The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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12 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2023 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS THREE FORMER U-M WRESTLERS EARN MEDALS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Three Michigan wrestling alumni made their pres- ence felt at the 2023 Senior World Championships held Sept. 16-24 in Belgrade, Serbia, each capturing a medal for a different nation. Stevan Mićić, a three-time All-American at Michigan (2017-19), was perhaps the biggest surprise story of the tournament. He won the gold medal at 57kg/125 pounds while competing for Serbia. Mićić stunned Zaur Uguev (a Russian wrestling as an individual neutral athlete), the returning Olympic champion (and former world champion in 2018-19), by a 9-7 score in the quarterfinals. In his next match, the semifinals, he took out defending world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania 6-2. In the championship Sept. 18 against Japan's Rei Higuchi, Mićić won 7-4 and completed his personal gauntlet of former world champions. Higuchi was the gold medalist at 61kg a year ago. Mason Parris, the 2023 NCAA heavyweight cham- pion and Hodge Trophy winner (best collegiate wrestler nationally) represented the United States at 125kg/275 pounds. As the No. 2 U.S. heavyweight, Parris earned the opportunity to compete when U.S. champion Gable Steveson withdrew from the team 10 days prior to the event. All Parris did from there was to go 4-1 in the tournament and capture the bronze medal Sept. 17 with a 12-2 decision over Abdulla Kurbanov (another Russian wrestling as an individual neutral athlete). His only loss came in the semifinals, an 8-6 comeback win for Geno Petriashvili of Georgia, a two-time Olympic medalist and three-time world champion. Parris' former U-M teammate Myles Amine also won a bronze medal while competing for San Marino, a small republic located within Italy. Amine, a five- time All-American (2017-19, '21-22) at Michigan, defeated Javrail Shapiev from Uzbekistan 8-5 in the 86kg/190-pound weight class to earn his spot on the podium at the Senior World Championships. Mićić and Amine both qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics — and their second straight Olympic Games — with their performances, while Parris also qualified in the weight class for the United States and earned an automatic berth to the championship finals at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials next April. NEXT ROUND OF FACILITY UPGRADES REVEALED FOR FOOTBALL, HOOPS U-M football has gotten some notable facility upgrades in recent years, head- lined by the new video boards and sound system at the Big House for 2023. The improvements are not over yet, either. According to Brian Kegler, executive associate athletic director for development at the University of Michigan, more work is on the way after the 2023 season. The headlining project is a new locker room for the football team at Schem- bechler Hall, as well as renovations to both basketball facilities at Crisler Center. "Moving forward, in terms of facility work, we will be doing a renovation of the football locker room", Kegler said on the most recent edition of the "Conqu'ring Heroes" podcast with Jon Jansen. "Probably after the season we'll get moving on that — that's a $14 million project. "In addition, the men's and women's basketball locker rooms, and renovation will start after the season for those respective sports. And each one has not had any real attention to it in at least a decade. As you know, that's something that you continue to have to pay attention to, and refurbish, and keep it up to the caliber you would expect to see at Michigan." U-M Athletics recently wrapped fan experience upgrades to Michigan Stadium, the Crisler Center pro- duction studio and new scoreboards for soccer, field hockey, baseball and softball, and Cliff Keen Arena, projected around $41 million. M DEN UNVEILS 2023 FOOTBALL TRADING CARDS The M Den recently announced the release of 2023 trading cards for Michigan football in its latest venture into the NIL space and partnerships with players. Each pack contains nine unique trading cards and one additional insert specialty card ranging from a premium foil signature card, helmet sticker cards cel- ebrating iconic victories or a Michigan legend card. According to M Den and Valiant Management Group, each pack sold goes toward direct financial support of NIL efforts with the football program. The officially licensed card packs retail for $19.99 apiece with $5 of each pack going directly to the fund. Valiant and The M Den teamed up for the project last year with cards featuring the entire 2022 squad. The M Den's efforts in NIL go back to the 2021 season after NIL rules were changed by the NCAA. The apparel store and Valiant coordinated to release player jerseys and other items that profited the players. Valiant also started the Champions Circle collective, which was recently endorsed by athletics director Warde Manuel and head football coach Jim Har- baugh. It also became the first NIL group to officially partner with U-M Athletics. The trading cards are available at all locations of The M Den and its website. ON3 NAMES MEN'S BASKETBALL'S BEST FIVE SINCE 2000 Michigan men's hoops has had its share of highs and lows over the last two-plus decades, but it has also had numerous players selected in the NBA Draft and made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances with a pair of Final Fours and national runner-up seasons in 2013 and 2018. On3's national basketball recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw put together a "superteam" of Wolverine stars since the year 2000, headed by 2013 As- sociated Press National Player of the Year point guard Trey Burke (2011-13). "Since the turn of the century, Michigan basketball has been up and down. In that, they have accumulated 490 wins while making 11 NCAA Tournaments and two Final Four appearances. They have also finished below 20 wins 11 times, with seven seasons below .500. Since 2000, the highs have been high for Michigan, but there have been some lows as well. "With that, they have also had 20 players taken in the NBA Draft. There has been no shortage of talent on campus in Ann Arbor." Alongside Burke in Shaw's backcourt were Tim Hardaway Jr. (2010-13) and Nik Stauskas (2012-14). Michigan's frontcourt selections included forward Franz Wagner (2019-21) over his brother Moritz Wagner. The starting center nod went to Hunter Dickinson (2020-23), who transferred to Kansas this offseason. Point guard Zavier Simpson (2016-20) received the sixth man designation while the rest of the bench included: G Daniel Horton ('02-06), G Derrick Walton Jr. ('13-17), G Bernard Robinson Jr. ('00-04), G Jamal Crawford ('99- 00), G Manny Harris ('07-10), C Moritz Wagner ('15-17), C Jon Teske ('16-20), F LaVell Blanchard ('99-03), F DeShawn Sims ('06-10), F Ignas Brazdeikis ('18- 19), F Glenn Robinson III ('12-14), G/F Zak Irvin ('13-14), F Duncan Robinson ('15-18), F Isaiah Livers ('17-21) and G Jordan Poole ('17-19). — Anthony Broome MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK Michigan wrestling alum Stevan Micic won the gold medal at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Sept. 18 while wrestling for host nation Serbia. He defeated three former world champions to capture the title at 57kg/125 pounds. GRAPHIC COURTESY MICHIGAN WRESTLING ´ ´