The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1202829
FEBRUARY 2020 THE WOLVERINE 49 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players 1. Senior guard Zavier Simpson — He posted an all-around im- pressive stat line in the six games from Dec. 21-Jan. 17, averaging 13.3 points, 8.5 assists and 4.3 re- bounds per outing. Simpson was the key cog offensively down the stretch in Michigan's 84-78 dou- ble-overtime win over Purdue Jan. 9, scoring 10 of his 22 points in the two overtime sessions alone. The Lima, Ohio, native was also a consistent facilitator for his team- mates, handing out at least eight assists in five of the six tilts. 2. Senior center Jon Teske — Though his interior defensive play has slipped a bit with opposing big men often getting the better of him in league action, Teske still grabs the No. 2 spot on this list for his offensive performances. He averaged 16.0 points per contest over the aforementioned span, including a career-high 25 in the 86-60 win over UMass Lowell Dec. 29. Teske also tallied 5.8 rebounds per game over the six-showdown stretch, pulling down five or more boards in four of the six clashes. 3. Freshman guard Franz Wag- ner — His scoring output ex- ploded once conference play picked up again in January, rack- ing up 15 points vs. Purdue Jan. 9, 17 in the 75-67 loss at Minnesota Jan. 12 and 18 in the 90-83 setback at Iowa Jan. 17. Wagner also hit at least two triples in four of the six games from Dec. 21-Jan. 17, and pulled down at least four re- bounds in five of the six. The freshman's final stat line saw him average 11.1 points and 4.6 boards over the six affairs. Key Play Michigan led Purdue 71-68 in the Jan. 9 meeting at Crisler Center as Simpson brought the ball up the court with 4:14 remaining in the second overtime session, looking to make it a two-score game. He handed it off to sophomore guard David DeJulius on the left wing, who then dribbled it to the top of the key with Boilermaker sophomore guard Eric Hunter draped all over him. DeJulius whipped the ball back to Simpson on the left wing, who had been left all alone by the Purdue defense. The senior immediately fired up a three-pointer as Boilermaker junior guard Nojel Eastern came sprinting in on a last-ditch effort to block it, and both players watched as the ball splashed through the net. The bucket extended U-M's lead to 74-68, and Purdue never made the margin closer than four the rest of the way. The 84-78 triumph improved Michigan's conference record to 2-2 at the time, and helped avoid what would have been a disastrous 1-3 start to Big Ten play. Best Highlight With Michigan leading UMass Lowell 46-27 and 17:47 remaining in the second half of the Dec. 29 meeting at Crisler Center, Simpson pulled down a rebound off of a River Hawk miss and immediately looked to run. He took the ball to midcourt and rocketed a pass to Wagner just inside the three-point line, with the rest of the UMass Lowell defense lagging behind. The freshman didn't even need to take a dribble before throw- ing down a massive one-handed slam in transition, erupting the Crisler Center crowd in the pro- cess. The helper Simpson deliv- ered to Wagner was part of a 10- assist afternoon for the senior guard. Surprise Performer Redshirt junior center Austin Davis is the choice here, thanks to the way he has become an integral part of U-M's frontcourt in conference play. The Onsted, Mich., native logged at least 12 minutes in four of the six games from Dec. 21-Jan. 17, and scored at least seven points in three of those affairs. Davis has also been incredibly ef- ficient offensively, connecting on 13 of 20 shots (65.0 percent) during the aforementioned span, and consistently giving the club quality minutes off the bench any time Teske has needed a breather. Bold Prediction Michigan will post a 6-2 record over its next eight games, beginning with the Jan. 22 contest against Penn State and concluding with the Feb. 16 visit from Indiana. This may seem like a bit of a stretch when considering the Wolverines have gotten off to a poor 2-4 start to conference play, but the reason we're making this projection is because five of the eight games during the aforementioned span will be in Ann Arbor (U-M is 8-1 at home this year, with the lone loss coming at the hands of then-No. 10 Oregon Dec. 14). On top of that, Michigan's lone two road trips are to Nebraska Jan. 28 and Northwestern Feb. 12, which (as of Jan. 20) hold a combined 13-22 overall record. A neutral-site game against Rutgers at Madison Square Garden in New York Feb. 1 is also included, while Illinois (Jan. 25), Ohio State (Feb. 4) and Michi- gan State (Feb. 8) are the other three teams who will be coming to Crisler Center. — Austin Fox Superlatives For The Six Games From Dec. 21-Jan. 17 Senior center Jon Teske posted a career-high 25 points in the 86-60 win over UMass Lowell Dec. 29. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL