Sports
8A — Wednesday, February 25, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

‘M’ opens spring camp

By MAX COHEN

Managing Sports Editor

Jim Harbaugh compared the 

first day of spring practice to 
some warped combination of 24 
hours that included New Year’s, 
Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, 
a birthday, a family reunion and 
the first day of school.

That day was Tuesday for 

Harbaugh, and based upon the 
level of excitement one could 
imagine in his fictional holiday, 
it should have been difficult to 
function. But then again, the 
Michigan football coach is the 
same person who, when he was 
the coach at Stanford, said that 
he doesn’t observe major holidays 
because he’s “a jackhammer.”

Based on his thoughts after 

the 
Wolverines’ 
first 
spring 

practice Tuesday, it seemed as 
though that was the case. He 
wore his trademark khakis and 
a Michigan hat styled similarly 
to the one previously worn 
by former Michigan coach Bo 
Schembechler. Cleats were his 
footwear of choice.

Nothing surprised Harbaugh 

about his first day of practice 
as the Wolverines’ coach, other 
than how quickly it went by. 
He enjoyed the day with his 
players — whether it was to the 
extent that a child would enjoy a 
birthday or Christmas is unclear.

“Time flies by when you’re 

having fun,” he said.

If Harbaugh learned much of 

anything about his team during 
that four-hour period, he tried to 
avoid saying it.

“We’re not really answering 

questions as much as we’re 
asking 
questions,” 
Harbaugh 

said. “What can we do? How 
can we get better? Where can 
we improve? Where can we get 
a mile an hour faster? Where can 
we get a percent better?”

The 
position 
of 
starting 

quarterback can be added to his 
question list. The team currently 

has seven quarterbacks on the 
spring practice roster. Junior 
Shane Morris, redshirt freshman 
Wilton Speight and early enrollee 
Alex 
Malzone 
are 
widely 

considered 
the 
frontrunners 

for the job, with highly touted 
recruit Zach Gentry expected to 
enter the mix during fall camp.

Harbaugh was noncommittal 

about putting a timetable on 
naming the winner of that battle.

“At some point, you’d like to 

think that that’s clear-cut and 
somebody earns that and it’s not 
close,” Harbaugh said. “That’s 
what we’ll be hoping for.”

Harbaugh said he’s keeping 

all seven quarterbacks involved 
in practice for now, giving them 
each opportunities. The role of 
coaching the quarterbacks will 
be a group effort, according to 
Harbaugh, and every offensive 
coach will be involved in some 
respect.

Harbaugh played quarterback 

at Michigan and in the NFL, but 

his trade position isn’t his only 
concern this spring.

During 
his 
brief 
tenure 

at 
Michigan, 
Harbaugh 
has 

insisted that all playing time 
will be earned, no matter the 
position, and that the positions 
themselves are up for grabs. The 
currently listed roster spots are 
of little matter, as much as fans 
might wonder about the position 
changes of redshirt sophomore 
Ross Douglas (from running 
back to cornerback) and redshirt 
freshman Brady Pallante (from 
defensive tackle to fullback).

“We 
don’t 
mandate 
what 

positions a player plays. Some 
guys are trying out at multiple 
positions, both sides of the ball,” 
Harbaugh said. “It’s too early to 
say what’s going to take place.”

Harbaugh claims his main 

focus this spring is ensuring that 
his team gets better every day.

“I know that sounds very 

simplistic, but it’s so simple it 
might work.”

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Jim Harbaugh exuded excitement after his team’s first day of spring camp.

Losses magnify defensive 
concerns for Wolverines

By JEREMY SUMMITT

Daily Sports Editor

The 
Michigan 
hockey 

team has been a bewildering 
spectacle this season, boasting 
the nation’s top offense but 
a defense that hasn’t quite 
reached respectability.

There have been questions 

swirling as to why the Wolverines 
can’t buckle down in their own 
zone for consistent stretches. 
Even the coaching staff has 
shuffled 
defensive 
pairings 

and hopped on the goaltending 
carousel more than once.

But what if the nation’s top 

offense is feeding into the 
lackluster defensive effort? To 
Michigan coach Red Berenson, 
that has been the root of the 
recurring defensive concerns.

“No question,” he said. “You 

get overconfident. That’s all 
you’re thinking about is offense. 
Even if you’re not playing 
well, you start worrying about 
playing better with the puck.”

Saturday, Berenson called the 

team in for a meeting to watch 
film and to emphasize defensive 
details one day after suffering 
a 5-3 loss at Ohio State. The 
message was simple — be a 
better player without the puck.

“Sometimes when you’re a 

good player, all you do the whole 
game is you’re hoping to get the 
puck, and then you get it, and 
then you hope to get it (again),” 
Berenson said after the game. 
“During that hope time, we’ve 
been giving up too many scoring 
chances and too many goals.”

The potency that Michigan 

has enjoyed for much of this 
season has created a mindset 
that screams offense first and 
defense second. This perception 
goes against all Berenson stands 

for as a defensive guru.

In 
Saturday’s 
meeting, 

Berenson preached about being 
more aware in the defensive 
zone, and he encouraged his 
players to stop watching and 
waiting for the puck to come 
to their sticks. Instead, they 
needed to make a conscious 
effort to body up and help 
teammates tighten up their 
defensive-zone 
coverage. 

Offense can wait.

“We talked a lot about taking 

pride in defense, because Red 
hates getting scored on more 
than he likes scoring,” said 
junior forward Boo Nieves. 
“Getting scored on is one of 
his biggest pet peeves. If you 
get scored on, you might find 
yourself sitting on the bench.”

Man-on-man 
defense 
and 

being active in the defensive 
zone have been parts of the 
Wolverines’ game that have 
been lacking. At times, scoring 
nearly four goals each game can 
be enough to place defensive 
concerns on the back burner.

But this week, that back 

burner gets shut off. Michigan 
started 
Tuesday’s 
practice 

with consecutive drills that 
emphasized 
defensive-zone 

coverage. Another drill at the 
tail end of the session was 
designed to help players make 
quick decisions on transitioning 
between defense and offense at 
the snap of a finger.

“This week, and probably the 

past couple of weeks, we’ve been 
talking on detail, whether it’s 
our forecheck or our D-zone,” 
said sophomore forward Tyler 
Motte. “Whether you’re on the 
right side or the wrong side of 
the puck, at a certain time, you 
never know how a puck is going 
to bounce, but as long as you’re 

detailed and on the right side of 
the system, things should start 
going our way.”

All of that means that in 

Berenson’s mind, his players 
have too often jumped the gun 
offensively 
when 
the 
other 

team corrals the puck in a 50-50 
battle. These mistakes have 
sprung the opposition toward 
odd-man rushes that magnify 
the Wolverines’ defensive lapses.

“When in doubt,” Motte said, 

“have a defensive mindset, and 
know that the offense will come 
with that.”

From the forwards down 

to 
the 
defense, 
improving 

defensively 
is 
a 
collective 

effort. 
Saturday’s 
meeting 

put an emphasis on showing 
that defense should be the 
priority heading forward. If it 
isn’t, Michigan’s chances at an 
NCAA Tournament berth will 
continue to fade.

With such a discrepancy 

between 
its 
offensive 

capabilities and its defensive 
shortcomings, 
Berenson 

deemed it time to shift focus. 
Defense, and defense alone, has 
held the Wolverines back from 
consistency and excellence.

At times, the offense and 

defense mesh well, and in those 
moments 
Michigan 
seems 

poised to compete with any 
team in the country. Other 
times, like Friday’s game at 
Ohio State, there are moments 
that leave this team asking what 
it could have done differently.

Just three weeks and six 

games remain before the Big 
Ten Tournament, and there’s 
no time for questions. The 
Wolverines can only settle for 
answers, and it appears they’re 
finally starting to grasp onto 
some.

ICE HOCKEY

Michigan routs Purdue on Senior Night

Elmblad ties career 
high with 19 points 
as Wolverines wrap 
up home schedule

By MINH DOAN 

Daily Sports Writer

If it was going to be Nicole 

Elmblad’s last regular-season 
game as a Wolverine at Crisler 
Center, it was going to be a 
memorable one for the senior 
forward.

A player 

known 
best 
for 

her hustle and tenacity, Elmblad 
did just fine on the stat sheet, 
finishing with 19 points and 
tying her career high. Most of 
her points came from open looks 
from the free-throw area.

Even 
with 
the 
Michigan 

women’s basketball team up by 
almost 30 points for a majority 
of the second half, coach Kim 
Barnes Arico didn’t take any 
chances with her team, which 
has squandered four leads in 
February games.

This time was different, as 

the Wolverines started off the 
game with a 10-2 run and never 
looked 
back, 
thrashing 
the 

Boilermakers, 81-50.

And 
especially 
after 

Saturday’s 
heartbreaking 

91-88 double-overtime loss to 
Minnesota, 
the 
Wolverines 

bounced back convincingly, just 
like they have done for most of 
the season after a loss. Michigan 
is now 6-3 in games following a 
defeat.

“That was an incredibly tough 

loss,” 
Barnes 

Arico 
said. 

“We’ve had a 
bunch of them 
this year, but 
our practices 
the last two 
day have been 
so focused. We 
can’t 
worry 

about 
that 

game because 
it’s over, we 
just have to focus on the next 
one and be the next Michigan 
team we can be in the next 
game. They did that, and I think 
that really speaks volumes of 
their character.”

Elmblad 
and 
freshman 

guard Katelynn Flaherty led 
the 
Wolverines 
in 
scoring 

with 19 points each, while 
senior forward Cyesha Goree 
led the way on the glass with 
11 
rebounds. 
Junior 
guard 

Madison Ristovski also had 
her best offensive output of the 
season, scoring 15 points on 
70-percent shooting.

The 
Wolverines 
shot 
53 

percent as a team.

As potent as the Wolverine 

offense was, the defense was 
just as stout. Playing a 2-3 zone 

for much of 
the 
game, 

Michigan held 
Purdue to its 
third-lowest 
scoring 
half 

of the season, 
allowing just 
21 
points 

before 
the 

break.

“Purdue 

is 
definitely 

a 
strong 
post 
team 
with 

(forwards Whitney Bays and 
Liza Clemons) on the inside,” 
Elmblad 
said. 
“They 
have 

bigger guards, so we wanted 
to pack it in and make them hit 
shots from the outside.”

The Wolverines forced 20 

turnovers and held Bays — 
Purdue’s leading scorer and 
rebounder — to just eight points 
and a single rebound. Bays didn’t 
record a point in the second half.

“She’s a great player, and she’s 

done a really good job for them 
all year,” Elmblad said. “We 
wanted to make sure we locked 
in on her.”

With 
the 
win 
tonight, 

Michigan has clinched the No. 8 
seed in the Big Ten Tournament 
next week in Chicago and will 
play the No. 9 seed March 5.

The 
winner 
will 
play 

Maryland, which clinched the 
Big Ten title Saturday night and 
is ranked No. 5 nationally, in the 
next round.

Tonight was all about the 

seniors, and for the Wolverines 
to get a win is huge for three 
players that have done so much 
for the program.

But staying in the NCAA 

Tournament picture isn’t too 
shabby, either.

“Yes, it’s Senior Night, but at 

the end of the day, we still have 
a season to finish,” Goree said. 
“Our mentality tonight was to 
finish the season strong to put 
us in the best position possible 
for the postseason.”

SAN PHAM/Daily

Senior forward Nicole Elmblad tied for the team high with 19 points in her final home game Tuesday against Purdue.

PURDUE
MICHIGAN 

50
81

“At the end of 
the day, we still 
have a season to 

finish.”

BY THE NUMBERS
Michigan Women’s Basketball

11

Team-high rebounding total for senior 
forward Cyesha Goree in her final home 

game at Michigan
53

Field-goal percentage for Michigan in 

Tuesday’s win over Purdue

20

Turnovers Michigan forced in Tuesday’s 

win
71

3-pointers on the season for freshman 

guard Katelynn Flaherty

For more game coverage
Check the MichiganDaily.com 
sports page on Wednesday

Week of rest aids 
‘M’ down stretch

By MAX BULTMAN

Daily Sports Editor

Michigan coach John Beilein 

couldn’t help but laugh after 
the Michigan men’s basketball 
team’s 64-57 win over Ohio State 
on Sunday.

“Who would’ve thought, three 

years ago when I was recruiting 
him, that (junior guard Spike 
Albrecht) would play 40 minutes 
and a team as good defensively 
as Ohio State would be in a full 
denial on Spike?” Beilein said.

Albrecht’s humble origins as 

a late signee make his successes 
seem 
like 
fantasy. 
But 
as 

Albrecht can attest, the reality 
of his high volume of minutes 
has taken its toll.

The junior battled through 

a hip injury for the bulk of the 
season, and though he looks to be 
at full strength now, his time on 
the court is adding up.

And it’s not just Albrecht. 

Freshman 
guards 
Aubrey 

Dawkins 
and 
Muhammad-Ali 

Abdur-Rahkman and sophomore 
forward Zak Irvin have been 
forced to play huge minutes in the 
thick of Big Ten play.

So with almost a week off 

between Sunday’s win over the 
Buckeyes and Saturday’s game 
at Maryland, it’s a safe bet that 
the Wolverines (7-8 Big Ten, 
14-13 overall) will be using the 
time to rejuvenate themselves. 
If the Ohio State game was any 
indicator, that could mean good 
things for their offense.

Coming off four days rest 

since its loss to Michigan State 
last Tuesday, Michigan came 
out bursting with energy against 
Ohio State, opening up a 12-point 
lead in the first 10 minutes. That 
initial burst was crucial to the 
Wolverines’ victory, building a 
lead for them to protect and to 
withstand an impending rally in 
the second half.

In the first half against the 

Buckeyes, 
Michigan 
looked 

the best it has since long before 
junior guard Caris LeVert went 
down with a broken left foot. And 

while part of the gained energy 
can be attributed to the growth 
and cohesion the newest unit has 
shown, the other part is as simple 
as getting more rest.

“Some guys have had selected 

rest, the guys that we felt need 
it, the Spike Albrechts and Zak 
Irvins, that are really playing a lot 
of minutes,” Beilein said Saturday. 
“Probably it’s a little bit of a shock 
to the bodies of Aubrey and 
Muhammad as well.”

Michigan’s 
schedule 
hasn’t 

done it any favors. The Wolverines 
have played two games every week 
since conference play opened, and 
their rigorous schedule has only 
been compounded by LeVert and 
sophomore guard Derrick Walton 
Jr.’s injuries.

With those two out, Abdur-

Rahkman has played over 30 
minutes in each of Michigan’s last 
seven games, and Dawkins hasn’t 
played fewer than 24 since Jan. 17. 
But as problematic as LeVert and 
Walton’s absence in practice has 
been, it has forced the freshmen 
to play nearly every minute of 
scrimmages.

That’s where extended rest 

comes into play. Without the 
urgency of learning an opponent’s 
system in limited time, Beilein 
is able to isolate players and give 
them rest as he sees fit.

And when he does rest players 

like Albrecht and Irvin, it leaves 
more 
room 
for 
one-on-one 

interaction with coaches.

“The guys that aren’t playing 

a lot of minutes are getting a lot 
of good individual instruction,” 
Beilein said Saturday.

Still, Michigan will have to 

guard against rust, making sure 
its longest break of the season 
doesn’t leave it struggling to catch 
up. Maryland will be coming 
off an emotional win over No. 
5 Wisconsin on Tuesday, so the 
Wolverines shouldn’t expect an 
opponent as lulled as Ohio State 
looked at tip-off.

But if Michigan’s long week of 

rest shifts it to a newfound gear, it 
could be huge for a team desperate 
for resume-building wins.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

