8 — Friday, December 9, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wolverines head west to visit high-scoring UCLA

The 
Michigan 
men’s 

basketball team’s defense had 
to dig deep to come away with 
a win against Texas on Tuesday 
because the offense scored just 
53 points.

While 
the 
Wolverines 

struggled 
to 
find 
anything 

consistent 
on 
offense, 
the 

Longhorns were just as poor 
attacking, and Michigan was 
able to fall back on its defense to 
find a way in the end.

The Wolverines (7-2) won’t 

want to stick to that same 
strategy when they travel to 
Pauley Pavilion on Saturday 
to take on No. 2 UCLA (9-0). 
The Bruins have the nation’s 
second-highest scoring offense, 
averaging 97 points per game. 

They run one of the most high-
tempo offenses as well, ranking 
in the top 10 in possessions per 
40 minutes.

Michigan has already played 

teams that like to score in 
transition such as Virginia Tech 
and the Longhorns, and the 
Wolverines handled both teams 
well. Michigan ranks 10th in the 
country in scoring defense.

“I 
thought 
we 
handled 

the tempo pretty well,” said 
Michigan coach John Beilein on 
the Virginia Tech game. “The 
tempo was at a pace that got us 
a few times, but not as many 
times as they’ve been getting 
other people. (UCLA) is a team 
that will really run. Some of the 
teams they’ve played have gotten 
in that running game with them. 
We’re still only going to run 
when we can, but at the same 

time we have to make sure we 
take good shots and we make 
them take hard shots.”

But 
no 
opponent 
the 

Wolverines have faced to date 
had as many offensive weapons 
as the Bruins. All five of UCLA’s 
starters are putting up double-
digit scoring averages, and each 
can score in a variety of different 
ways.

UCLA’s offense stems from 

the point and its star freshman 
guard Lonzo Ball. The 6-foot-6 
guard poses the threat of posting 
a triple-double every game he 
takes the floor. Against then-No. 
1 Kentucky, Ball put up a stat line 
of 14 points, six rebounds and 
seven assists.

But Ball is still prone to 

making freshman mistakes. He 
committed five turnovers while 
shooting 1-for-5 in the first half of 
the Kentucky game. Even while 
making those errors, he was 

showing off the most impressive 
facet of his game. The freshman 
currently leads the nation in 
assists per game (9.3) to go with 
his 15 point scoring average.

Complimenting Ball at the 

post is freshman TJ Leaf, who is 
also almost averaging a double-
double with 17 points and nine 
rebounds per game. At 6-foot-
11, Leaf isn’t just a threat in the 
paint, he’s an outside shooting 
threat as well. The freshman, 
who Beilein once recruited, is 
currently shooting 67 percent 
from the field and 50 percent 
from three. His versatility will 
be a handful for any Michigan 
defender tasked with guarding 
him, likely redshirt sophomore 
forward DJ Wilson.

“(Leaf) really is not just a 

6-(foot)-10 
forward,” 
Beilein 

said. “He shoots, he passes. 
Look at his stats right now. For 
a freshman with a 225-pound 

body, the way he’s rebounding 
right now is really impressive in 
the game.”

Besides Ball and Leaf, UCLA 

has three other players shooting 
over 40 percent from behind the 
arc in guards Bryce Alford, Isaac 
Hamilton and Aaron Holiday.

The Bruins can score from just 

about anywhere on the offensive 
end, and Beilein realizes no 
other team will be a better test to 
see if Michigan’s top-10 scoring 
defense can hold up.

“(This game is) the ultimate 

gauge of who we are against a 
high-level team,” Beilein said. 
“We got some incredible talent. 
I think what’s really compelling 
right now is what Ball and Leaf 
have done to that team. That was 
a team that was sub-.500 last 
year and only lost one player. But 
those two are just exceptional. “

UCLA’s fast pace will also 

challenge 
the 
Wolverines’ 

offense. Michigan hasn’t been 
efficient scoring points on fast 
breaks or in transition, choosing 
too often to hold the ball up and 
go into half-court sets.

While running a half-court 

offense could slow the Bruins’ 
attack down, the Wolverines will 
still need to find a fair share of 
points on breaks to have a shot at 
the upset.

“We’re playing too much half-

court basketball,” Beilein said. 
“We have to get up the court. 
Whether it’s who’s pushing it, 
right now (senior guard Derrick 
Walton) has been the only push 
guy, and he’s even got to do more 
there. “

Saturday will be Michigan’s 

last opportunity to measure up 
against 
marquee 
competition 

before 
Big 
Ten 
play 
opens, 

especially defensively. And it will 
be the best opportunity yet for the 
Wolverines to make a statement.

RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily

Senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. will be counted on to help the Michigan men’s basketball team counter UCLA’s bristling pace when the teams meet Saturday.

BRANDON CARNEY

Daily Sports Writer

