The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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10 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2022 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sitting Down With Michigan Basketball Sophomore Guard Zeb Jackson Michigan basketball guard Zeb Jack- son missed six games due to an illness after a productive summer put him in position for significant playing time. The sophomore is still working his way back, but he put up five points and five rebounds in a 102-67 win at Nebraska Dec. 7. We caught up with Jackson for this Q & A: The Wolverine: It was rumored you had mono and that kept you out. How was the recovery, and how hard was it to miss time? Zeb Jackson: "It wasn't mono. It was a sickness. I had to sit out after the sickness to make sure that I was all right. It sucked. I had to be out for a little bit. Honestly, the setback was more mental than it was physical. The physical part … I'm a hard worker, so it didn't seem so bad. But mentally, it was definitely hard. "But stuff is only good or bad if you make it good or bad. Hon- estly, everything could just be a lesson to grow. So, I just took it as a lesson to grow, making sure I was there and present every day in practice, cheering my teammates on. Whatever happens after that, for me, just happens." The Wolverine: What did you learn watching the game from the bench in your time off? Jackson: "Seeing it from a different angle, you see a lot of reads. It's like watching film, almost. When you're in the game, you see a certain thing. When you're watching it from a bird's-eye view, you see stuff a lot differently. "Being able to see the game from the bench definitely helped me a lot, especially IQ-wise. I feel like it was an opportunity for me to grow with my IQ. People like [fifth-year senior guard] Eli [Brooks] are perfect people to watch because he does everything right 99 percent of the time, if not 100 percent of the time." The Wolverine: What else did you do to get through that tough stretch? Jackson: "One thing I will say for anyone — meditation has helped me a lot, because it was definitely frustrating. But … stuff happens." The Wolverine: Who helped you get through it? Jackson: "My whole team. My whole coaching staff, each and ev- ery one of them individually. They texted me, they checked on me. They checked on me consistently, not just one time. Then a couple people outside were 'X' [Zavier Simpson] and Jordan Poole … two of my big brothers. Talking to them helped me stay mentally strong and keep working on my craft. The Wolverine: Coach Howard seems to be easing you back into action. How soon before you're able to go a full game? Jackson: "If you ask me, I'm good to go (smiles). But I appreciate [Howard's] patience. The way he's been playing me has been help- ing me slowly get comfortable with the games." — Chris Balas MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Wrestling redshirt freshman Dylan Ragusin: He used a four-point sequence in the third period to defeat Northwestern's sixth-ranked Chris Cannon, 9-5, in the 133-pound championship match at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Ragusin posted a 4-0 tournament re- cord in his debut at the annual event Dec. 3-4. The four wins raised his record to 11-2 on the season and gave him two victories over ranked opponents. Ragusin defeated Utah Valley's Haiden Drury, ranked 29th by InterMat, 4-3 in the semifinals. Women's volleyball sophomore outside hit- ter Jess Mruzik: She was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as an All-Region member, the organization an- nounced Dec. 7. The All-Region ac- colade is the first for Mruzik, who now will be considered for AVCA All- America honors. A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Mruzik led the Wolverines in points (446) and tied for the team lead in kills (389) in her second cam- paign for the Maize and Blue. The Livonia, Mich., na- tive was third on the team in both service aces (28) and digs (275) during the season, hit .243 as a pri- mary scoring option from the pin and also ranked fourth on the team in blocking with an average of 0.50 blocks per set (eight solos blocks, 42 block as- sists). The sophomore outside hitter started all 30 matches this season and played every set as a six- rotation player, posting 10 kill-dig double-doubles and leading the Wolverines in kills 13 times. Ice hockey fifth-year senior forward Michael Pastujov: He notched his first career hat trick with three consecutive goals, leading the Wolverines to a 6-2 win over then-No. 11-ranked Minnesota Dec. 4. His first goal gave the Maize and Blue a 2-1 lead late in the open- ing period, before finding the back of the next less than three minutes later and then capping off the hat trick with an early second-period goal. His trio of scores gave the Wolverines a com- manding 4-1 edge en route to the victory. Women's soccer senior defender Alia Martin: She was named a first-team All-Amer- ican by the United Soccer Coaches Dec. 2, becoming the second first- team selection in program history and ninth overall All-American. A team captain, Martin logged 1,793 minutes of match action after bat- tling early season injuries, contributing two assists while committing only four fouls from her back center position. She has also been tabbed as one of 15 semifinalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is handed out annually to the nation's top player. — Clayton Sayfie Jackson missed six games due to an illness after a pro- ductive summer put him in position for significant playing time. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL