4B — March 27, 2017
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Just like that
K
ANSAS CITY, Mo.
— Everyone called
them a Cinderella
team. Everyone except the
Wolverines.
After
the plane
accident two
weeks ago,
the practice
uniforms and
the Big Ten
Tournament
title run, the
Michigan
men’s
basketball
team was living a dream.
In those four days, the
Wolverines blew out Illinois,
knocked off Purdue, escaped
from Minnesota and ran past
Wisconsin.
Just like that, they opened
their postseason 4-0 and had a
trophy to show for it.
But that run started much
earlier than Wednesday. It
started in New York City.
Back in November, Michigan
beat Marquette and SMU
by a combined 40 points
and captured a 2K Classic
Championship at Madison
Square Garden. Against the
Golden Eagles, five Wolverines
reached double-digit point
tallies, none of whom were
named Derrick Walton Jr. or
Moritz Wagner. Against the
Mustangs, seniors Walton and
Zak Irvin scored a combined
51 points. As a team, Michigan
held both opponents under 40
percent shooting from the floor
and from beyond the arc.
Just like that, the Wolverines
opened their season 4-0 and
had a trophy to show for it.
The start of the Big Ten
season couldn’t have been
any more different. Though
Michigan had bright spots
in two late wins and two
blowouts, the Wolverines lost
their other six games. With
a 4-6 record after a loss to
Ohio State on Feb. 4, Michigan
officially hit rock bottom.
That opening run filled
with so much optimism for
the upcoming year looked like
it had reached its permanent
conclusion.
But in Ann Arbor three days
later, that run began again.
Starting with a blowout
win over Michigan State and
ending with a blowout win
over Nebraska, the Wolverines
changed the course of their
entire season. Ripping off a 6-2
stretch — highlighted by upsets
over then-No. 11 Wisconsin and
then-No. 14 Purdue — Michigan
finished its regular season
with a 10-8 record. Its only
losses during that span came
to Minnesota in overtime and
to Northwestern on a buzzer-
beater.
The Wolverines entered the
Big Ten Tournament as a No. 8
seed. They didn’t play like it.
Then they entered the
NCAA Tournament as a No.
7 seed. The cycle repeated in
Indianapolis.
Against No. 10 seed
Oklahoma State, Michigan put
up some of its highest numbers
of the season. Twenty-six
points for Walton, 19 for DJ
Wilson and 16 for both Irvin
and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-
Rahkman. With an 11-for-15
performance from beyond
the arc in the second half, the
Wolverines pulled off the 92-91
win.
Against No. 2 seed Louisville,
Michigan received comparable
contributions from its key
players. Twenty-six points
for Wagner, 17 for Wilson, 11
for Irvin and 10 for Walton.
Earning the edge in second-half
points at 45-33, the Wolverines
came back for the 73-69 win.
Michigan headed to Kansas
City for the Sweet 16 on a six-
game winning streak. Beating
No. 3 seed Oregon would be no
easy task, but neither was the
run that brought them there.
Everyone called them a
Cinderella team. Everyone
except the Wolverines.
“Our team is doing a great
job with limiting distractions,”
Irvin said. “Because I think
it’s so easy right now to get off
track and just lose focus, and
I think our leadership and our
seniors have done a great job
with that.
“It’s been a heck of a run that
we’re on, and we’re playing
really well right now. We just
don’t want it to end.”
But Thursday night, the
magic came to an end. So too
did Michigan’s season.
Against the Ducks, Walton
and Irvin combined for 39
points. Irvin hit a 3-pointer
to take a 64-63 lead with
3:35 remaining, and Walton
hit another to take a 68-65
lead with just 2:02 left. The
Wolverines scored 35 points in
the second half to Oregon’s 34.
But Wagner, Wilson and
Abdur-Rahkman scored just
21 points. Michigan’s defense
allowed four Ducks to hit
double figures. In the end, the
3-pointers didn’t come in time,
and the second-half surge never
came.
Walton’s shot at the buzzer
fell short, and the Wolverines
walked away losing 69-68.
“The kids fought their hearts
out this whole season, but
particularly this last six weeks
to be more than a story,” said
Michigan coach John Beilein.
“It was a great team.”
But Thursday night, the
story came to an end. So too did
Michigan’s season.
Just like that.
Ashame can be reached
at ashabete@umich.edu
or on Twitter @betelhem_
ashame. Please be kind.
Thompson takes top
spot as assists leader
The aftermath was pretty
laid-back.
There were few reporters in
the press room following the
Michigan women’s basketball
team’s win over Virginia Tech
on Saturday. The Wolverines
had just stomped the Hokies in
the quarterfinal round of the
Women’s
National
Invitation
Tournament, 80-62, at Crisler
Center.
The win earned Michigan a
spot in the semifinals against
either Villanova or Indiana,
the latter of whom it split a
Big Ten series with earlier
this year. Multiple Wolverines
played a starring role in helping
Michigan achieve the feat.
But the spotlight belonged
to senior point guard Siera
Thompson.
During
the
second
half
of the game, Thompson was
recognized
as
the
all-time
assists
leader
in
program
history. The arena was drowned
in applause while celebratory
nudges and pats on the back
were given to the senior as she
sat on the bench with a smile on
her face.
“I knew how many I needed,
but I tried not to focus on
that and focus on the game,”
Thompson said. “It’s still on
the back of your mind and
something you think about
and something I wanted to
accomplish. All my teammates
are just so encouraging and
happy for me. Without them
I wouldn’t get assists, so it’s
really them. They’re always
pumping me up and so happy for
me, and I’m so happy I was able
to do it here at Crisler in front of
the fans.”
The moment ended almost
as quickly as it had started,
though, as the arena focused
its
attention
back
on
the
Wolverines, who pulled farther
and farther away from Virginia
Tech.
Thompson finished the game
with five assists, putting her
career total at 540 for the top
spot in Michigan history. She
also recorded eight points, eight
boards and two steals.
“My past three years here,
I’ve always looked up to Siera,”
Flaherty said. “She’s such a
great scorer but puts the team
first and distributes the ball so
well. I mean, I’ve said so many
times that I would be nowhere
without her on the court.
“I really appreciate everything
she’s done for this team, and I
think she’s the main reason why
we are as good as we are.”
The previous best had been in
the hands of Anne Thorius, who
had 537 at the end of the 1997-98
season. Thompson has already
surpassed that total by three,
and still has the remainder
of the Wolverines’ run in the
tournament to record more.
As a senior, Thompson has
made her mark on the program
that will go down in statistical
history. But for her teammates
and coaches, the impact was
more personal.
“She was pretty incredible
today, on the verge of a triple-
double, not too far away,” said
Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico. “But just, what she has
meant to our program and what
she has meant to me, personally,
has just been really, really,
really special. She came in four
years ago and the ball was put
in her hand, and she has just led
our team to places it (has) never
been before.
“She’s had bumps in the road
and continues to persevere and
continues to fight through,
and she’s just one of the most
incredible kids I know. I’m glad
to be her coach.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BETELHEM
ASHAME
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
The Michigan men’s basketball team’s dream run ended Thursday.
LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor
Hurst poised for breakout year
Nineteen Wolverines took
center stage at Oosterbaan
Field
House
in
front
of
representatives from all 32
NFL teams. Despite such a
high turnout for the Michigan
football team’s Pro Day, there
was one notable absence.
Fifth-year senior defensive
tackle Maurice Hurst decided
to return to the Wolverines for
the 2017-18 season though he
had generated interest from
NFL scouts. Still, he showed up
Friday to watch his teammates
work out for a chance to chase
their dreams at the next level.
He could have been one of
them. For a moment, he wished
he was.
“It
was
kind
of
tough
watching all of the guys work
out without being there, just
from all the stuff we’ve been
through for the past four
years,” Hurst said. “I wish I
could have been out there with
them working, but I was really
excited to watch them and
watch them do well and excel
and just hear all of the good
things the coaches had to say
about them.
“I’m so happy about my
decision
and
I’m
looking
forward to the season.”
With the loss of fifth-year
seniors Chris Wormley, Ryan
Glasgow and Matt Godin and
senior Taco Charlton, Hurst
will be relied upon to anchor
Michigan’s defensive line this
year.
Backing up that quartet
last season — alongside rising
sophomore
defensive
end
Rashan Gary, rising senior
defensive end Chase Winovich
and rising senior defensive
tackle Bryan Mone — Hurst
accumulated
34
tackles
(including 11.5 for loss), 4.5
sacks, one pass breakup, one
fumble
recovery
and
one
forced fumble.
When speaking with NFL
representatives Friday, Hurst
learned that he still had room
to grow.
“Just
consistency
and
production is mainly the two
things that were sort of brought
up,” Hurst said. “(I) definitely
have a big year ahead, just
make the most of it.”
This season, Hurst will have
his first taste of the starting
lineup, and an opportunity to
make a difference on every
single snap. Though he will
have to adjust to playing more
minutes, he won’t have to adjust
to a new defensive system.
After turning the Wolverines
into the top-ranked defense
in
the
country,
defensive
coordinator Don Brown earned
a new five-year contract for
$1.4 million per season. With
his return, Michigan can focus
on continuing its growth from
last year as opposed to learning
a new scheme.
“I
don’t
think
people
understand
how
much
of
a
difference
that
makes,”
Hurst said. “Just the same
terminology, the same faces,
the same people coaching you,
it makes such a big difference
for us. It really helps a lot of
people. I’m able to look at a lot
of stuff that the linebackers
do in the secondary and able
to learn the defense more
holistically.”
As good as the Wolverines’
secondary — led by redshirt
sophomore
Jabrill
Peppers
and senior Jourdan Lewis —
was last season, the defensive
line was considered “the focal
point”,
as
Hurst
attested.
He will be expected to help
maintain that trend, especially
with the abundance of youth
that populates the front seven.
While Brown will certainly
rely on his front four to
establish the run of play, he
also wants them to be able
to take risks and trust that
the
secondary
will
have
them covered. Hurst, who is
comfortable in the playmaker
role, was excited to learn that
his coach wants him to take
more chances.
“That’s something that I love
to do,” Hurst said. “I love to
make plays. That’s something
that I look forward to.”
On top of his performances on
the field, Hurst’s most important
role next season could be as a
mentor to Michigan’s relatively
inexperienced defensive corps.
Though he admitted that he is
typically a quiet individual who
prefers to lead by example, he
understands the significance
of stepping up as a more vocal
leader.
“Just making sure the young
guys get it and make sure they
understand how the work is
supposed to be done and make
sure that they do it the right
way,” Hurst said. “… It means
a lot to me to be able to lead
them and have an influence
on them and make sure they’re
doing everything that they’re
supposed to.”
While
watching
on
the
sidelines
Friday
as
his
teammates made their mark
at Pro Day could have made
him feel like he missed out on
a golden opportunity, Hurst
realizes that same opportunity
might still lie before him.
As Hurst put it: “Decision’s
made, so now it’s just make the
best of the situation that I’m in
and just continue to work and
play well.”
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown has a young but talented defense.
BETELHEM ASHAME
Managing Sports Editor
Brown looks for starter at VIPER
Youth.
That is the first thing that comes
to mind when describing this
year’s Michigan football team, and
especially so when it comes to the
defensive side of the ball.
The Wolverines return just
one starter — fifth-year senior
linebacker Mike McCray — from
last year’s No. 1 defense. After being
one of the most experienced teams
in all of college football last year,
it will be amongst the youngest
this year — although that isn’t a
problem for defensive coordinator
Don Brown.
Entering his second year at
Michigan, Brown took some time
to reminisce, one day before the
official start of spring practice.
“I went back and watched
practice No. 3 of spring last year,”
Brown. “I was like, ‘Holy moly!
What was that?’ We’re just so
different.”
Speaking with the media Friday
night shortly after the conclusion of
the first spring practice, Brown was
clearly enthused about the potential
of his young defense. He singled
out players from every defensive
unit, from freshman defensive end
Donovan Jeter, to senior linebacker
Mike Wroblewski, to sophomore
defensive backs Khaleke Hudson
and Josh Metellus.
The latter two, along with junior
Jordan Glasgow, figure to play
important roles in replacing one
of the main cogs of Michigan’s
defense last year: Jabrill Peppers.
Peppers was the starter at the
VIPER position last season — a
hybrid
linebacker-safety
role
of sorts that involved attacking
the line of scrimmage while
occasionally taking on coverage
responsibilities. He enjoyed a
breakout season at the position,
racking up 72 total tackles, 16
tackles for loss and four sacks while
earning a trip to New York for the
Heisman Trophy ceremony.
Replacing Peppers will be a
two-fold problem for Brown and
Michigan.
On one hand, Peppers happened
to be one of the “brightest” players
Brown has ever been around. “I’d
see the hand go up, and I’d know,
‘Hey, you better have your stuff
together because this question’s
gonna have some substance to it,’ ”
Brown said. “So he’d have his couple
questions and when you told him
once, it was over, it was done and it
was handled. We really asked a lot of
him mentally.”
Brown
also
praised
the
athleticism of Peppers — who
wowed
evaluators
with
his
testing numbers at the NFL Draft
Combine earlier this month. Brown
specifically cited head coach Jim
Harbaugh’s description of Peppers
as the “best tackler in the country”
as one of the traits that made him
so special to his defense.
“You know how many calls I’ve
gotten this winter?” Brown said. “
‘I’m the next Jabrill Peppers!’ No,
you’re not. … He’s a unique talent,
and I thought we did as good a job
as possible trying to use him as
much as we could. Like I told you
before, we just gave him a bunch of
jobs, moved him around and tried
to complicate people’s worlds, and
I thought that was fairly effective
for us.”
While Brown acknowledged
there would be “tweaking” to the
VIPER position as he compensates
for the lack of Peppers’ physical
and mental acumen, he was clear
in stating the importance of the
position in his scheme. Brown
pointed
out
that
Michigan’s
schedule next year is laden with
teams that employ spread offenses,
and in his defense, the VIPER plays
a large role in slowing down such
attacks.
In
Hudson,
Metellus
and
Glasgow, Brown has a trio of young
but talented players who may fit the
bill at Peppers’ vacated spot.
According to Brown, Hudson
played at the VIPER during the
first practice Friday, while Glasgow
had some time at the spot as well.
And Metellus, who started in
place of an injured Peppers against
Florida State in the Orange Bowl,
may yet receive his shot at earning
this year’s starting job.
“I’m going to let (Metellus) look
at it, and we’re going to rotate
through it,” Brown said. “... When
Khaleke is there at the VIPER,
we leave Josh at the strong safety
position and Jaylen (Kelly-Powell
is) with him. I’ve even toyed with
the idea of giving Jaylen some work
there (at VIPER) but his world
right now, things are happening
so fast, let’s get him comfortable
and settled at the ROVER position.
But I can rotate those guys and feel
pretty comfortable with it.”
Similar to last year’s third
practice, there will undoubtedly be
rougher moments in the future that
cause consternation. But Brown
is pleased with the combination
of talent and youth that he has
seen so far — such as in players
like Hudson, who he described as
having an arrow pointing up — as he
continues to look for replacements
for Peppers and the other vacated
spots left by graduating seniors.
“We’ll be settled and we’ll have
our packages down and we’ll have
a very, very solid group that’ll be
able to compete at a high level
despite the age,” Brown said. “I’m
not worried about that at all. I’d
rather be talented and young than
the alternative — have a bunch of
veterans and you’re going, ‘Oh my
god, what am I going to do?’ So I’ll
take the alternative and be happy
with it.”
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor