The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Head coach John Beilein noted that while Stauskas began the season on the bench, his ability to get to the basket and his strong play on the defensive end helped elevate him into U-M's starting lineup. photo by per kjeldsen literally no one knew about me. At The rookie nailed 78, a preseason a great job in the offense and underthat point, I was doing the kinds of precursor to getting named Big Ten standing what we do." things I'm doing out there — I was Freshman of the Week twice before the Stauskas shrugged away his offshooting really well. season even reached mid-December. the-bench role early, noting he still "We'd go to AAU tournaments, Stauskas didn't begin the season got to contribute plenty. He takes and I'd be scoring 30, 35. It almost as a starter, but it didn't take long. pride in his all-around game, includfelt like no one would ever notice His abilities, regarding both shooting ing the ability to put the ball on the me at all. We'd see the HoopMix and in other aspects, were simply too floor, take it to the hole, pass effectapes, and thought, why not make a strong to ignore. tively and step up on defense. YouTube channel, uploading He also waves off the notion Teammate Glenn Robinson III on Stauskas that there's a shock factor on highlights? "We'd be bored in the sum- "He's not scared to take any shot, and he every long-range miss. mertime, and say, let's go out"Only free throws," he causide and try to beat a record. makes them. He's doing a great job in the tioned, with a smile. "When We would go from there, go offense and understanding what we do." I missed two free throws out and try all kinds of crazy against Western [Michigan], I stuff. We'd bring the camera out and "Two things," Beilein noted, in aswas upset. I miss threes all the time. have it on a little stand. He would sessing Stauskas' rapid move into I'm just upset when I release it, and it rebound for me, and I'd just shoot." the starting lineup. "He could really feels good and looks good, and then And shoot. And shoot. And shoot get to the basket and see out of a ball it misses. Then I'm shocked, a little some more. screen. We were looking for more bit, but I know sometimes I'm going Bomb after bomb rained down, than just a shooter there. to miss. stirring more net than an armada of "Second, in the North Carolina "At the end of the day, a jump shot commercial fishermen. Hundreds State game, he guarded [Scott] Wood, is a jump shot. Of course, at this level, upon hundreds of Stauskas threes who is a tremendous shooter, and people are going to be running at you showed up on the Internet video didn't lose him. He really did a great a little bit faster, and people are going site, revealing an accuracy that made job against him and was understandto clue into you a little bit more. It's some conclude the videos had to be ing defense probably above his years, going to be tougher in that aspect. doctored. and probably above what he's done "I figure as long as I can get a good Then Stauskas started setting the before." look at the basket and have just a nylon ablaze in person, removing all "He's just playing really aggreslittle bit of time to get it off, it's the doubt. He set the Michigan record for sive, and doing what he needs to same thing for me." Beilein's 50-in-5 drill, in which playdo on the defensive end," Robinson If it's anything like it has been, this ers attempt to make 50 three-pointers added. "He's not scared to take any shooting star is only beginning to in a five-minute span. shot, and he makes them. He's doing ascend. ❑ January 2013 the wolverine 37