Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 — 7A
‘M’ embarks on “business trip”
By SIMON KAUFMAN
Daily Sports Editor
PARADISE ISLAND, The
Bahamas
—
The
Atlantis
Paradise
Island
resort
has
all the makings of a perfect
weeklong
getaway
spot.
Palm trees line the property,
balconies overlook the ocean,
and get this:
the
resort
doesn’t
just
feature a lazy
river — it has
a crazy river,
too. But don’t
tell
that
to
Caris
LeVert
as
his
team
gets
ready
for the Battle
4
Atlantis
tournament.
The
senior
guard
didn’t
come to the
Bahamas
so
the Michigan men’s basketball
team could relax.
“They know we’re here on a
business trip,” LeVert said of
his teammates. “We know that
we didn’t have a great game on
Friday (against Xavier), and
we’re here to redeem ourselves
and play a great tournament.”
Michigan’s first test will
be No. 18 Connecticut, a team
that, like the Musketeers did
on Friday, will challenge the
Wolverines’ big men down
low. The Huskies (3-0) feature
center Amida Brimah, who’s
averaging eight rebounds and
nearly nine points per game.
Against Xavier, Michigan
(2-1) got outrebounded, 47-29,
and its bigs tallied 11 fouls and
just nine points.
But Michigan coach John
Beilein
sees
Brimah
as
a
different kind of big man than
what the Wolverines saw from
the Musketeers.
“They’re not as apt to throw
the ball in to (Brimah) the way
that the traditional post-up that
you saw with (Xavier forward)
Jalen Reynolds,” Beilein said.
“It’s more that he’s playing
behind the defense. They’re
lobbing it to him, so it’s a four
(players) out, one (player) deep
type of approach — very unique
to what I’ve seen before.”
Beilein also knows Brimah
will be a factor defensively,
calling him “as good a shot
blocker as there is.” The 7-foot
junior is third in the country
in blocked shots, averaging 4.3
per game.
Offensively, Connecticut has
been led by a duo of fifth-year
graduate
student
transfers.
Guard Sterling Gibbs comes
to the Huskies after playing
two seasons at Seton Hall, and
forward Shonn Miller opted
for Connecticut after playing
four years at Cornell. The two
are pacing 16 and 13 points per
game, respectively, and Miller
has also been a force on the
boards, using a 6-foot-7, 220-
pound frame to grab more than
six boards per contest.
“They hit the jackpot with
the fifth-year guys,” Beilein
said. “That’s a huge advantage
to have guys that have those
type of numbers and all of a
sudden have for another year.”
Connecticut has also gotten
major
contribution
from
younger
players
in
guard
Rodney Purvis and forward
Daniel Hamilton.
Purvis
starts
at
guard
alongside Gibbs and is the
Huskies’ biggest threat from
deep, shooting 47 percent from
3-point range. Hamilton, while
not as consistent a shooter,
poses a threat solely in his
versatility.
“He’s a point guard one
minute,” Beilein said. “Then he
can play a ‘1,’ a ‘2,’ a ‘3’ or a ‘4’.
They can go small, and he can
play ‘4’ or he can play the ‘5’
even. There’s a lot of versatility
that you see.”
Hamilton’s ability to play
different spots makes him a
tough matchup, one that will
likely fall to Michigan’s best
defender: LeVert. Beilein said
he has ideas as to how to stop
Hamilton, but didn’t specify
what they were.
If
Michigan’s
big
men
underperform again, Hamilton
may
be
the
least
of
the
Wolverines’
worries.
Junior
forward
Mark
Donnal
has
started at the ‘5’ in each game
so far, but Beilein hinted
earlier in the week that he was
reevaluating that spot in the
starting lineup and wanted to
shorten the rotation across the
board. Sophomore Ricky Doyle
has
been
Michigan’s
most
efficient big and could slide
into Donnal’s starting spot.
If
Doyle
can’t
step
up,
though, it could be a rocky start
to the Bahamas business trip.
UConn vs.
Michigan
Matchup:
UConn 3-0;
Michigan 2-1
When:
Wednesday
9:30 P.M.
Where:
Paradise
Island,
Bahamas
TV/Radio:
AXS TV
LEV FACHER/Daily
John Beilein’s team is treating its time in the Bahamas as a business trip and a time to improve.
Viewing guide to
Battle 4 Atlantis
By LEV FACHER
Managing Editor
PARADISE
ISLAND,
The
Bahamas — Don’t let the fancy
resort and tropical destination
fool you — the Michigan men’s
basketball
team
views
its
southward swing to The Bahamas
over the Thanksgiving holiday as
a business trip.
The Battle 4 Atlantis, hosted by
the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort
just off the shores of Nassau,
Bahamas, packs a punch in its
lineup this year. The tournament
features No. 10 Gonzaga, No. 18
Connecticut, No. 25 Texas A&M,
Syracuse,
Texas,
Charlotte,
Washington and Michigan.
Round 1
Michigan takes on No. 18
Connecticut at 9:30 p.m. EST on
Wednesday. The game will be
broadcast on AXS TV, and caps off
the first tournament quadruple-
header of the week.
Round 2
If the Wolverines beat the
Huskies,
they’ll
play
either
Charlotte
or
Syracuse
the
following day. A win would pit
them against that game’s victor in
a 3:30 p.m. matchup, broadcast on
ESPN. Lose to Connecticut, and
they’ll tip off once again at 9:30
p.m. against the loser — another
AXS Broadcast.
Round 3
With two wins, the Wolverines
will play on Friday against
whichever team in the group of
Texas, Texas A&M, Gonzaga
and Washington escapes the
tournament’s first two days with
a 2-0 record. Regardless, they’ll
play one of those teams in the final
round.
At 2-0, Michigan would play
at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN. If the
Wolverines beat Connecticut but
lose on Thanksgiving Day, they
would play at 12:30 p.m., also on
ESPN. A first-round loss followed
by a win would have them tip off at
7:00 p.m. on AXS, and two losses
would result in a 9:30 p.m. tip on
AXS to close the tournament.
Breakdown:
Michigan faces another tough
test Wednesday in Connecticut
center Amida Brimah. At 7 feet,
he presents another physical,
low-post presence — he won’t
score as much as Xavier’s 6-foot-
10 Jalen Reynolds did on Friday,
and the Huskies’ offense won’t
run through him, but he’ll present
a major issue on the glass at both
ends of the floor.
The Wolverines should feel
better about playing Syracuse the
next day. Michigan got past Jim
Boeheim’s trademark 2-3 zone last
December at Crisler Center, and
the Wolverines’ deep, experienced
backcourt has the patience and
shooting ability necessary to find
space around the perimeter to
win the game from the 3-point
line. Charlotte, meanwhile, is a
program looking to retool under
first-year head coach Mark Price.
And while Texas A&M posts
a stiff secondary challenge in
the other bracket, it’s tough to
envision any team in the field
handling
Gonzaga
and
Kyle
Wiltjer, a 6-foot-10 forward who
has clear star potential in the
NBA. The Bulldogs are the clear
favorites in this tournament, and
the Wolverines wouldn’t fare well
against Wiltjer if they faced him.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Michigan announces 2016
seven-man recruiting class
By KEVIN SANTO
Daily Sports Writer
With
the
conclusion
of
the early signing period, the
Michigan hockey team has
added seven players who will
don the maize and blue sweater
for the 2016-17 season.
During
the
past
two
campaigns, the Wolverines have
brought in freshman classes
that made immediate impacts
on the ice.
In 2014, freshman forward
Dylan Larkin was a catalyst
behind
a
high-powered
Michigan offense. He tallied
47 points, good for second
on the team in scoring. On
the opposite end of the ice,
freshman
defenseman
Zach
Werenski finished seventh in
points and had the highest tally
of any defenseman on the team.
Werenski also finished plus-
nine and quickly established
himself as one of the young
leaders
in
the
Wolverines’
defensive zone.
This season, the freshman
impact is even more impressive.
Forwards Cooper Marody,
Kyle
Connor
and
Brendan
Warren are Michigan’s top
three point scorers with 11,
10 and nine, respectively. And
though freshmen defensemen
Joseph Cecconi and Nicholas
Boka’s statistics aren’t eye-
popping, the pair has stepped
up to play every game so far.
Now, Michigan coach Red
Berenson has brought in seven
skaters that could likely have
the same influence in 2016.
The
seven-man
group
includes five players from the
United States National Team
Development
Program
—
forwards Will Lockwood, Nick
Pastujov and James Sanchez,
along with defensemen Griffin
Luce and Luke Martin.
Lockwood,
a
Bloomfield
Hills,
Michigan,
native,
is
the son of former Wolverine
forward Joe Lockwood. The
young forward has accumulated
13 points in 20 games with the
U-18 squad. Though he may be
considered undersized at 5-foot-
11, 172 pounds, Lockwood is
said to have good hands and an
impressive hockey IQ.
Pastujov has accumulated
just two goals and three assists
through 20 games with the
USNTDP this year, but his
performance on the ice in 2014
is much more encouraging.
The prospect from Bradenton,
Florida,
finished
fourth
in
scoring last year after racking
up 30 points in
45 games.
Rounding
out
the
forwards from
the USNTDP,
Sanchez — an
Illinois native
— has notched
two goals and
two assists in
20 games this
season.
The three forwards have
all been classified as fourth-
to
sixth-round
NHL
Draft
candidates on the NHL Central
Scouting
Preliminary
2016
Players to Watch list.
Martin
and
Luce,
the
defensemen, have each played
every game of the season
with the USNTDP and have
tallied seven and three points,
respectively.
Luce may be the most college-
ready recruit in the class, as he
was projected to be a potential
second- or third-round pick by
NHL Central Scouting.
The five skaters earned a
silver medal together during the
U-17 World Hockey Challenge,
and
the
chemistry
they
established could be invaluable
during their transition to Yost
Ice Arena next year.
This season, every freshman
played with at least one other
player on the team — whether
fellow rookies or Wolverine
veterans — prior to arriving in
Ann Arbor, and it appears to be
paying dividends.
The final two recruits —
defenseman Christian Meike
and forward Steven Merl —
share experience in the United
States Hockey League.
Merl currently plays for the
Bloomington Thunder, but also
spent time with the Muskegon
Lumberjacks in 2014. Through
15 games this year, Merl has
lined up primarily at center,
accumulating one goal and
two assists. He hails from
Bloomfield, making him one of
two Michigan
natives in the
class.
Meike’s
numbers have
been the same
as Merl’s after
recovering
from
a
significant
injury in 2014.
One
concern
is that he may
be undersized for a defenseman
at just 6-foot, 172 pounds. But
his recovery from injury is
encouraging, and he has scored
one goal and notched two assists
in 10 games this season for the
Sioux City Musketeers.
While the 2016 class has big
skates to fill after the production
from freshmen in the last two
seasons,
Michigan
associate
head coach Billy Powers is
confident in the group he has
brought to Ann Arbor.
“You’re
always
recruiting
based on your needs, and we
feel strongly that we’ve added
the right pieces and most
importantly the right kind of
kids,’’ Powers told MGoBlue.
com. “Our current freshman
class has stepped in and had an
impact on our team, and a big
part of it is their character. We
feel like we’ve found a group to
come in next year with similar
qualities. You’re going to see the
right kind of kids, and that is
going to help our program.’’
ICE HOCKEY
“We feel
strongly that
we’ve added the
right pieces.”
Unbothered by struggles,
Flaherty has career game
By BRAD WHIPPLE
Daily Sports Writer
Something felt a bit off
about Katelynn Flaherty’s shot
throughout the first couple
games of the Michigan women’s
basketball team’s season, so the
sophomore guard put in a few
more reps on the Crisler Center
hardwood, sinking baskets late
into the night.
She
needed
every
extra
minute she could get in front
of the basket. Ten days ago
against Detroit, Flaherty had
her weakest performance of the
season with a scoreless second
half and four total fouls. After
that win, though, senior guard
Madison Ristovski said she
believed Flaherty would fall
back in line.
Four days later, Flaherty led
the team with 19 points against
Xavier. And four days after
that, with more practice under
her belt and a few extra nights
of shooting, the upward trend
continued in the Wolverines’
119-61
victory
over
South
Carolina Upstate.
That turnaround made quite
a statement, too, as Flaherty
etched
her
name
in
the
program’s record book with a
career-high 34 points.
With
65-percent
shooting,
Flaherty
joined
seven
other
players in the
program’s
history
to
have
scored
at least 34 points in a single
game — including former guard
Shannon Smith, who scored 36
points against Ohio State last
season.
Despite small turbulence to
start the season, the stat sheet
will show that Flaherty has
recuperated. For her, it has
been a mental game that has
progressed substantially.
“She’s an incredible player,”
said
Michigan
coach
Kim
Barnes Arico. “(But) she’s kinda
been disappointed in the first
couple games that her shot
hadn’t been falling the way that
she’d been working on it.”
Against the Spartans, her
shots did fall the way she
wanted, but not initially. She
started the game by missing
three straight 3-pointers and a
jumper before drawing a foul,
stepping to the line and sinking
two free throws. After that,
Flaherty was unstoppable with
the finesse of her dribbling and
quick transitions on the fast
break.
“I think that (Detroit) was
a good game for me to go
through,” Flaherty said. “It
changed my whole mentality
coming
into
games
going
forward. Especially going 0-for-
4 in the beginning (of Monday’s
game), it doesn’t faze me. I just
keep shooting.”
And Flaherty kept shooting
Monday. It didn’t seem like she
would miss.
It seemed that Flaherty just
needed to see the swish of the
ball through the basket — even
if it was just a free throw. In the
end, it’s about confidence with
Flaherty, and one basket could
be the tipping
point
for
a
phenomenal
night.
“Maybe the
free
throws
kinda calmed
her down a bit,
and she didn’t
miss
after
that,” Barnes Arico said. “Every
time she shoots it, I think
it’s going in. I think probably
everybody on our bench thinks
it’s going in. When she misses,
we’re surprised that she misses
it.”
Flaherty missed just seven
of 20 shots, but Barnes Arico
thought her four assists were
her most impressive stat line.
Flaherty’s
distribution
set
up
freshman
guard
Boogie
Brozoski
for
a
career-high
16-point night.
In turn, Brozoski had five
assists, the most important one
coming with 1:23 left in the
game. Ten seconds after subbing
in, redshirt senior guard Halle
Wangler got wide open at the
top of the key and scored a long
jumper off a pass from Brozoski.
Wangler’s first career basket
made the bench uproar in
excitement, sending players and
coaches jumping on their feet.
Twenty-one seconds later, she
added her first career rebound
as
well.
Without
Brozoski,
Wangler wouldn’t have had
that shining moment. Without
Flaherty, there’s no telling if
Brozoski would’ve produced
similar results.
Ultimately, Flaherty’s career
night paid dividends for the
performance
of
her
other
teammates.
“She
was
making
extra
passes, and she wasn’t forcing
her shot,” Barnes Arico said. “I
was really happy with the way
she moved the ball.”
Barnes Arico said she didn’t
know how many points Flaherty
had when she subbed out in the
final six minutes, nearing 40
points. The fourth-year coach
said Flaherty would likely play
all 40 minutes of a game if she
could, but Flaherty admitted
that it wouldn’t be to score more
points.
“I just want to do what’s best
for my team, and just help my
team win in whichever way I
can,” Flaherty said. “I think
when (I) have high scoring
games, I also want to work on
other parts of my game, whether
it’s sharing the ball, getting the
ball in other people’s hands or
working on defense.”
No matter how Flaherty
spends every minute on the
floor, though, she needs to do
one thing. Just keep shooting,
and the rest will fall in place.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
“She’s an
incredible
player.”