4E - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 The Michigan Daily - * michiganclaily.com 4E - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Everett Cook: Bye, Trey A season for remembering By EVERETT COOK, Daily Sports Editor APRIL 9, 2013 - ATLANTA - With six minutes left in Michi- gan's 82-76 loss to Louisville in the National Championship, Trey Burke launched himself off the ground and toward the back- board, stretching his arm as far up as it could possibly go, trying to stop the trajectory of Louisville guard Peyton Siva. It was a breakaway play in transition, one-on-one, point guard against point guard. Siva rose up with his right hand, cra- dling the ball, trying to slam it up and over Burke. Any other point guard either lets Siva go or tries to strip the ball in the air. Burke tried to block it. Ninety seconds prior, the soph- omore point guard had been lying facedown on the court, trying to recover after being fouled hard on a drive. He had been beaten up all game by the physical Cardinal defense, and it was starting to take its toll. Burke got up and walked to the free-throw line, head down. Jor- dan Morgan caught him before he got to the stripe, telling Burke to lift his head. Morgan knew his point guard was hurting. The red- shirt junior center told him, "Just keep fighting. Just six more min- utes." Burke nodded, but missed the first free throw. He muttered something under his breath, took a breath, stepped forward and made the second one. He was in pain. But in the open court against Siva, the 6-foot Burke got up high- er than he had all season. Half of his forearm was above the rim, where his hand met nothing but the ball. It was a clean rejection, a perfect defensive play and a per- fect snapshot of two leaders leav- ing everything on the line. Then, a whistle. Burke was called for the foul, and Siva made both his free throws. After the game, 11 players and coaches viere asked if the play was clean. All 11 said it was, but all said it ultimately didn't affect the outcome. There were so many other plays that swung the game. All 11 praised the point guard for being able to even get there. "If there's one person who can't hang his head, it's Trey," said freshman guard Nik Stauskas. "He's carried us all year long." There's a story that Michigan assistant coach LaVall Jordan likes to tell about Burke. In the first open gym of Burke's Michigan career in the summer of 2011, Jordan approached Burke and asked him, "You like win- ning, don't you?" Burke, then 19, responded, "Coach, I win. That's what Ido." Jordan knew that Burke had won the Ohio State Champi- onship as a sophomore in high school, so he laughed andnodded, trying to humor his young point guard. Dead serious, without a glint of humor, Burke looked up at Jordan, shook his head and said, "Coach, I win. That's what I do." That's not the interesting part. The interesting part is that Jordan believed Burke, the soon to be freshman who hadn't yet played in a collegiate game. Jordan could see the drive that earned Michigan a Big Ten title last year and brought itsix points away from a national champion- ship this year. Aftertwoyears,AnnArborhas seen it, probably for the last time Monday. He almost left last year, but on April 9, 2012, he said, "I felt like it was the best decision for me to stay my sophomore year and compete for a national champion- ship next year." After sweeping the four major National Player of the Year awards and getting the Wolverines to Atlanta, Burke accomplished what he wanted to. For him, there's nothing left to accomplish at Michigan. It's almost a foregone conclusion he will play in the NBA next year. But on Monday, he was still a Wolverine, and he was still the best player in the country, still the player capable of makingshots 30 feet from the basket. Every time it felt like the game was slipping away, there was Burke, willing Michigan back into it. He finished the contest with a game-high 24 points while miss- ing just four shots and tallied six of Michigan's last 10 points. He couldn't, wouldn't let his team let it slip away. "He's a superhero. A mytho- logical figure," said senior cap- tain Josh Bartelstein. "I've never enjoyed playing with anybody so much. He's the best basketball player I've ever played with, and I've played with some good play- ers. That kid is going to have an unbelievable career in the NBA." It's not a one-man game, though. With 40 seconds left, Burke knew Michigan needed to foul, but also knew he had four of his own. Manically, he tried wav- ing freshman guard Caris LeVert - or anyone he could find - over to commit the infraction. Nobody else understood, and time kept ticking away.Burke's last two shot attempts fell short. At 1:42 a.m., a pocket of con- fetti fell from the rafters, the last of the celebration. The court was already being disassembled, the nets already cut down. The game, season and career was over. Trey Burke wins. That's what he does. On Monday, there was nothing more he could have done - he had nothing more to give. With the seconds ticking down, Siva walked over to Burke and gave him a hug, a nod of respect. He saw what Jordan saw, back before Burke came onto the national scene. Siva knew that there was no point guard in the country that could have made that play, because there was no point guard in the country like Trey Burke. MARCH 28, 2013 - It has been a hell of a season for the Michigan women's basketball team. The Wolverines exceeded all expectations under first-year coach Kim Barnes Arico. Michi- gan (9-7 Big Ten, ALEXA 22-11 DETTELBACH overall) got off to a 16-2 O start - Basketball best in program history - during which time the Wolverines went on a 10-game winning streak, setting another program record. Once Big Ten play started, Michigan set yet another program record by winning its first four games. Adding to the accolades, Barnes Arico led the Wolverines to a win over No. 13 Purdue in early February, and later ended a six-year drought against Michi- gan State in a close 70-69 win that ended in dramatic fashion at Crisler Center on Feb.16. And if that weren't enough, Michigan earned its first Associ- ated Press ranking since 2002 on Jan. 14 and won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2001. This team reached new heights fans would never have guessed, especially after an offseason that cost the Wolverines five players to ACL injuries. "When you get a coaching change, you don't know what to expect," said senior guard Jenny Ryan. "I can't explain enough how much coach (Barnes) Arico did behind the scenes in April before this thing even got going, how much she did for the pro- gram, especially the seniors. "She didn't just come in and throw her style at us, she worked with us, got to know us as people, as players and once you realizeethe amount of effort that was put in, I'm not surprised by our success." Barnes Arico has pointed to her seniors all season as the reason for the team's success, and right- fully so. The five seniors, four of whom started, account for 84 per- cent of the offense. The 80 wins make this class the winningest in school history. Led by Ryan, Michigan never lacked leadership. Ryan earned third-team All-Big Ten honors, the first time she's been named to an all-conference team, and aver- aged 10.2 points per game with 5.2 assists. A leader on and off the court as the point guard and cap- tain,Ryanembracedhervocalrole and became the heart and soul of the team from the beginning. "I've coached a lot of really good point guards in my career as a coach, and she leads the pack just because of everything she does," Barnes Arico said. "She's the total package. She's a coach's dream really." The surprise 'x'-factor for this Wolverine squad was forward Kate Thompson - who had never started a game until this season. Thompson led the team in points, averaging 14.5 per game, but it was her 3-point shooting that carried her. She set the program record for most career 3-pointers as well as 3-pointers in a season. She ended the season with 110, becoming only the fifth player in Big Ten history to hit at least 100 threes in a season. Thompson garnered second- team All-Big Ten honors and also finished the regular season ranked second in the nation in 3-pointers per game with 3.4. In Michigan's second-round NCAA Tourna- ment loss to Stanford, Thompson scored just seven points, but it still brought her past the 1,000- point mark for her career. Center Rachel Sheffer, who led the team in points last sea- son, averaged 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season. Sheffer proved to be a critical player for a team that typically ran three- or four-guard sets, earning an honorable mention from the Big Ten. Her experience and poise set her apart from the start in the locker room. On Jan. 21, Sheffer scored her 1,000th career point. Another pleasant surprise from the seniors was forward Nya Jordan, who worked her way into the starting lineup once conference play began. Jordan, whose specialty had always been defense, worked on her shot and ended up averaging 8.5 points per game, while leading the team in rebounds with 7.5 per game. The Detroit native alsoearned an hon- orable mentionfromthe BigTen. As the only senior who didn't start, forward Sam Arnold made sure her presence was known when she entered off the bench. Arnold averaged 5.2 points per game and led the team in field- goal percentage, hitting 53.2 per- cent of her shots. She was by far the most productive bench player for the Wolverines, who spent most of their time in a six-player rotation. With a Michigan team so dependent on its seniors, Barnes Arico's squad will be starting over next year, allowing her to put her stamp on the team. Retain- ing only one starter, sophomore forward Nicole Elmblad, Barnes Arico will need help from her incoming freshmen class as well as huge contributions from fresh- man guard Madison Ristovski. Ristovski was expected to play a major role this season, but the success of the seniors put her on the bench. "Any time you don't win a national championship, you're goingto end your season on a sour note," Barnes Arico said. "They're a special group, and we talked about it all week. I feel honored to be their coach, and the transition has been so great." Despite an early exit from the NCAA Tournament, the Wol- verines' accomplishments went beyond expectations. Since the opener against Detroit - back on Nov. 9 - this had the potential to be a season worth remembering. And it was. 6 I 4 A look ahead: Breaking down the 2013-14 Wolverines By DANIEL WASSERMAN Daily Sports Editor APRIL 22, 2013 - Since the day Trey Burke decided to return to Ann Arbor for his sophomore sea- son, the 2012-13 Michigan men's basketball team was expected to contend for a Final Four. It didn't disappoint, either, remaining in the nation's top 10 for the entire season and eventually reaching its goal in Atlanta. Though Burke and junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr. have since departed in favor of the NBA Draft, freshmen forwards Mitch McGary and Glenn Rob- inson III chose to follow Burke's lead and stay for their sophomore seasons. Their decisions, along with another top-flight recruit- ing class, position the Wolverines for another Big Ten title and Final Four hunt. Despite the departure of Burke and Hardaway, Michigan essentially returns four starters - McGary started each game in the NCAA Tournament, while redshirt junior forward Jordan Morgan started nearly the entire regular season after holding the starting post spot throughout the previous two seasons. The Daily broke downthe Wol- verines' upcoming roster, posi- tion by position: Point guard: When Burke picked up two quick fouls in the championship game against Lou- isville, freshman Spike Albrecht filled in more than admirabl netting 17 points on 4-of-4 shooi ing from 3-point range. In the set and half, everyone was reminde oftheAlbrechtwe saw- ordidn see - for much of the season, th one who hit just four 3-pointers i his 18 appearances during confer ence play. Albrecht should see a rise h minutes from his 8.1 minutes pe game average last season, an as he showed in the Final Foui his shooting touch gives him th capability to score in bunches, bu he'll likely play in another reserv role. Albrecht will probably b the startingpointguard when th Wolverines open their season h November, but like Matt Vogric this year, he'll likely accept diminished role in favor of incon ing freshman Derrick Walton J as the non-conference slate pro gresses. Walton, a Detroit native, i the nation's No. 37 recruit - good for the eighth-best poin guard - according to Rivals.com which tabbed Michigan's incon ing class at No. 12, second in th Big Ten behind Indiana. Walton like Burke, is undersized - eac stands at 6-feet tall - but is laud ed for his passing and shootin abilities. His defense remains question mark, but on offense he's consistently been tabbed a a "true point guard" who coul flourish in a Wolverine offens loaded with a wealth of scorin options. Y, Bottom line: No matter how t- well Walton or Albrecht play, - this position will be a downgrade d from the consensus National 't Player of the Year, who played e more than 35 minutes per game. h Inexperience could hamper Wal- - ton early on, but when given time to jell with all of his surrounding n talent, Walton should be able to r facilitate another dangerously d talented Michigan offense. r, Wing: Hardaway's offensive e production can be replaced, but t can his defense? After being a e defensive liability for most of e his first two seasons, Hardaway e turned into one of the Wolver- n ines' most reliable perimeter h defenders, often guarding the a opposition's top outside threat. - Michigan coaches have already r. said they're planning on employ- ing more lineups with two big men on the floor at the same time, s which would allow Robinson to - play at his natural position, small it forward, rather than the under- a, sized power forward role he - played for most of his freshman e season. Given the circumstances, a, Robinson's play was respectable, h but against bigger teams, he was - abused defensively and disap- g peared on the offensive end. At a the small forward position, Rob- e, inson could terrorize opposing s teams with his flexibility to play d on the perimeter or post up small- e er defenders, while his ability to g find space in transition is as good as anyone in the country. Freshman guard Nik Stauskas isn'tthe porous defender he was at the start of the conference season, but he'll still benefit greatly from another offseason of strength and conditioning, as well as coaching. Combined with Robinson on the wing, the Wolverines are already i looking at a formidable one-two punch, but perhaps the team's top wingman next season, incoming freshman Zak Irvin, hasn't even graduated high school. The five-star product, Indi- ana's 2012-13 Mr. Basketball, is Rivals.com's No. 24 prospect. At 6-foot-6, his measurables are similar to Hardaway, but he pos- sesses greater ball-handling skills and an impressive knack for get- ting to the basket or creating his own shot, which is solid. With so much top-heavy tal- ent, it's easy to forget freshman guard Caris LeVert, who wasn't even a Wolverine commitment at this time last year. LeVert's 6-foot-5 frame was so scrawny that coaches quickly decided to redshirt him, but they quickly changed their course when his play in practice was too good to keep off the floor. LeVert is a superb perimeter defender who has flashed an ability to shoot and rebound. His body should benefit tremendously from a full offsea- son in a collegiate strength and conditioning program. Bottom line: Hardaway took the basketball program to a new level, but Michigan has a wealth of riches on the wing that might make forgetting Hardaway easy by the middle of next season. The top-four contributors here can score in a variety of ways, both in transition and in half-court sets, and despite the loss of Hardaway, should even provide an upgrade on the defensive end with Robin- son playing at small forward. Post: While Michigan will certainly miss Burke, McGary's departure could've rivaled Burke's in terms of setting the programback.With the freshman in Ann Arbor for another season, the Wolverines have their entire frontcourtback, which should set fear into opposing coaches. McGary averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in under 20 minutes per game during confer- ence play last season, mostly off the bench, but took the nation by storm after a promotion into the starting lineup to kick off the NCAA Tournament. In over 30 minutes per game, he averaged a double-double, dominating some of the country's best post men, including Kansas' Jeff Withey. McGary was admittedly out of shape and wasn't eating right until the middle of the season and should build upon a better conditioning and eating regimen with another college offseason program. In the tournament, he reminded everyone why he was once ranked as the nation's No. 2 recruit, and he should only get better next year. a I ADAM: Sophomore guard Trey Burke's athleticism and offense will beto But the frontcourt doesn't end with McGary. Earlier this week, Michigan coach John Beilein indicated that he'd use two big men on the floor at the same time for at least significant portions of games, something .he has done very little of during his tenure in Ann Arbor. The days of the Wol- verines getting absolutely abused in the post ended this past season, but Michigan still struggled with post-oriented teams like Michi- gan State. That should change in the upcoming year. Morgan is a three-year starter but never seemed to fully recover from a midseason ankle injury. A healthy Morgan - one of the con- ference's top low-post defenders - alongside a still-developing Jon Horford, gives the Wolverines three solid post players. Incom- ing forward Mark Donnal, who fell just outside the nation's top- 100 prospects, could challenge for playtime, and redshirt fresh- man Max Bielfeldt can provide a reliable few minutes per game if needed, as well. Bottom line: McGary flashed All-American potential in the NCAA Tournament, and assum- ing he doesn't regress, Michigan should actually be able to consis- tently outmuscle Big Ten teams in the post - something it hasn't been ableto do in years. While the Wolverines won't always employ a two-post man lineup, they'll certainly have the option to. So what does this all mean? Burke had the talent to win games all by himself, and he did so countless times. While he'll be missed, Michigan will have a combination of talent and depth it hasn't had since at least the Fab Five years. Beilein has proven his wizardry time and time again when it comes to adjusting his system to his lineup, and that could shine through this year like never before. The Wolverines have so many offensive options - playing two bigs, going small, pushing the pace, playing in the, half court - that their offense shouldn't skip a beat once Walton gains some experience. Defense will again be the ques- tion mark, but with the ability to play two men in the post, oppos- ing teams won't be able to exploit a weakness down low like they could in years past. 4 A