Elmblad, Goree 
head into final 

chapter of 

illustrious careers

By KELLY HALL

Daily Sports Writer

With 1:05 left in overtime, 

senior forward Cyesha Goree 
leapt up to the glass and 
grabbed an offensive rebound 
after senior guard Shannon 
Smith missed both of her free 
throws.

Fourteen 
seconds 
later, 

Goree drew a foul and had to 
step up to the line herself. After 
missing both of her free throws, 
she fought her way to the rim 
and pulled down yet another 
offensive 
board, 
her 
18th 

rebound of the night.

This was Ohio State she was 

playing, after all, and she wasn’t 
going to let anyone else benefit 
from her mistakes.

Goree grabbed one more at 

the glass before the game ended 
in a 100-94 victory for the 
Michigan women’s basketball 
team. It’s easy to assume that 
the game would have concluded 
in a much different fashion if 
Goree hadn’t scrapped for 19 
rebounds.

But that would be assuming 

that 
senior 
forward 
Nicole 

Elmblad wasn’t there to help 
her out.

Elmblad — who ended the 

afternoon with nine rebounds 
herself — always complements 
Goree well.

“It’s great to show how no 

matter what position you play 
or what kind of person you bring 
to the team, you can always play 
if you know each other, and we 
worked on (our dynamics) a lot 
in practice a few days,” Goree 
said.

Added Michigan coach Kim 

Barnes Arico: “I think they had 
a really great week of practice 

this week. We really worked on 
(Elmblad and Goree) playing 
off each other, and I think they 
connected really well tonight. 
Really well.”

The 
two 

have 
been 

playing 
together 
since 
their 

freshman year 
under 
then-

Michigan 
coach 
Kevin 

Borseth. 
They’re 
also 

the only two 
remaining 
from their original recruiting 
class.

After 
completing 
their 

first season of college ball 
and learning how to play in 
the NCAA, they had to face 
adversity together once again. 
Borseth resigned, and Barnes 
Arico was hired before their 
sophomore season.

Even with the makeup of 

the program changing, Goree 

and Elmblad have remained 
consistent for the past four 
seasons.

Before 
Goree 
had 
her 

breakout junior season, Elmblad 

was 
already 

a 
regular 

starter for the 
Wolverines.

“(Elmblad) 

was 
able 

to 
play 
her 

freshman 
year 
and 

play a lot her 
sophomore 
year, so that 
kind of made 

me look up to her as far as what 
I needed to do in order to be 
successful and play like she 
did,” Goree said. “That gave 
me someone to look up to, even 
though we were the same age 
and came together.”

But after a season in which 

she averaged 12.1 points and 9.3 
rebounds, Goree found herself 
on the scouting report alongside 
Elmblad. They each started 32 

out of 33 games in their junior 
season.

After 
each 
game, 
the 

coaching staff awards stickers 
to the players who execute the 
“intangibles” — things that 
don’t show up in the box score, 
like diving after the ball, taking 
a charge or fighting for position 
under the basket.

According to Barnes Arico, 

Goree and Elmblad are head 
and shoulders above everyone 
else.

And since both appear most 

comfortable 
when 
they’re 

sprawled out on the court 
fighting for the ball, the image 
of one helping another off of the 
hardwood is ingrained in every 
Michigan fan’s brain.

“It’s an honor to play with 

Nicole,” Goree said. “I’m so glad 
we’re both here together and 
finishing our years (together).”

Without 
the 
other, 
each 

would still be successful. Both 
have the necessary drive to 
prosper.

It’s just more fun this way.

By LEV FACHER 

Managing Editor

The Michigan men’s bas-

ketball team appears to have 
bounced back 
from a rough 
non-confer-
ence showing 
with a 3-1 start 
to Big Ten play. 
But the road 
gets 
tougher 

when it travels 
to 
Columbus 

on Tuesday for 
a rivalry clash 
with No. 20 
Ohio State.

Despite 

having 
won 

the last three games in the series, 
the Wolverines (3-1 Big Ten, 10-6 
overall) are clear underdogs. 
Three seniors form the core of the 
starting lineup for the Buckeyes 
(2-2, 13-4), and that trio includes 
Shannon Scott, who averages 7.2 
assists per game, good for fifth in 
the country.

Many of Scott’s assists have 

come thanks to the offensive 
prowess of Ohio State guard 
D’Angelo Russell, who ranks 
second in the nation in scoring 
among true freshmen, averaging 
17.9 points. Russell, who stands 
6-foot-5, presents a challenge for 
whoever ends up guarding him — 
likely junior guard Caris LeVert, 

who has been known for his 
defensive skills since his fresh-
man season.

Michigan coach John Beilein 

has taken notice of Russell’s 
efforts, and praised him effu-
sively.

“He’s got the unique skill set 

right now,” Beilein said. “He’s 
really shooting the ball well … 
And with his assist numbers, he’s 
got flow to his game that is just, 
he snap-passes the ball, he sees 
(the floor), he’s got great quick-
ness and a nose for the rim, gets 
to the foul line enough.”

Though they have benefited 

from it in years past, the Wol-
verines can’t currently relate to 
the concept of having a freshman 
post such dominant figures in the 
opening months of his career.

Beilein’s young squad features 

just three upperclassmen and a 
plethora of freshmen who have 
yet to contribute in a major way, 
and taking on a ranked team 
laden with seniors presents a 
daunting challenge.

While talented, Michigan’s 

newcomers have yet to contrib-
ute at the same level as Russell, or 
come particularly close. Though 
freshman forward Ricky Doyle 
has shown marked improvement 
throughout the season, no other 
Wolverine freshman is averaging 
over five points per game. And if 
Michigan wants to maintain its 
early-season Big Ten success in 

the long-term, it couldn’t hurt to 
see more of its rookie class bump 
its productivity and join Doyle 
among the ranks of Michigan’s 
consistent contributors.

“They’ve all had their little 

points during the season,” Beilein 
said, citing Doyle and Chatman’s 
performance in the Wolverines’ 
68-65 win over Syracuse on Dec. 
2. Beilein also pointed to freshman 
guards Muhammad-Ali Abdur-
Rahkman and Aubrey Dawkins as 
others who have shown occasion-
al sparks of productivity.

Adding the hostile road atmo-

sphere and rivalry pressure is 
the cherry on top, but in Beilein’s 
mind, it all represents yet another 
opportunity for growth.

“All the (Big Ten) venues are 

very similar in that they’re loud,” 
Beilein said. “The student bodies 
are very innovative.”

Albrecht agreed, stating that his 

role — along with that of LeVert, 
plus sophomores Zak Irvin and 
Derrick Walton Jr. — is critical in 
keeping the Wolverines’ youngest 
contributors’ heads in the game, 
something they’ve struggled with 
in other high-pressure situations 
on the road.

“I probably can’t share some 

of the things their fans say,” 
Albrecht said. “It’s going to be a 
very hostile environment, very 
similar to Arizona, so we’ve got 
to do a much better job this time 
around.”

8 — Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

‘M’ looks to stay hot at OSU Behind Enemy Lines: 

OSU’s Sam Thompson

By MAX BULTMAN

Daily Sports Editor

Sam Thompson remembers 

what it’s like to transition to 
college basketball. Ohio State’s 
senior 
forward 
averaged 
just 
two 

points 
and fewer 
than 
two 

shots 
per 

game in his 
freshman campaign.

During 
his 
first 
season, 

Thompson was able to learn 
from veteran Buckeyes how 
to adapt to the nuances of the 
college game, en route to a Final 
Four appearance.

Now, Thompson is the veteran 

voice in the locker room of an 
Ohio State squad led by a true 
freshman — highly touted guard 
D’Angelo Russell. And with the 
Buckeyes’ early exit from last 
season’s 
NCAA 
Tournament 

serving as motivation, the senior 
will be tasked with ensuring 
a smooth transition for Ohio 
State’s young talent.

If Thompson can guide Russell 

into his groove, the Buckeyes 
have enough experience around 
the floor to return to the type of 
success Thompson experienced 
in his first years at Ohio State, 
in which the 
Buckeyes 
made 
trips 

to the Final 
Four and Elite 
Eight.

The 

Michigan 
Daily 
sat 

down 
with 

Thompson in 
October at Big Ten Media Day 
in Chicago to talk about his 
leadership role and what Russell 
and others bring to this year’s 
roster.

The Michigan Daily: You 

had a ton of success coming 

into college with a couple state 
championships in high school 
and a Final Four your freshman 
year. Has the last year or two 
made you appreciate that even 
more?

Sam Thompson: Yeah, I 

mean, my sophomore year we 
had some success too. We were 
a tip-in away from winning 
another Big Ten Championship, 
we won the Big Ten Tournament, 
we made the Elite Eight. But I 
think last year really put things 
into perspective, how easy it 
is to go from an elite level of 
college basketball to the kind of 
disappointing 
season we had. 
Last year was 
definitely 
a 

humbling year. 
It really makes 
you appreciate 
every 
day 

that 
much 

more. 
Every 

day it’s so important to get 
better — to get something out 
of that practice, something out 
of that game, something out of 
that workout — so that you can 
continue to get better and be the 
best basketball team you can be.

TMD: 
How 
different 
do 

you think things will be with 
Shannon 
Scott 
running 
the 

offense rather than Aaron Craft?

ST: I think we’ll be a lot faster. 

Shannon 
is 

one 
of 
the 

fastest 
guys 

I’ve ever seen 
baseline 
to 

baseline with 
the ball in his 
hand. I think 
we’ll 
have 

better 
pace 

offensively, 

and he’s really shown a lot of 
good things in practice. He’s 
really been vocal, really made 
shots, really made plays for his 
teammates and himself. I’m 
excited about it. I know he is.

TMD: What is it like to be 

able to rely on some freshmen 
this year?

ST: Those young guys are 

super, super talented. They’re 
wise beyond their years. They 
can do a lot of different things. 
They’re freshmen, so obviously 
there’s going to be a little bit of 
an adjustment time, but they’re 
crazy talented, so they can help 
us win.

TMD: What have you taken 

away from the older players 
you’ve had above you, and how 
will you pass it on to this year’s 
freshman crop?

ST: It’s just about my everyday 

approach. It’s 
about 
how 

I 
approach 

every practice, 
every 
shot, 

using 
every 

opportunity 
I can to get 
better. 
It’ll 

show in the 

games.

TMD: Who’s the biggest 

clown on this year’s team?

ST: 
D’Angelo 
Russell. 

Well, it’s really all four of the 
freshmen. Those guys are wild 
dudes, man. They come in with 
some confidence, they’ve got 
some swagger to them.

TMD: What’s going to be the 

biggest difference in you guys 
this year?

ST: Offensively, I think that 

we’re gonna be a very different 
basketball team. I don’t think 
we’re going to have one guy 
dribble the ball for 15, 20, 25 
seconds. I think there will be 
a lot more player movement, 
a lot more ball movement, the 
ball moving from side to side. 
Definitely a lot more athletic. 
I think we’re more talented 
than we’ve been in the last few 
years. We’ve got the size, we’ve 
got the athleticism, we have the 
shooting. We have the tools. 
So it’s all about how we put it 
together and how we grow as a 
basketball team.

A duo years in the making ‘M’ looks to cure 

road struggles

By JEREMY SUMMITT

Daily Sports Editor

The Michigan hockey team 

has won eight of its past nine 
games and has scored 5.8 goals 
per 
game 
in 

five conference 
matchups, 
enough to propel it to the top spot 
in the Big Ten standings. All of 
that sounds fine, but hardly any 
of it will matter for the next six 
weeks. Why?

The Wolverines have to play 

games on the road — six of them in 
the next month — an assignment 
that has become a bewildering 
problem for them. Holding a 1-5 
record this season in road games, 
there hasn’t been any rhyme or 
reason for their shortcomings.

“Whether it’s been special 

teams, our goalie, our defensive 
play, we’ve got to get better in our 
D-zone and our overall defensive 
game,” Berenson said. “Whether 
it’s back-checking, penalty killing 
(or) goalkeeping, I think we’re a 
better team now, and we’re going 
on the road, but we’ve got to 
prove it on Friday.”

Michigan 
has 
a 
real 

opportunity to distance itself 
from the rest of the conference if 
it can crack the code to winning 
in another team’s barn. Of those 
six away games, four are against 
Ohio 
State 
and 
Wisconsin, 

two teams unable to find any 
consistency this season.

Six games against what have 

arguably been the conference’s 
three 
most 
underachieving 

teams typically comprise a slate 
destined for success.

But the Wolverines are a 

completely different team on the 
road, getting outscored by an 
average of 4.33 to 2.83.

HYMAN HUMMING: Zach 

Hyman is enjoying a dynamite 
season at the right time, when 

Michigan has needed a consistent 
leader the most.

He broke out last season when 

Hyman recorded a career-best 17 
points (seven goals and 10 assists) 
in 35 games. This season, he’s 
already surpassed that in just 
19 games, scoring 11 goals to go 
along with 15 helpers.

“I think it’s his time,” Berenson 

said. “I predicted before the year 
that Zach Hyman would have 
his best year. Right from his 
freshman year, things didn’t go 
as well, sophomore year a little 
better, junior year a big step. And 
I could just see it coming.”

Last year, a large root of why 

Michigan failed to live up to 
expectations was that it lacked a 
consistent goal scorer, a player to 
take over when games got tight or 
when the Wolverines fell behind.

In 
Friday’s 
4-3 
overtime 

win against Minnesota, it was 
Hyman who delivered a no-look, 
backhand pass to junior forward 
Justin Selman, who finished to 
tie the game.

“This is a classic case of a 

college player just developing 
every year and getting better, and 
now he’s coming into his own,” 
Berenson 
said. 
“Everything 

comes together — your strength, 
your experience, your confidence, 
your role on the team — and he’s 
ready now to handle a role that 
he wasn’t ready to handle as a 
freshman or a sophomore.”

TROUBLE FOR TRAVIS: In 

the second period of Saturday’s 
7-5 win over Minnesota, senior 
forward Travis Lynch laid out to 
block a shot and was immediately 
shaken up. 

On 
Monday, 
Berenson 

confirmed that Lynch suffered 
a broken right hand, and that 
he’ll be sidelined for at least one 
month, meaning that the earliest 
he could return to the lineup 
would be Feb. 13 at Minnesota.

ICE HOCKEY

RUBY WALLAU/Daily

Spike Albrecht will lead the Michigan men’s basketball team into a tough road environment Tuesday at Ohio State.

Michigan at 
Ohio State

Matchup: 
Michigan 10-6; 
Ohio State 13-4

When: Tues-
day 7 P.M.

Where: Value 
City Arena

TV/Radio: 
ESPN

BEHIND
ENEMY
LINES

MEN’S BASKETBALL

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Cyesha Goree and Nicole Elmblad have become top players and senior leaders in their final season for the Wolverines.

“I’m so glad we’re 
both here together 
and finishing our 
years (together).”

NOTEBOOK

“Last year was 

definitely a 

humbling year.”

“Those young 
guys are super, 
super talented.”

