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.
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