The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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men's basketball Horford's Injury Not As Bad As Onlookers Feared When 6-10, 250-pound Jon Horford crashed to the floor during Michigan's 81-66 win over West Virginia Dec. 15, more than a few Wolverines fans' hearts skipped a beat. Horford clutched his knee in obvious agony, portending another long stretch on the inactive list. As it turns out, the worst wasn't to be. Horford dislocated his left kneecap in a scramble for a loose ball at the Brooklyn Winter Hoops Festival. While he won't be suiting up again this calendar year, Horford isn't out for the long haul, either. U-M head coach John Beilein said he hopes Horford won't be kept off the floor for a two- to three-week stretch, but acknowledged he wasn't making a guarantee. While the injury was painful and untimely, the news could have been much worse. "We love Jon so much, everybody on this team," Beilein said. "He's worked so hard. He'll fight through this." Horford missed most of last season with a foot injury, but was showing signs of becoming a key front-line sub over the past couple of weeks. He averaged 8.7 minutes per game over Michigan's opening 11 contests, supplying 1.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He was tied for the team lead in blocked shots with five. "We don't know how serious it is," Beilein added, with regard to Horford, "but we don't expect him back quickly." Redshirt sophomore forward Jon Horford suffered a knee injury in U-M's win over West Virginia Dec. 15. photo by per kjeldsen Michigan Basketball Rewind: Nov. 29-Dec. 18 Overall Record: 11-0 Record Nov. 29-Dec. 18: 5-0 National Ranking: No. 2 Associated Press poll and No. 2 USA Today coaches' poll Best Win — 80-67 over Arkansas: Michigan faced perhaps its quickest, most athletic opponent of the season when the Razorbacks rolled into down Dec. 8. The Wolverines learned they could build a strong lead, let it slip away and still finish strong against a team that supplies relentless pressure. The Wolverines fashioned a 10-point halftime advantage, 42-32, after leading by as many as 13. The Razorbacks used their disruptive defense to whittle that edge down to just one, 54-53, with less than 10 minutes to play. Michigan head coach John Beilein got after his team with a passion at that point, players later noted. They responded to the challenge with their strongest close-out of the campaign thus far. An offensive put-back by redshirt junior Jordan Morgan and a three-pointer by freshman Nik Stauskas got the Wolverines turned back around, and they roared back to lead by as many as 17 down the stretch. The Wolverines got double-figure scoring from all five starters — including a game-high 17 from freshman Glenn Robinson III — on their way to remaining undefeated. Worst Loss: None. Michigan stayed unbeaten not only through this stretch, for also for the season. The Wolverines feature an unblemished record through 11 games for the first time since Michigan's national championship squad of 198889 started off the year on an 11-0 run. Breakout Performer — Nik Stauskas: Without question, Stauskas qualifies for this stretch of games as Michigan's breakout individual. He became a starter at the beginning of this five-game skein, demonstrating that he could not only provide instant offense off the bench, but that he could step into the starting lineup and do everything necessary to play at a sustained high level. Beilein noted his defense in the win over North Carolina State solidified in the coaches' minds that Stauskas was ready for even more extended action. Combine that with the rookie remaining one of the top shooters in the Big Ten and it wasn't any wonder he'd earned a pair of conference Freshman of the Week honors before Christmas. Impact Freshman — Glenn Robinson III: While Stauskas kept grabbing headlines, another freshman starter continued pounding home strong performances. Robinson led the Wolverines with 17 points against Arkansas, and has factored in as one of U-M's steadiest performers. Through 11 games, he shot 54.2 percent (45 of 83) from the floor, and 34.8 percent (8 of 23) from threepoint range. Opponents can't send him to the line late in games, either, with his 70.3 percent free throw accuracy (26 of 37). In short, the son of the Big Dog is taking a bite out of Michigan foes from the very beginning. Glenn Robinson III Game To Watch: Michigan at Northwestern, Jan. 3: The Wolverines enjoyed their unmarred cruise through the non-conference season, with all sorts of big dreams bubbling up as a result of their performances. Now, it gets serious, beginning with the Big Ten opener against Northwestern. It's not that the Wolverines shouldn't be able to handle the Wildcats, even on the road. The significance is the Big Ten opener itself, marking the start of some 10 weeks of grinding, physical, demanding challenges. Michigan emerged from that crucible a season ago as Big Ten champions. Even with an arguably better team this year, hanging a banner will represent a tougher climb. — John Borton January 2013 the wolverine 39