Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 — 7
The hardest-working individuals in America
By BRAD WHIPPLE
Daily Sports Editor
Pink shoes. Pink headbands.
Pink warmup shirts with the
words
“Hope,
Fight,
Cure”
printed on the front. Sunday, it
was clear that the players of the
Michigan
women’s
basketball
team weren’t competing for the
hardest-working team in America.
Instead, the Wolverines were
competing
for
the
hardest-
working individuals in America.
Michigan didn’t skip a beat
in pulling off a 92-76 win over
Minnesota during its annual Pink
Game, which serves to promote
breast cancer awareness as well
as celebrate the life of former
North Carolina State coach Kay
Yow, who passed away from stage
4 breast cancer in 2009.
The pink game also celebrates
survivorship
for
those
in
attendance at Crisler Center
and
across
the
nation.
Six
breast-cancer
survivors
were
invited to dinner with the team
Friday, introduced the starting
lineup Sunday and received a
pink basketball from the player
they introduced — a tradition
that began with the arrival of
Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico in 2012.
One of those survivors is
Barnes
Arico’s
stepmother
Donna, a 10-year cancer survivor
who has made the trip from New
York to the Pink Game every year.
“This is one of the greatest
days of the year for our program,”
Barnes Arico said. “It’s really a
special (thing) for us to honor
those women — those strong,
powerful,
determined
women
that are persevering through
struggles that are much tougher
than a basketball game.”
For Barnes Arico, she didn’t
just want her team to throw
on some pink-colored apparel
without it carrying some weight.
Instead, she wanted the outfits
to speak on a personal level with
her players and have a special
meaning behind it.
So Friday night, the team had
dinner with a group of survivors
at the Ron and Eileen Weiser
Family
Club
inside
Crisler
Center. The survivors — hand-
selected by Abby Samuels, the
senior community manager for
special events at the American
Cancer
Society’s
Southeast
Michigan office — told stories of
their battles with breast cancer
and answered questions from
the team about how to be more
proactive with their own health.
“It’s really special to have a
dinner with the ladies that get
to teach us so much about life
that we don’t get to see all the
time,” said senior guard Madison
Ristovski. “Everybody here is
always curious about it.
“At the end of the day, it’s in
the back of people’s minds that,
‘What if that happens to me?’ ”
Samuels’
network
at
the
American Cancer Society and
strong
volunteer
outreach
enabled her to find individuals to
invite to the dinner. The leading
factor in the decision was an the
individuals’ involvement with the
organization in recent months
— for example, attending the
Making Strides Against Breast
Cancer Walk held in October at
Washtenaw Community College.
The Wolverines, of course, were
waiting at the end of the walk,
high-fiving survivors, giving them
roses and cheering them on as
they crossed the finish line.
“They’re amazing volunteers,”
Samuels said. “Them coming
out to Making
Strides allows
them
to
see
the
impact
they’re making
with
things
like the Pink
Game. … One
of
the
great
things
about
Michigan and
Michigan
athletics is that
they teach integrity, and those
women really have integrity.”
At age 25, just months before
her wedding, Christy Rodriguez
was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The longtime Michigan fan was
invited to Barnes Arico’s dinner
Friday night after completing the
Making Strides walk.
Now in her late 20s, Rodriguez
has been cancer-free for three
years.
“I’m
really
happy
that
I
got invited to be a part of it,”
Rodriguez said. “I think it’s super
awesome that they do something
like this every year … Being up
there at the beginning and getting
the basketball from the player,
that was really awesome. Probably
one of the coolest things I’ve
done. I’ve gotten a lot of different
opportunities I didn’t expect from
having breast cancer, and things
like this are some of the positive
things that come out of it.”
Rodriguez joined a group of
survivors on the court during
halftime
and
were
given
a
“survivor sash” by Michigan
softball coach Carol Hutchins,
who donned a pink No. 15 jersey
of her own.
According to Samuels, Barnes
Arico and Hutchins’ vision to
emphasize the “game of life”
within their programs ensures
their players walk away with
valuable life lessons aside from
just what they learn from playing
on the court or the diamond.
Now in her fourth year at the
helm, Barnes Arico sees education
as
a
major
cornerstone of
the
program
she’s
leading.
She wants to
educate
her
players on what
breast
cancer
because, as she
mentioned,
“You’re
never
too young to
get it.”
More importantly, she wants
her team to see the value in having
a positive attitude, being focused
and staying determined. Friday,
it was these three lessons that
the six survivors spoke of when
describing their path toward a
cancer-free life — in addition to
faith and family.
Barnes Arico wants her team,
by understanding the adversity
these women have had to face,
to understand that life isn’t
always about basketball, and
reality doesn’t exist within a
perfect bubble.
“We’re
playing
college
basketball at the highest level
and we’re at the University
of
Michigan
on
a
college
scholarship, that there are people
out there that are going through
struggles and different hard times
in their lives,” Barnes Arico said.
“Sometimes it’s a great reminder
when we get to be surrounded
by people that are overcoming
such great obstacles and such big
challenges.
“At the end of the day, a
basketball game is a basketball
game, and this is about the
survival in their lives.”
As for Michigan’s role in the
fight against breast cancer, it can
continue to provide an outlet of
empowerment for survivors in
the meantime. The Pink Game
gives
survivors
like
Donna
Barnes and Christy Rodriguez
the opportunity to come together
and share their stories of survival
while promoting awareness for
those still fighting the battle.
“I think that basketball is a
vehicle to teach (our players)
about perseverance and about
hard work and being part of our
team,” Barnes Arico said. “That’s
part of our mantra, that we are the
hardest-working team in America.
“But really, if you’re diagnosed
with breast cancer, you have to be
the hardest-working individual to
overcome that.”
Friday’s
stories
of
perseverance
must
have
hit
the right emotional note with
the
Wolverines
on
Sunday
afternoon as they pulled ahead
of Minnesota down the stretch —
all in front of a sea of pink.
Little
things
made
the
difference for Michigan in its
victory — defense, free throws,
intangibles.
But then there were the little
things, such as a pink basketball,
that made the difference for
survivors in their own victory.
When Ann Arbor native Mimi
Schork returned to her seat before
the game, she waved her newest
momento around in the air while
wearing a wide smile. She looked
as if she had just won an award,
and those sitting around her
began to cheer.
In
most
ways,
the
pink
basketball was an award. It was
a reminder of what she had been
through and how she overcame
it. She deserved the cheering, as
did the rest of the survivors who
received a standing ovation at
halftime.
They
hoped,
fought
and
continued to work toward a cure.
For that, they were recognized as
the hardest-working individuals
in America.
Quick Hits with Tyler Motte
By JASON RUBINSTEIN
Daily Sports Writer
After the Michigan hockey
team’s weekend sweep over
Penn
State,
junior
forward
Tyler Motte has found himself
in a spot he never dreamed of
being: the leading goal scorer in
the nation.
Through 23 games, Motte has
netted 22 goals to go along with
13 assists. His previous career
high for goals in a season was
nine, and his productivity has
blossomed in the 12 games since
Michigan coach Red Berenson
put him with junior forward JT
Compher and freshman forward
Kyle Connor on one line.
For all those reasons, Motte
became the focal point for this
week’s edition of Quick Hits.
The Michigan Daily: You’re
the leading goal scorer in the
NCAA. How does that feel?
Tyler Motte: It feels good.
I’ve never been one to go back
and look at stats and compare
myself to even my teammates,
but having that confidence in
your back pocket never hurts.
TMD: Did you expect this of
yourself? You always joke that
you’re not a skill player and those
are the ones who usually are at
the top of the leaderboards.
TM: I don’t think I would’ve
ever been the top goal scorer
in the country. Like you said,
I’ve never really been that type
of player. I’ve always tried to
be a 200-foot type guy, and
that is really my game. But the
chemistry with my linemates
has worked out.
TMD: Your line has been
pretty good. Is there a thing
between you and JT where
you guys are making sure Kyle,
the freshman, doesn’t lead the
nation in goals?
TM: No. (Laughs.) Not at
all. We’ve been joking around
with the guys about this. But
it’s great to see a guy dominate
as a freshman similar to (how)
Dylan Larkin did it last year.
Each of them dominated in
different ways, but it’s great to
see freshmen come to Michigan
and be able to do that. Just to see
JT and how he works and puts
up numbers, he’s proud of that.
TMD: Well, JT had a nice
toe drag this weekend. Were
you like, “Wow, JT, how did you
do that?”
TM: Yeah, he might joke
around and tell you he is a skill
guy, too, but it was a phenomenal
play, something he has in his
back pocket.
TMD: It’s been coined the
“CCM
line.”
Are you guys
trying
to
earn a future
sponsorship
from
them?
What’s
with
that?
TM: I didn’t
quite
know
what it meant
at
first.
I
thought it was
because we all used their sticks,
but then JT doesn’t, he uses
Bauer, and then I realized it had
to do with our names. It’s pretty
creative, though. It’s pretty
good. I’ve definitely heard worse
names for lines.
TMD: The team has been
giving you crap for the beanie you
wear. I see it’s changed colors.
TM: Yeah. I got a new one. I
found one in my closet. Some
might call it bad press with that
haircut article there, but it’s
good, it’s fun.
TMD: You won’t take it off
until you start slowing down
with your points, right?
TM: It’s no superstition.
TMD: Nolan is the team
barber. Should one of our writers
get a haircut from him?
TM: I don’t know how open
the barber shop is to walk-ins.
But he does a good job. If he
doesn’t
make
it in hockey,
he
could
definitely open
his own barber
shop.
TMD:
Describe Max
Shuart.
TM: I don’t
know if there
is
one
way
to
describe
Max Shuart other than he’s a
character. He sits next to me in
the locker room and sometimes
is a peanut gallery. He really has
a good balance of having fun and
enjoying things while also doing
it the right way.
TMD: Could he beat Michael
Downing in a fight?
TM: I’d like to see a best-of-
three or best-of-five series there.
I could see it going either way.
TMD: You, JT and Kyle are all
up for the Hobey Baker Award,
but it can only be one.
TM: Yeah. Unfortunately, that
is how it goes. I think it could be
unbelievable to see a freshman
win back-to-back years.
TMD: When Kevin Porter
won the Hobey in 2008, his
linemate Chad Kolarik, who was
up for the Hobey, wanted to vault
Porter to win and pushed for it
despite being a strong candidate
as well. Have you guys discussed
this?
TM: I don’t think any of us
focus on it that much, but to have
another Hobey Baker winner at
Michigan would be huge.
TMD: You took a nasty hit
at the Garden. There are some
pictures that show you chewing
your mouthguard rather than
wearing it. Why do you do that?
TM: Well, I’ve had the same
mouthguard
here
since
my
freshman year so it doesn’t
exactly snuggly fit any more.
Most guys don’t even wear them
even more.
TMD: Will you wear one now?
TM: We’ll see if the old one
still fits. I might.
TMD: You’re growing quite
the beard here. What’s with
that?
TM: There is no superstition
behind the beard. I do tend to trim
it up a bit. In the winter, I don’t
like to go clean-shaven. It’s comfy.
Michigan preps
for top-25 battle
By SIMON KAUFMAN
Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan men’s basketball
team ended the first half of the
Big Ten season with a four-game
sweep against
the
bottom
half
of
the
conference,
downing
unheralded
Minnesota,
Nebraska,
Rutgers
and
Penn
State
teams.
Now, sitting
at exactly the
midway
point
in
conference
play,
the
Wolverines (7-2 Big Ten, 17-5
overall) face a two-game stretch
of top-25 talent, hosting No. 22
Indiana on Tuesday and No. 10
Michigan State on Saturday.
The Hoosiers (8-1, 18-4), led by
senior guard Yogi Ferrell, come to
town atop the Big Ten standings
following a six-point win over
Minnesota on Saturday. Ferrell,
who opted to return for his final
year at Indiana instead of entering
the NBA Draft, has been one of
the conference’s top performers,
pacing 17.5 points and nearly six
assists per contest.
The Indiana native has a
history of torching Michigan.
In
five
games
against
the
Wolverines in his career, Ferrell
has shot better than 60 percent
and averaged more than 16 points
per game — and he’s done it in a
number of ways. Last year, he
used a variety of made jumpers to
tally 14 points against Michigan;
the season before, he knocked
down seven 3-pointers to put up
27 to help take down a then-10th-
ranked Wolverines team.
“His quickness is such that,
yeah, there’s a lot of things you
do (to try to stop him),” said
Michigan coach John Beilein.
“What’s really good is you have
a really good player playing
against him that can stay in
front of him, and that’s our hope,
that a combination of (junior
guard Derrick Walton Jr. and
sophomore guard Muhammad-
Ali Abdur-Rahkman) can do
that and that we don’t have
to give as much help. But he’s
going get his points; he’s going
to get to the foul line; he’s going
to get his assists. Try to not let
the other guys beat you, that’s
another thought.”
The
biggest
problem
for
Michigan is that those other
guys who surround Ferrell are
just as dangerous. Indiana has
two other starters averaging 12
points or better in sophomore
forward Troy Williams (13.1)
and freshman center Thomas
Bryant (12.4). It will take a team
effort for Michigan to contend
against the country’s second-
best shooting team.
“(We need to) try to stay out
of foul trouble and not make it a
1-on-1 matchup,” Walton said.
“Remember that it’s all about
winning. There’s going to be some
times tomorrow (Ferrell) makes a
really good play or I make a really
good play or either of us go on a
tear, making three or four plays
in a row. It’s all about just staying
with the team goals of the night
and game plan. … When the game
is over, the better point guard is
the one that wins.”
What could be the biggest
lift for Michigan, though, is the
potential return of senior guard
Caris LeVert. Beilein has been
cryptic about LeVert’s return
date since he injured his left
foot against Illinois on Dec. 30,
causing him to miss the last eight
games. But Monday, Beilein said
that his return could be soon.
“Caris did more (Sunday) than
he’s done at all,” Beilein said.
“This was the first time he really
tested himself more than he has.
So it’s day-to-day, and we’ll wait
and see when he’s ready to go.
It’s ultimately going to be his
decision. It could be soon. It could
be later.”
Indiana at
Michigan
Matchup:
Indiana 18-4;
Michigan 17-5
When:
Tuesday 9 P.M.
Where: Crisler
Center
TV/Radio:
ESPN
MEN’S BASKETBALL
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
The Michigan women’s basketball team held its annual Pink Game on Sunday in honor of breast cancer awareness.
“This is one of
the greatest days
of the year for
our program.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Junior forward Tyler Motte leads the nation in scoring with 22 goals in 23 games for the Wolverines this season.
“The chemistry
with my
linemates has
worked out.”