The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/589596
MICHIGAN BASKETBALL LeVert will give rivals big problems, thanks to his diverse offensive skill set and willingness to share the ball with teammates." Lindy's, meanwhile, ranks the Wol- verines 33rd nationally, noting "luck's gotta turn sometime, right?" and fifth in the Big Ten, behind Maryland, In- diana, Purdue and Michigan State. "Back to full strength and armed with a roster forced to play through adversity, Michigan should find it- self in the Big Ten's upper crust and poised to bounce back from last sea- son's disappointments," they wrote. Lindy's lists LeVert a preseason sec- ond-team All-Big Ten selection and junior wing Zak Irvin a third-team pick. "If injuries don't strike the starters and Beilein gets the kind of improve- ment he expects from young players thrown in to the fire a year ago, the Wolverines could move from being middle of the pack also-ran to again finding a spot among the Big Ten's elite," the magazine wrote. "And with that status comes all the fun that was missed last year. This team is headed back to the tourney, the only question is, how far can it run?" Finally, Athlon has the Wolverines 23rd nationally and sixth in the Big Ten, and two-and-out in the NCAA Tournament. They list Maryland, MSU, Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin ahead of U-M. "Beilein is entering his ninth sea- son as Michigan coach," they wrote. "The goal in this campaign will be to prove that last year was a mirage in his building process, not a downturn in momentum. "While the Wolverines might not be as talented as some of Beilein's previous top-10 teams, they're prob- ably the deepest team the coach has fielded." The publication names LeVert a first-team All-Big Ten selection and junior point guard Derrick Walton Jr. a third-team pick. WOLVERINES HEALED OR HEALING HEADING INTO SEASON Michigan's two injured guards from last year, junior point Derrick Walton and senior shooting guard Caris LeVert, are back to 100 percent and healthy, head coach John Beilein said in his first press conference of the year. Both suffered foot injuries that prematurely ended their seasons a year ago. LeVert has proven to be everything expected of him as a senior leader. "He and [senior point guard] Spike [Albrecht] and everybody else sets that tone, and we just love going to practice every day," Beilein said. "The mentality is terrific. We've just got to continue to try to get better, stay united as a team, and who knows what can happen this year? "We approach the beginning of the season with great excitement. We have a team — and I mean a true team — with Caris LeVert, obviously, a spectacular talent. However, he is one of the greatest teammates you could ever have and sees his role as being a leader on this team."