All
University
of
Michigan
athletics will be paused for two
weeks starting Sunday, Jan. 24 in
accordance with a recommendation
from the state health department
according to messages obtained by
The Daily and confirmed by a source
close to the athletic department.
The order, which halts all athletic
activity including practice, is limited
exclusively to U-M athletics after
a recent influx of positive cases
within several Michigan teams.
According
to
a
statement
released by the athletic department
Saturday night, the Wolverines
have been following Big Ten testing
and reporting protocals, but the
Michigan Department of Health
and Human Services is taking a
more stringent approach to the
novel COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant.
A source told The Daily that there
were five confirmed cases of the
new variant, with 15 more presumed
positives throughout the athletic
department. The novel strain was
first introduced to Michigan at the
beginning of the semester by a U-M
athlete traveling from the United
Kingdom. All members of the
athletic department are expected to
quarantine for 14 days.
“Canceling competitions is never
something we want to do, but with
so many unknowns about this
variant of COVID-19, we must do
everything we can to minimize
the spread among student-athletes,
coaches, staff, and to the student-
athletes at other schools,” said
athletic director Warde Manuel in
the statement released Saturday
night.
An
MDHHS
spokeswoman
confirmed that five cases of the
variant were found on Michigan
athletic teams. An MDHHS memo
provided to The Daily laid out the
state’s recommendations for the
next two weeks. Those include:
Immediate 14-day quarantine for
all Michigan athletes, household
members and close contacts starting
from Jan. 23
A review of all positive test results
in the past two weeks
Immediate PCR testing of all
team members, including genetic
sequencing of any positive tests
Thrice-weekly
PCR
testing
during quarantine
The assumption that all cases
linked to the outbreak are variant
infections, pending confirmation
The memo also provides campus-
wide
recommendations,
saying
that if the variant is detected in
an organization, there should be
twice-a-week PCR testing for all
members of that organization.
It also recommends ramping up
testing for the entire community,
and a 10-day quarantine for any
students returning to campus from
out of state or abroad.
This past week 22 student-
athletes tested positive for COVID-
19 per release, 13 more than the
week prior. No coaches or staff
tested positive.
As of Sunday morning, 87.2% of
Michigan’s athletic contests have
been played. By the end of Jan. 6, that
percentage will plummet to 59.6%.
Saturday, the women’s basketball
team rescheduled its postponed
game against Michigan State for
this week. The Wolverines had their
own outbreak in early December
after a match against Butler in
which a Bulldog tested positive the
day after the game, leading to two
missed games.
The men’s basketball team played
on Friday at Purdue, even as a
Boilermaker tested positive the day
of the game. The volleyball team
had their opening contest against
Penn State this weekend postponed
because of positive tests within the
Penn State program.
While
reports
indicate
that
neither of the basketball programs
or hockey programs have had no
positive tests, they still not will be
allowed to play.
According to the release, no
determination has been made on
how the pause will impact schedules
after Feb. 7.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan Athletics put on 14-day pause
due to surge in COVID-19 cases
Graduation Edition 2023 — 13
Sports
ARTS
over the
YEARS
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velicti comnit dunt, tota que consequo is
essunture dolor molesti beriore, il ea ne
plab ipsae excero te volorep tation re
videndunt omnihil ipienda veliqui nobites
et laboriame lantiossunt hil ius arumqui
dentibus, qui aliat pa qui simolessit, nes
escilit harum que volorit eicia con plis
everum fugitatur si quiae esto blaturem labo.
Itatas mos venis arumnihilla ntentotatem
aut etum hil il mod quam es est as endaesc
ipiendis escium lation cupta doluptam ab
2013
2014
MARCH 12 — Due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the remainder of winter and
all of spring sports are canceled. The
Big Ten postpones the beginning of fall
sports to err on the side of caution and
resumes on October 23.
MARCH 18 – The Michigan hockey team wins in
its second straight Big Ten championship over
Minnesota 4-3. Led by freshman forward Adam
Fantilli, the 2023 Hobey Baker award winner,
the Wolverines also advance to their second
straight Frozen Four.
MARCH 30 – Michigan fifth-year heavyweight
Mason Parris wins the National Championship
in his division. Parris also becomes the first
Wolverine to win the Hodge Trophy for the
nation’s best collegiate wrestler.
2021
MARCH 31 — No. 1 seed Michigan men’s basketball
advances to the Elite Eight under second-year
coach Juwan Howard. After winning the Big Ten
regular season championship, the Wolverines’
lose to UCLA, 51-49, failing to reach the Final
Four.
APRIL 17
— The Michigan women’s gymnastics
team wins its first ever national championship.
DECEMBER 31 — The Michigan football team
achieves its first College Football Playoff berth but
fails to reach the National Championship, losing to
Georgia, 34-11.
Sports
over the
YEARS
2022
2023
2020
MARCH 28 – The Michigan women’s
basketball team advances to its first Elite
Eight in program history after beating
South Dakota 52-49, but the Wolverines’
historic runs ends after a loss to
Louisville, 62-50.
DECEMBER 4 – In its second straight Big
Ten championship, the Michigan football
team beats Purdue, 43-22, after defeating
Iowa in 2021 for the title.
WICHITA,
KAN.
—
The
Michigan women’s basketball team
knew it was do or die.
With a trip to the Elite Eight on
the line — potentially the first in
program history — the third seeded
Wolverines (25-6 overall) rose to the
challenge.
Taking down No. 11-seed South
Dakota (29-6), 52-49, in the Sweet
Sixteen, the Wolverines once again
made history.
“The moment we had today is
never going to go away,” Michigan
coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “So
I’m just so happy for this group.
… We’re still playing. There are
eight darn teams left in the country
playing and we are one of them.
That’s pretty incredible.”
From the opening tip, it was
a gritty, back and forth game.
Throughout
the
entire
game
Michigan struggled to score, never
truly finding an offensive groove.
Instead, short spurts of efficient
scoring kept the Wolverines afloat
against a physical Coyote defense.
In the first quarter, trying to
push the ball in transition, sloppy
turnovers plagued Michigan. The
Wolverines looked to their one-
two punch of senior forward Naz
Hillmon and senior guard Leigha
Brown, but to no avail.
Hillmon — who was triple-
teamed on every possession —
notched zero points in the first
quarter and just six in the second.
Brown faired slightly better, but
any limited success she had was
unsustainable. Working deep into
the rotation early, Michigan tried to
get something going. A short run at
the end of the first quarter kept the
Wolverines from fully breaking.
But opening the second quarter
with two missed 3-pointers from
junior guard Maddie Nolan and
a shot-clock violation, Michigan
quickly fell out of what little rhythm
it had gained. Short offensive spurts
from freshman guard Laila Phelia
kept the Wolverines in the game
— and a strong defensive showing
forced South Dakota into tough
shots — but nothing seemed to stick.
It quickly became clear Michigan
wouldn’t magically overcome its
struggles, but would have to fight
for every possession. On this night,
nothing would come easy.
With their offense faltering, the
Wolverines dug into their defensive
identity, trying to keep South Dakota
contained on offense. Clogging
the paint and hedging high on ball
screens, Michigan tried to disrupt
the Coyotes offensive game plan.
“We play a different style than a
lot of the teams that (South Dakota)
played,” Barnes Arico said. “Just
going back and watching the film of
their first two tournament games,
who they beat, two Power Five
opponents that are awesome teams,
they defended it differently than we
did tonight. We wanted to give them
a different look. I think it sped them
up and made them take quicker
shots than maybe they wanted to
take.”
Yet, South Dakota still jumped
out to an early lead. Failing to put
together a complete game, the
Wolverines allowed the Coyotes to
hang around throughout the half,
entering the locker room down by
two points.
“They were definitely scrappy,
they fought and clawed to the last
minute,” Hillmon said. “They were
in there running around for every
rebound, trying to take charges
throughout the game, everything in
between.”
Despite
obvious
halftime
adjustments, the third quarter
followed the same narrative of
offensive struggle. Doubling down
on finding Hillmon and senior
forward Emily Kiser in the paint,
Michigan finally found the shots it
wanted — but failed to capitalize.
More short spurts of successful
offense from Hillmon and Brown
kept the Coyotes from deepening
the wound, just barely.
The Coyotes continued to force
the Wolverines out of rotation
and score at every level. Draining
3-pointers
and
finding
their
forwards inside, South Dakota
kept Michigan from gaining any
momentum. Regaining the lead at
the tail end of the third quarter, the
Wolverines narrowly escaped with a
one point lead.
With the game very much within
reach for either team throughout
the entirety of the fourth quarter,
Michigan continued to struggle
finding offensive consistency and
keep the game within its control.
Coming down to the final play,
the Coyotes had a chance to secure
the lead with 20 second left on the
clock. South Dakota launched an
open 3-pointer for the lead — only
for the ball to bounce off the rim
into Hillmon’s hands, with a foul
following. The next possession,
another Coyote foul sent Brown to
the line for the first time all night.
Draining both, Brown put the
Wolverines back in control with a
four point lead.
Michigan
would
hold
on,
emerging victorious.
And for the first time in program
history, with just eight teams left
vying for a national championship,
the Wolverines are still dancing.
Michigan escapes Sweet Sixteen with
win over South Dakota, 52-49
INDIANAPOLIS
—
The
Michigan men’s basketball team
rode its offense to reach the
Sweet Sixteen. On Sunday, it
used its defense to punch a ticket
to the Elite Eight.
In a game they dominated
at every stage, the Wolverines
(23-4 overall, 14-3 Big Ten)
downed Florida State (18-7),
76-58, to keep their season alive
for at least one more game.
From the beginning, that
defense frustrated the Seminoles.
Michigan forced 14 turnovers,
including nine in the first half
alone, and limited Florida State
to 40% shooting from the field.
In transition, the Wolverines
capitalized on the Seminoles’
miscues, scoring 16 fastbreak
points while surrendering just
six. Florida State looked out of
sync all night long, going on
two separate scoreless stretches
lasting over four minutes. The
dominant defensive effort was
something that Michigan coach
Juwan Howard envisioned for
his team from the day he took
the job in 2019.
“Defense has been one of our
staples of our identity as far as
on the offensive end,” Howard
said. “We have habits on how
we developed it last year when
I first arrived, and when we
returned to the campus in June,
first thing that we met as a staff,
and then also the first meeting
when we were able to have our
first official practice, we talked
about how we’re going to be a
better defensive team.”
On the offensive end, the
Wolverines got a lift from junior
forward
Brandon
Johns
Jr.
Starting in just his fourth game
of the season, Johns scored a
season-best 14 points to lead
the way, punctuated by a series
of high-flying jams. On the
defensive side, Johns drew two
charges and notched a steal,
coming through on both ends in
the biggest game of his career.
“We always tell him that he
can really be the best player
out there when he steps on the
court,” sophomore wing Franz
Wagner said. “So we have huge
confidence in Brandon. I think
he does too. You can see, he
played a stellar game today, got
some key offensive rebounds,
and those little things, I think,
are very important when you try
to win the championship.”
Wagner
produced
another
all-around
statline
with
13
points, 10 rebounds and five
assists, routinely scoring inside
on crafty finishes and finding
teammates inside of the dribble.
“I think I always try to attack
the
basket,
be
aggressive,”
Wagner said. “But like I said,
I think all that only happens
when we move the ball and don’t
dribble too much. That’s when
really everything opens up.”
Facing off against a Florida
State team with an average
height of 6-foot-7, Michigan
dominated
on
the
glass.
Led by four from freshman
center
Hunter
Dickinson,
the Wolverines hauled in 11
offensive rebounds and scored
17 second-chance points off of
those opportunities.
“Our
guys
came
with
a
mindset,” Howard said. “We
talked about it leading up to the
game. We showed it on film. We
also talked about it before the
game, about we have to attack
the offensive glass. We can’t sit
back on our heels and leave it
untouched.”
On the opposite side of the
court,
Michigan
prevented
the
Seminoles
from
ever
establishing an offensive flow.
The Wolverines limited Florida
State to a 5-for-20 shooting night
from beyond the arc, and proved
themselves to be disciplined
inside as well, allowing the
Seminoles to shoot just six free
throws.
In the second half, Florida
State
appeared
to
gain
momentum for the first time
since early in the first half with
its first two 3-pointers of the
night. The Wolverines quickly
ensured that any hope of a
Seminole comeback would be
relinquished quickly, countering
with an and-one from graduate
guard Mike Smith before senior
center Austin Davis followed
with two straight finishes inside
to key a 7-0 spurt to push the
lead back to 46-36.
“I think you can see that
out there on the court that
people are really confident out
there and just confident and
comfortable within their role out
there,” Wagner said.
In the game’s final moments,
Howard called for a timeout
and brought in his reserves. As
freshman guard Zeb Jackson
dribbled out the clock, the
Wolverines clinched their 23rd
victory of the season.
This one brought them one
step closer to their ultimate goal.
ETHAN SEARS
2019/2020 Managing Sports Editor
ALUM MADDIE HINKLEY/Daily
MINNEAPOLIS — As the No.
4 Michigan hockey team hoisted
the Big Ten Trophy following its
victory over No. 1 Minnesota, there
was almost an overwhelming sense
of familiarity to the night’s events.
It was deja vu all over again.
The minor details changed,
the stars were different and the
Wolverines
sported
a
newer,
younger coach. But on Saturday
night, against the same Golden
Gophers (26-8-1, overall) in the
same arena and by the same score,
Michigan (24-11-3) accomplished
what it had a year prior — again.
And for the first time in program
history, the Wolverines captured a
second straight Big Ten title.
“It feels great. It feels great,”
Michigan coach Brandon Naurato
repeated. “That’s a really, really
good team over there and an unreal
atmosphere this year and last year.
…You really have to earn it.”
In a contest that came down to
the wire in front of a rowdy sellout
crowd, that was what Michigan
just managed to do. Its patient,
systematic
offense
outlasted
Minnesota’s fiery rush and pushed
it to a 4-3 victory.
But for a contest featuring two of
the nation’s highest flying offenses,
the night started at a subdued pace.
The Wolverines and the Gophers
toiled in the neutral zone for most
of the first period, each side unable
to string chances together.
Seven minutes in however,
Minnesota
caught
a
break.
Michigan sophomore defenseman
Luke Hughes launched a point shot
that was blocked and sent the other
way for a 2-on-1 score from forward
Brody Lamb.
That breakthrough was all either
side mustered, and the rest of the
period played out as a prolonged
feeling out process.
“I thought we were just OK,
almost very average in the first
period,” Naurato said.
In the second period though, the
wait-and-see tactics were thrown
out the window and replaced with
a flurry of goals.
The Wolverines pressed early,
maintaining
zone
possession
and moving pucks low-to-high.
Three minutes in, that all paid
off for freshman forward Rutger
McGroarty as he ripped a bobbling
puck top shelf. And 34 seconds
later, back in front of the net with
another rebound on his stick, it
paid off for McGroarty again as he
put his team up 2-1.
“I don’t think those guys (on
the first line) were happy as a line
with how they played in the first,”
Naurato said. “ … For them to
come out and just get to the net, as
simple as that sounds, good things
happen.”
With two back-to-back goals,
McGroarty almost instantaneously
flipped the game script by putting
the Wolverines up 2-1. And for the
first time, the Gophers were put
on edge. In danger, Minnesota
returned to what was working —
its rush — and the Wolverines had
little answer for it.
Midway through the second
frame, a wayward pass from
McGroarty in Michigan’s offensive
zone ended up on the stick of
forward Jimmy Snuggerud, who
found Cooley with open ice where
he tied the contest. And again, it
was the Gophers’ explosive rush
that put them back in front early
in the third when forward Rhett
Pitlick picked his way through
three Wolverines defensemen and
scored to put Minnesota ahead 3-2.
That lead didn’t last long though,
as freshman forward Seamus Casey
tied the affair four minutes later
with a standard point shot, again
built off of sustained pressure. The
Gophers were playing with speed,
Michigan with systematic patience,
and as the clock ticked down,
there was nothing to separate the
approaches.
But then with less than eight
minutes
to
play,
sophomore
Michigan tops Minnesota, 4-3, wins
second straight Big Ten Championship
CHARLIE PAPPALARDO
Daily Sports Writer
ABBIE TELGENHOF
Daily Sports Editor
Wolverines ride defense to stifle Florida
State, advance to Elite Eight
TEDDY GUTKIN
2021 Daily Sports Editor
JULIANNE YOON/Daily
EMMA MATI/Daily
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images