GBMWolverine: Michigan Basketball — Ohio State at Michigan — Preview
Schedule of Events Today on TV:
College GameDay
10:00am – 11:00am
DirectTV Channel 208
ESPNU
College GameDay
11:00am – 12:00pm
DirecTV Channel 206
ESPN
College GameDay
8:00pm – 9:00pm
DirecTV Channel 206
ESPN
Michigan Basketball
Ohio State at Michigan
Crisler Arena (Crisler Center) in Ann Arbor, Michigan
9:00pm – 11:00pm
DirecTV Channel 206
ESPN
Big Game Against a Big Team. Six months ago most basketball junkies thought the February Ohio State at Michigan game would be interesting, but no one thought the importance to be past a normal conference game. This is not the game of the year for either team, but the event is far from insignificant.
The importance wanes greatly if Michigan loses, essentially making the Big Ten a two horse race. But if the Wolverines can pull off an upset, the last three weeks become more interesting. Ohio State is in the tournament and the only question left for the Buckeyes is a one-seed or a two-seed. Michigan would need to crap out the rest of the way to retreat to the bubble which we believe they are still in the tournament no matter what happens. Even then the Wolverines are likely in the dance. This game could likely decide who wins the Big Ten regular season.
But Saturday is about effort and will for the Wolverines since the physical and talent match up can be termed a mismatch. Teams have won bringing a knife to a gunfight. But sometimes the team with the gun leaves it at home or finds wet ammunition. Ohio State has run many teams with less talent off the floor this year, but has lost to Illinois and Indiana. Both these teams have sufficient talent; probably more than Michigan, but it was the Buckeye misfires that stoked the upsets.
GBMWolverine: Michigan Hockey — Northern Michigan at Michigan — Preview — Part II
#5 Michigan Hosts #20 NMU In Last Regular Season Home Series
#5 Michigan (18-10-4, 12-8-4-1 3rd CCHA) vs. #20 NMU (14-10-6, 9-9-6-3 t7th CCHA)
Yost Ice Arena — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday 2/17 at 7:35 p.m. — TV: Friday — BTN — DirecTV Channel 610.
Saturday 2/18 at 5:05 — TV: Saturday — FSD — DirecTV Channel 663. (Hockey Day in Michigan)
Tale of the Tape:
The Wolverines enter this weekend a bit bruised from a rough special team’s work over from Michigan State. The PP was not effective and the PK gave up three important MSU tallies. Ironically, it was the same formula that propelled NMU to a four point weekend in October, as they scored on 3-10 PP chances while only yielding 1-11 in the series. This will be an important factor this weekend considering the penalty filled series earlier in the season.
Overall, Michigan is the top offense in the CCHA and ranks 10th nationally at 3.34 GPG. NMU is 5th in the CCHA and a distant 34th overall at 2.80 GPG. Defensively, U-M is t2nd in the CCHA and t7th in the country at 2.25 GPG. NMU is 9th in the CCHA and t21st overall at 2.63 GPG. I expect Michigan to score some goals this weekend, depending on how large Coreau is. He is the major reason that NMU’s defensive numbers are decent. I also expect Michigan’s home ice advantage to limit NMU’s offense. Of course, it is also predicated on how well Shawn Hunwick plays.
The other reason that NMU is better defensively than they appear is because of their penalty kill. They take the most penalties in the CCHA (17.3 MPG) and are forced to kill more penalties than any other CCHA team and are the 4th worst team overall in that category at 519 total PIM’s. They are 3rd in the conference at an 85.9% kill rate, though, which is also 7th best in the nation. Michigan is holding firm at 83% which is 9th in the conference and 23rd overall (down from 15th). Conversely, NMU’s PP is 19.6%, good for 2nd in the CCHA and 24th in the nation. Michigan was stymied last weekend and dropped to 15.6%, 9th in the CCHA and 46th in the nation. Special teams appear to be advantage, NMU and should be another point for poise and discipline this weekend for the Wolverines. Considering that the two teams combined for 81 PIM’s in the Friday night melee, and a total of 114 minutes for the weekend, I doubt that either team will back down this weekend. Michigan is averaging 13.5 minutes per game in the penalty box, 30th in the country.
GBMWolverine: Michigan Softball/Michigan Baseball — Wolverine Softball Rolls on while Wolverine Baseball Looks to Bounce Back
The Michigan Baseball team opens up their 2012 campaign this week and the Lady Wolverines jumped out of the gate last weekend to usher in the transition to the Spring sports schedule.
Softball heads down to the Florida Atlantic Kickoff Classic featuring a round robin of five games. Michigan takes on Maryland in their opener (and the Terrapins season opener.) The Lady Wolverines own an 8-1 series advantage. Next up is Long Island University who Michigan defeated last year and holds a 3-0 series advantage. #22 Kentucky takes the field in the third game in a rematch of last season’s regional match-up where the Wildcats stung the favored U-M club. Kentucky (1-3 this season) and Michigan are deadlocked 2-2 in their overall series. U-M then plays host Florida Atlantic (0-5) in a rematch of last season’s 11-0 victory. Michigan is 10-2 against FAU. Wright State finishes the tournament for the ladies. Michigan defeated them 11-2 last season and is 4-0 all time against the Raiders.
Michigan Baseball Ready for Season
Michigan opens up at 11:00 a.m. on Friday morning and will play LIU in the afternoon. They are set to play Kentucky and FAU on Saturday and finish on Sunday morning against Wright State.
• Michigan moved up to #11 in the polls this week and also had freshman pitcher Sara Driesenga honored as Big Ten Rookie of the week for last week’s performances.
Michigan Baseball News:
Rich Maloney begins his tenth season in the dugout for the Wolverines as they start the 2012 season on Friday (7:30 p.m.) against Pittsburgh in the BigTen/Big East Challenge taking place in the Tampa-St. Pete area (Dunedin). They move over to St. Pete on Saturday (1 p.m.) to challenge Seton Hall before finishing the tournament against West Virginia on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
The probable starters are senior RHP Brandon Sinnery (2-5, 2.91 ERA last season), junior LHP Bobby Brosnahan (1-9, 7.82 ERA in 2011) and junior RHP Ben Ballantine (3-1, 4.91 ERA last season).
Michigan is led by senior backstop Coley Crank, senior 3b John Lorenz and junior CF Patrick Biondi. The Wolverines also feature three freshmen in their lineup this season.
The Maize and Blue will try to improve upon their last place Big Ten record of 7-16 last season (17-37 overall.)
Look for a more in-depth feature on the team as they get going into the season and follow softball and baseball results in the forum updates.
GBMWolverine: Michigan Hockey — Northern Michigan at Michigan — Preview — Part I
#5 Michigan Hosts #20 NMU In Last Regular Season Home Series
#5 Michigan (18-10-4, 12-8-4-1 3rd CCHA) vs. #20 NMU (14-10-6, 9-9-6-3 t7th CCHA)
Yost Ice Arena — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday 2/17 at 7:35 p.m. — TV: Friday — BTN — DirecTV Channel 610.
Saturday 2/18 at 5:05 — TV: Saturday — FSD — DirecTV Channel 663. (Hockey Day in Michigan)
The Wolverines took a short trip up to East Lansing last Friday before moving downtown for the annual JLA engagement with the Spartans. Michigan dropped a 3-2 decision in the opener, but rebounded for a come from behind 3-2 overtime victory in Detroit. NMU traveled to Bowling Green and secured their first road sweep of the season over the last place Falcons. Michigan maintained their 3rd place spot in the CCHA, one point behind 2nd place WMU and six points behind CCHA leader, and #1 team in the country, Ferris State. Northern is mired in a three way tie for 7th position along with Miami and Notre Dame and trail Michigan by five points. Michigan traveled to Marquette this past October and lost 5-3 and tied 3-3 before winning their only shootout in six tries. The Wolverines are 11-5-1 at home this season, while NMU is 6-8-1 on the road, including a 4-7-1 CCHA record. The Maize and Blue are 6-3-1 in their last ten against the Wildcats, 11-2-2 in their last fifteen games overall. Michigan leads the all time series 35-19-6. NMU has been outscored 45-35 on the road this season, and last beat Michigan at Yost on 2/19/2010. The ‘Cats have split series at Yost in ‘04-05, ‘06-07, and ‘09-2010.
Rewinding Michigan’s Previous Action:
The Wolverines played at Munn arena for the second time this season and came up on the short end of a 3-2 score. Michigan jumped out to a 2-0 second period lead on goals by AJ Treais and Kevin Lynch. The Spartans came back though, and evened the score early in the third period before netting a mid period marker to secure the victory. Neither team played well, with numerous turnovers allowing chances on both ends. The deciding factor in the game was two borderline penalty calls on Michigan forwards that led to PP goals. Michigan tried to gain the tying goal in the late stages of the game, but couldn’t convert a PP chance on a phantom call against MSU. It was a tough game to lose after having a two goal lead, but MSU was more aggressive and Michigan could not contain their power play. This was the first game that Michigan lost after holding a lead after two periods all season.
GBMWolverine: Michigan Football Recruiting — Dan Gibbs (OL) — 2012 Preferred Walk-On — Profile
GBMWolverine readers: Here is a brief overview of recent verbal commitment Dan Gibbs from Seaholm High School — Birmingham, Michigan.
Height: 6’7
Weight: 320
Number: 79 and 53
Current Position: Offensive Tackle
Future Position: Offensive Guard
City/State: Birmingham, Michigan
High School: Seaholm
Head Coach: Jim DeWald
Recruiter: Coach Darrell Funk
Official Visit: 1/20/2012
Committed: 2/7/2012
Other Offers: Ball State and Eastern Michigan.
Rankings: 24/7: 3-star … ESPN: 2-star … Rivals: 2-star … Scout: 3-star.
Bench Max: 275
Squat Max: 550
Dead Lift: 605
GPA: 3.4
ACT: 31
Class: 2012 Michigan Wolverine Recruiting Class (Preferred Walk-On).
Anytime a program can secure a walk-on commitment from a large 3 star lineman it is an achievement.
Dan Gibbs values the chance to be in the Michigan program and be a part of the Michigan community to the extent he turned down Division 1 scholarship offers from other programs.
Dan achieved a 31 on his ACT, an outstanding accomplishment.
There is never enough depth on an offensive line especially on this Michigan Football team right now.
Overview:
Dan Gibbs definitely passes the eye test and has major college size and frame.
Gibbs bleeds Blue and is an excellent student with a 3.4 GPA and 31 ACT score.
GBMWolverine: Congratulations to Mike Fitzpatrick and the Michigan Man Podcast for the 100th PodCast
Today on GBMWolverine Mike Fitzpatrick had his 100th Podcast today and we all here at GBMWolverine would like to congratulate him along with thanking him once again for joining our site.
Hopefully everybody had a chance to listen to the podcast along with making comments either on his listener line or coming to our GBMWolverine Message Board.
Posted at 11:15pm — 2/18/2012
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