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Thursday, June 29, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

D.J. Wilson became the sixth Wolverine to be drafted in the first round since 2014 when the Milwaukee Bucks took him 17th overall.

Conry named head coach

Six weeks ago, Michigan athletic 

director Warde Manuel announced 
the firing of men’s lacrosse coach 
John Paul, the only head coach the 
program has known.

Wednesday, Manuel found his 

replacement when he announced 
the official hiring of Kevin Conry, 
formerly the associate head coach and 
defensive coordinator at Maryland.

Conry spent five years in College 

Park — a span during which the 
Terrapins went 67-17, including a 
third straight Big Ten title and a 
national championship this season. 
Under Conry’s guidance, Maryland’s 
defense ranked in the Top 10 in 
fewest goals allowed in four out of 
five seasons.

Instead of trying to defend a 

national title at a perennial power 
next season, however, Conry’s next 
task will be to continue building a 
program from the ground up.

Maryland and Michigan may 

share conference affiliation, but aside 
from that, the two programs could 
hardly be more different. Maryland’s 

lacrosse 
program 
has 
existed 

since 1924, and is one of the most 
prestigious in NCAA history — the 
Terrapins are the only major college 
team that has never had a losing 
season, and have won 31 conference 
titles and three national titles while 
making 40 NCAA Tournament 
appearances.

The Wolverines, on the other 

hand, only added varsity lacrosse in 
2012, and have had just one winning 
season in their history. That one 
winning season, however, took place 
just this year, when Michigan went 
8-6 and defeated a ranked opponent 
— No. 10 Penn — for the first time 
ever.

“My wife, daughters and I could 

not be more excited to join the 
Michigan Athletics family, and Ann 
Arbor community,” Conry said in 
a statement. “The University of 
Michigan represents a standard of 
excellence that I look forward to 
upholding. I would like to thank sport 
administrator Bitsy Ritt and athletic 
director Warde Manuel for their 
commitment to the sport of lacrosse, 
and this amazing opportunity to 
be a head coach in the best lacrosse 
conference in the country.”

MEN’S LACROSSE

JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

Wilson drafted in first round by Bucks, 
Irvin, Walton to play in summer league

The 2017 NBA Draft took place 

Thursday night at the Barclays 
Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.. Three 
former Michigan players — Derrick 
Walton Jr., D.J. Wilson and Zak Irvin 
— anticipated possible selections, 
waiting to learn their next basketball 
destination.

Wilson, however, was the only 

one to find out Thursday, as the 
Milwaukee Bucks drafted the 6-foot-
10 forward with the 17th pick in the 
first round.

Walton and Irvin were not 

among the 60 players selected in the 
draft, but both players reportedly 
accepted invitations to play in the 
NBA Summer League — Walton with 
the Orlando Magic as reported by 
MLive’s Brendan Quinn and Irvin 
with the Miami Heat according to 
ESPN’s Chris Haynes. If Walton and 
Irvin impress in Summer League 
competition, they can earn an 
invitation to an NBA training camp 
in hopes of eventually signing a 
professional contract.

Most 
sources 
had 
projected 

Wilson as a late first-round pick, 
while Walton and Irvin were both 
predicted to either go late in the 
second round or undrafted.

Wilson 
becomes 
the 
sixth 

Wolverine in the last five years to 
be drafted in the first round, joining 
Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway 
in 2013, Nik Stauskas and Mitch 
McGary in 2014 and Caris LeVert a 
year ago.

This scenario didn’t seem likely at 

the onset of the Sacramento, Calif. 
native’s college career. With injuries 
and inconsistency playing a role, 
Wilson averaged just 5.9 minutes 
and 2.3 points per game his first two 
seasons.

However, Wilson was finally able 

to show off his unique skill set this 
season, and shot onto NBA teams’ 
draft radars. He used his 7-foot-3 
wingspan to average 5.3 rebounds 
and 1.5 blocks per game, and also 
displayed a smooth shooting stroke 
for a player his size, knocking down 
37 percent of his three-point attempts 
and scoring 11 points per contest.

The Bucks, a young, lengthy 

and athletic team built around 
6-foot-11 
star 
forward 
Giannis 

Antetokounmpo, were attracted to 
Wilson for his physical tools and 
versatility.

“Watching him on film, he fits 

the DNA of the Bucks, being able 
to play multiple positions,” said 
Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd in a 
press conference after the draft.

Walton, a four-year starter at point 

guard for Michigan, averaged 15.5 
points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists 
per game as a senior while shooting 
42 percent from distance. The Detroit 
native also ranks fourth in Wolverine 
history in assists and three-pointers 
made. Despite Walton’s decorated 
college career and his ability to score, 
rebound and run an offense, he was 
only projected to be drafted late in 
the second round if at all, due in large 
part to his short stature at just six feet 
tall.

Irvin appeared in 142 games in his 

Michigan career, tied for the most all-
time, and also ranks third in program 
history for three-pointers. In his final 
season as a Wolverine, he averaged 
13 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. 
His outside shooting and perimeter 
defense are his main strengths that 
he will hope to take to the next level.

JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

