The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 THE WOLVERINE MAY 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS 1 Was where U-M's 2017 non-conference football schedule ranked among the toughest in the Big Ten, according to AthlonSports.com. "Jim Harbaugh is taking his team down to Arlington for a season-opening contest against Florida in Jerry Jones' football palace," they wrote. "After that, Michigan plays at home against Cincinnati and Air Force. While neither of those two should be considered too challenging, neither should be considered too easy either." 2 Schools had its football team finish among the Associ- ated Press top 10 and made the Sweet 16 in basketball — Michigan (No. 10 in final AP poll) and Wisconsin (No. 9). The Wolverines beat the Badgers in football, 14-7 Oct. 1, and took two of the three head-to-head matchups on the hardwood, in- cluding in the Big Ten Tourna- ment title game. 3 Redshirt freshman U-M wrestlers placed among the top four nationally at the NCAA Championships in mid-March — 133-pounder Stevan Micic (fourth), 165-pounder Lo- gan Massa (third) and 174-pounder Myles Amine (fourth) — leading the Wolverines to a 10th-place team finish. U-M has put at least three grapplers on the podium, which requires a top-eight finish at the national event, each of the last three years. 18 Of the 19 softball games played from March 3 against Cal State Fullerton to the April 8 victory at No. 25 Ohio State have been won by the Wol- verines, including the first eight Big Ten contests. Before the impressive run, in which U-M outscored its opponents 128-25 and posted nine shutouts (including seven in a row), the program opened the season 10-6-1. 26 Is where Athlon ranked Michigan redshirt junior WILTON SPEIGHT on its 1-130 ranking of all Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks. The Wolverines will play just two signal-callers ranked higher (No. 4 J.T. Barrett of Ohio State and No. 9 Trace McSorley of Penn State) in 2017. The other 10 quarterbacks on the slate checked in with an average ranking of 82.0. 22 Is where U-M ranked in ESPN.com's way-too-early 2018 basketball rankings, released the morning after this year's national championship game. After noting that former Kentucky guard Charles Matthews will be eligible next year, the site wrote: "Forward D.J. Wilson's game flourished down the stretch to the point that the NBA seems like a foregone conclusion, and that's a heavy blow, at least rela- tive to the opportunity cost of a fully realized Wilson back on a college floor for one more season. Still, forward Moritz Wagner — himself an intriguing draft prospect — could excel with more touches." Only two Big Ten squads (No. 12 Michigan State and No. 17 Minnesota) were ranked higher, and while Wilson and Wagner both entered the NBA Draft neither hired an agent, meaning a return to college is possible. 54 Is where U-M's 1989 national champion- ship team ranked in an ESPN.com listing of the 79 title-winning squads in men's basketball history. 101.97 Was the Nike Football Rating of 2018 U-M commit Emil Ekiyor at The Opening regional in Chicago. It ranked 29th at the event, but the number is a measure usually slanted to skill players due to it being a combination of test results in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle run, vertical jump and power ball throw. The next biggest player in the top 32 after the 6-2.5, 339-pound offen- sive lineman was a 231-pound linebacker with a score of 102.21. Ekiyor ran an electronically timed 5.18 40, 4.78 shuttle, vertically jumped 26 inches and threw the power ball 50 feet. 432-368 Was the combined total score of the wom- en's basketball team's six victories in the WNIT, an average margin of victory of 10.7 points per game. The squad also got to host the first five games at Crisler Center, giving them a 19-1 mark at home this year. They opened with a school-record 13 straight wins at home before falling to Michigan State Feb. 19; the 19 home triumphs broke the previ- ous single-season record of 16, set in 2015-16. The 28 overall wins is also a new program best. By The NUMBERS PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN