The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/90932
MEN'S BASKETBALL dropping off beautiful drop passes to our bigs. To be honest, I've seen more guys get dunked on in practice than I have in three years." Those plays haven't been limited to the young guys, senior forward Blake McLimans added. "The freshmen, obviously, are very athletic, but the veterans have worked hard and gotten more ath- letic, too," he said. "It's great compe- tition. The freshmen are great guys, really came in, worked hard and bought in to what Michigan is all about. They are great teammates." Michigan lost more than just two good players with the graduation of guards Zack Novak and Stu Doug- lass — the Wolverines also lost the heart and soul of the squad, a pair of leaders whose mental toughness and fortitude helped propel the Wolver- ines to their first Big Ten title since 1986. SEVERAL READY TO FILL LEADERSHIP VOID bered for infusing an attitude that rubbed off on teammates and helped will U-M to a number of clutch wins. "His presence will be felt for a long time," head coach John Beilein said. "Four years from now, people prob- ably won't know of him like they do now, but I think [freshman] Mitch McGary helps bring that in as well. "There are some guys he lived with, too, like Josh Bartelstein, Matt Vogrich, Tim Hardaway, and guys that were really close to Zack along the way. Jordan Morgan, all of our veterans … Zack was really instru- mental with everybody in everyone's life. Novak, especially, will be remem- The graduation of Zack Novak and Stu Douglass means that players such as junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (above) will need to step up as leaders for this year's team. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN "We feel the loss, but we have to get away from that at some point now. There are new people that have to step up and do that, just like Stu did. Everybody has to step up and give everything else up for the team. That's the culture, what we've been trying to create for years. Hopefully that will continue." Morgan, for one, made it a point of emphasis in the summer. He re- turned in the best shape of his life having strengthened his shooting, the one part of his game he felt needed the most work. The example he set was noticeable. "I thought the most important thing my team needed from me was 76 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2012 leadership," he said. " Through all our team workouts, we've all been working to develop strong leadership throughout our whole team. That was a big focus. We didn't lose necessarily the most talented guys in the Big Ten, but we lost two of the best leaders. We have to gain that back. "Both of those guys are just get- it-done kind of guys. It didn't really matter the situation. That's what I learned most — that no matter what happened, if Zack was feeling good or not, he'd bring everything he had and make sure he got his job done." It's up to him and the other veter- ans to make sure the freshmen get the same message. They're on their way, Morgan said. "We've got a lot of young talent. That's no secret," he said. "But they'll be of no help if they don't know the culture and the system. From day one, we've kind of taken them un- der our wing to bring them into the program." COMPETITION BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN THE BIG MEN Blake McLimans hasn't been Michi- gan's most prolific scorer in his first three years in maize and blue, nor has he been the most adept rebounder. He aimed to elevate his game in his senior year by returning in the best shape of his life and showing an ag- gressiveness big man coach Bacari Alexander had been seeking. "I was here all spring and summer working with the team, taking classes and getting to know the young guys, but the best part was working with the coaches two times a week," McLi- mans said. "That really helped. I feel I improved my strength and defense the most, but the chemistry and time on the court with our teammates was what we worked on the most. That was the most beneficial part of the summer." The program's motto — 'The Team, The Team, The Team' — might have been taken from the late Bo Schem- bechler, but McLimans said it fits per- fectly with Beilein's sixth squad. "The day they came in here, the freshmen felt like they were part of the team," McLimans said. "Every freshman is a team player. It's been great. The competition makes us work hard every day, and when we're battling every day like that, it makes the team better. You don't come in with the mindset in practice that you have to be this guy today. You're just trying to get better, make your team- mates better by working really hard." There will be plenty of minutes to go around, redshirt freshman Max Bielfeldt said. Each big man brings something different to the team, and it's helped him and the others in preparation for life in the Big Ten. "That the biggest advantage, the variety you play against in prac- tice," Bielfeldt said. "Jon Horford, Mitch McGary, Jordan Morgan, Blake McLimans and me, we're all kind of unique in our own way. To guard that, it's good. You don't just learn how to defend one kind of player for the whole season. You're facing every kind of big man." Bielfeldt is one of the most physi- cal at 6-7, but they're all getting after each other. "It's been healthy, compet- itive right now," he said. "We don't have the recklessness, and nobody is ever lethargic. Everyone just wants to win." u