The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/100796
2011-12 basketball preview ������ michigan basketball Schedule Will Prove Daunting Early M ichigan won���t have to wait too long to get put to the test this season. A reconfigured lineup, without last year���s point guard, Darius Morris, jumps into some deep waters before December even rolls around. After a Nov. 4 exhibition against Wayne State, U-M hosts opponents in a trio of tune-ups ��� Nov. 11 versus Ferris State, Nov. 14 against Towson and Nov. 17 with Western Illinois. Then the Wolverines head to Lahaina, Hawaii, for the Pacific Ocean portion of the Maui Invitational. Michigan gets Memphis on Nov. 21, then takes on Duke or Tennessee the following day. Others in the tour- ��� 2011-12 Michigan Basketball Schedule DateOpponentTime/TV Nov. 4 Wayne State* 7 p.m./BTN.com Nov. 11 Ferris State 7 p.m./BTN.com Nov. 14Towson 8:30 p.m./ESPN3.com Nov. 17 Western Illinois 8:30 p.m./ESPN3.com Nov. 21 vs. Memphis^ 10 a.m./ESPN2 Nov. 22 vs. Duke/Tennessee^ 2 p.m./ESPN Nov. 23 vs. TBD^TBD/TBD Nov. 29 at Virginia 7 p.m./ESPN2 Dec. 3 Iowa StateNoon/BTN Dec. 10Oakland#TBD/TBD Dec. 13 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7 p.m./ESPN3.com Dec. 17 Alabama A&MNoon/BTN Dec. 22Bradley 6:30 p.m./BTN Dec. 29 Penn State 7:30 p.m./BTN Jan. 1 Minnesota 4 p.m./BTN Jan. 5 at Indiana 9 p.m./ESPN2 Jan. 8 WisconsinTBD/CBS 6:30 p.m./BTN Jan. 11Northwestern 1 p.m./BTN Jan. 14 at Iowa 7 p.m./ESPN Jan. 17 Michigan State Jan. 21 at Arkansas 2 p.m./CBS Jan. 24 at Purdue 7 p.m./ESPN 1 p.m./CBS Jan. 29 at Ohio State Feb. 1 Indiana 6:30 p.m./BTN Feb. 5 at Michigan State 1 p.m./CBS Feb. 8 at Nebraska 8:30 p.m./BTN Feb. 12 Illinois 1 p.m./CBS Feb. 18Ohio State 9 p.m./ESPN Feb. 21 at Northwestern 8 p.m./BTN Feb. 25 Purdue 6 p.m./BTN, OR Feb. 26 PurdueTBD/CBS/ESPN March 1at Illinois 7 p.m./ESPN (or 2) March 4at Penn StateTBD/TBD * Exhibition; ^ EA Sports Maui Invitational at Lahaina, Hawaii (field includes Chaminade, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Memphis, Michigan, Tennessee and UCLA); # at Auburn Hills, Mich. 68��� the wolverine��� ������ November 2011 nament bracket include Georgetown, Kansas and UCLA. ���It���s everywhere, whether you���re in the Preseason NIT, the Legends Classic, in the Old Spice,��� Beilein said of the competition. ���Look what we walked into in the Old Spice a couple years ago. That was difficult for us with a pretty good Creighton team, and then a Marquette team and Alabama ��� they were very good. The travel is always another challenge, but those are things that everybody does. We���re so grateful that we were invited to that, and the University of Michigan has some history there as well. ���If you perform poorly out there, it does not mean your season is going to be a disaster, because of how difficult it is. I think that if you do perform well out there, you certainly have put some things on your r��sum�� that will be helpful when it comes time in March.��� The non-conference opportunities for r��sum�� building don���t end in Hawaii, either. Michigan travels to Charlottesville, Va., on Nov. 29 to face Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Wolverines take on Oakland University at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Dec. 10, and begin Big Ten play on Dec. 29 against Penn State in Ann Arbor. It all begins to heat up in Hawaii, and Beilein noted the Wolverines have to be ready. ���It���s become very difficult with getting a schedule together the way you want it to sit,��� Beilein said. ���People are a couple of years out. The Big East is now working with the Southeast Conference. The Big 12 is working with the Pac-12. There are not those games anymore that you can just go get. ���Everybody gets their RPIs through these tournaments. We have the potential in Maui to play three extremely talented teams over three days. You do that and you do your challenge, and four of your games are high-level games you can be judged by. ���It was difficult scheduling this year, probably as challenging as we���ve ever had it. But we have some very talented teams in one stretch there.��� Wolverines Pack On Pounds For Battle Sophomore Evan Smotrycz admits he got knocked around a bit as a true freshman, despite starting 24 games, averaging 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, and getting a taste of NCAA Tournament action. So in the offseason, he pursued a plan to get bigger and better for 2011-12. He went home to Massachusetts armed with a plan from strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson. That, and some serious input from his mom, delivered Smotrycz from around 200 pounds at the end of the Duke game last March to 236 when basketball workouts began in the fall. Sophomore forward Evan Smotrycz has gone from around 200 pounds at the end of the Duke game last March to 236 pounds when basketball workouts began in the fall. Photo by per kjeldsen ���I was working out at a place near my house called Athletic Evolution,��� Smotrycz said. ���That, combined with my mom���s home cooking ��� she cooked all my favorite stuff ��� and working out six days a week all came together.��� Smotrycz noted he didn���t mind all the eating, on his way to a weight more conducive to banging with the bigger bodies in the Big Ten. ���My mom makes a great steak dinner,��� the sophomore said. ���Steak is