8 — Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Now more than ever, ‘M’ needs Irvin
If the Michigan basketball
team is a train, Derrick Walton
Jr. might be the conductor. But
Zak Irvin is the engine that
drives it.
Prior
to
the
Wolverines’
season-opening
exhibition
against
Armstrong
State,
Michigan’s
senior
wing
admitted as much.
“We know that the team goes
as Derrick and I go,” Irvin said
on Nov. 3. “We’ve recognized
that and we know that we have
to play at our best, be at our best
— offensively, but defensively
as well. I think we set the tone
going into every game and we
have to know that and we can’t
have any let-offs.”
It was a refreshing dose of
realism from the veteran who
comprises a leadership group
that has been quick to say
this season’s outcome will be
determined by a collective team
effort. While that may be true,
the stark reality is that this
team could live or die by Irvin’s
performances.
That much showed itself in
the Wolverines’ matchup against
South Carolina last Wednesday,
where they learned for the first
time that if Irvin doesn’t go,
then they may not go at all. After
committing eight
turnovers
and
scoring just five
points on 2-for-
13
shooting,
Irvin was forced
to watch from
the bench after
fouling out with
5:33 left to play
as
Michigan
swallowed
a
61-46
loss
against the Gamecocks.
But Irvin rebounded from
the dismal performance with
a team-high 14 points against
Mount
St.
Mary’s,
leading
Michigan to a 17-point victory.
“You go out there and hit
your first shot
and
it’s
like,
‘Finally,
thank
you,’ ” Irvin said
on Saturday. “I
was
definitely
getting reps in
before the game
so I was happy
to see the first
three went in.”
Added Beilein:
“I
made
the
correlation. It was like Caris
Levert’s (Southern Methodist)
game last year. Nothing could
go for him. He just didn’t make
some plays that we’re used to
Zak making. So I love it. He
had great energy, he took the
coaching really well the last two
days about how he may be trying
to do too much sometimes,
about some tendencies that he’s
had that are out there on scout
that he’s gotta realize he can’t
continue to do or people will
take away.”
The
pressure
on
Irvin’s
shoulders is nothing new. His
statement in early November
was more a ceremonial token
of
seniority
than
a
final
declaration.
After spending his career in
Ann Arbor playing on a team
decimated
by
injuries,
the
Wolverines’
outcomes
have
been determined by Irvin for a
long time now. There’s plenty of
evidence of that, but last year’s
matchup against Michigan State
at Crisler Center may be the only
evidence needed.
Michigan was blown out by 16,
but Irvin tried to will his team
over a hurdle by pouring in 19
points on 8-for-16 shooting. He
tried to inspire the Wolverines
verbally, too, storming into the
huddle and screaming at his
teammates to wake up.
But now, to say Michigan will
perform as Irvin does is truer
than ever.
While Irvin could rely on
Kameron Chatman to come
off the bench in relief last
year, Chatman’s transfer left
freshmen guards Ibi Watson
and Xavier Simpson as the
Wolverines’ best options to
back
up
Irvin.
Right
now,
those aren’t reliable options,
as their defensive games have
left something to be desired for
coach John Beilein.
“I can’t give the rest —
tomorrow, they have rest, and
then we’ll work hard Monday,
Tuesday with X and Ibi so
that every day they get closer
to getting in there,” Beilein
said on Saturday. “If we’re still
playing this way in the middle of
January and February, it’s going
to be a hard year. These guys,
we’ve just got to bring them
along, win games, rest, bring
them along, win games, rest.”
As
Beilein
indicated,
the
freshmen development process
is certainly a pressing one for
his team.
Through six games, Irvin
is averaging the most minutes
played per game on the team
with 33. If that number holds
through
the
season,
things
could turn ugly for Michigan
— especially given the fact
that Irvin played 35 games
after recovering from a back
surgery last year. Given the
Wolverines’ injury history, that
workload could quickly become
a dangerous test of fate.
That
might
not
show
up
against
teams
like
the
Mountaineers, but the stakes
are higher when facing Virginia
Tech or a conference opponent.
Irvin’s performance in the Big
Apple showed he has the ability
to handle that.
Eleven days ago, Michigan
traveled to Madison Square
Garden and left as the champion
of the 2K Classic. Lost among
Walton’s barrage of 3-pointers
and
redshirt
sophomore
forward DJ Wilson’s dunks in
the tournament championship
was
the
second
of
two
performances that earned Irvin
the tournament MVP honor.
Irvin combined for 32 points
on 11-for-22 shooting and 13
rebounds, en route to helping
push Michigan into the top-25
for the first time this season.
But when Irvin went cold
against South Carolina five days
later, the Wolverines followed
suit and went colder, losing that
ranking as soon as they earned
it.
And with the rest of the
season ahead, the last 12 days
have
made
it
clear:
Irvin
was right at the beginning of
November. As he goes, Michigan
will go with him.
KEVIN SANTO
Daily Sports Editor
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Senior wing Zak Irvin is a critical component of the Michigan men’s basketball team, which could see its fate swing with Irvin’s performance this season.
“We know that
the team goes
as Derrick and
I go.”