6A — Thursday, March 23, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Sweet 16 Preview: ‘M’ to battle Oregon

This isn’t just a feel-good story

anymore.

Thirteen days ago, it was about

the
plane,

the
practice

jerseys and the
improbable
performance
the
Michigan

men’s
basketball
team put forth
in its Big Ten
Tournament
opener.
The

eighth-seeded
Wolverines
dismantled
Illinois, 75-55, and it felt like an
underdog tale.

That win turned into a Big

Ten Tournament championship,
and this weekend, Michigan has
a chance to punch its ticket to
the Final Four for the first time
since 2013.

“I think winning those four

games in a row, against who we
beat,” said Michigan coach John
Beilein. “…I think that after that,
these kids just said, ‘Hey, we go
into this NCAA Tournament, we
can play with anybody.’ After the
gauntlet, they just ran.”

Despite being a No. 7 seed, the

word “underdog” doesn’t quite
fit anymore. The Wolverines are
playing great basketball, and with
each passing day, it has felt more
like Michigan can make a run at
the title.

But
first
comes
Oregon.

Thursday night, the Wolverines
will tip off against the Ducks at
the Sprint Center with a spot in
the Elite Eight on the line, and
Michigan’s experience in the
opening weekend could prove
invaluable.

When
Michigan
faced

Oklahoma State and Louisville,
those opponents were ranked first

and seventh in adjusted offensive
efficiency and adjusted defensive
efficiency, respectively, according
to Ken Pomeroy.

While
the
Ducks
don’t

necessarily fall into the elite tier
of either category, they still rank
in the top 25 for both.

“They can really put the ball

in the basket, man, from a lot
of different places,” said senior
guard Derrick Walton Jr. “And
they’re athletic. They got some
athletic guys.

“…(Oregon
is)
like
a

combination of the last two teams,
I think, but again, I think we fare
well against a lot of different
competition this year, so we’ll just
see how this game plays out and
make the proper adjustments.”

Though the Wolverines have

showcased an ability to make
those adjustments, they will still
have their hands full. Finding
a way to stop Oregon’s three-
headed monster of Dillon Brooks,
Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell is
no easy task.

Over the last five games, Brooks

is averaging an impressive 18.8
points while shooting 42 percent
from the floor. Dorsey, on the
other hand, has been playing on a
whole new level. The sophomore
guard is averaging 23.6 points on
65-percent shooting through the
last five contests.

In
all
likelihood,
redshirt

sophomore forward DJ Wilson
and junior guard Muhammad-
Ali Abdur-Rahkman will match
up with Brooks and Dorsey,
respectively.

Though Wilson fared well

against Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ
and Nigel Hayes and Purdue’s
Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas,
Brooks is a different type of
forward and could arguably be
his biggest defensive challenge of
the year.

The obstacles don’t end there,

either.

The Ducks boast a plethora

of talent outside of Brooks and
Dorsey. Bell has shot nearly 63
percent from the floor to this
point, and in Oregon’s opening
weekend, the junior forward
cleaned up on the glass — grabbing
24 boards through two games.

That’s not to say Oregon isn’t

still vulnerable.

While the Ducks haven’t felt

the impact of losing injured
forward Chris Boucher through
their
first
two
games,
the

Wolverines may be able to tear
that wound wide open.

Prior to Boucher’s ACL injury,

Oregon allowed just 0.97 points
per possession — good for first
in the Pac-12. In the three games
without Boucher, though, the
Ducks are allowing 1.14 points per
possession.

What’s more, Oregon has made

a living from points off turnovers
— averaging 15.8 points off 13.6
takeaways. Michigan, on the
other hand, leads the nation with

just 9.2 turnovers per game, and
has turned the ball over just 10
times in the last two games.

“It’s not something that we

just say, ‘OK, today we’re gonna
take care of the ball,’ ” Beilein
said. “It’s been like day one
from the first summer practice
that we’re valuing that. … It’s
not like we got this elaborate
press breaker.”

“It’s just the day-to-day things

you do every day knowing that the
way our system works. It’s about
possessions.”

If the Wolverines can continue

to take care of the ball, while
also keeping pace with the 1.212
points per possession they are
averaging over the last three
games, Michigan’s Dance could
be far from over.

After all, when asked Tuesday

if this team could make it to the
Final Four, Wilson’s message
was simple: “I mean, we can beat
anybody, so I think so.”

Wolverines’ storybook postseason journey rolls into Kansas City this weekend

Chris Boucher leads Oregon,

the best shot-blocking team in
the country, with an average of
2.5 blocks per game.

But two weeks ago, the Ducks

lost their 6-foot-10 forward to
a season-ending ACL injury
in the semifinals of the Pac-12
Tournament, a big blow to the
rotation of the Michigan men’s
basketball
team’s
opponent

Thursday.

To adjust to the absence of

Boucher, Oregon coach Dana
Altman shifted his star player,
Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon
Brooks to the ‘4’ position, going
with a smaller lineup to open
the game.

While
shot
blocking
is

something
Michigan
has

struggled
with,
evident
in

close games
against
Minnesota
and
Louisville
— two top-
10
shot-

blocking
teams
—

Oregon’s
small-ball
lineup
creates other problems for the
Wolverines.

“They’re a very talented

team,” said Michigan coach
John
Beilein.
“I’ve
been

watching Dillon Brooks since
he was playing with the Ontario
teams earlier in his career.”

With
Brooks
starting

off the game at the ‘4,’ he
will be redshirt sophomore
DJ
Wilson’s
defensive

responsibility.

While Wilson will have the

height advantage — Brooks is
6-foot-7, Wilson is 6-foot-10 —
Brooks shoots the ball at a 50.5
percent clip while scoring 16.4
points per game this season.

Wilson, though, says he’ll

be ready, citing that he will go
up against redshirt freshman
guard Charles Matthews on the
practice squad to prepare.

“I know Charles will imitate

(Brooks) on the Scout team,”
Wilson said. “I go against
Charles all the time in practice.
It’s nothing new to me.”

While
Matthews
is
two

inches shorter than Brooks,
he possesses some of the same
qualities in his shooting and
passing ability, as well as his
shifty ability to get to the rim.

With
Brooks
being
a

traditional ‘3,’ other Wolverines
might have a chance to guard
him as well, mainly senior
forward
Zak
Irvin.
Given

Irvin’s defensive prowess in
the last couple weeks, he’ll also
be ready for the challenge.

“I feel like I’m able to

guard anyone that I get put up

against,” Irvin said, “Dillon
Brooks is a great player, and
I think DJ will be good to
start off on him because of his
length. DJ is so versatile as
well, and he can guard a couple
different positions too.”

But more than just the

matchup between Brooks and
Wilson, Oregon’s new offense
has a certain familiarity factor
for Michigan.

When
junior
forward

Duncan Robinson is in the
lineup at the ‘4,’ forming
Michigan’s so-called “small-
ball lineup,” players have cited
that going up against it in
practice makes them feel more
prepared
for
what
Oregon

brings to the table.

With Brooks at the ‘4,’

the Ducks will have just one
traditional big man in the

lineup
—

forward
Jordan
Bell
will

start
while

forward
Kavell
Bigby-
Willams will
come
off

the
bench

—
which

creates
matchup
problems for

most teams.

Michigan, though, given its

affinity for the same type of
lineup, says it is well-prepared.

“It’s a little bit easier,” Irvin

said. “We’re used to playing
small ball, and they play small
ball, so I think it’ll be a good
matchup for us.”

Beilein said Tuesday that the

best preparation for a team is to
play other similar teams.

Luckily for the Wolverines,

Oregon
looks
to
run
in

transition, much like Oklahoma
State, and the Ducks have a lot
of length — Bell is more than
capable of guarding Michigan’s
guards
with
his
wingspan

—
much
like
Louisville’s

frontcourt.

“Every game over the course

of a season is practice for the
next game, and that’s what
we’ve had, two great practices,”
Beilein said. “But so have they,
so who responds the best, who
makes their foul shots, who
turns the ball over less and who
gets the ball to bounce their
way will determine this one.”

The Wolverines will go into

Thursday’s matchup familiar
with the type of game that
Oregon likes to play.

But once the ball is tipped,

the real test will be which team
can adjust to what the other
team brings.

Michigan ready to play small ball vs.
fast, athletic, third-seeded Ducks

SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL

‘M’ wins tune-up, 8-2

Senior right-hander Megan

Betsa threw a nine-pitch, three-
strikeout inning. Junior right-
hander
Tera
Blanco hit
a three-run
homer and had a solid showing in
the circle. The Michigan softball
team scored eight runs on six hits.
And the Wolverines are riding
a five-game win streak — the
longest of their season.

All of the pieces are finally

coming together, and just in time
for conference play. According
to coach Carol Hutchins, the
team’s hard work has made the
difference.

“We’ve had a lot of kids

coming in extra in the last week,”
Hutchins said. “Their desire to
get better is what a coach wants
to see, so we’re just working to get
better. We’re a better team than
we were a week ago.”

In their fifth consecutive home

win and final game prior to Big Ten
play, the 19th-ranked Wolverines
(19-7-1) made use of extra-base
hits, toppling Eastern Michigan,
8-2, Wednesday afternoon.

Though Michigan and the

Eagles (11-12) were close with
six and five hits, respectively,
the
Wolverines
consistently

capitalized on runners in scoring
position.
Eastern
Michigan’s

offense failed to do the same,
and woke up solely in the fourth
inning.

After earning Big Ten Pitcher

of the Week honors following a
30-strikeout, one-hit weekend,
Betsa took a break with Blanco
starting in the circle for the
second day in a row. Blanco set a
commanding tone from the start,
striking out the first Eagle batter
who stepped up to the plate.

Michigan
carried
this

intensity to the plate, wasting no
time to get numbers on the board.
From the leadoff spot, sophomore
right fielder Natalie Peters hit a
hard-bouncing blooper over third
base that proved too much for the
Eagles’ defense, resulting in an
inside-the-park homer. Not only

was this type of home run unique,
but for the leadoff slap-hitter, it
was the first of any kind in her
collegiate career.

“Usually, since it was a blooper

hit, I might be able to get two
(bases),” Peters said. “And then I
saw (the third baseman) missed
it, so I kept going.”

The Wolverines would see

an offensive awakening again
in the third, with sophomore
second baseman Faith Canfield
and senior centerfielder Kelly
Christner posting back-to-back
RBI, widening the gap to 3-0.

With Canfield on second

and Christner on first, Blanco
drilled a bomb to the right-
field bleachers, her second of
the season, to put Michigan
ahead, 6-0.

But just as Blanco began to

look poised at the plate, she saw
a decline in consistency in the
circle. With the first two Eastern
Michigan batters on second and
third in the fourth, the Eagles
cranked an RBI single followed
by a double steal, scoring the only
two runs they would see all game.
While Eastern Michigan had only
one hit before that point, it added
four hits to its count in the top of
the fourth inning.

Despite Blanco’s performance

in the fourth inning, Hutchins
had nothing but praise for the
right-hander’s overall showing in
the game.

“I’m pleased,” Hutchins said.

“I feel like Tera’s really settling
into her role as a starting pitcher
for us. She got out of that inning,
and it didn’t seem to faze her.”

Betsa made an appearance

in the circle for the last three
innings and made sure to make
it count. The ace saw one perfect
inning, two 1-2-3 innings and six
strikeouts, allowing no hits.

The final matchup before

conference play showcased the
best that Michigan softball has to
offer: the ability to find power and
timing at the plate, two confident
starting pitchers and a lineup
that best suits the Wolverines. If
hard work and high-caliber game
performance like this ensues,
Michigan will be primed for
success heading into Big Ten play.

Blanco starts second
straight game in circle

It’s become routine.
With
both
junior
right-

hander Tera Blanco and senior
right-hander
Megan
Betsa

finding their grooves on the
mound, the pitching rotation
— in which the two pitchers
alternate games — has become
something of a formality.

The last time either pitcher

started two straight games in
the same series came back in
the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last
month
against

North
Carolina

State and Notre
Dame,
when

Blanco
started

each of the final
two
games
of

the
four-game

tournament.
Betsa has thrown
more innings, 91.1
to Blanco’s 80.2.
But that disparity
largely came in the early season,
when Blanco was still adjusting
to pitching regularly and often
didn’t last as deep into games.

With a pitching schedule that

rigid, it becomes noteworthy
when Michigan coach Carol
Hutchins decides to stray from
the norm.

Wednesday was such a day.
A day after starting against

Bowling Green, Blanco, not
Betsa, trotted out to the circle
in the top of the first inning
against Eastern Michigan.

With back-to-back games

against
two
Mid-American

Conference foes and Betsa
having
some
minor
back

tightness, Hutchins identified
an opportunity to give Blanco
more innings. Pitching Blanco
in each game, she believed,
would be mutually beneficial
for Blanco, the team and Betsa.

“Megan’s back kind of acted up

over the weekend a little bit. She
was tight yesterday. Certainly,
pitching in the cold is tough …
we were a little concerned with

that,” Hutchins said. “It’s good
for Tera to have to carry the load.
It’s good for Tera to have to pitch
two days in a row.”

From Blanco’s standpoint,

the decision makes logical
sense. As she continues to
become acquainted with her
role as the second starter — a
new role for her in 2017 — more
innings and more reps become
valuable commodities.

Blanco has already proven

more reliable of late, becoming
a more efficient pitcher. Since
Feb. 26, Blanco has posted a

2.03
earned-

run
average

with
a
7.14

strikeout-to-
walk ratio in
over 40 innings
pitched,
compared to a
2.73 ERA and
1.3
strikeout-

to-walk
ratio
before.

With
the

conference season beginning
this weekend against Penn
State, Blanco finding her form
to complement Betsa has been
a positive development for the
Wolverines’ pitching staff.

Perhaps, though, the decision

to start Blanco says more about
how the team feels about
Betsa going forward. Betsa has
thrown over 200 innings each
of the last two seasons and
seems on pace to do the same in
2017. Since Betsa has dealt with
lingering injuries in previous
seasons, Hutchins has been
open about needing to keep her
healthy throughout the length
of the season. While back
stiffness tends to be relatively
minor, Hutchins deemed it not
worthy of risking, given the
environment and opponent.

Saving four innings in a

March game may sound trivial in
the grand scheme of the season.

What may seem trivial now,

though, could loom large if it
ensures a healthy Megan Betsa
in May.

MAX MARCOVITCH

Daily Sports Writer

“It’s good for
Tera to have
to carry the

load.”

Michigan
vs. Oregon

Matchup:
Michigan 26-11;
Oregon 31-5

When:
Thursday
7:09 P.M.

Where: Sprint
Center

TV: CBS

KEVIN SANTO

Managing Sports Editor

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

John Beilein’s team can reach the Final Four with two wins this weekend.

MINH DOAN

Daily Sports Editor

EVAN AARON/Daily

Redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson (5) will draw the difficult task of
guarding Oregon’s Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon Brooks on Thursday night.

“DJ is so

versatile, and
he can guard a
couple different
positions too.”

For full coverage of the
Midwest regional this weekend,
check back on
www.michigandaily.com

ANNA MARCUS
Daily Sports Writer

EMU
MICHIGAN

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