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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cam
Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - 7
Final Four rematch: welcomes 'Cuse
ByLEVFACHER guard Trey Burke break down cuse in the Final Four among the post. "(Christmas) has bona fide offensive presence, and a redshirt year
DailySportsEditor the Orange's tenacious 'D' by players on the current roster. been around for a little bit and he could spend time along- is being considered,
extending its defensive forma- LeVert played 21 minutes and has really evolved into a true side redshirt freshman Beilein announced.
Though the Michigan men's tion outward and spreading scored eight points off the low-post presence. So that's Mark Donnal - or even "That would be
basketball team last faced it thin in the middle, leav- bench for the Wolverines. going to be a tough one." senior forward Max Bielf- another thing we'd
Syracuse less than two years ing room for Mitch McGary LeVert was also credited Beyond not knowing who eldt - around the key. look at," Beilein said.
ago, just three players on the to shoot, drive and distribute with an assist on a play that can play in the middle or "They're going to learn a "Obviously, we
current roster were there to from the top of the key. might have been the season's defend the low post, an injury lot about dont
take part. Ultimately, it was McGary high point. With six seconds to sophomore guard Derrick playing have to
The game, of course, was who made the difference remaining and Michigan lead- Walton Jr. has cast a shadow low- do that
the 2013 National Semifinal, against Syracuse. In the midst ing 59-56, Tim Hardaway Jr. over Michigan's outlook in the post until
an action-packed precursor of a breakout tournament that saved a ball from going out of backcourt. defense we do
to then-freshman guard Spike elevated him, too, to national bounds along the Michigan Walton didn't practice Sun- at a very that.
Albrecht's national coming- prominence, McGary's pres- baseline, and the ball wound day, and Beilein said he could young
out party two nights later ence in the middle was the key up in LeVert's hands. decide his status during )
against Louisville. in overcoming the notoriously It didn't stay there for Monday's practice
Albrecht, now a junior, tricky defensive alignment. long, as LeVert found or even close
played sparingly in the game. McGary finished with 12 forward Jordan Morgan to game
But he managed to make a rebounds - five on the offen- on an outlet pass. Morgan time
lasting impression, shooting sive end - along with 10 dunked it through with two
2-for-2 from 3-point range seconds remaining, sealing
'in front of 75,350 fans at the the Wolverines' trip to the
Georgia Dome in Atlanta, National Championship Game. Tues- ("G
helping the Wolverines to a Once you get "I think that was a pretty day. But
61-S6 win. ue (tecool moment," Levert said. LeVert said
"Game experience is the used to (the zone), "The J-Mo dunk, the finish the amount of time
only way you're really going haye to tr and how we ran on the court he spent at point
to get used to that sort of you h t y and celebrated." guard in practice
situation," Albrecht said. "But and attack it Despite the formidable recently has t, "We'll
we want to take good shots zone, which he described as been "about take a
and good 3's. We don't want "like any other zone, except the same, long, hard
to just be jacking, just because for it's just longer and a lot maybe a little A " look and
we're settling." points, six assists and two quicker," LeVert turned the bit more." see if we
Though Albrecht played just blocks. ball over just once. Despite the need him."
five minutes in the game, he But McGary and his pro- "It took a couple posses- precautions Though on
and junior guard Caris LeVert duction, obviously, can't help sions to get used to it, but once being taken paper
- also of 2012's Fresh Five the Wolverines now. LeVert you get used to it, you have to in case Wal- the move
class - have found lessons said that though Michigan try to attack it in any way you ton can't play, spreads
that they can pass on to the has options, he isn't yet sure can," LeVert said. "We've been LeVert said, age, Michi-
younger players who have yet who's capable of being the watching some film of that "Derrick is Beilein gan thin-
to deal with Syracuse coach center-court presence capable zone, and we'll watch more." getting bet- said of ner at the
Jim Boeheim's formidable 2-3 of draining a 10-foot jumper, Syracuse, also, has seen ter." Donnal forward
zone. driving for a layup or dishing remarkable turnover since the An inter- and Doyle. position, it might not have
"It definitely helps, -just to the corner in search of an 2013 showdown. But senior esting pos- "With Syra- much of a long-term impact on
being there and being on the uncontested 3-pointer, forward Rakeem Christmas, sibility for cuse playing the season. Wilson hadn't been
bigstage - thatwasabiggame, "I don't know yet," LeVert then a sophomore, played a Beilein, however, 100 percent playing substantial minutes
so we had a lot of pressure on said. "We'll see. We have a lot substantial role in the game is playing mul- zone, (using and struggled
us," Albrecht said. "At the end of guys capable of passing the for the Orange - he start- tiple low-post players two forwards at when he
of the day, you don't want to ball in the middle and knock- ed and played 23 minutes, simultaneously, a once) is more of did, aver-
go out there and look foolish. ing down that shot, so we'll brought down five rebounds 'lookhehasn'ttried a possibility than aging
You want to go out there and look at our different options." and scored five points. out this season. normal." just 0.4
know what you're doing and Albrecht's noteworthy "It's going to be difficult With freshman points in
be ready to execute." entrance notwithstanding, because that's where all our forward Ricky INJURY UPDATE: D.J. 4.8 min-
The accuracy from long it was LeVert who made the youth is," Beilein said of Mich- Doyle's recent Wilson will be sidelined for utes per
range helped fellow point biggest impact against Syra- igan's tough defensive task in emergence as a - "maybe three to four weeks," game.
" Dwyer redeems himself vs. RPI
MEN' SLAROSSE
Wolverines greet
young teammate
By JEREMY SUMMITT
Daily Sports Editor
a With 4:41 remaining in the
Michigan hockey team's game
against Rensselaer on Saturday,
fifth-year senior goaltender
Luke Dwyer made his entry into
the crease.
Yost Ice Arena erupted' as he
skated from the bench to the
goal frame. Dwyer, a third-string
goaltender and a former walk-
on, doesn't get to play much,
especially when he's behind two
goaltenders capable of starting on
most teams in the country.
But this was Dwyer's moment,
and it didn't come without
pressure. Though the Wolverines
helda6-Olead overthe Engineers,
they were searching for their first
shutout since Nov. 22, 2013.
Dwyer had had his first
opportunity to impress his
hometown fans once before, but
nothing went as planned.
Just less than a year ago,
on Dec. 5, 2013, Dwyer made
his first-ever appearance in a
Michigan sweater during an
exhibition game against the
United States Under-18 National
Team DevelopmentProgram.
With less than three minutes
left in regulation, Dwyer made
the same entrance he did
Saturday night. Yost cheered, his
teammates smiled and tapped
their sticks on the boards. It was
all shaping up to be a special
evening for Dwyer, a lifelong
resident of Ann Arbor.
Michigan was leading 4-2, and
there really wasn't a weight of
demand on Dwyer's shoulders.
Just stand tall between the pipes
for 180 seconds and call it a night.
"That was something the
captains talked to (Michigan
coach) Red (Berenson) at the
beginning of the week, about
getting him in if we had a lead,"
said former Michigan forward
Alex Guptill at the time.
His friends playing in front of
him seemed to already have the
win deep in their pocket. The U.S.
NTDP made things interesting,
though, netting a goal with 52
seconds remaining.
Fans became uneasy, shifting
in their seats. Berenson wasn't
pleased with conceding a late
goal. He never is.
Then, 28 seconds later, a
Michigan player and a member of
the U.S. NTDP both bumped into
Dwyer. A puck was rising, coming
toward the Wolverine net. It was
a save Dwyer would make nine
times out of 10 in practice.
But the contact from the two
players in the crease pushed
Dwyer to the side, and he was
forced to scramble back into
position. Before he could, a
seemingly harmless backdoor
pass ended up in the back of the
net.
It was a 4-4 game. Yost was
silent. The players were left in
shock.
Just 2:43 into the overtime
session, Michigan conceded a
third unanswered goal. It lost,
5-4, and all three goals were
conceded after Dwyer came in,
ready for his shining moment.
"I've got a sick feeling in my
stomach right now for us to blow
that lead for him," Guptill said.
"It's pretty bad. Dwyer is the
definition of a Michigan Man;
he's worked out really hard and
earned every opportunity out
there."
That's why Saturday's game
was a shot at redemption. A few
gracious minutes awarded to
Dwyer, a guy who, according to
Berenson, "does everything right
and cares about the team like it's
his own family."
It was Dwyer's chance to put
his first - and only - appearance
aside and build a different legacy
with the block 'M' on his chest.
And it was a chance for the rest of
his team to fight like hell to make
sure another cherished moment
wasn't tarnished.
"I was obviously extremely
excited to be in. Excited, nervous,
a wide range of emotions,"
Dwyer said.
He was tested immediately.
Dwyer made a nice save with
14-year-old with
thrombosis joins
class of 2023
By ERIN DRABICKI
For the Daily
Signing day is the day high
school athletes dream of. It's a
significant milestone when an
athlete picks where he or she
will play in college.
Only a select number actually
gettheprivilegetosignaNational
Letter of Intent and continue
their athletic careers. And
Nov. 24, 14-year-old Brendan
Randolph of
Plymouth
became one "
of them when
he joined the cited
Michigan eX
men's lacrosse him o
team's class of
2023.
the organization has influenced
the lives of more than 570
children and 20,000 student-
athletes at 270 institutions
throughout the country.
The men's lacrosse team
is no stranger to giving back.
Following the 2013 season, it
earned the Rachael Townsend
Award for the Michigan team
with the most community
service hours.
Additionally, this is the
second project of its kind in
two years that the team has
been involved with. In 2013, it
adopted Miles Root, who was
suffering from brain cancer,
through the Friends of Jaclyn
Foundation.
Drafting
Randolph is
just another
have act of service
to h e hat gives the
u Wolverines an
An us. opportunity
to make a
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Luke Dwyer had a forgettable debut last year but redeemed himself Saturday.
his right pad, behind a screen, to Dwyer had redeemed himself,
keep the shutout intact with 3:12 and so had his teammates.
remaining in the game. "He's one of the hardest-
Time couldn't tick quickly working guys and best team
enough. guys I've ever been around," said
With the puck at the right sophomore forward JT Compher.
point, Dwyer took his angle to "For him to be in the game and
brace for a powerful shot. The be out there, you guys all saw
RPI defenseman wound up. our effort; it's like we were up
Dwyer was ready for it. one goal at the end of the Stanley
But out of nowhere, Cup."
sophomore defenseman Michael Dwyer had to wait nearly
Downing lunged in front of a year to cleanse the 5-4
the shooter; taking a slapshot heartbreaker from his memory,
directly to the head. one Guptill hoped Dwyer would
As one of the most be able to "look back at someday
instrumental pieces of the and laugh at."
defensive corps, Downing made Dwyer says he isn't able to
a sacrifice he didn't have to make. laugh about it yet. For a long
But he felt it was necessary. After time, Dwyer beat himself up.
all, that was for Dwyer. over the loss. He had 359 days
"It's one of those things where, to dwell on his first appearance
I mean, I'll do anything for him," before getting another chance
Downing said. "Obviously, I'll at redemption.
do it for all three goalies, but "I'm sure one day I'll look back
it's different when Luke comes and laugh, and say 'Why the hell
in cause he's a fifth-year senior was I taking it so seriously?' "
walk-on." Dwyer said.
RPI won a faceoff in the His second chance might
Wolverines' zone with seven have been his last, but at least
seconds left but couldn't put a Saturday's performance will be
shot on net. The puck trickled to one Dwye'r can look back on and
the corner until time expired. smile about.
Randolph
was born with a sagittal sinus
venous thrombosis, which
caused permanent damage to
his brain. The condition causes
intractable epilepsy. Persistent
seizures - ranging from 35 to
40 a month - have been a part
of Randolph's life for the last
five-and-a-half years. Despite
developmental and speech
delays, Randolph is still able
to go to school at Plymouth
Scholars Charter Academy.
And thanks to the
organization Team IMPACT, a
non-profit that works to improve
quality of life for children with
chronic and life-threatening
illnesses, Randolph was
"drafted" to Michigan.
Children of Team IMPACT
become official members of
the teams, starting at signing
day and ending at graduation.
The children attend practices,
games and social events where
they can form life-changing
relationships. Founded in 2011,
difference.
Randolph's signing day
began with team lifting and
conditioning practice. He
then signed his letter of intent
in the Crisler Center media
room. His audience included
his parents, JoAnne and
Chris, the team and Michigan
coach John Paul. Following
the official commitment, a
press conference added to the
excitement. Randolph was given
a team helmet, stick, cleats and
a practice pinnie with the No. 5
on it, his favorite number.
"We are so pleased to
welcome Brendan to the
Michigan lacrosse family," Paul
said at the press conference.
"His teammates and coaches
are excited to have him join
us as we work to build an elite
program."
Signing day is always
significant for athletes, and
thanks to the men's lacrosse
team, it became even more
meaningful to Randolph.
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