Welcomes Fans to Beilein Ball
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'M' welcomes fans to Beilein Ball By: Ian Robinson, Daily Sports Writer Posted: 11/2/07 For Michigan basketball fans that came to last night's exhibition game against Ferris State hoping to learn John Beilein basketball didn't have to wait very long. On the first possession, Michigan forward DeShawn Sims hit a 3-pointer from the right wing. Sims made just one last season. He started the second half in the same way, knocking down a three for the first hoop of the period. Forget making them. Sims attempted seven threes all of last year. He finished last night with six tries - he made three. "He's shown us that he can really shoot the ball in practice, so he has a greener light than other people," said Michigan coach John Beilein, whose teams are known to shoot frequently from behind the arc. The Wolverines continued the long-range shooting all night, hitting 10 from downtown in the 78-40 win under the new lights at Crisler Arena. In addition to some of the outside shooting, Beilein liked the team's attitude. "We ran on an off the court; the kids looked like they were playing as a team," Beilein said. "They shared the ball." The Wolverines finished the game with 14 assists. He cautioned, however, not to take too many positive things out of this first exhibition game. Along with those assists came 19 turnovers - something natural for a young team in a new system. But even that was an improvement upon last week's unofficial scrimmage against Kent State. Beilein joked his players did a better job of throwing passes to Michigan players last night instead of the opponent. "I could stop the tape and make five different remarks on every single play," Beilein said. "So, that's the way it's going to be for awhile. … But we're not that good at anything yet. And it's going to take a long process." Part of that process has been working on the fundamentals of shooting - and maybe even more important - the confidence to shoot. "When I got out of the shower this morning, I knew I was going to shoot that three because it's a confidence that I have now in my shot," said Sims about game's first shot. "I worked enough on it, and (I'm) gonna keep working on it to get even better at it. I wasn't surprised that I made it at all. I knew that it was going in." Sims's three, two Coleman threes and a Zack Gibson putback off a missed three helped the Wolverines build an early 15-2 lead that they never relinquished. About six minutes into the game, freshman Manny Harris came off the bench with four other subs and immediately made an impact by scoring Michigan's first basket with a layup. Harris led Michigan with 15 points, but his impact was felt all over the court. He provided energy off the bench, jumping the passing lane and grabbing rebounds in the key. "He was flying all over the place," Beilein said. "He has a chance to be a good player one day because of those qualities. ... He wants to be a good player, and he's willing to be coached." Harris was just one rebound shy of a double-double. He might have achieved that mark if not for a late-game injury. With three minutes left in the game, Harris went down in front of the visitor's coaching box. He lay on the floor for moment, not moving his leg as the entire arena went silent - more silent than the sparse crowd had been all night. Harris got off the floor under his own energy, sat on the bench with his teammates and walked the steps up to the locker room. "I think that when he hit the floor pretty hard. It shook him up pretty good," Beilein said. "We're very hopeful." With one week until Michigan's season opener against Radford next Friday night, Beilein set the schedule so his team would have enough time after last night's game to prep for the first regular-season game. "We're not going to know the system all right now, but if you work hard, sometimes you can cover up for the little things," junior Jerret Smith said. Beilein’s Blueprint to Rebuild Michigan By Bob McClellan, Rivals.com College Basketball Editor New Michigan coach John Beilein's offensive principles are so shrouded in mystery they should have one of those cool military code names. He is optimistic the young team he has inherited will hold its own while it learns the intricacies of "Operation: Three-dom Fighters." "We have had young men pick up our system quickly, and others it may take two years for people to think like we think," Beilein said at Michigan's basketball media day last week. "Last year (at West Virginia), we probably had a young man who learned two or three different positions within the first preseason, but there were others who still didn't know it by the end of the year." Those would probably be the guys who didn't get to play a lot by the end of the year, either. Beilein's system is predicated on perimeter shooting, spacing and cutting. If you're open from 3-point range, you shoot it, regardless of whether you're a 6-foot- 11 "post" player or a 5-11 point guard. "It is more of a freelance offense, which gives more of the players the opportunity to show their versatility," junior guard Jerret Smith said. "It helps me a lot having a group of guys I can drive and then kick the ball to who aren't afraid to shoot." West Virginia attempted 989 3-pointers last season. The next-closest in the Big East was Louisville, which attempted 751 3- poiinters. Six Big East teams attempted fewer than 600. They're not used to seeing the 3-pointer in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines attempted nearly 500 fewer than the Mountaineers did a year ago (989-495). "He (Coach Beilein) is about shooting – shooting, shooting and shooting some more," sophomore forward Ekpe Udoh said. "And then when you're tired, shoot some more." It's hard to argue with Beilein's results. He is entering his 16th season as a head coach at the Division I level, and his record is 293-175. That includes four NCAA Tournament appearances and six NIT appearances. He posted 20-win seasons twice at Canisius (1992-97), and three times each at Richmond (1997-2002) and West Virginia (2002-2007). ON THE OUTSIDE While John Beilein's West Virginia teams were firing from 3-point range about as often as they could, Michigan wasn't nearly as fond of dialing long distance. Here's a look at how both teams fared from beyond the arc the past three seasons: 2004-05 3FGM 3FGA 3-PT.% West Virginia 319 885 .360 Michigan 155 501 .309 2005-06 West Virginia 337 967 .349 Michigan 218 582 .375 2006-07 West Virginia 371 989 .375 Michigan 170 495 .343 3-year totals West Virginia 1027 2841 .361 Michigan 543 1578 .344 In Beilein's head-coaching career, spanning 29 seasons and including stops in Division III, Division II and the junior college ranks, he has had only three losing seasons. It should be noted that two of those were first-year jobs. He went 10-18 his first season at Canisius and 14-15 in his first year in Morgantown. After that, his system took hold at both schools. The Golden Griffins produced three consecutive postseason bids, and the Mountaineers are on a streak of four - including an Elite Eight, a Sweet 16 and an NIT championship. The Wolverines never made the NCAA Tournament during Tommy Amaker's six-year run. That's a big reason he was replaced by Beilein. Michigan probably isn't headed to the NCAAs this season, either. Beilein has inherited a team that lost its top four scorers, and the roster features nine players who are freshmen or sophomores. On the bright side, they don't have the baggage or the bad habits of the past few teams, either. "We're definitely all motivated because of our new staff and because we are overlooked," sophomore forward Kendric Price said. "So we have a lot to prove, and that's enough motivation for us." Beilein's system will work – eventually. "I like the versatility," Beilein said. "I like that we are not too big and we are not too small. We have a lot of guys that are interchangeable. We have long guys who are pretty athletic, and I like parts of that. There are an awful lot of people who can play three different positions for us." "Three" being a word you'll be hearing a lot now at Michigan. The Beilein Effect: Michigan comes out shooting by Jakeblloyd They've played just two games, yet the changes are very evident. A change in body language. A change in attitude. And, most importantly, a change in their style of play. The Michigan men's basketball team is — drum roll — fun to watch. Unlike the past six seasons under Tommy Amaker, when the Wolverines' offense was often stagnant, the 2007-08 Wolverines are never stuck in the mud. They're always moving, always creating open shots for each other. I'm not joking when I say Michigan made nine 3-pointers in its 72-57 win over Brown — in the first half.