The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/956415
APRIL 2018 THE WOLVERINE 21 sponded to MSU's goon tactics. "But our guys are tough even though we don't talk about it a lot. … We let our game do our talking all the time. "I've always been okay with that. Guys backed off sometimes, and I'd talk to them about it later on watch- ing on video." They didn't on this day, and when Wagner and Abdur-Rahkman came alive in the second half, finishing with 15 points each, t h e Wo l v e r i n e s were on to the fi- nals to face Purdue. "We talk about it ahead of time … don't back off if it gets chippy," Beilein said. "Get in there. Every team you play at this level, especially in rivalry games, they're going to test people. "It's okay, but we're going to stand in there and be tough." ANOTHER BANNER DAY Toughness was one thing Beilein had been preaching to 7-1 sopho- more center Jon Teske all season, and the big man picked the biggest stage on which to respond. Wagner, as he has a tendency to do, picked up a quick early foul in the title game with the Boilermakers, a team that had beaten the Wolverines twice during the regular season, and Michigan needed Teske to step up. What he provided — 12 first-half points on the way to 14, and some great post defense on Purdue 7-2 be- hemoth Isaac Haas — was something even Beilein didn't expect. "We talk about the boiling point of 212 degrees," explained the coach. "He probably was at 205 last year. He gets 211, hits 212 for a day and then comes back to 211. He and [redshirt freshman] Austin Davis, they need some of Moe's energy, and they can do it. "It's expected of them, but it's not something that you just click on and all of a sudden, 'I'm 19 years old and now I'm going to start playing with a motor.' "To get him to dunk in practice is difficult to do. He's worked with [strength coach] Jon Sanderson. We have the greatest strength coach any- where. He's a no-nonsense kid. As we continue to improve his skill set and his body, he's got a great future." "The Big Sleep," as his teammates call him, awakened early, but his two-handed dunk through Haas gave Michigan a 66-48 lead late and brought out a side of him most had never seen. He celebrated like a man possessed, thousands of Michigan fans chanting his name. "It's a great feeling, especially coming here in New York City, and especially for our fans that live out here," Teske said after making 6 of 9 shots. "They always show up for us. We just wanted to put on a show for them." They did, led by Tournament MVP Wagner's 17 points. Abdur-Rahkman could just as easily been MVP, Beilein noted, after putting up 15 points — he made the All-Tournament Team with Wagner — and Simpson shined again with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. The win was the Wolverines' ninth straight before heading into the NCAA Tournament, and even Beilein was impressed. "It takes a while for everyone to catch on to all the nuances you see, but over reps, over more reps, our as- sistant coaches and staff did an incredi- ble job of preparing them," Beilein said. "They just got bet- ter. To hold Purdue to 66 is hard to do. "This is a great group of young men. They deserved exactly what they got today … a Big Ten champi- onship." With the hope of even more post- season success to come. ❏ Michigan received votes in both the Associated Press and coaches' national preseason bas- ketball polls, but was left out of the top 25, which each featured four Big Ten teams. However, it was John Beilein's squad that once again rose to the top at the league tournament. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS Head coach John Beilein "This is a great group of young men. They deserved exactly what they got today … a Big Ten championship."