockey conference
and a chance at redemption after
finishing this past season below
.500, there were times during
the 2012-13 season when he ques-
tioned whether or not he should
return to man the program.
"I want to do what's best for
the program," Berenson said. "If
this team wasn't getting any bet-
ter I would have thought about
not coming back next year. I don't
want to get in the way of this pro-
gram doing well."
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The
coaching staff has already started
to lay plans for the non-conference
portion of its schedule. Berenson
is scheduling games with Boston
College, Boston University, New
Hampshire and Nebraska-Oma-
ha.
"I think we're continuing to
keep our competitive relationship
open with schools like BU, BC and
UNH," Berenson said. "We want
to play the best programs in the
east and continue to do that.
There are currently no plans
to schedule games with for-
mer CCHA teams such as Ferris
State, Western Michigan or Notre
Dame.
By ZACH HELFAND
Daily Sports Editor
Mitch McGary recently won
the starting job for the Michigan
basketball team, but the fresh-
man already has another offer for
a starting position. It's just in a
different sport.
"I already promised him he'd
be a five-technique right away,
and we'd get him a lot of sacks,"
said Michigan football defensive
coordinator Greg Mattison. "No
question about it. I love him. It's
funny, I saw him one time the
team was
going to eat NOTEBOOK
somewhere,
I just happened to run into him
when my wife and I were out. I
had never stood next to him, and
I just looked at him and all I kept
thinking was 'Wow, would he be
good as a five-technique."'
So yes, Mattison was joking
- or at least dreaming - but add-
ing McGary would fit Mattison's
theory of the more defensive
lineman, the better. In the third
spring under the current coach-
ing staff, the Michigan front is
getting closer to Mattison's goal
of having a full rotation of players
onthe defensive line.
"I've always wanted to do this,
and atnother places, I've been able
to do this - I love having the abil-
ity to rotate," Mattison said.
The rotation features main-
stays from last year like redshirt
sophomore Keith Heitzman,
fifth-year senior Quinton Wash-
ington, a bulked-up junior Frank
Clark and senior Jibreel Black.
And the Wolverines have added
more depth through younger
players including redshirt fresh-
man Tom Strobel, a healthy red-
shirt freshman Chris Wormley
and sophomore Mario Ojemudia.
Mattison said he joked in film
study that any lineman who
looked tired would be watching
games from the sideline with him
- a luxury that Michigan hasn't
had in recent years.
"Then I made a serious com-
ment to them," Mattison said. "I
said, 'Guys, you have to under-
stand that all I'm trying to ask is
that you go as hard as you can go,
and it's never wrong for you to
raise your hand. If you can'tgo as
hard as we want you to go, raise
your hand and we'll develop a
guy that can come in rightnbehind
you, and now that guy goes hard.'
When we get that up front, then
you can get a front that you're
going to really like watching
because they're going to go hard
every snap."
BEYER'S MARKET: Mattison
is confident enough in the depth
at line to move junior Brennen
Beyer to strong-side linebacker.
Beyer had seen action as a rush
end last season.
The move comes in the wake of
the injury to redshirt junior Jake
Ryan, who tore his ACL last week
in practice and will likely miss
significanttime.
Fifth-year senior Cameron
Gordon is the front-runner for
the starting spot at SAM line-
backer, but Beyer can add'depth.
He'll also provide a pass-rushing
presence in the nickel package,
which as Mattison explained,
uses the strong-side linebacker as
a rusher.
Mattison said the move is tem-
porary, and Beyer will move back
to the line when Ryan returns.
WIDER RECEIVERS: For the
last several years, the wide out
position has been filled by a band
of Lilliputians. Roy Roundtree,
a
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
Freshmanforward Mitch McGary has been likened to a football player on the court. 4
who graduated last year, stood
at just 6-foot. Fifth-year senior
Jeremy Gallon, this year's No.
1 receiver, is just 5-foot-8. And
senior Drew Dileo isn't much
taller, at 5-foot-10.
Enter sophomore Amara Dar-
boh and redshirt freshman Jehu
Chesson. The two have added
an element of speed and size to a
rather diminutive corps of receiv-
ers.
"They have some big-play abil-
ity," said offensive coordinator Al
Borges. "We've won a few jump
balls. Lost a few, but we haven't
lost them all."
Chesson redshirted last sea-
son, and Darboh played only on c
special teams, but each will have
a chance to make significant con- *
tributions in their second year in
the program. Other than Gallon
and Dileo, no receiver has shown
much consistency. Chesson
(6-foot-3) and Darboh (6-foot-2)
each have frames more in line
with Borges' preferences.
"The littler guys have done a
great job for us, but we did want
to get more range at the position
and those two offer it to you,"
Borges said.
NOTE: Former defensive line-
man Chris Rock, who left the
program a year ago, has walked
on at Ohio State according to
Tony Gerdman of theozone.net.
ts