The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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T By Chris Balas he skepticism was pervasive when both the Associated Press and the coaches ranked John Beilein's sixth Michigan basketball team in the top five of their preseason polls. Many expected the Wolverines to be good — probably even better than last year's Big Ten championship team, at least by the end of the year — but even many in U-M's own fan base wondered if the 2012-13 team was really among the nation's top five. Most aren't questioning it anymore after an 11-0 start in which the Wolverines outscored opponents by 20.5 points per game through Dec. 17. The talent is there, boasting veterans who have elevated their games and a quintet of freshmen who have exceeded expectations. Among the highlights in the undefeated start: • Point guard Trey Burke's incredible stretch. Burke earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors after a 27-point game in an 81-66 win over West Virginia Dec. 15, capping a week in which he averaged 23.5 points and notched 13 assists to one turnover. He's emerged as a favorite for the Naismith Award as college basketball's best player. Head coach John Beilein "I cannot even recall any time in the first month we had anybody misstep in terms of their attitude and giving anything but all-out. If you can just coach basketball, because everybody's on the same page as far as what it takes to win, it makes you able to move more quickly in what you're trying to do." • Freshman Nik Stauskas' threepoint shooting. Stauskas went only 2 of 7 in the West Virginia win, but he was still shooting 54.7 percent from long range as of Dec. 17. He's an elite shooter, according to everyone who has seen him, but he can also score off the bounce. • The emergence of the bigs. Redshirt junior Jordan Morgan continues 30 the wolverine January 2013 to shine on both ends of the floor, freshman Mitch McGary provides energy, rebounding and a high ceiling, and redshirt sophomore Jon Horford has been excellent defensively in his 8.7 minutes per game. Redshirt freshman Max Bielfeldt, too, is waiting in the wings — he was solid in a win at Bradley. • Backup point guard isn't a weakness. Freshman Spike Albrecht has provided 7.4 very solid minutes per C.J. Lee the same year, helped change the culture of the program, taking it to new heights. Captain Josh Bartelstein hasn't played much this year due to injury, having become more of a vocal leader. Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., meanwhile, have taken the role of leading the way on the court, much to Beilein's delight. "They set the stage," he said. "They know their minutes aren't at stake like A Giant Leap Forward Michigan Is One Of The Favorites To Win A Loaded Big Ten game, on average, and has notched only two turnovers to 12 assists. He runs the offense well, sets up teammates and is able to give Burke a much-needed break without drop-off. Talent, however, is only part of the equation. It's all held together by chemistry, and the players on the 201213 team genuinely seem to like one another. "I'm really happy with the way that everybody has cared about what we have to do as a team to be better," Beilein said in late November. "We're sharing a lot of minutes, we're doing a lot of things, practice is very demanding and they just keep going through it. "I cannot even recall any time in the first month we had anybody misstep in terms of their attitude and giving anything but all-out. If you can just coach basketball, because everybody's on the same page as far as what it takes to win, it makes you able to move more quickly in what you're trying to do." Leadership Has Been A Key It helps, though, to have leadership by example, something many close to the program would admit had been lacking in the decade during which the Wolverines failed to make the NCAA Tournament. The arrival of Zack Novak and Stu Douglass in 2008, along with the example set by former walk-ons David Merritt and other guys' minutes might be at stake, but they're the hardest two competitors we have. When they set that, it's like Zack and Stu all over again. They set that type of demeanor for every practice, and everybody else just follows along." Hardaway was averaging 15.7 points per game as of Dec. 17 and was second on the team with 5.4 rebounds per game, a point of emphasis this season. He's made a mark on each game even when he hasn't shot to his ability. The work he and Burke have put in has matched that of their predecessors, adding to the foundation of what appears to be a program on the verge of long-term success. When West Virginia took away passing lanes and made it a dribble-drive game, Beilein was extremely comfortable. Years ago, such pressure might have meant backdoor plays and a few more turnovers — this year it meant playing to one of the team's strengths. "If we're going to have to win with the guards, we'll take those two — we don't mind handling that type of defensive attack. Both Tim and Trey surprise me sometimes what they can do," Beilein said following U-M's win over the Mountaineers in New York. Sophomore point guard Trey Burke emerged as a favorite for the Naismith Award, given to the nation's best player, by averaging 18.0 points, 7.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game during U-M's 11-0 start. photo by per kjeldsen