The Wolverine

January 2020

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1194003

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 16 of 67

JANUARY 2020 THE WOLVERINE 17   INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS David DeJulius' Emergence Has Solidified The Backcourt By Austin Fox David DeJulius played in 25 games last year as a freshman, but hit just six shots and only compiled 14 points through- out the entire season. The 6-0 guard has made an impres- sive leap as a sophomore, however, averaging 22.3 minutes and 8.0 points per outing through the first 11 games, while connecting on 39.4 percent of his attempts from deep. One of the most encouraging aspects surrounding DeJulius' second-year jump has been his ability to keep Mich- igan's offense running smoothly while spelling senior guard Zavier Simpson, a sentiment that was best exemplified in U-M's 73-64 win over then-No. 6 North Carolina Nov. 28 in the Bahamas. Simpson was limited to just 17 minutes that afternoon due to foul trouble, allowing DeJulius to rack up 11 points in 23 minutes of action while also taking care of the ball beautifully (only one turnover). Ball security has been a strength for the sophomore this season (averaging 0.8 turnovers per game and hasn't coughed it up more than twice in an outing), who — along with junior Eli Brooks — has helped solidify a guard position that had significant question marks (outside of Simpson) surrounding it entering the season. Eli Brooks' Play Has Been The Spark U-M Needed By Chris Balas Sophomore David DeJulius' emergence has been im- pressive, but Brooks' story has been the most pleasantly surprising development. The thought heading into the season was how an- other scorer needed to emerge be- yond the big three of Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske and Isaiah Livers, and most turned to true freshman Franz Wagner as the logical choice. Instead, Brooks made up for Wag- ner's absence, due to a wrist injury, in the first month by becoming one of the breakout players in the entire Big Ten. He was averaging 10.8 points per game (up from 2.5 last season) heading into the home tilt with Presbyterian Dec. 21, shooting an amazing 46.3 per- cent from three-point range in 31.4 minutes per contest, and went from a clip of 1.1 assists to 2.6 per game. Brooks' defense has improved dramatically, and he pulled down at least five rebounds in four of the last six games heading into the Presbyterian contest as well. He also had the two largest single-game point totals by a Wolverine with 24 against Appalachian State and North Carolina in big non-conference wins. He is playing with great confidence, a big reason the Wol- verines have risen up the national rankings. POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT WHICH PLAYER HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST SURPRISE ON MICHIGAN'S BASKETBALL TEAM? DEJULIUS BROOKS Women's basketball senior guard Akienreh Johnson has seen her scoring clip increase during each of her four years at Michigan, averaging 3.2 points as a freshman, 3.8 as a sophomore, 5.6 as a junior and now 11.0 as a senior (through the first 10 games of the sea- son). The Toledo, Ohio, native ranked third on the team in scoring and rebounding (5.5 per game) as of Dec. 17. Here are a few other interesting facts you may not have known about Johnson: Nickname: "AK-47." Favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor: "I'd have to go with Pizza House." Best meal she can cook by herself: "Breakfast. Anything breakfast related, like French toast, bacon and eggs." Hobbies: "It's not good, but binge- watching Netflix. Hair tutorials, too." Favorite TV show: "'Criminal Minds.'" Favorite movie: "'Shrek.' All of the Shrek [movies]." Dream vacation: "I'd love to go to the Bahamas." Favorite place she's been to: "The Virgin Islands." Favo r i t e p ro fe s s i o n a l at h l e t e : "[Golden State Warriors guard] Steph Curry." Role model: "I would have to say my dad." Sports she plays besides basketball: "I don't play any other sports currently, but have in the past. I ran track and cross country, and played volleyball in high school and middle school." Why she chose Michigan: "It was only 45 minutes away from me in Toledo, Ohio, so I'd always be able to see my family. Michigan also has the ability to get you any job in the world, and I knew I wanted to go somewhere I could be successful both academically and in basketball." What she hopes to do after basket- ball: "I really want to give back in some way, whether it's in community action, coaching or something along those lines. I'd like to give back to kids and the com- munity." Her overall experience at Michigan: "It has been life changing. I've been taught certain things that I'm only able to learn here, like life lessons that can't be taught in the classroom." — Austin Fox Johnson ranked third on the team in scoring (11.0 points per game) and rebounding (5.5) through U-M's 9-1 start. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY Getting To Know Women's Basketball Senior Guard Akienreh Johnson

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - January 2020