The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, September 2, 2020 — 15
Matthew Beniers adds more elite
playmaking ability
An old school center, Hunter Dickinson
built for Big Ten competition
Here’s
the
thing
—
the
Michigan hockey team didn’t
need another forward in its
incoming
recruiting
class.
It already had two commits
likely to go top 10 in the 2021
NHL Draft, and another two
borderline first-rounders eligible
for the 2020 Draft.
Without Matthew Beniers, the
Wolverines would have an elite
class of scorers and playmakers
coming in this season.
With
him
it’s
downright
ludicrous.
Beniers also projects as a top-
10 pick in 2021, and it’s easy to
see why. His quick feet and puck
skills helped him notch a team-
leading 18 goals in 44 games for
the U.S. National Under-18 Team
last season, but he’s more than
just a pure goal scorer.
“His competitiveness on the
puck, his willingness to win
puck battles, to block shots, to
do the dirty things that help
you win hockey games really is
what makes him special,” Seth
Appert, a former U.S. National
Team
Development
Program
coach, said. “And then his talent
combined with that makes him
very unique.”
Beniers’ quick hands give
him an inherent advantage in
one-on-one situations, and his
positioning at the turnover was
enough to create that scenario.
But
what
makes
this
play
impressive is that he wasn’t even
the first to the puck — the replay
clearly shows that the defender
hacked at it first.
From there, Beniers manages
to collect the bouncing puck,
push it through the defender’s
legs and still control it enough
to deliver a perfect pass to his
teammate. In a span of seconds,
he showcases impressive speed,
puck control, vision and balance.
It would have been the assist
of the tournament if not for a
ridiculous save from Sweden’s
goalie.
This is an example of two
teammates perfectly in sync.
From the moment he picks up
the loose puck in front of his
own goal, Beniers knows where
he’s going with it. He waits just
long enough for his teammate to
get past the defense while still
avoiding an offside, and then
delivers a perfect puck for a
golden scoring opportunity.
The ability to see the play
developing, identify a passing
lane and send a flawless pass
that quickly is invaluable at
the collegiate level. That level
of instinct and understanding
can create odd-man rushes and,
ultimately, goals.
“(At the NTDP, we) try to
get our players to play this
aggressive, attacking, instinctual
game,” Appert said. “He has a lot
of those things innately as well,
and I think those things were
just enhanced here.”
Again, Beniers knows exactly
where he’s going with that puck,
but this time, he’s deceptive
about it. He uses his eyes to draw
the defender toward teammate
Dylan Peterson — No. 25 in the
video — opening up space to
hit fellow Michigan commit
Thomas Bordeleau just outside
the slot. Bordeleau casually
undresses the defender, and the
rest is history.
When
the
season
starts,
college hockey will likely be an
adjustment for Beniers. He’ll be
playing against opponents that
are older and more experienced,
and he could be in for a rude
awakening.
But
he’s
been
through
that before. In 2019, at just 17
years-old, he was called up for
the Under-18 World Juniors
Championship, where he played
alongside a certain Jack Hughes.
“The beauty of him getting
called up that first year is that
he can slide in any role,” Appert
said. “He’s skilled enough to play
with Jack Hughes if there’s a
spot on Jack’s line, but he’s also
gritty enough to fulfill roles that
the bottom six forwards have to
fill.”
Hunter
Dickinson
is
comfortable in his own skin — all
7-foot-1, 255 pounds of him.
In an era of basketball where
the traditional post-up center
is
an
endangered
species,
Dickinson’s bruising style of
play makes for a refreshing
throwback.
“Hunter,
he
understands
he’s a post player,” Mike Jones,
Dickinson’s high school coach at
DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville,
Md., said. “He’s unique. He can
shoot threes and pass the ball
as well as anybody, but he also
knows he can be extremely
effective on the block close to the
basket. A lot of bigs don’t want to
do that. He’s very good at it.”
The
Wolverines
need
Dickinson, a four-star center and
the 42nd-ranked recruit in the
247Sports composite rankings,
to contribute right away. Two-
year starter Jon Teske graduated
in the spring, leaving Dickinson
and fifth-year senior Austin
Davis — who has yet to start in
his collegiate career — as the only
centers on the roster.
To contend in the Big Ten,
having a viable center is essential.
The conference ran through the
position a year ago, and figures
to do the same in the upcoming
season.
No Power Five conference
features a more potent collection
of big men than the Big Ten. It’s
a group headlined by first-team
All-American
and
Naismith
Award finalist Luka Garza, who
comes back to anchor Iowa in his
senior season.
Kofi
Cockburn,
a
7-foot-
1, 290 pound wall of muscle,
turned down the NBA to return
to Illinois for his sophomore
campaign. Micah Potter and
Nate
Reuvers
make
for
a
dynamic duo of stretch-fives at
Wisconsin.
Purdue’s
Trevion
Williams torched Michigan for
36 points and 20 rebounds last
season. Trayce Jackson-Davis is
a budding star for Indiana.
The list goes on.
It’s no easy task for an
experienced center to tackle,
let alone a freshman embarking
on his first foray into college
basketball. But if anyone is up for
the challenge, Jones is confident
that it’s Dickinson.
“He’s
always
performed
well against guys his size, guys
with reputations,” Jones said.
“When the bright lights come on,
Hunter’s there. He’s a big-game
player. He’s used to playing in
big games with the spotlight on
him, getting a ton of attention.
I think he really thrives in that
environment.”
Playing
at
a
perennial
basketball
powerhouse
in
DeMatha afforded Dickinson
multiple
rendezvous
with
premiere talent. In January, the
Stags squared off against Rancho
Cristian in a nationally-televised
showdown on ESPN.
The meeting pitted Dickinson
against
Evan
Mobley,
the
nation’s third-ranked recruit and
consensus No. 1 center. While
Mobley poured in 22 points and
11 rebounds, it was Dickinson
who stole the show, anchoring
DeMatha with 28 points and
three blocks in a 69-61 victory.
BRENDAN ROOSE
Daily Sports Editor
JARED GREENSPAN
Daily Sports Writer
COURTESY OF RENA LAVERTY / USA HOCKEY’S NTDP
Freshman forward Matthew Beniers and some teammates are projected to be top-ten picks in the 2021 NHL draft.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE JONES
Freshman center Hunter Dickinson will bring post presence to Michigan, according to his high school head coach.
Three positives for Akienreh
Johnson’s fifth-year
Meet Howard’s Herd: How eight
guys made Section 130 fun again
In a moment of pressure,
Akienreh Johnson knows how to
deliver.
Johnson receives a pass out
of the paint from Amy Dilk. She
fires it around the three-point
line to Haily Brown. Brown sinks
the three.
It’s the biggest assist of senior
guard Akienreh Johnson’s career.
With under 20 seconds left in the
fourth quarter of the semifinals
of the 2020 Big Ten Tournament
against Northwestern, Michigan
has just secured the win.
Johnson
delivered,
and
Michigan will need her to
continue to deliver this season as
a fifth-year senior.
Johnson was granted a fifth-
year by the NCAA in early April.
She suffered from a season-
ending ACL injury during her
freshman year and petitioned
the NCAA shortly for a fifth-
year after last year’s season was
canceled due to COVID-19.
Last
season,
the
guard
dominated the floor, securing her
spot as a starter for Michigan. As
one of two seniors last year, the
Wolverines counted on her to
lead the team both on and off the
court as the captain.
This year, the Wolverines will
continue to rely on Johnson’s
leadership and versatility on
the court. To better understand
Johnson’s best assets, The Daily
breaks down some film:
Post-entry passes
This clip, from Michigan’s Big
Ten Tournament semifinal game
against Northwestern, highlights
Johnson’s
crucial
post-entry
passes. She assesses her options,
pivoting multiple times before
committing to the pass in the
paint. She finds then-freshman
forward Naz Hillmon under the
basket for an easy layup.
Hillmon and Johnson have
proven to be a formidable duo
on the court. Their ability to
read each other leads to multiple
assists and points.
Most of the time, Johnson’s
post-entry passes lead to buckets.
But it’s not just the passes that
make Johnson useful in the
frontcourt. Equally important
is Johnson’s willingness to be
selfless. Later in this game, she
dribbles around the arc waiting
for the opportunity to give it
to Hillmon. She understands
her role on the team, and had
the third-highest assists last
year with 76 — only one behind
Hillmon.
3-point shooting
Even with her high assist stats
last season, Johnson dominated
the three-point line all season.
Here, she looks calm under
pressure, with a Rutgers defender
flying in her face.
Last season she made 22
threes, with a .364 shooting
percentage, the second-most on
the team.
Johnson’s ability to shoot
makes
her
an
even
bigger
threat offensively. It makes her
challenging to guard. With her
snappy post-entry passes as
well as her impressive shooting,
defenders have a hard time
covering both aspects of her
game on the offensive end.
Height
Johnson is tall for a guard,
standing
6-foot.
In
NCAA
Division 1, the average height of
a women’s basketball player is
5-foot-6.
Here,
she
bodies
one
of
Rutgers’ guards, forcing her to
make a bad pass. Johnson easily
blocks the pass and takes the
ball down the floor for an assist
to then-sophomore guard Amy
Dilk.
Her height also factors into her
high rebounding and steals stats.
Last season, Johnson averaged
6.5 rebounds per game, with 208
on the season. In steals, she led
the team with 49.
Overall,
it’s
Johnson’s
variability
that
makes
her
irreplaceable in the Wolverines’
lineup. Her shooting and passing
ability, coupled with her height,
make her virtually unstoppable
on the court.
Whether you’ve been to a
Michigan
men’s
basketball
game in person or watched one
on TV, you’ve seen them.
Perched in Section 130, eight
individuals decked out in cow
costumes jump up and down
over the course of two hours,
pumping up the Wolverine
faithful and jeering opposing
players.
These
costumed
students, known as Howard’s
Herd and previously known
as the Bee-Line, have become
one of the most visible and
recognizable parts of attending
or watching a Michigan game.
Three years ago, Section
130
was
a
more
relaxed
alternative
to
the
student
section. Featuring cushioned
seats instead of benches found
in Section 129, where the Maize
Rage student section resides,
most fans seated in Section 130
spent much of their time sitting
down and casually watching
the game.
But in 2017, the Maize Rage
decided it was time to change
the culture of Section 130.
One meeting, the Maize Rage
announced they were looking
for eight members to attend
every game in Section 130 to
try and increase its spirit and
engagement. For senior Drew
Hirselj, the decision was a
no-brainer.
“I mean, getting free food
vouchers
and
guaranteed
seating?” Hirselj said, “It was
one of the biggest no brainers of
all time for me. I was sold right
away.”
Then
freshmen,
Hirselj
and seven friends attended
Michigan’s first game of the
season against North Florida,
where they led Section 130 in
chants, distracted opponents
taking free throws and wrote
quips on a whiteboard to poke
fun at Osprey players. The group
had succeeded in energizing
the section, but they still felt
like they needed an identity to
separate themselves from other
Maize Rage members.
“We were actually called
the 130 Boys for those first few
games,” senior Josh Goldstein
said. “Then someone had the
idea to have us dress up in
bumblebee costumes to honor
John Beilein and things really
took off from there.”
As Big Ten-play kicked off
in 2018, so did the “Bee-Line.”
Decked in bee onesies, the
eight freshmen presided in the
front row of Section 130 and
served as one of the most visible
figures of the Crisler Center
crowd that saw Michigan start
15-1 at home.
“In the first half, we’re
doing what we can to help on
offense,” Goldstein said. “In the
second half we’re helping out
on defense.”
When the season came to
a close, Beilein took the time
to meet the group that paid
homage to him at each game,
giving them fist bumps and
handshakes before posing for
a photo. The moment served
as validation for the Bee-Line,
who were starstruck by their
namesake’s support.
ABBIE TELGENHOF
Daily Sports Writer
TEDDY GUTKIN
Daily Sports Writer
EMMA MATI/Daily
Fifth-year senior guard Akienreh Johnson can help Michigan with her six-foot height and smart post-entry passing.
ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
Howard’s Herd, previously known as Beilein’s Bee-Line, reinvigorated section 130 at Crisler Center.
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