The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/50790
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Michigan State forward Draymond Green. The 6-7, 230-pound Green isn't the most gifted athlete in the Big Ten, but he is the glue on an MSU team that had won nine straight as of Dec. 19. He led the Big Ten in rebound- ing (9.7 boards per game) and was eighth in scoring (15.9 points per contest) in addition to ranking top 15 in steals, assists and free throw percentage. Green's 34-point outburst in a 74- 67 win at Gonzaga Dec. 10 was one of the league's most impressive show- ings in the early going. He made 11 of 13 shots from the floor in that game and was 8 of 9 from the line. "I just see more in his comfort level in telling people what to do," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said after the win. "There were times on the court when he was directing things." BEST FRESHMAN Michigan's Trey Burke and Indiana's Cody Zeller (tie). U-M's point guard and IU's center had combined to win every Big Ten Freshman of the Week Award as of Dec. 19, with Burke earning two and Zeller four. Burke was averaging 13.1 points and 4.7 as- sists (fourth in the Big Ten) as of Dec. 19, while Zeller was putting up 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game (No. 3 in the conference). "He has performed what I say is atypical of most freshmen," Beilein said of Burke Dec. 12. "It's unusual to have a void at a starting position like we had at a point guard, so he was able to come in and work pretty hard in the preseason — he earned it, no question about it — but for him to be playing 30-35 minutes a game and still playing at a high level all 30-35 says a lot about his personality, his desire to win and be a good player." Zeller, meanwhile, could be look- ing at a short stint in college if he continues to dominate in the post like he has during the Hoosiers' non- conference slate. "He's been better than anybody re- ally expected," Inside Indiana's Mike Pegram said. "But I think there was an expectation the team would be vastly improved if only because they now have a post presence. As good as he is, they didn't have anybody at all before him. He's balanced the floor, making Indiana much harder to guard with their good shooters." Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger (shown playing versus U-M last season) is one of the nation's best players, but back and foot problems have made his health a question mark. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN BIGGEST QUESTION MARK Jared Sullinger's health. Back prob- lems plagued Ohio State's 6-8 All-Big Ten center for two weeks in early December, while a reported bruised foot sidelined him for part of OSU's 74-66 win at South Carolina Dec. 17. "We're just fortunate there wasn't any kind of break in there," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said af- ter the win. "He thinks he'll be fine." Buckeyes fans had better hope he'll be. Ohio State is a heavy favorite to win the conference with Sullinger, but his absence opens the door for others if he continues to struggle with health-related issues. BIGGEST SURPRISE TEAM Indiana. The Hoosiers knocked off No. 1 Kentucky in December with a three-pointer at the buzzer, raced to a 10-0 record facing two more easy ones (Howard and UMBC) before the Big Ten opener at Michigan State, and have cracked the top 20. It had been nine years since the Hoosiers beat a No. 1-ranked team. "Defensively they still have some weak spots, but they have improved, so it's not the weakness it was last year," Pegram said. "Last year they were fouling all the time, particu- larly [center] Tom Pritchard in the middle." That's given way to Zeller, who is in the Big Ten's top five in blocked shots. The Hoosiers move the ball ex- tremely well on offense, Pegram said, and have a chance to finish in the top three in conference play. "They may not have enough talent to compete with Ohio State for the ti- tle and Wisconsin looks pretty tough, but for third place, I think right now they look as good as anybody," he added. "They could improve enough to pass Purdue, and Michigan and Michigan State should be there. But there are plenty of wins to be had where IU could finish better than .500 in the conference." The three-point shooting is the best in the country, with guard Jordan Hulls eclipsing 50 percent (55.6). The Hoosiers shot 34.62 percent behind the arc a year ago, but were No. 1 in the nation at 45.7 percent as of Dec. 19. ❏ JANUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 33