8 — Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Notebook: Wolverines “excited” for first trip to Madison since 2009

It’s been a while since the 

Wolverines took a trip to Camp 
Randall Stadium. 

The Michigan football team 

hasn’t faced Wisconsin on the 
road since 2009, but that streak 
will finally be broken this 
Saturday.

The stage for the return 

couldn’t be much bigger. The 
fifth-ranked 
Badgers 
are 

out to defend an undefeated 
record. Michigan is dead set 
on winning out and hoping for 
some help that could place the 
Wolverines in contention for a 
Big Ten title. And for the second 
time this year, ESPN’s “College 
GameDay” will be on the scene 
prior to a Michigan kickoff.

The 
Wolverines 
boast 
a 

roster ready to get their first 
in-person 
taste 
of 
playing 

football in Madison.

“I 
actually 
visited 
Ben 

Bredeson, he has an older 
brother in my class,” said junior 
wide receiver Grant Perry. “I 
went back to his house a couple 
summers ago, met a couple of 
the Wisconsin players and they 
were all telling me about the 
“Jump Around” thing that they 
do, and how hype it gets. I’m 
excited for it personally.”

Added 
fifth-year 
senior 

Patrick Kugler: “I heard it’s 
awesome, 
one 
of 
the 
best 

environments in the country. 
… I’ve never played there (and) 
I’ve been here five years, so I 
was excited when we found out 
we were playing at Wisconsin. 
You want to play at every 
stadium and I haven’t had the 
opportunity to do that in the 
Big Ten unfortunately, even (in) 
five years.” 

AN 
UNCONVENTIONAL 

TASK: 
Despite 
losing 
T.J. 

Watt and Vince Beagle to the 
NFL, the Badgers still return 
a plethora of talent on their 
defensive front.

Couple that with a true 3-4 

scheme rarely seen consistently 
on the college level — one that 
Kugler said is “different than 
what we played all year” — and 
the Wolverines will have their 

hands full.

The formation functions so 

well, in large part, because of 
nose guard Olive Sagapolu. 
Kugler 
called 
him 
“a 
big 

boy,” and even that may be 
underselling it. At 6-foot-2 and 
346 pounds, Sagapolu could 
prove to be a major test for 
the Wolverines’ 
offensive line.

Kugler 
and 

his 
unit 
are 

relishing 
that 

challenge.

“It’s exciting,” 

Kugler 
said. 

“Everyone 
always 
talks 
about 

Wisconsin’s 
O-line and how 
they’re always one of the best 
in the country, and we’re trying 
to throw our name in there too. 
I think we’re very capable and 
it’s gonna be a great battle on 
Saturday.

“They’re 
a 
very 
physical 

front on defense as well. And so 

it’s gonna be a great challenge 
for us, but it’s more exciting 
than anything.”

WHERE’S 
THE 
CALL?: 

Maryland 
didn’t 
make 

freshman 
wide 
receiver 

Donovan 
Peoples-Jones’ 
life 

easy.

On the Wolverines’ first drive 

of 
the 
game, 

Peoples-Jones 
was 
targeted 

on 
1st-and-10 

from Michigan’s 
41-yard 
line. 

He wasn’t able 
to reel in what 
would have been 
a 
first-down 

reception, 
but 

was 
animated 

after the play, 

pleading for a pass interference 
call after seemingly having his 
jersey pulled.

Jim 
Harbaugh 
took 

exception to the no-call as well, 
expressing 
his 
frustrations 

to the referee on the sideline. 
And on Monday, Harbaugh 

articulated his dissatisfaction.

“There was one of those. 

There was another one where 
the DB had his hand on the back 
of his jersey, horse collared 
him and (he) wasn’t able to go 
catch the ball and make a play,” 
Harbaugh said. “I don’t know 
what to tell him at that point. 
... 
Lift 
more 

weights so they 
don’t grab you 
and horse collar 
you from making 
a catch?”

As for Perry, 

he did find one 
silver 
lining 

to 
Saturday’s 

events.

“That’s 

respect because, 
you know, if they can’t guard 
you without holding you, that 
says 
something,” 
he 
said. 

“He’s gonna learn how to 
fight through that, and we’re 
definitely gonna work on that 
this week. It’s gonna be a tough, 
physical game in Madison, and 

we’re gonna be ready for it.”

RUIZ 
GETS 
THE 
NOD 

AGAIN: Cesar Ruiz got the 
first start of his career against 
Minnesota. He didn’t have to 
wait long for his second.

The freshman right guard got 

the starting nod again against 
the Terrapins, and continued to 

impress.

“I found out a 

lot of good things 
about 
Cesar,” 

Harbaugh 
said. “I’m very 
happy with the 
job 
he’s 
done. 

He’s 
acquitted 

himself 
very 

well.”

Ruiz’s second 

start 
was, 

once again, the byproduct of 
an injury Michael Onwenu 
sustained 
against 
Rutgers. 

Though Onwenu was dressed 
for 
the 
matchup 
against 

Maryland, 
Harbaugh 
said 

the sophomore wasn’t “100 
percent.”

Harbaugh added that the 

rest was beneficial and that 
he anticipates Onwenu will 
be back this week. As for who 
will start against Wisconsin 
when Onwenu does return, 
Harbaugh cited that, as always, 
the Wolverines function as a 
meritocracy.

Either 
way, 
Ruiz’s 

performances to this point 
haven’t gone unnoticed.

“We knew since day one 

(when) he got here that he 
was a great talent,” Kugler 
said. “Sooner or later he was 
gonna get his opportunity, and 
we knew he was gonna take 
advantage of it when he did. 
He’s been doing a great job at 
right guard.”

INJURIES: 
Michigan 

continues to work through a 
slew of injuries, and Harbaugh 
provided 
updates 
on 
them 

Monday afternoon.

Lavert Hill exited Saturday’s 

game, and Harbaugh said that 
the 
sophomore 
cornerback 

is 
currently 
going 
through 

concussion protocol — though 
he did not indicate whether 
or not Hill will be available 
against the Badgers.

Ty 
Isaac, 
on 
the 
other 

hand, did not make the trip to 
College Park. Harbaugh said he 
received “positive news” on the 
fifth-year senior running back, 
and that he would know more 
as the week moves on.

The big question, of course, 

is the status of redshirt junior 
quarterback Wilton Speight. It 
appears not much has changed 
since last week, when Harbaugh 
said that Speight was cleared 
to throw but not for contact 
activity.

“(Freshman tight end Nick 

Eubanks) 
and 
Wilton 
will 

be in the same category this 
week,” Harbaugh said. “They’ll 
practice, they’ll be in a red 
jersey, they won’t have contact. 
I don’t know if either one will 
be cleared by the time we get 
to the game on Saturday, but 
they’ll be reintroduced back 
into practice per the doctor’s 
clearance for being able to 
practice but not being able to 
have contact.”

Abdur-Rahkman leads Michigan to win, 
despite another uneven performance

Saturday against North Florida, 

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman 
took one shot in the first half.

The senior guard did not make 

that 
mistake 
again 
Monday, 

grabbing a stranglehold of the 
Michigan men’s basketball team’s 
struggling offense the way a 
captain should.

He led the team in minutes with 

37, shots with 15 and points with 17, 
guiding the Wolverines to a 72-65 
win over Central Michigan.

“His 
aggressiveness 
really 

set a tone,” said fifth-year senior 
forward Duncan Robinson. “His 
ability to get to the basket and also 
score from the outside is fantastic 
for us. We really feel like we’re 
at our best when he’s aggressive. 
Hopefully, we’ll see more of that 
moving forward.”

But the outcome, as was the 

case Saturday, remained in doubt 
well into the second half.

The Chippewas came out eager 

to shoot threes, and at least early 
in the game, were making them. 
They made five of their first 10 
attempts from beyond the arc and 
grabbed an eight-point lead with 
7:36 left in the half.

On the other side of the court, 

Michigan 
showed 
a 
familiar 

dysfunction.

Though offensive stagnation 

was reminiscent of the Wolverines’ 
season-opening performance, the 
nature of their struggles was quite 
different. The Chippewas’ frenetic 
defense — a soft full-court pressure 
that broke down into a frantic 
matchup zone — wreaked havoc 
early, and Michigan looked out of 
sorts from the opening tip. At the 
first media timeout, the Wolverines 
were 1-for-6 with three turnovers, 
and trailed an energized Central 
Michigan team, 8-3.

But the shots wouldn’t fall 

forever for the Chippewas, and 
slowly but surely, Michigan’s 
offense began to find its footing. 

After combining for just four 

points in the first half against 
North Florida, Abdur-Rahkman 
and 
junior 
forward 
Moritz 

Wagner took ownership of the 
offense Monday, combining for 12 
of the team’s 26 first-half shots and 
16 of the team’s 32 points.

A corner 3-pointer from Abdur-

Rahkman sent the Wolverines into 
the half on a 12-3 run with a 32-31 
lead in hand. His personal 8-0 
run — with halftime sandwiched 
in between — gave Michigan the 
lead. 

He couldn’t do it alone, though. 

His backcourt mate, sophomore 
Zavier Simpson, staked the most 
defiant claim yet to make that 
starting spot permanent. Coupled 
with his usual defensive tenacity, 
Simpson posted his best offensive 
performance as a Wolverine, 
making five of his seven shots and 
scoring a career-high 13 points.

The 
Chippewas 
weathered 

that blow early in the second 
half, though, to grab a 47-46 lead 
on a layup from guard Shawn 

Roundtree. 
He 
led 
Central 

Michigan with 19 points, and 
speaheaded 
the 
up-tempo 

Chippewa offense.

“We had Roundtree (before the 

game) as a, what we call ‘Two-gap’ 
— a good shooter, but not a great 
shooter,” said Michigan coach 
John Beilein.“His points were a 
big difference in this game. He was 
really good.”

But the effort was not quite 

enough to pull off the upset.

With the Wolverines clinging 

to a three-point lead with 6:49 to 
go, it was Abdur-Rahkman who 
took initiative. With the shot 
clock running down, he found 
himself trapped near the baseline. 
Effortlessly, the senior pivoted out 
of duress toward the hoop, and 
made an underhand shot in the 
lane. 

He then raced down toward the 

other end and stole a pass headed 
for a driving Chippewa, hurdling 
his way over photographers in the 
process.

“I just love what he’s bringing 

us right now with defense,” Beilein 
said. “We talked about — ‘Are 
you going to be a thermometer 
or the thermostat? Are you going 
to be the one who reads the 
temperature or are you going to set 
the temperature?’

“…‘Set the temperature today. 

Go out there and you gotta show 
everybody how hard we’ve got to 
play, because if you’re just playing 
and you don’t have that extra 
bit right there, everybody will 
probably follow that.’

“I just thought it was really a 

great play from him, and one that 
really helped us win the game.”

From there, Michigan began 

to pull away, eking out another 
uneven victory, 72-65, and a 2-0 
start to the season. It’s another 
bumpy perfomance, but, according 
to Beilein, it is all part of a longer 
process.

“I have some confidence the 

sun’s going to rise tomorrow, and 
we’re going to get better,” he said. 
“I’m just saying it’s going to be a 
journey.”

John Beilein said he wished 

Zavier Simpson would “look at 
the basket” more after Michigan’s 
season opener on Saturday. 

It was a plea for the sophomore 

guard to be more aggressive 
offensively — to make plays and 
take his shots when they’re there.

Monday, 
against 
Central 

Michigan, Simpson heeded his 
coach’s advice.

In a game where the Wolverines 

couldn’t find their offensive touch 
— especially from 3-point range, 
where they shot 29 percent — the 
Chippewas were able to hang 
around. With just 3:32 left in the 
game, a shot from forward David 
DiLeo pulled Central Michigan 
within seven points. Michigan 
needed a spark from somewhere to 
push it over the edge.

The 
Chippewas 
entered 
a 

hawkish, 
full-court 
press 
— 

different from the more relaxed 
full-court 
defense 
they 
had 

employed all game. The Wolverines 
didn’t panic, though, breaking the 
press with ease. Simpson ended 
up with the ball in the frontcourt. 
He lobbed it over the outstretched 
hands of the last Central Michigan 
defender and gently toward the 
hoop where junior forward Moritz 
Wagner slammed it home.

Moments 
later, 
after 
the 

Chippewas 
answered 
with 
a 

3-pointer, fifth-year senior forward 
Duncan Robinson drove into the 
lane and kicked the ball out to a 
wide-open Simpson at the top of the 
key. And on a day when scorers like 
Robinson and Wagner struggled to 
find their stroke, Simpson didn’t.

The shot was a high point of a 

5-for-7 shooting performance that 
netted him 13 points. While Beilein 
believes there’s more work to be 
done, he saw the performance as 
an sign of improvement for his 
point guard.

“That’s what he has to do. He 

can’t be a swinging gate out top,” 
Beilein said. “We’ve got to get 
closer. If you watch him and Jaaron 
(Simmons), 
sometimes 
they’re 

standing on the block ‘M’ reversing 
the ball (and) we’re playing four on 
five. That’s a spatial thing we’ve 
just got to keep working on. … 
That’s what he has to do.”

In addition to his improved 

shooting, Simpson continued to 
do the things that put him in the 
starting lineup in the first place.

Defensively, he added two steals 

to his stat sheet, and on a number 
of different occasions, he forced 
bad shots or jump balls.

And after having only one 

turnover against North Florida, 
Simpson had none against the 
Chippewas. 
While 
his 
assist 

numbers did drop from nine 
to three in the two games, the 
sophomore noted that taking 
care of the ball is a main focus 
for him. It’s something he credits 
assistant coach Deandre Haynes 
for instilling in him.

“It’s definitely a more concerted 

effort to take care of the ball,” 
Simpson said. “It’s important as 
a team. We try to limit ourselves 
to no more than 10 turnovers 
a game. With assistant coach 
— coach Deandre — he’s on me 
about turnovers, whether that’s in 
practice or the game.

“… For a starting point guard, 

it’s just important that I take care 
of the ball.”

Beilein has said recently that he’s 

eventually hoping to cut the three-
man rotation at point guard to two. 
It was already a fairly safe bet that 
Simpson would stay in that rotation. 
It’s less of a sure thing, though, 
whether he’ll maintain his starting 
role once fifth-year senior guard 
Jaaron Simmons gets acclimated.

But if Simpson can continue 

to improve his aggressiveness 
offensively, 
while 
maintaining 

his defensive and ball-protecting 
capabilities, he’ll make it hard for 
Beilein to bench him.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh provided updates on the slew of injuries that have befallen his team this year, including Lavert Hill, Ty Isaac and Wilton Speight.

KEVIN SANTO

Managing Sports Editor

I think we’re 
very capable 
and it’s gonna 
be a great battle

He’s gonna 
learn how to 
fight through 

that

MEN’S BASKETBALL
Simpson’s aggressive 
approach sparks ‘M’

MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Editor

MAX MARCOVITCH

Daily Sports Editor

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led the team in minutes, shots and points in 72-65 win on Monday night.

