The Wolverine

November 2018

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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NOVEMBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 47 2018-19 BASKETBALL PREVIEW They're not going to be the 10th or 11th team in the league like some of you predict. They're really good. "It's going to be a dogfight all year long. The league is as balanced as it's ever been, maybe more than it's ever been." This year 's team is going to take some tweaking to compete. They lost much of their three-point production in Moe Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Ab- dur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson, and will once again rely on defense to carry them early. "It's more than just the players; it's the style we can play with those guys," Beilein said. "Muhammad had 135 assists and 35 turnovers, led the country in that category. Not having a shooting big [in Wagner] make 63 threes changes everything. Duncan Robinson allowed us to play four on four. "It's not just the style we have to play, but we have to adapt again … and we had to adapt last year mid- way through the season to some things." But that's one of the things he loves most about coaching college basket- ball, he added. "It's embracing change and trying to change a team both offensively and defensively to what can work," the veteran mentor said. "I think we have a chance to be a good defensive team again, but offensively we're a work in progress. It evolves. We could see it more this year, and I hope we're right. With the four hours we could work with kids in the summer, you could see some things. Now, after the 10 days of practice you see, 'Okay, we're going to be able to do this, but how are we going to create points?' "… You're a hell of a coach if you're top five in both, top 10 in both [offen- sive and defensive efficiency]. I said [last year], 'It's okay. There are a lot of ways to win.' If we're going to slip to [being ranked] 30-50 in offense, we can't be 100 in defense. We're not go- ing to have a very good year. We were able to flip those." The goal this year will be to find the balance between the two that allows his team to contend once again. — Chris Balas DEANDRE HAYNES REVEALS STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES OF 2018-19 U-M CLUB Assistant coach DeAndre Haynes' first season in Ann Arbor last year couldn't have gone much better. The 34-year-old was hired away from Illinois State by U-M head man John Beilein prior to the campaign, and proceeded to play a significant role in leading the Wolverines all the way to the national championship game, where they fell to Villanova. Haynes spoke about the magical run Oct. 4 on Bill Simonson's The Huge Show. "My family and I still talk about it, because it was a dream come true," he exclaimed. "I always told myself I always wanted to get the NCAA Tournament as a player, and then ad- vance to the national championship as a coach. "A lot of my former coaches called and told me how blessed I was when we finally made it there. Hearing them say that was special for me, and so was touching that floor [in San Antonio at the Final Four]. "My favorite memory of the whole thing was after we beat Florida State in the Elite Eight, and Coach Beilein had all the families come together and sing the fight song. It was all of us, our kids and our wives up on a stage singing as one." Haynes admitted the resilience of last year's club was what stood out to him most, especially early in the year when one of the key Wolverines went down with injury. "I just remember how they never gave up," the assistant recalled. "Even when Moe [Wagner] went down with his ankle injury, [then- sophomore center] Jon Teske came in and had an incredible stretch of four or five games where we didn't miss a beat. "Coach Beilein kept everyone on the same page and we all stuck to- gether." The Wolverines will have a bit of a different look in 2018-19, with Wag- ner, guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur- Rahkman and forward Duncan Rob- inson all having departed Ann Arbor. Although the trio will certainly be missed, Haynes likes the group he has. "[Redshirt junior guard Charles] Matthews, [junior point guard Za- vier] Simpson and Teske learned so much from Moe, Muhammad, Dun- can and [guard] Jaaron [Simmons]," he said. "Making plays for others is Sophomore forward Isaiah Livers is one of several young players that will be counted on to up his production following the loss of three key players from last year's squad. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 2018-19 MICHIGAN MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Nov. 2 Northwood (BTN+)^ 7:00 p.m. Nov. 6 Norfolk State (BTN)* 8:30 p.m. Nov. 10 Holy Cross (BTN+)* 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at Villanova (FS1)$ 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17 George Washington (ESPN3)# Noon Nov. 18 Providence/South Carolina# (ESPN/ESPN2) TBA Nov. 23 Chattanooga (BTN) 4:00 p.m. Nov. 28 North Carolina (ESPN)& 9:00 p.m. Dec. 1 Purdue (ESPN)! 3:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Northwestern (BTN)! 9:00 p.m. Dec. 8 South Carolina (FS1) Noon Dec. 15 W. Michigan (BTN) 2:00 p.m. Dec. 22 Air Force (BTN) 4:00 p.m. Dec. 30 Binghamton (BTN) Noon Jan. 3 Penn State (ESPN/ESPN2)! 7:00 p.m. Jan. 6 Indiana (CBS)! 1:30 or 4:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at Illinois (FS1)! 8:00 p.m. Jan. 13 Northwestern (BTN)! 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Wisconsin (ESPN/ESPN2)! Noon Jan. 22 Minnesota (BTN)! 7:00 p.m. Jan. 25 at Indiana (FS1)! 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29 Ohio State (ESPN/ESPN2)! 9:00 p.m. Feb. 1 at Iowa (FS1)! 7:00 p.m. Feb. 5 at Rutgers (BTN)! 8:00 p.m. Feb. 9 Wisconsin (FOX)! Noon Feb. 12 at Penn State (BTN)! 8:30 p.m. Feb. 16 Maryland (FOX)! Noon Feb. 21 at Minnesota (ESPN/ESPN2)! 7:00 p.m. Feb. 24 Michigan State (CBS)! 3:45 p.m. Feb. 28 Nebraska (ESPN/ESPN2)! 7:00 p.m. March 3 at Maryland (CBS)! 3:45 p.m. March 9 at Michigan State (ESPN/ESPN2)! TBA March 13-17 Big Ten Tournament (at Chicago, Ill.) March 19-April 8 NCAA Tournament (at various sites) ^ — Exhibition; * — Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Tipoff Tournament, Campus Round; $ — Gavitt Tipoff Games; # — Naismith Memorial Basket- ball Hall Of Fame Tipoff Tournament in Uncasville, Conn.; & — ACC/Big Ten Challenge; ! — Big Ten Game

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