The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/653976
MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Sitting Down With Redshirt Sophomore Wing Duncan Robinson Michigan redshirt sophomore wing Duncan Robinson has had his highs and lows playing his first year of Division I basketball, but he wouldn't trade it for anything. He sat down for a Q&A prior to the Wolverines' first NCAA Tournament game March 16: The Wolverine: Assess the regular season and how you felt you did as a team. Robinson: "I thought we had a lot of ups and downs this year — a lot of great moments, a lot of disappointing moments for us as a team. We're just excited to have one more opportunity [in the NCAA Tournament]." The Wolverine: How about personally? Was it everything you expected it to be? Robinson: "It's been an incredible experience across the board, start with Breakout Performer — Sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rah- kman: Even when the Wolverines struggled down the stretch, it seemed Abdur-Rahkman shined. He never backed down to Purdue's massive lineup all season, scoring 25 at Mackey Arena and following that up with a team-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting in U-M's Big Ten Tournament ouster versus the Boilermakers. Others rightfully grabbed headlines the game before, when Michigan stunned Big Ten champion Indiana on Chatman's last-second shot. But Abdur-Rahkman kept the Wolverines in it throughout, scoring 15 in that game — including a pair of early three-point shots. Over Michigan's five games leading up to the NCAA Tournament, Abdur- Rahkman was the Wolverines' second leading scorer (11.2 points per contest) and third leading rebounder (4.4 caroms per contest). He stepped up admirably when it was clear LeVert wasn't coming back. Freshman Impact — Forward Moritz Wagner: Wagner raised his game against Indiana and played perhaps his best all season, given the setting and the opponent. He made all three of his shots, including a surprise three-pointer, to score nine points with two rebounds against the Hoosiers. The rookie still needs to learn to play defense without fouling excessively at this level, and he continues to hone his game. But he's showing flashes that provide plenty of en- couragement about what a strong offseason might do for the German import. — John Borton