The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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12 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2023 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FANTILLI, BRINDLEY PROJECTED AS FIRST-ROUND NHL DRAFT PICKS Michigan hockey was loaded with plenty of pro talent on its roster during its run to the Frozen Four this past spring, a fact that will be reflected once again in the NHL Draft, which is set for June 28-29 from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. U-M center Adam Fantilli headlines the top-32 (first round) list of projections from Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, coming in at No. 2 overall behind Canadian junior phenom Connor Bedard. Bedard and Fantilli are expected to be the top two selec- tions in the draft, with the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks holding those selections, respectively. "Fantilli is no consolation prize," Wheeler said about the 2023 Hobey Baker winner, who led college hockey with 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 36 games last season. "He's a big, strong, powerful center who takes pucks from the wall to the interior with force, ease and speed — the kind of player every team covets. He can beat you along the wall on the cycle. He can beat you carrying the puck in rotations around the perimeter of the offensive zone. He can beat you by pushing through lanes to the middle third, driving the net, or dropping a shoulder to take space that isn't there. He can beat you flying out wide. "He has regularly blown me away in viewings these last couple of years," Wheeler said, noting he had seen Fantilli at Hockey Canada's showcase two summers ago, in games where he looked like a man among boys in the USHL and again at various points throughout his historic freshman year at Michigan. Fellow U-M freshman forward Gavin Brindley — who had 12 goals and 26 assists in 2022-23 — was named the No. 24 overall prospect by Wheeler, who cited his skating as the skill that he can hang his hat on at the next level. "One of three players on this list playing college hockey this season, it felt like Brindley got better with every game at the University of Michigan, to the point where he went from comfortable to impactful every single night, including at center and on the wing — I think he'll be a winger at the next level though," Wheeler said. "Brindley's a plus-level skater who gets through his extensions quickly, including from a standstill, excels on his edges, rounds corners sharply and darts around the ice, hunting pucks and pushing through holes." — Anthony Broome MEN'S HOOPS SCHEDULE COMES INTO FOCUS FOR 2023-24 The roster is still being worked out for the Michigan men's basketball team heading into next season, but the nonconference schedule is starting to come together. The Wolverines have set games with St. John's and Oregon for the 2023-24 slate, according to media reports. The showdown with St. John's and its new head coach Rick Pitino will take place on Nov. 13 at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of the annual Gavitt Games featuring matchups between the Big Ten and the Big East, per a report from insider Rocco Miller. CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reports that U-M will head to Oregon on Dec. 2, closing out a home-and-home series that had been lingering since 2019. The Ducks came to Ann Arbor during the 2019-20 season and defeated the Wolverines 71-70. Other previously reported dates include a Nov. 10 game against Youngstown State at home and the Jumpman Invitational vs. Florida at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., in December. The Wolverines will also take part in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas with North Carolina, Villanova, Arkansas, Memphis, Texas Tech, Stanford and Northern Iowa also in the field. The Big Ten also announced the conference draw that Michigan will have next season. Split-location games include Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers. The Wolverines will play single games at home against Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin while traveling to Maryland, Northwestern and Penn State for road contests. Dates and times for the conference slate will be determined at a later date. — Anthony Broome MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK Adam Fantilli, shown throwing out the first pitch at a Detroit Tigers game this spring after winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, is projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in the NHL Draft on June 28. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY