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.