The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2017 THE WOLVERINE 21 Redshirt sophomore forward D.J. Wilson started the cel- ebration early, waving his arms with a huge smile to encour- age the pro-Michigan contingent at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Junior guard Muhammad- Ali Abdur-Rahkman got the honor of dribbling out the final seconds of Michigan's 71-56 pounding of Wiscon- sin in the Big Ten Tournament championship game March 12, while the bench players fidgeted like eager grey- hounds waiting for the bell, ready to join their teammates for a party at midcourt. On the other end, senior Derrick Walton Jr. took a knee in a prayer of thanks before his teammates mobbed him. "God is good. I'm a firm believer," Walton said. "I just wanted to thank Him. I wanted to share that mo- ment with Him." The Tournament MVP had left no doubt winning that honor, notching 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the finale and averaging 20.5 points over four games. He hit big triples in the first half to help U-M open a 30- 20 lead and big free throws down the stretch to secure the win. "What I told them [before the game] is, 'You're going to come back 20 years from now and that trophy is going to sit there, and you're going to tell your grandkids about those five days and what happened," head coach John Beilein said. "You'll love it forever.'" As good as they were offensively, the Wolverines won the title with their defense. They shot 56 percent from the floor and made 10 of 23 triples to only 39 percent shooting for the Badgers. They communicated, switched and were physi- cal, with Wilson a surprise catalyst on the defensive end. "We changed it up in the second half," Beilein said. "D.J. said, 'I want [Ethan] Happ.'" He proceeded to smother him, holding him to 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting. The Wolverines got big triples down the stretch from se- nior Zak Irvin and redshirt junior Duncan Robinson, both contested, to keep the Badgers at bay each time they got close. Many believed Michigan would have a hard time with Wis- consin given it was their fourth tough game in four days. The improbable run started March 9 with the Wolverines playing in their practice uniforms, blue shorts and maize jerseys, due to the plane accident that stranded their gear at the airport. The Big Ten was willing to work with the team to move the game — instead Beilein decided to play it as scheduled but delayed 20 minutes, and his team proceeded to blow out Illinois, 75-55. They ran out to a 31-11 first half lead, took another step defensively, got every loose ball and with- stood a 16-3 run. When Illinois cut it to seven, U-M mounted a run of its own, taking an 11-point half- time lead and controlling the game for most of the second half. Walton scored 19, Irvin 18 and Abdur-Rahkman 17 in the win. Purdue was next, and that one was a classic. Sophomore Moritz Wagner had killed the Boilermakers just weeks ear- lier, scoring 24 points, when Boilers head coach M att Painter concentrated on Wil- son. T h i s t i m e h e t o o k h i s chances with Wilson by con- centrating on Wagner, and the redshirt sophomore fin- ished with 26 points on 11-of- 18 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds. " I wo u l d co m p a re h i m to Moe Wagner. We don't know what's going to hap- pen sometimes," Beilein said. "Throw the ball in the stands, dunk on somebody, shoot a three. Him and Moe are both excellent shooters and are now learning if you're 6-10 or 6-11, you can't make a living shooting threes." Michigan made only six of 25, in fact, but toughed out the win. They might not have had it not been for Irvin's play down the stretch, during which he made the tying basket in regulation and another huge play in overtime. Irvin would later earn Big Ten All-Tournament honors after averaging 14.8 points and 6.5 rebounds a contest. A day later, the Wolverines played through tired legs to oust Minnesota, 84-77. Wagner got Michigan started early with a number of jumpers, including two triples, but this was Walton's day. He'd been snubbed for first-team All-Big Ten honors in favor of the Gophers' Nate Mason, and he re- sponded with 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds. He clinched the game with a 10-for-10 showing from the free throw line, many of them down the stretch. Walton paused when asked if it was personal. "That's not my character, man. Whoever they picked is who they picked. It is what it is," he said. "We both have a sense of respect for one another. I think he's a great player." All that mattered, he said, was that his team was playing on Sunday … and when Sunday came, all that mattered was winning. His MVP honor was just the cherry on top. — Chris Balas Redshirt sophomore forward D.J. Wilson led U-M's Big Ten champi- onship effort on the defensive end, asking to guard Wisconsin star Ethan Happ and holding him to 14 points in the finale. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS Michigan Rides A Wave Of Emotion To The Crown