The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/382426
would call them) in mid-summer, but they really don't know what they have until they get into full-fledged prac- tices. Once every four years, though, pro- grams are allowed to go overseas and play exhibition games, preceded by "real" practices. If any team could have used it, this year 's Michigan team — with six f r e s h m e n v y - ing for signifi- cant playing time — might have topped the list. "We certainly benefited from those four games played in Italy," assistant coach Jeff Meyer said. "It was a great time for our program to be able to take a team like this. We needed it as much as any team we've had." They seized the day, Meyer said, and maximized what was in front of them. The team scored 93 points or more in all four games, and shot 39 percent or better from three-point range in every game but one. They finished 4-0, and though the level of competition wasn't quite as high as expected until the last game — a 96-76 win over the Mantova Stings — they took care of business. They averaged a 43.3-point margin of victory in their first three contests, led by sophomore Zak Irvin's play. The 6-6 wing aver- aged 22.3 points per game in his first three games, making 9 of 10 three- pointers in the initial two, before scor- ing 16 in the finale. In its first ex- hibition game, Michigan raced to a 13-3 lead, led by 26 at the end of the first quarter, 36 at the half and cruised to a 99-61 win over the Peru- gia All-Stars. The Wolverines im- proved to 2-0 after beating the Vi- cenza All-Stars 93- 53 on the strength of five players reaching double figures, including a 15-point, 14-re- bound effort from freshman center Ricky Doyle. Irvin then led U-M for the third straight game, tal- lying 22 points in Michigan's 116-52 win over Petarca Padova, though he hit only 2 of 6 three- pointers. He made 7 of 10 from inside the arc in showing off his new and improved off-the-bounce game. He averaged 20.8 points in the four games and made 12 of 18 three-pointers for an incredible 67 percent, and was 69 Sophomore wing Zak Irvin averaged 22.8 points per game in U-M's four contests in Italy, and he shot 67 percent on three-point- ers (12 of 18) and 69 percent from the floor overall (33 of 48). PHOTO BY TOM WYWROT/ COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION