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.