The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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big men scramble. He cut loose with a primal scream following one dunk, demonstrating an enthusiasm as deep as his 7-2 wingspan is wide. "It was a pretty big deal for us," Doyle admitted. "It's representing the Michigan pride. We don't want to let a team come in here and beat us on our home court. Do what the teams did before us, and keep on that legacy. Make a name for Squad 99, win at home, win as many games as possible." Doing what recent teams have done marks a tall order, taller than what any preseason prognosticators foresaw. That's because Michigan's roster hasn't a single senior, and more rookies than experienced per- formers. That's where players such as Doyle come in. Beilein knows he's got to count on newcomers, perhaps more than he'd like. He and his coaches are pushing to ensure they're ready to meet the tests. The challenges themselves are coming fast and furious. Oregon, Vil- lanova, Syracuse, Arizona … they're lining up like midterm exams in a season that isn't close to the midway point. For Doyle, that means head-to- head matchups with players such as Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas, a 6-9, 250-pound revved-up Grinch for any defender. "It's a huge jump," Doyle said, regarding the competition. "I never played AAU, and just played in high school. Yeah, I played against some bigger guys, but not big guys like this, like with Villanova and Syracuse. "Just guarding Christmas … he had a really quick first step. I wasn't used to guarding that. I've not faced an athletic big guy like that before. It's hard to simulate that even here, in our practices. Just the quick step he had was very impressive." Beilein hopes the rookies can learn and get better while still winning basketball games. They're already gaining a deeper appreciation for the sport at this level, he pointed out. Doyle has been put to the test be- fore, Beilein noted … but not like this. "He's always played hard, but most young players don't under- stand playing hard until they get to this level," the head coach offered. "The game is slowing down for him. All the calls, all the things we do. It's tough for a freshman to grasp it all and still have timing. Now, that's all sort of coming together." Doyle concurs on both takes. He's always been a worker, but this is a new country, even for someone who has traversed a few. Richard Doyle Jr. finished up his college basketball career at Texas-San Antonio impressively enough that he appeared headed for a possible NBA Head coach John Beilein on Doyle "The game is slowing down for him. All the calls, all the things we do. It's tough for a freshman to grasp it all and still have timing. Now, that's all sort of coming together."