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N. Michigan-Michigan Preview

Nov 14, 2009 - 12:52 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

In its second season under John Beilein, Michigan more than doubled its win total and snapped an 11-year NCAA tournament drought.

With two of the Big Ten's top players returning and most of their key contributors coming back, the 15th-ranked Wolverines are poised for an even better season, which begins Saturday night at home against Division II Northern Michigan.

After coming over from West Virginia in 2007, Beilein was 10-22 in his first season in Ann Arbor, but he helped the program match the biggest turnaround in school history with a 21-14 finish in 2008-09.

The Wolverines also made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998 and upset Clemson before ending their run with a loss to Oklahoma.

They enter this season with plenty of optimism and much of that centers around the return of all-Big Ten players Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims.

A preseason all-Big Ten selection for the second year in a row, Harris was second in the conference with 16.9 points per game last season, and in the top five in rebounding (6.8) and assists (4.4). While tying Harris for the team lead in rebounding, Sims averaged 15.4 points (fifth in the Big Ten) and ranked fourth with 50.5 percent shooting.

The keys to a better season, however, might rest in getting increased production from its other returning players, who averaged less than 7.0 points apiece, and a strong debut campaign from freshman point guard Darius Morris.

Michigan barely outscored its opponents in 2008-09, averaging 66.9 points while allowing 63.2, and was outscored by two points per game over its final 17 games.

The Wolverines won seven of those contests to squeak into the NCAA tournament but also finished tied for seventh in the Big Ten at 9-9. That's why Beilein said he's not letting any rankings or preseason predictions get into his players' heads.

"We are still hunters," he said. "As long as I'm coaching here, we're always hunting, no matter who the opponent is. I think with our guys battling through last year right to the end ... I think our kids learned a lot from that. If we had played better earlier in the year and don't have to battle through, maybe we don't beat Clemson. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that carries over."

The Wolverines bring back sophomores Zack Novak and Stu Douglass, who matched Harris' 52 3-pointers. Another second-year player, Laval Lucas-Perry, is a projected starting guard along with Harris and Morris, the school's first recruit from California since 2002.

Morris scored a record 2,602 points for Windward High School in Los Angeles, and averaged 21.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists as a senior.

The Wolverines will once again have a difficult schedule that includes a trip to take on the nation's current No. 1 team, Kansas, on Dec. 19. They will also face No. 2 Michigan State twice this season, travel to No. 7 Purdue and host No. 12 Connecticut on Jan. 17.

Their first opponent will likely not prove as much of a challenge as Michigan has won all nine meetings with Northern Michigan by an average of nearly 26 points. The Wolverines, however, haven't faced the Upper Peninsula school since a 102-74 victory Dec. 28, 1989.

The Wildcats finished 11-16 in 2008-09 but return their top three scorers and leading rebounder. Marc Renelique led Northern Michigan with 14.2 points per game, and Raymont McElroy averaged 13.0.

Chris Warner contributed 10.4 points per game while averaging a team-best 5.2 rebounds.