The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/589596
2015-16 BASKETBALL PREVIEW TOP THREE GOALS IN 2015 Michigan seemed well on its way to consistent winning seasons under head coach John Beilein, but the Wolverines took a step backward last year due to cir- cumstances primarily out of their control. U-M has reloaded and should be among the Big Ten's better teams — here's what Michigan should shoot for in 2015-16. 1. Return to the NCAA Tournament — Beilein has changed the culture so that NCAA Tournament bids are ex- pected, not coveted, but injuries and early NBA entries derailed last year's squad. On the positive side, several young players thrown into action im- proved dramatically and picked up valu- able experience along the way, including Aubrey Dawkins, Muhammad-Ali Abdur- Rahkman and Zak Irvin. U-M should be able to play through any injuries this season as a result, and a tournament bid should be a given. 2. A top three Big Ten finish — Michi- gan has won two of the last five Big Ten titles (sharing it in 2011-12, winning it outright in 2013-14) and was a few missed free throws down the stretch vs. Indiana from winning a third in 2012-13. That's an amazing accomplishment given the talent in the conference. Win- ning titles takes a bit of good fortune, but finishing in the top three all but guar- antees a high NCAA Tournament seed. 3. Protect Crisler Arena — As tough as it is to win on the road in the Big Ten, you'd better protect your home court. Michigan did that extremely well for three straight years, going 45-4 from 2011-14 before falling to 12-6 last sea- son. Not surprisingly, U-M has done very well in league play during that span. Michigan has 17 home games this year — win 15 of them and the Wolverines should be in very good shape heading into postseason play. ❏ Sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur- Rahkman is another of the Wolverines who gained valuable experience with all of last year's injuries. He should play a complimen- tary role on a postseason-bound squad this season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL