The Wolverine

February 2015

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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BY JOHN BORTON H ead coach John Beilein's crew looks like it might be an NCAA Tournament squad. And then it doesn't … at all. The Wolverines beat Syracuse, Oregon and three of their first four Big Ten opponents. They also lost to NJIT, Eastern Michigan and required major scrambles back to beat a cou- ple of projected Big Ten also-rans at home. In other words, Beilein has For- rest Gump's box of chocolates in his locker room, with all the attendant surprises. The veteran coach feels confident in what he's going to get in the long run, because he's created it so many times before. But how much, how soon, with a lineup featuring one senior averag- ing less than 10 minutes per game and three true freshmen averag- ing between 12 and 20? Throw in a couple of nagging injuries to veter- ans, and the variables begin to over- whelm the guarantees. "We only have four returning guys with minutes, and when those four guys are not performing well, for various reasons — injuries, bad day, all that stuff — we're a much differ- ent team," Beilein said. That "core four," featuring junior guards Caris LeVert and Spike Al- brecht, along with sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. and sophomore forward Zak Irvin, has done it's best to incorporate freshman contributors and keep the party going. It's been tough, because injuries, shooting slumps, and adjusting to new and enhanced roles have all in- tervened in how they've performed. Mix in a freshman crew that shows some potential but features none of the "two-and-done" types seen around Crisler Center in recent sea- sons, and more questions come into play about how good this team can be this year. Beilein's message remains the same: Be patient. Enjoy watching the growth. See how much better we can become over the course of a season. He delivers the message in slightly different ways, at different times. The HOW HIGH Can They Rise? Young Wolverines Are Improving, But Tough To Project For March

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