The Wolverine

October 2018

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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OCTOBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 9   INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan basketball made i t s o n c e - e v e r y - f o u r- years trip overseas in August, choosing Spain as the desti- nation. They had to go with- out head coach John Beilein, who is still recovering from a double bypass heart proce- dure he underwent in early August. The Wolverines had a number of great experiences overseas, including a tour of Madrid with stops at the famous bullfight arena, the Royal Palace Arena, and gar- dens and medieval castles, and they even took in a Real Madrid soccer match. They also toured Barcelona, where they'd play their last two games. The actual basketball pro- duced mixed results. The Wolverines opened with a win over the Madrid Gener- als, 82-72, before losing 81-73 to KK Mega Bemax and 85-79 to Joventut. Freshman forward Ignas Brazdeikis (the team leader in points for the three games, averaging 15.7) led the way with 17 points for the Wolverines against the Generals. Sophomore Jordan Poole scored 10 of his 12 in the first half and redshirt sophomore Charles Matthews, who otherwise struggled in turning the ball over seven times, scored 13. Redshirt sophomore Austin Davis, a bright spot on the trip, added 12 points off the bench, while true freshman Brandon Johns managed eight. Michigan trailed by as many as 16 points in the third quarter of the loss to KK Mega Bemax before rallying. Poole, picking up where Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahk- man left off last year in attacking the rim, led Michigan with 16 points, while Brazdeikis added 15. Matthews scored 12 points, junior point guard Zavier Simpson and Davis both chipped in eight, while sophomore point guard Eli Brooks and sophomore forward Isaiah Livers added seven each. Michigan saved its best game for last against the top team it would face on the trip, battling Joventut to the buzzer before falling in a hard-fought game. The Wol- verines got 15 points apiece from Livers and Brazdeikis, 14 from Matthews (all in the second half) and 12 from Da- vis in the loss. U-M only turned the ball over 11 times after coughing it up 20 and 21 times in the previous two games, show- ing much better concentra- tion. The Wolverines couldn't pull out the win, however, and finished 1-2 on the trip. Matthews was Michigan's No. 2 scorer in the three games, averaging 13 points per contest. Poole put up 11.7, Davis 10.7, Livers 8.7 and Brooks 6.7. Junior center Jon Teske added 4.3 per contest, Simpson 4.0 and Johns 2.7. Freshmen David DeJulius and Adrien Nunez played sparingly in the three games. Michigan shot 53.8 percent on two-pointers and 17.5 percent on three-pointers for a 48.2 effective field goal percentage on the week. It is, however, worth noting the team played on a 24-second shot clock compared to the 30 they'd normally play with, and the three-point line used was the international line, a foot further away from the rim than the collegiate arc. Beilein continues to rehab and is expected to take over team duties before the season. He and the 2018 NCAA finalists were honored during Michigan football's Sept. 8 win over Western Michigan, during which he received a standing ovation while waving to the crowd from the field. ❏ Inside Michigan ATHLETICS Michigan Basketball Creates Memories On Spain Trip Redshirt sophomore forward Austin Davis emerged on the Wolverines' three-game foreign tour of Spain, averaging 10.7 points per contest to rank fourth on the squad. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL

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