The Michigan Daily f michigandaily.com January 21, 2014
SPOrtS'-GH

PARTY

Stauskas,
LeVert lead
Wolverines
in upset

Michigan win validates
a team with everything
to prove

final 24 sec-
onds to seal the
deal.
Most noteworthy,
though, was the fact
that before Stauskas hit
his step-back 3-pointer with
50 seconds left, he'd missed

LeVert is a different player.
He's proved he can be one of
Michigan's biggest offensive
threats - now he needs to prove
he can do it consistently.
All in perspective

MADISON - It didn't
come in Ames, Iowa,
and it didn't come
in Puerto

By SIMON KAUFMAN
Daily Sports Writer
The last time the Michigan
men's basketball team won
a game on the road against
an opponent ranked top-five
nationally was in 1964. The
last time it beat Wisconsin at
the Kohl Center before this
past weekend was 1999. On
Saturday, it did both.
A look at the Wolverines
77-70 upset of the Badgers:
Go-to guy
When the game is on the line,
sophomore guard Nik Stauskas
needs the ball. Stauskas had ice
in his veins late in the game -
perhaps a result of growing up
in Canada. After the Badgers
cut a 15-point deficit into only a
one-point difference late in the
second half, Stauskas nailed
a step back 3-pointer to put
Michigan up four. And when
Wisconsin was forced to foul,
the guard made sure they sent
him to the line - he knocked
down six free throws in the

his pre
confide
despite
been as
game a
ability t
Soph
LeVert
game a'
points
contest:
the thi
country
start w
about.
field an
the arc
night. i
defense
A yea
the flot
after all
Ben Bru
overtim
3-point
went on
A ye

vious three shots. His Even when Stauskas'
nce to keep shooting 3-pointer put the Wolverines
preceding misses has up four with less than a
big an addition to his minute left, Michigan coach
s his newly developed John Beilein didn't relax - he
o drive. remembered being up three to
Wisconsin last year with less
What slow start? than three seconds and going
home as losers.
omore guard Caris "Are you kidding me? You
came into Saturday's were here last year, weren't
veraging less than seven you?" Beilein said. "(Former
per game in Big Ten guard) Tim Hardaway (Jr.) hit
s this season. Against a three -with 2.2 seconds left
rd-ranked team in the and the air never came out of
, he proved the slow the building. This game wasn't
vas nothing to worry going to be over until the buzz-
He shot 7-for-15 from the er went off and we had the win.
ad 3-for-3 from behind So no, that was a great shot by
for 20 points on the Nik, but that is a lot of time left
He also helped out on for them to still win the game."
with four steals. When the final buzzer did
ir ago, LeVert walked off sound and the Wolverines were
or with his head down still leading, Beilein wasn't
lowing Wisconsin guard about to mislabel the game's
st to send the game into importance at this time in the
e with a half-court season. He said the significance
er, where the Badgers of the win will depend on the
to win. rest of their season, and could
ar older, it's obvious end up being a big-time victory.

Rico. It
didn't
come in
Durham,
N.C., and
it didn't
come at
home
against No.
1 Arizona.
It came
in an even

NEAL
ROTHSCHILD

a ranked team? Close, but no
resum6 booster.
The non-conference season
for Michigan came and went,
and in the end, the Wolverines
had yet to show college
basketball that they were a
threat, a legitimate force. As
in out-rebounding-and-out-
shooting-the-third-best-team-
in-the-country-on-the-road
threatening.
After Mitch McGary was
ruled out, it seemed that
the window to
make the
state-
ment

had closed. To get an idea of
the miniscule size of the crack
in the window, Michigan had
zero top-5 road wins since 1964
entering Saturday.
The Wolverines had their
chances to show that replacing
Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway
Jr. was feasible. They had a
late lead against Iowa State, a
team that would win its first
14 games. They had another
chance in the Puerto Rico Tip-
Off during a time of the
year when the
See MICHIGAN,
Page 3B

more unlikely place.
The Michigan men's
basketball team's statement win
came in the Kohl Center of all
places, against the third-ranked
team in a place the Wolverines
hadn't won since an upstart
musician from McComb, Miss.
released the album...Baby One
More Time.
"I use the word redemption
a little bit," said Michigan
coach John Beilein. "These
guys walked into there, and
I've walked into locker rooms
before, and it haunts you every
year about what happened
on the road against a certain
team."
The signature road win?
Michigan hadn't been able to
get it this season. A win against


TREY RETURNS
The Pistons should have drafted
former guard Trey Burke in the 2013 NBA
Draft, argues Everett Cook. Page 2B

GOPHERS GROUNDED
The Michigan wrestling team upset No.
2 Minnesota on Sunday to remain
unbeaten in the Big Ten season. Page 4B

I

I

4