The Wolverine

December 2016

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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DECEMBER 2016 THE WOLVERINE 47   MICHIGAN BASKETBALL thing catastrophic happened in the game, we're going to have to make a decision. "He had a full workout today, had a full lifting session. We'll only use him if we think he's going to see big min- utes, because three are there [in front of him]. Going forward he would be in a different class." He made it clear Davis would factor into their plans down the road. "Austin, he catches everything. As you know, that's important for a big man," he said. "We're hoping more for the Jordan Morgan model [with him]. There's no way he has the senior year he did [without redshirting]. It all works out." MORITZ WAGNER STILL LEARNING, IMPROVING Sophomore big man Moritz Wagner started Michigan's first two games but was pulled early in the second half of Michigan's opener with Howard. It wasn't because he missed a shot as some suggested; rather, Wagner is still working on defense and rebounding, and needs to improve in both areas, head coach John Beilein said. Wagner misplayed a defensive assignment — leaving one of his players hanging out to dry — and was pulled shortly after. "The first ball screen, he did not pick it up and did not protect his guard … there was a defensive element to that," Beilein explained. "We had talked about it, and he knows better. When you do that … it's the same as when a quarterback throws an interception. His mind is on the interception. His mind is on that miss, but he's got to run over and play defense." If he's making shots but giving up baskets or putting them out of rhythm, it's not worth making the shots, Beilein continued. "From the defensive end, it's got to be enough defensive presence to make it worth it to keep him in on offense. That includes staying on the floor, out of foul trouble," he said. "And the whole European model where every- one starts as a perimeter player as you grow up, then you get to 6-10 and it's, 'Okay, big guy, go rebound' … I think he told me one time he's never been told to get to the backboard. "Now he's almost seven feet. It's a mindset of going out and rebounding and grabbing the ball with two hands, defending without fouling." Wagner scored eight points in 15 minutes against Howard, and 13 points while grabbing six rebounds in 19 minutes during the 77-65 win over IUPUI. ❏ BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK • Senior forward Zak Irvin left the IUPUI game in the second half, and head coach John Beilein acknowledged there was a physical component to that de- parture. "All of a sudden, he just felt a little tweak in his body," Beilein said. "He wanted to go and have the trainers look at it. He came back and he felt fine." • Beilein also noted Michigan's extensive work on ball screens and other offen- sive concepts over the last few weeks. He pointed out it's not automatic, in terms of younger players comprehending and putting into practice what the coaches are trying to get across. "This is a team that some of them are really slow in developing," Beilein said. "We can't say, 'Okay, they can't do it.' You've just got to keep plodding away. "D.J. [Wilson] is a perfect example. If you just stay with them and stay with them, and they get to be third-, fourth- or fifth-year players, they get to be really good." • Redshirt junior Duncan Robinson saw the court for only 12 minutes of the IUPUI contest. Robinson averaged 28.9 minutes per game last season, but Beilein noted the Wolverines were going with the hot hand. "D.J. was really playing well," Beilein noted. "If Zak [Irvin] hadn't come back, he would have played many more minutes. His role will be varied. Does he start? Does he come off the bench? I love having a gunner come off the bench. "He made some really good defensive adjustments today. He's just got to con- tinue to embrace his role and keep working on his game. I love the idea that he comes off the bench with this free rein to shoot. It was nice to see him knock in a long one today." Robinson has been struggling with his three-point shot after making 45 per- cent of his triples last year and has seen his minutes dip from 28.9 last season to 20.5 after two games this year. Robinson made two of his first five three-point attempts in wins over Howard and IUPUI to open the season, but Beilein said he'd been struggling to overcome bad habits he picked up in the summer, possibly by shooting too much. "We'll do just what we've tried to do right now with any of our guys … we tell them be a basketball player who can shoot," Beilein said Nov. 4. "Don't measure your success on whether you're shooting well or not. How can you help us in other ways? Then you won't think about it as much. "He had a tremendous practice [Nov. 3]. Sometimes they define success only in one way — was I 1 for 6, 3 for 6 … just like a baseball player or golfer, you get into these little things and let your mind get in the way. Just loosen up, play and make shots." • Michigan senior point guard Derrick Walton Jr. injured his ankle in U-M's 77- 65 win over IUPUI Nov. 13, but expected it wouldn't prevent him from playing. "It's still a little stiff, but my guys carried me," Walton said after the game. "I'm just happy I was able to be out there. [In] the next couple days I'm pretty sure I'll be back to 100 percent. "I just tried to ice it as much as possible, get the blood flowing in it. It didn't really swell up, so that was good. It was just kind of like a little bone bruise — as much as possible I'm just icing it and heating it, just making sure I'm ready to go." Wagner played an efficient 19 minutes in game two of the 2016 campaign, posting 13 points and six rebounds against IUPUI. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN

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