The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/432566
MICHIGAN BASKETBALL "Then you look at [freshman forward] Aubrey Dawkins, who spent time in high school and ended up finishing up in the prep school experience. [Freshman for- ward] Ricky Doyle had the most sense of normalcy, in his career, and he's just a kid who is inexperienced. "When you look at this group collectively, they will take some time to get used to the intensity, the preparation, the investment that it takes to be successful at the high major level. But that was true for our previous groups, although often times there were some gifts and attributes that allowed you to overcome those learning curves. "You talk about Mitch McGary's keen sense to get a rebound, or Glenn Robinson's tremendous vertical leap, or Trey Burke's tremendous will and determination. There are always learning curves for each group." The Wolverine: How would you assess the core group of returners who are going to carry this team? Alexander: "They have a high level of ownership. Start with our captains, [junior guard] Spike Albrecht and [junior guard] Caris LeVert. Those two guys share the common story of being late additions to our roster, kind of coming out of obscurity. "Now they're on the big stage, where it's their time. They have done a great job of being a seamless conduit between the coaching staff and the locker room. That is only going to bode well for us in the future. "Then you look at [sophomore guard] Derrick Walton Jr. and [junior forward] Zak Irvin. They're doing a nice job as emerging leaders, learning what it takes to support those captains and be their sergeant-at-arms, and letting that carry over to their performance on the floor. "Not to miss out on our other two guys in [senior forward] Max Bielfeldt and [red- shirt freshman forward] Mark Donnal. Those are two players who are also providing secondary leadership to the team in the ways they can." The Wolverine: Everyone talks about the Big Ten this year in terms of Wisconsin's dominance and everyone else scrambling for position behind the Badgers. What are your thoughts on the conference challenge? Alexander: "The formula holds true, with regard to pursuing championships in the Big Ten Conference. It always starts with experience. Experience does trump all, it seems. "Having said that, you have to also consider the ability to protect home and establish an even or winning record on the road. You look from top to bottom in the Big Ten Conference in the 2014-15 season, it seems as if outside of Wisconsin, there's a lot of parity. "It's going to be very important to be able to secure wins on their home floor, steal as many wins as they can on the road. The other huge factor, with all teams, is stay healthy." — John Borton