The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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46 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2018 "This Michigan team is surprising on the defensive end," McCormick said. "Over the last several years, Michigan has been known as a very efficient offensive team that can get by with some defensive inadequacies and some weakness on the glass. "I'm actually seeing really good progress in both areas so far." They're also seeing great improve- ment from the point guard position. Many assumed Ohio graduate trans- fer Jaaron Simmons would be the guy to take over the position this year, but freshman Eli Brooks (4.0 points, 1.6 assists per game) grabbed the starting job. Meanwhile, sophomore Zavier Simpson (5.0 points and 2.6 assists per game, and a team-leading 19 steals through 13 games) was playing better than all of them by mid-December. Simpson was also leading the Wol- verines in three-point percentage at 47.4, though he'd only taken 19 (and made nine). "Isn't that something?" Beilein asked after the win over Detroit. "He deserves it. He's one of those guys you worry about because he spends so much time in the gym getting extra shots up. I'm really proud of him." Simpson played 151 minutes and took only 18 shots total in his first nine games, and only six from inside the arc. He took 27 in the next four contests in only 89 minutes, 20 inside the arc, making 12 twos and five of his seven triples while providing stifling defense. He was the catalyst in the comeback win over UCLA, frustrat- ing elite point guard Aaron Holiday. But the Wolverines will go as Wag- ner goes, and he's upped his game. Matthews is the slasher U-M had been missing, averaging 14.8 points per outing in the first 13, but Wag- ner was leading the team in scoring (15.6 points) and rebounding (7.6 per game) during the 10-3 start. He also hit clutch triples down the stretch against both UCLA and Texas in leading big wins. "I want to give Moe Wagner a lot of credit, making some really big shots in those two games," McCormick said. "By him coming back to work on his craft, increasing a couple of average parts of his game, he seems like he's very confident. He's helped himself in terms of NBA scouts. "Wagner is developing into one of the most dynamic and difficult-to- cover big men in college basketball. He made big threes in Hawai'i, he made big threes the other night, he can step outside and inside equally well. He's a very good passer, and he's unselfish. "I just think he's poised for a really outstanding junior season." They'll need every bit of it. The Big Ten might be down, but there are no easy games within the conference. Rutgers took Michigan State to the wire in the early going, and Nebraska handled a Minnesota team many picked to finish second in the confer- ence. The Wolverines were starting to jell in December, and with winnable games coming up to continue Big Ten play (at Iowa and home with Il- linois in early January), they'll have a chance to build on their early season momentum. ❏ Beilein's team was getting it done on the defensive end through 13 games, ranking third in the Big Ten for points allowed per game (62.5) and defensive rebounding percentage (74.9), and fourth in steals per game (7.5). PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Beilein on the Wolverines' 10-3 start "We're probably right where we should be right now. We're probably right on schedule. I don't think we're ahead or behind on anything."