The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1061540
JANUARY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 45 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players 1. Freshman forward Ignas Brazdeikis In the eight contests from Nov. 14 through Dec. 8, he aver- aged 17.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, and scored at least 17 points in six of the eight victories (including a career-high 24 in the 84-67 win over No. 11 North Carolina Nov. 28). The 6-7 forward also displayed incredible consis- tency during the stretch, playing at least 31 minutes in six of the eight games. 2. Sophomore guard Jordan Poole He was a scoring machine from Nov. 23 through Dec. 8, averaging 18.8 points in the five U-M victories, including a career-high 26 points in the 89-78 triumph over South Caro- lina Dec. 8. Poole has been especially lethal from behind the arc since the 84-61 blowout of George Washington Nov. 17, connecting on 22 of 39 three-pointers (56.4 percent). 3. Redshirt junior guard Charles Matthews Matthews experienced a bit of a roller coaster in the afore- mentioned eight-game stretch, tallying just three points at Northwestern Dec. 4 and five against Providence Nov. 18, but also pouring in a season-high 25 against George Wash- ington and 21 versus the Tar Heels. The redshirt junior averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 boards during the eight-game span, including three different out- ings of 19 or more points (at Villanova Nov. 14, George Washington and UNC). Key Play With Michigan leading Northwestern 62-60 and just 11.1 seconds remaining in the showdown in Evanston Dec. 4, the Wildcats inbounded the ball well beyond the three-point line to redshirt junior forward A.J. Turner, looking to win the game or at least send it into overtime. Turner dribbled around the top of the key before junior center Jon Teske reached in and jarred the ball loose with just 4.3 seconds remaining. The Northwestern redshirt junior was able to regain con- trol, however, and dished it to fifth-year senior guard Ryan Taylor — who was standing on the midcourt logo — with only 3.1 seconds remaining. With Matthews guarding him, Taylor pump faked and drove right past him, hurling up a potential game-winning three-point attempt well beyond the three-point arc with just one second left on the clock. The ball bounced hard off the glass and onto the rim, but had too much force on it to fall in. It then landed in the arms of a waiting Teske, allowing the Wolverines to narrowly es- cape Evanston with a two-point win, keeping their perfect record intact. Best Highlight With Michigan leading North Carolina 53-42 and just more than 14 minutes to play in the contest in Ann Arbor Nov. 28, junior point guard Zavier Simpson slowly dribbled the ball up court, being heavily guarded by Tar Heel junior guard Seventh Woods. Simpson then blew past Woods and straight into the paint, driving to the basket for a right-handed layup attempt. UNC freshman guard Rechon Black tried to block the shot just as Simpson let it go, but the ball instead hit high off the glass and down onto the rim, falling off the front iron. Matthews — who seemingly came in out of nowhere — then went airborne, grabbing the ball and throwing down a two-handed put-back slam, while being fouled by sopho- more forward Sterling Manley in the process. The Crisler Center crowd erupted, and many fans and play- ers looked around in wonderment as to why the game had been stopped, unaware the deafening roar of the crowd had completely drowned out the sound of the referees' whistles. Surprise Performer Teske gets the nod here. He needed to play a significant role as the team's primary center this season, but has ex- ceeded all expectations in the early going. From Nov. 14 through Dec. 8, Teske averaged 8.7 points and 6.8 boards per game, but it was his defensive prowess around the rim that impressed more than anything. In the Wolverines' 84-67 win over No. 11 North Carolina Nov. 28, the junior tied his career high with five blocks and has used all of his 7-1 stature to intimidate opposing offen- sive players all season long. Bold Prediction Michigan will be 17-0 heading into its showdown at Wis- consin Jan. 19. The Wolverines will conclude their non- conference slate with Western Michigan, Air Force and Bing- hamton, before resuming Big Ten action against Penn State, Indiana, at Illinois and Northwestern, respectively. The Maize and Blue will likely be favored in all seven of their contests leading up to the showdown in Madison. U-M has fared better than most teams during its last four trips to the Kohl Center (2-2 record dating back to 2013-14), but a road contest against the resurgent Badgers (8-2 record after going 15-18 last year) will be incredibly difficult. — Austin Fox Superlatives For Games From Nov. 14 Through Dec. 8 From Nov. 14 through Dec. 8, junior center Jon Teske averaged 8.7 points and 6.8 boards per game. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN