The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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10 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS on Michigan football in conjunction with photographer David Turnley. Michigan's present weight room consists of roughly 11,000 square feet of space, on the first floor of Schem- bechler Hall, facing the Glick Field House. Former head coach Rich Rodriguez oversaw a $1-million upgrade of the weight room upon his arrival in 2008. Former Michigan sports information director Bruce Madej has seen a host of football coaches and weight training systems come and go, all the way back to Bo Schembechler. He's never surprised any more by the ad- vancements made on all fronts. "Weight training in college athletics and overall in sports has changed so much over the last 30 years," Madej said. "I remember knowing pro athletes who didn't do any workouts during the offseason, and now it's a 24/7, 365 days working out, making sure you're in good shape. "When you're looking at recruiting and trying to make these players better, and especially with what Jim's do- ing — to prepare them here and when they graduate — it just makes sense what they're doing. This is how you play great in the fourth quarter." Madej underscored the fact that Harbaugh won't take a competitive back seat. "You take a look at what Harbaugh has done," Madej said. "Jim has an idea about almost everything that has to do with the game of football. He is not going to leave any stone unturned, and this is just another step in trying to make sure this Michigan program stays at a high level — not just for 2017, but for a long time to come." ❏ Michigan freshman point guard Xavier Simpson didn't put up gaudy numbers in his first season — 1.7 points and 1.0 assists in 9.2 minutes per game through March 12 — but he came on strong down the stretch. Simpson talks about the start to his U-M career and more in this interview: The Wolverine: You've pro- vided a spark in a number of games with your defense this year. What's been the motiva- tion on that end of the court? Simpson: "I t 's always my goal, honestly, to come into the game and try to be a lit- tle fly you can't get out of the kitchen. When [guards] Derrick [ Walton] or Muhammad [Ali Abdur-Rahkman] need a rest, me going to the point guard and moving one of those play- ers to the two, I try to guard their best guard and wear him down. "I know that's one of my big- gest skills. Something I'm ex- tremely confident in is my defense, so I try to come out and wear him down, get in a player's head and try to do anything I can so they may make a mistake from being worn down by me." The Wolverine: Shooting is one area you wanted to improve in your first season. How have your numbers been throughout the year in practice? Simpson: "My numbers have im- proved a lot. Coach [John] Beilein helped me a lot with little things on my shot. I've continued working. If I come in for one minute I may be open for a three, so I may take it and it may help our team. "I'm also developing a floater. A per- fect example is [Northwestern's Bry- ant] McIntosh. He has a great floater. I'll put it in my package and feel like it can help my game a lot." The Wolverine: Where have you made your biggest strides when it comes to learning a complex offense? Simpson: "Everything is becoming way slower. Cutting, open shots … I feel way more comfortable. I feel like I'm playing faster and my mind is moving slower, like the game is slowing down. I'm comfortable out there, so I feel like I control the game that way when I have the ball." The Wolverine: What 's it taken to get to that point? Simpson: "The reps in prac- tice and watching film of all those games I'm in play a part. All of it is important. Day in and day out watching film with Coach Beilein … in practice he is helping me read reads, learn the offense. "It makes everything slower, which is good because that puts me in position to help the team. Being more comfortable with the offense helps me be able to play more my style." The Wolverine: How much do you allow yourself to look ahead to next year when se- nior point guard Derrick Wal- ton is gone and you'll have a chance to make this your team? Simpson: "I try not to because this season is important for us. I feel like we can have a good run in the NCAA Tournament. Next season, if it comes, it comes, but I'm just going to focus on this season now. … "Coach Beilein's system is pretty tough, but once you get the hang of it you can pick your spots, which is very helpful, not just for me but for the team." — Chris Balas Simpson appeared in all 35 games this year through the Big Ten championship contest and averaged 9.2 minutes per game. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Sitting Down With Freshman Point Guard Xavier Simpson