8A — Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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For Charles Matthews, newly-minted leader, the time is now
Charles Matthews walked
into practice last week with
some words in mind.
The redshirt junior had just
watched his Michigan team
travel to State College and lose
to the Big Ten’s doormat, an
uninspiring performance from
a group mired in the thick of the
race for a conference title. He
felt there was a lack of effort,
focus, urgency — and said as
much when asked about it after
the game. Then he came into
practice and told his teammates
the same thing.
“He was talking about lack
of discipline,” said sophomore
forward Isaiah Livers. “Lack of
personnel — the night before,
you gotta read your personnel,
know it’s your guy or potentially
who you’re gonna guard.”
Livers left unsaid whether the
Wolverines read those reports
before the Penn State game. He
didn’t need to say whether they
did before Saturday’s 65-52 win
over Maryland, a game in which
Michigan’s
defense
clamped
down in a way reminiscent of,
well, Michigan’s defense.
The Wolverines’ lead built to
25-10 early on, then plateaued,
as
offensive
stagnation
allowed
the
Terrapins
back
within
three
points
midway
through
the
second half. It
was the defense
they
fell
back
on, and it was
the defense that
proved reliable.
Over 34 minutes — a team-high
— Matthews held point guard
Anthony Cowan just 4-for-
12 from the field with three
turnovers.
“He shut out
anybody
that
he
guarded,”
said
Michigan
coach
John
Beilein. “Really
an
incredible
performance.
And
he
was
tired,
too.
My
assistants were
thinking
we
should give him a timeout, and
I just refused. I’ll call a timeout
before we get him off the court.”
Beyond
himself,
the
Wolverines’ performance early
on — laser-focused, disciplined
and
jumping
down
the
opposition’s throat — mirrored
what Matthews stressed after
Tuesday.
Getting vocal in practice is
not Charles Matthews’ natural
domain. During his time at
Michigan, he has spoken up on
occasion and with impact, but
for the most part, Matthews
has been cast as a leader by
his actions. When applied to
an upperclassman on a college
basketball team, that phrase
usually means someone is seen
as a leader because of their age,
but not much else. As much
as Matthews has undoubtedly
helped set a culture for the
Wolverines, it’s junior guard
Zavier Simpson whose voice
is
the
loudest
on
a
day-to-
day basis inside
Michigan’s
locker room.
That may be
changing.
“The Charles
that
we
all
knew
in
that
first
semester
is not that same
Charles,” Livers
said. “He was more of a leader
by example. Now he’s starting
to step up and speak more like a
Zavier Simpson.”
Michigan couldn’t ask for
it at a better time. Its play has
leveled off in the last month.
After ripping through the first
12 weeks of the year undefeated,
the Wolverines have lost three
times in the last four — and
they haven’t looked particularly
good in some of the wins.
Things aren’t about to get
easier, either. Two of their last
four regular season games are
against Michigan State, and
March is an animal that can’t be
tackled by a group approaching
burnout. In what is likely his
last year of college basketball,
Matthews has taken it upon
himself to make sure burnout
doesn’t happen.
“He’d rather just lead by
example, but we have such a
young team,” Beilein said. “We
don’t even have
a
true
senior
on
this
team.
Somebody
has
to
do
—
we
need
another
voice
beside
(Simpson).
Jon
(Teske’s) talking
more, too, but
still, that’s not
Jon’s
deal.
So
we need another
leader. And he’s doing it.”
Matthews declared for the
NBA Draft last season, waiting
until the last day to announce
he would return to Michigan.
Before this season started, he
openly acknowledged plans to
declare again — and this time
without
coming
back.
This
isn’t
technically
his
senior
year, but he can graduate and
doesn’t seem to long for college
basketball.
All the signs are pointing in
the same direction. To what he
wants out of next month, and to
why.
“He’s got a sense of urgency
to win this year,” Beilein said.
“And make a decision after the
season, but win this year so that
he doesn’t look back and say, ‘I
didn’t do enough in my senior
year.’ ”
Thome becomes third player in
‘M’ history to reach 2,000 points
Hallie Thome scored just
over 1,000 points during her
illustrious career at Chagrin
Falls High School.
Entering last Sunday’s game
against Illinois, the senior center
needed only one point to surpass
2,000 points at Michigan. Four
minutes into the first quarter,
sophomore Hailey Brown lobbed
the ball down to Thome on the
right block. Just as she had done
countless times before, Thome
spun around her defender and
converted the routine layup.
With
the
basket,
Thome
joined Diane Dietz and Katelynn
Flaherty — who graduated last
spring — on the Wolverines’ list
of 2,000-point scorers.
“It means a lot,” Thome
said. “It shows a lot about this
program to have two players do
it within a year of each other, so
a lot of the credit should go to the
coaches here for helping make
the players so successful.
“And a lot of the credit should
also go to the point guards we’ve
had. For me being a post-player
and not bringing the ball up, so
it’s all about the guards giving
you inside touches.”
Added Michigan coach Kim
Barnes Arico on the WKTA
Radio show: “It means from the
minute she stepped on campus,
she has made an immediate
impact on our program. She’s
been such a special player for us.
I’m just so happy for her because
she’s
worked
so
incredibly
hard and I think you saw that
excitement from her teammates
as well.”
Despite
being
a
heralded
recruit — a McDonald’s All-
American
and
Ohio’s
Ms.
Basketball her senior year —
Thome never expected to be in
this position.
“2,000 didn’t seem realistic,”
Thome said. “To come to college
and do that is mindblowing
to me. Then again, credit to
(assistant coach Melanie Moore)
on developing me as a player
to be able to grow and fill the
shoes Michigan needed as a post-
player.”
Thome burst onto the Big Ten
scene as a freshman, starting
all 35 games for the Wolverines.
She was dominant at times,
recording a 31-point game and
nine others with 20 or more.
Still, compared to Flaherty or
even Siera Thompson, Thome
served as a secondary or tertiary
option.
Thome
eclipsed
1,000
points
a
year
later, becoming
the
third
sophomore
in
program history
to surpass that
mark.
Even
though Thome
had
followed
in
Dietz
and
Flaherty’s
footsteps through the first half
of her career, she remained
skeptical of reaching 2,000.
“I feel like your first two years
of college are your easiest in
sports because the other teams
only play you twice,” Thome
said. “So they don’t really know
how to guard you. I thought
‘Okay, maybe I’ll get to like 1,500
because people know I love to go
left, so there goes my left hand.’ ”
Opponents may have learned
of
Thome’s
strengths
but
stopping them was a different
story entirely. Forming a tag-
team
with
Flaherty,
Thome
increased her point tally to 1,679
as a junior.
Though
Thome
looked
destined to reach the mark earlier
this season, injuries, inconsistent
play and Michigan’s overall
depth and offensive balance
have slowed her production.
Nevertheless, Thome kept a
positive mindset throughout.
“My injuries were nothing
compared to what (freshman
guard) Amy Dilk has faced and
what
(senior
guard)
Nicole
Munger has faced,” Thome said.
“So I’ve just tried to put it into
perspective and realizing it is
my last year, always tried to be
positive. When you get injured,
it’s easy to get negative and think
about yourself and everything
you’re missing out on, and that’s
when things tend to keep going
south for you.”
That mentality has paid off
for her, as Thome has reached
double-digit
point totals in five
of the last seven
outings.
After finishing
with 14 against
the Illini, Thome
is now just 63
points away from
passing Dietz for
second on the all-
time scoring list
— an achievement
that appears likely with three
regular season games remaining
before the Big Ten Tournament.
Flaherty on the other hand, who
became the all-time leading
scorer in Michigan basketball
history last season when she
passed
Glen
Rice,
remains
unreachable at the top.
For Thome though, talk of
legacy and individual accolades
can wait. Instead, she is more
concerned with keeping the
Wolverines’ current win streak
intact.
“It was never really a concern
of mine to score 2,000 points,”
Thome said. “I just wanted to
make sure our team was sticking
together and finding a way to win.
Accomplishing this goal is great
and everything but it doesn’t
change me or anything like that.
Having this accomplishment just
reflects back on my team and
how selfless we are.”
CONNOR BRENNAN
Daily Sports Writer
ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor
He’s got a
sense of
urgency to win
this year.
The night
before, you
gotta read your
personnel...
To come to
college and
do that is
mindblowing...
Wolverines searching at first base
Well then who’s on first?
Yes.
I mean the fellow’s name.
Who.
The first baseman.
Who.
The
question
may
have
originated from the famous 1936
skit, but it holds true 83 years
later as the Michigan softball
team asks: who’s on first?
Since
first
baseman
Tera
Blanco’s graduation last May,
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
has
been
searching
for
a
replacement to round out the
infield.
While Hutchins has stressed
that there are many players
being considered for first base,
sophomore Taylor Bump and
senior Alex Sobczak seem to be
among the top contenders, each
having started at least one of the
nine games so far this season.
Throughout her career at
Michigan, Sobczak has served a
variety of roles in both the infield
and the outfield, providing the
Wolverines with strong defense
from all over of the field. The
Wolverines have gotten off to
a rocky start, dropping five of
their first nine games, and are
currently unranked for the first
time in 18 years.
“I’ve seen some good things
from (Bump and Sobczak), but
we’re going to need to see more.”
Hutchins said last Tuesday.
“When a player asks me ‘What
can I do?’ Stand out. We’re
looking for people who are going
to stand out. The stand-out nine
are going to be the ones who are
the most regular.”
In looking for someone to fill
the role, Hutchins has chosen
to go back to the basics. She
emphasizes
the
importance
of fundamentals in seeking a
starter, but also a player who will
show assertiveness.
“We need someone on first
base to help be vocal,” Hutchins
said. “It’s a vocal position. And
catch the balls that are thrown.
That’s the job.”
Added Canfield: “Taylor and
Alex have both been competing
for first (base). I think they
both have their strengths and
weaknesses but I don’t think any
of them are so dramatic that it’s
that noticeable. They’re both
working hard and doing what
they can for the team.”
And with both players failing
to “stand out” thus far, Hutchins
isn’t limiting her search to those
two.
“I’m
looking
for
hitters,
always,” Hutchins said. “We
need people who can hit through
the lineup. (Bump) has done a
nice job there but we’re looking
at who makes the bag.”
Bump, who has started seven
of the nine games this season on
first base, spent her freshman
season primarily stationed at
third base, creating an additional
challenge to her in her new role
on the other side of the diamond.
“It’s
always
a
challenge
learning a new position,” Bump
said. “I knew I wanted to be
in the lineup and I wanted to
contribute the best I could this
year.”
“One thing about switching
from the left side to the right side
is learning your range. On the
left side, you go for everything
you could possibly get to and at
first base, you obviously can’t
because you have to be able to
retreat to the bag.”
Although the defense has done
well so far this season with an
average of .88 errors per game,
the lineup is far from finalized.
Going into the third weekend of
the season, there is no timetable
for when a consistent lineup
will appear. But with struggles
starting to mount, the sooner
the lineup comes together, the
better.
“We move people in and
out,” Hutchins said. “We’ve had
different (designated players)
and that’s part of what goes into
a 56-game season. We don’t have
a totally set lineup. It would be
nice to have one and I’d hope
we’d have one by the time we
get to Big Ten play. Some years it
doesn’t work that way.”
These fluctuations don’t seem
to bother the players who know
this as par for the course. It may
be frustrating but that’s what the
Wolverines must do to return to
a .500 record.
“I think people are just
getting comfortable,” Bump said.
“That’s what our game is. Our
game is adjusting and adjusting
to adversity.”
LANE KIZZIAH
Daily Sports Writer
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Sophomore Taylor Bump has started seven of the nine games at first base.
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Redshirt junior wing Charles Matthews has owned his new role as a vocal team leader, showing a sense of urgency.