The Wolverine

December 2011

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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MICHIGAN BASKETBALL ing 62.6. At the other end of the spec- trum was No. 2-ranked Ohio State, averaging a hefty 85.1 points per game. Meanwhile, the Wolverines' op- ponents scored an average of 58.7 points per contest. That was good for fifth in the league, behind Wis- consin (39.2), Michigan State (54.0), Illinois (54.9) and Ohio State (55.9). Iowa was trailing the pack defen- sively, surrendering 69.9 points per game on average. Those two categories left the Bad- gers leading the Big Ten in scoring margin, winning games by an eye- popping average of 33.8 points per contest. Ohio State (29.3) and Indiana (24.2) followed, while Michigan was eighth in the Big Ten (8.0). Only Penn State featured a negative through its first seven games, at a minus-0.1. Michigan has been one of the Big Ten leaders in free throw shooting in recent years, but the 2011-12 squad is off to a slow start in that area. U-M stood 10th in the conference nearing the end of the first month of play, connecting on 63.7 percent at the line. Only Wisconsin (62.1) and Penn State (58.3) were worse in the early going. Illinois (77.5) led the league. The Wolverines stood fifth in the Big Ten in shooting, connecting on 48.3 percent over their first seven games. Indiana (53.2) led the league, followed by Ohio State (52.6), Wis- consin (49.4) and Minnesota (48.6). Penn State shot a miserable 37.5 per- cent at the line in its opening seven games, dropping to the bottom of the barrel. U-M has seen some hot teams, most notably Duke, and that in part has led to a No. 9 standing in field goal defense (41.3 percent). Only the foes of Northwestern (42.0), Minne- sota (43.6) and Iowa (47.4) shot bet- ter, while Wisconsin (30.5) led the league in locking people down. The Badgers also connected on the three-ball at a higher clip than any- one in the conference, shooting 47.2 percent from beyond the arc. Michi- gan was in the middle of the pack at 34.7, while Michigan State (23.8) stood 12th in long-range shooting ability. Wisconsin made it a clean sweep in terms of play around the arc, topping the Big Ten in three-point field goal defense. Badgers foes hit just 22.9 percent through six games. Michigan Michigan Basketball Rewind: November Record: 5-2 National Ranking: No. 14, Associated Press, No. 15, ESPN/ USA Today Coaches Poll Best Win — 73-61 over Memphis: U-M fans looked at Michigan's opening game of the Hawaii portion of the Maui Invitational with some trepi- dation, following uneven of- fensive efforts at home leading up to the trip. The Wolverines went full throttle against the No. 8 Tigers, building a 37-31 halftime lead and never letting up in posting an impressive victory over a team that fea- tured a host of starters back from a 25-10 team that made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament last spring. Sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way for the Wolverines with 21 points, while freshman point guard Trey Burke tossed in 14, to go along with four assists. Michigan also played lockdown defense, limiting Memphis to 33.3 percent (19 of 57) shooting. Worst Loss — 70-58 to Vir- ginia: It's not easy to go on the road and win in the Big Ten/ ACC Challenge, and even tougher when you're fresh (or not so fresh) off three games in three days Thanksgiving week in Maui. Whether fatigue played a factor in this one, the road venue and Virginia's effort certainly did. Michigan built a five-point lead at the 13:41 mark of the second half, but the During Michigan's 5-2 start, sophomore guard Tim Hardaway Jr. was the Wolverines' leading scorer with a 15.4-point average and was second on the team with 20 assists. PHOTO COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION Cavaliers turned it up in a 19-2 run that put the game away. Sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. scored just five points, while U-M's foul trouble and struggles to make shots at crucial times (such as during a 15-0 Virginia skein) doomed the Wolverines. MVP — Tim Hardaway Jr.: This one goes to the sophomore, despite his off game at Virginia and slow start in the loss to Duke (scoreless first half, followed by a 19-point second half). Hardaway has emerged as Michigan's greatest scor- ing threat, leading the Wolverines with a 15.4-point average over the opening seven games. He was also second on the team with 20 assists, demonstrating unselfishness that — combined with his greater ball-handling responsibilities — will allow others to score as well. Impact Freshman — Trey Burke: Michigan needed a point guard, and it has one. Burke is not only the best rookie, he's among the Wolverines' greatest con- tributors, period, in the early going. Through Michigan's opening seven games, Burke was second on the team in scoring (11.0), its assists leader (29), and had garnered the third-most minutes (31.6, on average) of anyone on the roster. He has much to learn, but it's obvious he'll have the chance to do so on the court. He's got much to offer as well, and his presence has been felt. Game To Watch — Oakland University at The Palace, Dec. 10: Greg Kampe's team just knocked off Tennessee, and lured the Wolverines away from Crisler Arena for this one. The Golden Grizzlies could be Michigan's only remaining stumbling block for a 10-win non-conference campaign. — John Borton DECEMBER 2011 THE WOLVERINE 59

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