Sport
8 - Tuesday, December 9, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Hoke speaks, 'M' names captains
MEN'S BASKETBALL
In EMU, Michigan
expects to rebound
By GREG GARNO
ManagingSports Editor
LIVONIA, Mich. - Former
Michigan football coach Brady
Hoke walked behind his seniors
on the stage at the team's annual
banquet. He chatted for half
a minute with players before
moving on to the others as if it
were any other day in Ann Arbor.
He received a standing ovation
in a room full of hundreds
of players, family members,
coaches, alumni and fans before
he could speak.
And though it was his first
chance to address the public
since he was fired Tuesday, the 12
seniors who spoke on his impact
overshadowed Hoke's words.
"Brady Hoke, -Greg Hardin
and Michigan football saved my
life," said near teary-eyed fifth-
year senior punter Will Hagerup.
y "Coach Hoke risked everything
for me. He took bullets for me
and my team the entire season.
When it comes to caring and
believing in his players, Brady
Hoke does, more than any head
coach in this country.
"This team has had an
incredible honor and privilege
to follow him and learn from
him for four years."
Added fifth-year senior
linebacker Jake Ryan: "I want
to thank Coach Hoke for being
one of the best human beings
I have ever been around in my
entire life. I want to thank you
for everything you've taught me
these past four years, taking me
under your wing when things
got tough. You have taught me
so much more than football and
have had a huge impact on my
life."
And even fifth-year senior
Anthony Capatina: "Coach did
not have to be here tonight. But
he is here, for us. He's a man of
honesty and integrity."
The remaining nine seniors all
thanked Hoke for his time and
help in four years, and the coach
presented each senior with their
By MAX BULTMAN
DailySports Writer
The Michigan men's
basketball team didn't lose back-
to-back games last season, and
coming off a loss to New Jersey
Institute of Technology, the
Wolverines will look to continue
that trend Tuesday when they
face Eastern Michigan.
Michigan dropped a 72-70
contest to the nation's lone
independent Division I team
Saturday, a result Michigan
coach John Beilein called
humbling.
So when the Eagles visit
Crisler Center Tuesday, it's a
safe bet Michigan will be itching
to get rolling. But as has been
the case for the Wolverines' last
two games, they'll have to do
so with limited contributions
from sophomore guard Derrick
Walton Jr.
Walton sprained a toe in
Michigan's loss at Villanova in
the Progressive Legends Classic
Nov. 25 and hasn't been at full
strength since. He posted 16
points against the Highlanders
in 38 minutes, but he played
more as a result of surprise
necessity than because he was
fully ready, and he turned the
ball over a season-high four
times. Beilein said Walton sat
out all of Sunday's practice.
"I held him out yesterday 100
percent," Beilein said. "He just
did a little bit of light shooting
and did his weight training. I
thought that was key, because he
wasn't moving well defensively
in the game."
Beilein said he still expects
Walton to play, but the guard is
still in recovery mode.
Junior guard Spike Albrecht,
who was instrumental in
Michigan's win over Syracuse a
week ago, will likely be looked
to against an Eastern Michigan
team that plays the same 2-3
zone as the Orange. The junior
carved up Syracuse with bounce
passes and a dagger 3-pointer.
While the Eagles don't present
the same level of athleticism,
they're a threat in their own
right, especially on the glass.
If Michigan wants to rebound
from its loss, it will have to,
well, rebound.
The Wolverines enter the
game ranked 263rd nationally in
boardspergame at32.8, nowhere
near the Eagles' impressive
mark of 42.5, good for 16th in
the country. Boasting 6-foot-11
center Mike Samuels, Eastern
Michigan should have a height
advantage in the post all night.
And when the Eagles turn to
offense, Ray Lee, coming off a
26-point effort against Dayton
on Saturday, has proven he can
score points in bunches.
"The good news is that it is
very similar to the zone Syracuse
plays," Beilein said. "The bad
news is it's very similar, so now
we've put our whole package out
there. Now, they actually have a
real scout (team), where usually
you can't really tell that.
"They have depth, they really
have put together a good run
here, they gave Dayton a heck of
a game. Just the physical bodies,
how big they are inside (is a
challenge),"
Key to that effort will be
junior guard Caris LeVert, who
scored a career-high 32 points
against NJIT. LeVert shot six-
of-eight from beyond the arc
and, while he won't be expected
to duplicate those numbers, it is
becoming clear he is the go-to
guy when things break down for
the Wolverines.
Eastern Michigan is no
"guarantee game," but it's
hard to imagine Michigan
overlooking the Eagles after
Saturday's loss.
I
Former Michigan football coach Brady Hoke received a standing ovation from players at the team's postseason banquet.
rings, as he had d(
Hoke didn't c
than two minutes
crowd, thanking
coaches and far
"privilege" to w
mentor them.
"This football
great resiliency
throughout the
season that saw
many external
distractions,"
Hoke said.
"But we united
together. As
a team, they
played every
Saturday, and Im
that for them."
Hoke spoke abc
before naming fi
quarterback Devi
Ryan the team's
for the 2014 seas
one before.
omment more
tin front of the
his players,
milies for the
vork with and
team showed
was determined at the end of
the season and voted upon by
teammates.
Ryan also was named the
team's MVP, as voted by
teammates. He finished the
season with 112 total tackles,
two sacks, two forced fumbles
and an
interception
"(Hoke) is a man on the year
Added Hoke
of honesty and on the award,
"I think this
integrity." team got it
right."
Defensive
coordinator
very proud of Greg Mattison and offensive
coordinator Doug Nussmeier,
outeverysenior along with the rest of the
fth-year senior coaching staff, were also in
in Gardner and attendance Tuesday night.
> two captains Interim Athletic Director
on. The award Jim Hackett and University
President Mark Schlissel spoke
and thanked Hoke for his time
and service.
"To the rest of Team 135,
please know that the future is
bright, and the destiny of this
place," Hackett said. "Your
participation suggests those
who stay will be champions.
. "I need to say this, to me, all
of you (players) owe Coach Hoke
a deep debt of gratitude for
having the kind of program that
will help you for the rest of your
life. As he understood the values
that stood the test of time, how
integrity builds trust, and how
trust allows us to grow. Thank
you, Brady, for all you have done
for so many people."
But Hoke didn't stay after the
event. As the audience stood up
in applause, he exited without
saying anything to players on
his way out.
a
Wolverines faces stiff testin
unbeaten Princetonsquad
By JACOB GASE
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan women's basketball
coach Kim Barnes Arico couldn't
have asked for a better start to
the 2014 campaign.
Despite their lack of size,
the Wolverines have used a
balanced offense to produce a 6-1
record - the team's best start in
Barnes Arico's three seasons at
Michigan.
.But when Michigan takes
the court Tuesday night, it will
face an opponent riding an even
stronger wave of momentum:
undefeated Princeton.
The Tigers (8-0) are off to the
best start in Ivy League history.
Princeton also edged the one
team that bested Michigan. One
week before the Wolverines
suffered their only loss at
Pittsburgh, the Tigers dropped
the Panthers by 16 points on the
same court.
Princeton - Michigan's only
home opponent so far to receive
votes in the AP poll - stands as
the Wolverines' last true test at
Crisler Center before the start of
Big Ten play in three weeks.
To snap the Tigers' unbeaten
streak and continue rolling
into a daunting matchup with
No. 2 Notre Dame on Saturday,
Michigan's offense needs to fire
on all cylinders as the defense
continues to improve. Barnes
Arico emphasized that point
Monday evening on Fox Sports
Detroit's "Inside Michigan
Basketball" special.
"I really like the way our
team shares the basketball,"
Barnes Arico said on the show.
"I really like how unselfish we
are and how we're committed to
improving on the defensive end.
That's something we struggled
with early, and I think we're
getting better and better at it.
Everybody's buying into 'the
team, the team, the team."'
The Wolverines can
take comfort in that they
won't be playing at quite a
size disadvantage Tuesday.
Princeton's starters stand at
an average of 5-foot-10, which
should come as a relief after
Michigan's game against a Wake
Forest team featuring multiple
six-footers,
Instead of doing its damage
down low, the Tigers have relied
on a trio of guards who launch
even more 3-point attempts
than the Wolverines' own deep
beyond the arc.
But the only time this season
the Wolverines encountered
another proficient outside-
shooting team, they went
ice-cold on both offense and
defense in the 21-point loss to
Pittsburgh. Maintaining a high
energy level will be crucial to
avoiding a repeat occurrence
Tuesday night.
"Tired
q
threats. Led by
senior guard
and leading
scorer Blake
Dietrick,
Princeton has
knocked down
37.8 percent
of its 127
is a state of
ii mind," Barnes
I eally like Arico said.
how unselfish "There is no
such thing as
ea . tired. If you're
we are. not feeling
it today, act
attempts from your way into
downtown. feeling. That's
The Wolverines can outmatch my responsibility as the head
that production. With the help coach of this program - to make
of its own triumvirate of 3-point- sure that I bring that energy,
shooting guards - freshman that enthusiasm and that passion
Katelynn Flaherty, sophomore every day. If I want our team to
Siera Thompson and junior be the hardest working team in
Madison Ristovski - Michigan America, they need to see it from
is shooting 43 percent from the too down."
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