The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/111015
������ men���s basketball What will a week off between the Penn State and Illinois games mean, following a very tough stretch? Stauskas: ���Oh, it���s going to be good. We���re going to get a chance to rest a little bit, but at the same time we���re going to get the chance to go back and really practice some things, without always preparing for another team. This week will be good, just for getting back to our core values on defense and getting some rest as well.��� Can this team retain its confidence and still win the Big Ten? Stauskas: ���Without a doubt. Obviously, we Stauskas had connected on 47.0 can���t make any excuses, but we lose on a half- percent of his shots from beyond court shot against Wisconsin that produces the arc and averaged 12.2 points overtime. We���ve had some tough losses this per game through Feb. 18. photo by Per Kjeldsen year, but no one shot or one game is going to get our confidence down. We���re still going to keep working hard.��� How have Michigan���s recent practices been, following some of those disappointing setbacks? Stauskas: ���It���s been a lot more intense. We had a few days just to practice, go back to what we were doing at the beginning of the season, work on our defense and physicality and rebounding. This last week was definitely a lot of hard practices, and I���m sure this week is going to be the same thing. ���Most of our struggles are coming from just not being physical. We got punked a little bit against Michigan State. I think they got 14 offensive rebounds. There were nearly 20 points off those offensive rebounds. Just being physical is what has hurt us.��� You���ve made a lot of three-pointers and have increasingly driven to the basket this year. Is there a mid-range game waiting to be unleashed? Stauskas: ���My mid-range game is something I haven���t used a lot this year. Going into the summer, that���s one goal I���ve definitely made to improve on. I understand that at this point, it���s really difficult to get all the way to the basket all the time. ���I know they are going to have seven-footers down there. I know they���re going to have guys taking charges. This summer, I definitely want to work on making that 15-footer automatic, or floaters automatic. It���s definitely something I���m going to work on. ���I don���t think I���m going to go home at all. I���m going to stay here, get in the weight room and work on my game.��� ��� John Borton