The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, November 7, 2019 — 7
Teske’s career night anchors Wolverines in season-opening victory
When Jon Teske’s baseline post
hook grazed the left side of the
rim on the opening possession, it
didn’t take long for him to clean
up his own mess.
Instead
of
trotting
back
on defense, the senior center
bulldozed into the paint to corral
his own rebound. In one fell
swoop, he landed on the other
side of the basket and, as if on a
pogo stick, sprung back up and
finished the job with a layup off
the glass.
Grinding through the teeth of
the defense set the tone for Teske’s
first-half double-double in the
Michigan men’s basketball team’s
79-71 win over Appalachian State
(0-1) on Tuesday night. He starred
in the season-opener, dominating
the paint on both ends of the floor
and owning the glass. By the end
of the night, he amassed 17 points
and a career-high 13 rebounds.
After winning the tipoff, first-
year head coach Juwan Howard
called Teske’s number in the
post. It worked, so he went back
to his big man again on the next
possession. Same result. By the
first media timeout, Teske had
accounted for the Wolverines’
(1-0) first 11 points. He sank his
next four shots following the
early missed hook, with two
coming around the rim, another
from mid-range territory and the
fourth from beyond the arc.
“(Howard) drew up a lot of
great plays, and fortunately I
was able to finish around the
rim,” Teske said after the game.
“My teammates were able to find
me. (I was) just using my height
advantage well in the frontcourt
… I was able to get a quick
couple points in the first couple
minutes.”
Added Howard: “(Teske) got
into a really good groove. He
was very aggressive out there
offensively. He did a very good job
on rebounds in the first half, too.
He was battling in there. … We all
know he can shoot the basketball,
he proved that tonight.”
At 7-foot-1, Teske’s impact
on
the
glass
and
scoring
ability anchor the Wolverines’
frontcourt. For a team that lost
half its offensive production from
a year ago to early departures, the
presence of a center of Teske’s
caliber can ease the transition.
As a cornerstone of the starting
lineup on a team adjusting to
a
new-look
offense,
Teske’s
ability to score at all three levels
provides a meaningful boost.
He repeatedly created quality
looks on the block against the
Mountaineers,
who
have
no
players taller than 6-foot-9, but
the going will get tougher against
a conference littered with seven-
footers.
Behind Teske’s big first half,
in which he posted 15 points
and 11 rebounds, the Wolverines
stretched their lead to as much
as 30. Even when the ball wasn’t
in his hands, the defensive
attention Teske drew made him a
difference-maker.
“(Teske) was a big influence of
that (lead),” said junior guard Eli
Brooks. “ … His presence allowed
me and other shooters to have
open shots because they were so
focused on him.”
One of Howard’s primary
responsibilities as an assistant
coach with the Miami Heat was
developing big men. On Tuesday
night, the immediate dividends
were apparent.
Beyond Teske’s career night,
sophomores
Colin
Castleton
and Brandon Johns Jr. both saw
time in the frontcourt. Together,
they posted a combined 13 points
on 5-of-9 shooting across 30
minutes. At times, they even
shared the court with Teske —
something that seldom occurred
under former coach John Beilein.
But in his first game at the
helm, Howard tinkered with the
idea. Soon after deciding to give
it a go, Teske fed a slashing Johns
for an easy first-half dunk.
“It definitely is different,”
Teske said. “I really enjoy playing
big when Colin or Brandon is in
there, I really like that. … It’s still
early, so we’re still kind of playing
around with lineups, too, seeing
what works, what doesn’t, how
we kind of mesh together.”
The
growing
pains
were
equally
as
noticeable
on
Tuesday night. Even as the
Wolverines
suffered
through
a 27-3 Appalachian State run,
Teske’s ability to draw double-
teams in the post created scoring
opportunities
for
perimeter
players off kickouts.
Against
the
Mountaineers,
Teske embodied everything that
worked. And for Michigan, his
steady presence could make all
the difference in this transition
period.
Michigan struggling to play full 60 minutes
Playing consistently.
It’s not something that can
be taught. It’s not something
that’s learned overnight. And
it’s not something the Michigan
hockey team has managed to do
through the first eight games of
the season.
Sure, there’ve been some
periods
of
good
intensity.
Occasionally, the Wolverines
have a series of shifts where all
the momentum seems to be with
them. But these moments are
seemingly always followed by
spans of play that lack energy
and speed.
“I think I could take a period
from this game, a period from
that game and string it all
together,” said Michigan coach
Mel Pearson. “But I can’t tell you
we’ve had a game where we’ve
had a good 60 minutes. Even in
the shutouts. We can say, ‘Wow
we won, 4-0.’ But we haven’t had
that (complete) game yet.”
Even though it’s early in the
season, their inconsistent play
has already cost the Wolverines
some potential wins.
Last Friday, Michigan jumped
out to a two-goal lead halfway
through
the
second
period
against No. 9 Ohio State. Then
it happened — the mental focus
was gone.
Within a couple minutes, the
Buckeyes cut the Wolverines’
lead in half. A few minutes later,
the game was tied. And when
the final buzzer sounded, the
Buckeyes had completed their
comeback, Michigan allowing
three unanswered goals.
That
game
against
Ohio
State wasn’t the first time
the Wolverines’ inability to
play
consistently
throughout
an entire game caused them
trouble.
On Oct. 19, the Wolverines
faced
Lake
Superior
State
in game two of the weekend
series.
The
previous
night,
they blanked the Lakers, 4-0,
and after the first 20 minutes
of Saturday’s game Michigan
was cruising towards a victory,
already ahead, 3-0.
As the second period began,
the Wolverines looked like a
completely different team on the
ice — and it was for the worse.
Their play was sloppy and
lacked control. The team that
had earned a three-goal lead
just 20 minutes prior was
nowhere to be found and the
scoreboard reflected it — the
Wolverines’ lead was cut to one.
The inconsistency that haunted
Michigan last season was back
in full force.
“Definitely when you’re in
the lead, you don’t want to play
scared or timid,” said sophomore
forward Jimmy Lambert. “You
wanna make sure you keep
pushing the same way that got
you in the lead. Because if you sit
back and just try and coast to the
end, they’re going to obviously
put pressure on you, and if
you’re not putting pressure on
them, it makes it way too easy
for them. That’s when you get
pinned down.”
Though Michigan managed
to hold off Lake Superior State,
that series wasn’t the only one
where
Friday’s
energy
and
intensity didn’t carry over to
Saturday’s game.
On Oct. 26, the Wolverines
traveled to Kalamazoo to play
Western Michigan. Fresh off
another 4-0 shutout win the
night before, they looked to
carry the momentum over to
Saturday. But yet again, when
the game started, Michigan fell
flat.
In the opening three minutes
of the game, the Broncos scored
two goals, and the Wolverines,
who had dominated just 24
hours prior, crumbled.
They
weren’t
disciplined.
They were making careless
turnovers. Michigan rebounded
after the first minutes and
stopped turning the puck over.
But ultimately, it wasn’t enough
to overcome the early deficit, as
the Wolverines lost, 4-1, to split
the series.
“It might not even be a period,”
Lambert said. “It might just be
five minutes. Or even one play.
You take it off. That can change
the entire game. Making sure
that you’re completely dialed in
for the entire game is one of the
biggest components for having a
successful night.”
But how does a team practice
consistency? How does a coach
push his team?
For Pearson, the answer isn’t
only one thing.
In practice, he makes sure to
include drills that create high
levels of competition. Recently,
the lineup has seen some changes
in an attempt to motivate certain
players to push harder. He even
has one-on-one meetings with
players to make sure they know
what’s expected of them.
“All we tell them is we expect
nothing but your best,” Pearson
said. “But what is your best?
And we talk about that and we
define that. Just give us your
best. That’s all we’re trying to
ask for. Then that’ll run into the
games too. It sounds simple, but
it’s hard to come down every day
and practice and work hard.”
The push for more consistent
play doesn’t only come from
Pearson, though. The whole
team strives to motivate each
other in the locker room to push
harder. Senior captain Will
Lockwood holds his teammates
accountable
when
they’re
slacking in games.
And when Lockwood or the
alternate captains slack off, one
of the younger players will call
them out on it.
With Big Ten play having
opened last weekend, Michigan
learned how crucial it is to figure
out how to play a consistent, full
60-minute game. And it needs to
figure it out fast.
“It takes every guy in order
to play a full 60,” Lockwood
said. “I think every team kind
of strives for that and it’s not the
easiest thing to do. I think our
record would be a lot different
if we’d been doing that (playing
consistently) for the whole year.”
Legislature introduces
bill to allow player profit
Two
Michigan
legislators
introduced
a
bipartisan
plan
Wednesday afternoon that would
sanction current and future college
athletes to profit off their name,
likeness and image, according to an
official news release.
State
Reps.
Brandt
Iden,
R-Oshtemo, and Joe Tate, D-Detroit
— both former college athletes —
presented bills allowing student-
athlete pay that, if signed into law,
would go into effect July 2020.
“We’re not going to punt on this
issue. We’re going to lead,” Iden,
once a tennis player at Kalamazoo
College, said in the release. “College
sports is a billion-dollar business,
but these outdated NCAA rules
treat the student-athletes at the
heart of that business unfairly.
Right now, student-athletes have no
liberty when it comes to capitalizing
on their own names and images.”
The news comes a little over
a month after California passed
its Fair Pay to Play Act, that,
similar to the proposed Michigan
bills,
permits
student-athlete
compensation for name, image and
likeness starting in 2023. And just
eight days ago, the NCAA Board of
Directors voted to begin the process
of considering fair compensation
for its athletes.
The Iden-sponsored bill would
entitle college athletes to receive
money from third parties in
exchange for using their name,
likeness or image. Tate’s bill
would legalize agents to enter into
contracts with student athletes,
currently considered a crime in
Michigan.
“Someone can set up a signing
at their store and charge $25
per inscription, but the student-
athlete providing that signature
or inscription gets nothing under
current NCAA bylaws,” Tate, a
former Michigan State football
player
and
co-captain,
said.
“Athletes who are struggling to
get by and unable to even have a
little walking around money are
going to be able to enter into the
market
through
their
current
craft, and that’s a positive and just
development.”
Michigan
associate
athletic
director Kurt Svoboda offered
The Daily a statement Wednesday
regarding
the
newly-presented
bills.
“The
athletic
department
does not comment on pending
legislation,” Svoboda said. “As
such, we have no official comment
here.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Jon Teske
13
Teske’s 13 rebounds on
Tuesday against Appalachian
State set a new career high.
11
Teske scored Michigan’s first
11 points in the 79-71 win over
the Mountaineers.
10
Teske became the 10th player
in Michigan history to total 100
career blocks with his output
last season.
8
Teske recorded eight double-
doubles last season, all of
which came against Big Ten
opponents.
DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Writer
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Senior center Jon Teske scored 17 points, including 11 points in the first five minutes, to pace Michigan in its 79-71 win over Appalachian State on Tuesday night.
BENJAMIN KATZ
Daily Sports Editor
EVAN AARON/Daily
The Michigan legislature introduced a bipartisan bill that would allow players to
profit off their likeness, which would take effect in July 2020.
MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Michigan coach Mel Pearson lamented his team’s struggles to maintain a high level of play throughout games.