Hunter Mickelson (21) blocks Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) lay-up in Michigan's 66-64 loss Saturday. Photo Credit: April L. Brown/ AP
It has been a strong season for the No. 20 Michigan basketball team.
The Wolverines (15-5, 5-2 Big Ten) are currently third in the Big Ten, they beat Michigan State, beat UCLA and a then No. 8 Memphis, battled now No. 8 Duke and No. 16 Indiana. But there is one thing they haven’t done. Continue reading
Filed under UM Mens Basketball, Wolverines
Lions reciever Calvin Johnson makes a touchdown catch against Green Bay on Jan 1. Photo Credit: Ray Tannock
Ninety-six catches, 1,681 yards, and 16 touchdowns.
Those were the numbers put up by Detroit Li0ns wide reciever Calvin Johnson during the 2011 season.
Today, in honor of his amazing season, he received the Bobby Layne award which is given to the Lions Offensive MVP.
In 2011 Johnson became only the third player in NFL history to have at least 95 catches,1,600 yards, and 15 touchdowns in a single season. He joins former NFL receiver Randy Moss as the only player to have 1,600 plus yards and 16 touchdowns in a season.
Johnson finished with three 200-yard receiving games in the Lions’ last four games, including a 211-yard, two-touchdown performance in the playoff loss to the Saints. He also had nine catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns against Oakland on Dec. 18 and 11 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay on Jan 1.
Johnson made his second straight Pro-Bowl in 2011 but will not play due to an injury.
The offensive MVP award is given in memory of quarterback Bobby Layne, who sparked the Lions to three NFL Championships and four Western Division titles during the 1950s, including back-to-back championships in 1952 and 1953. He established virtually every career passing record, including attempts (2,193), completions (1,074), yardage (15,710) and touchdown passes (118). Layne was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967.
Stu Douglass guards B.J. Young in 66-64 loss to Arkansas. Photo Credit: AP Photo
Arkansas showed it had something No. 19 Michigan has lacked for most the season in its 66-64 upset.
Depth.
The Wolverines (15-5, 5-2 Big Ten) only had four points off the bench all coming from sophomore forward Evan Smotrycz. Junior guard Matt Vogrich and sophomore forward Blake McLimans came off the bench but contributed an assist, a rebound and two fouls (all by Vogrich).
The Razorbacks (14-5, 2-2 SEC) had 35 points off the bench including their leading scorer freshman guard B. J. Young who had 15 points and freshman guard Hunter Mickelson who had 11 points.
Filed under UM Mens Basketball, Wolverines
Head coach Brady Hoke is creating a strong Michigan recruiting class. Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus/ Getty Images
Brady Hoke’s time as the head coach of the Michigan football team is off to a fast start.
The regular season may be over, but the recruiting season is going strong and Hoke has the Wolverines among the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation and the best in the Big Ten. Continue reading
Filed under UM Football, Wolverines
Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola posts-up against Pistons forward Ben Wallace. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip).
Six Houston Rockets’ players scored double-figure points, beating the Detroit Pistons 97-80 Tuesday Night at the Toyota Center.
Forward Luis Scola and center Samuel Dalembert led the Rockets with 14 points each, in a game dominated by Houston early and late.
Pistons center Greg Monroe had a uncharacteristic game, scoring four points on 2-of-9 shooting.
Instead, Detroit’s scoring came from veteran small forward Tayshaun Prince. He scored 20 points – 10 of which came in the first quarter. Starting guards Brandon Knight and Ben Gordon held their own in the backcourt, scoring 18 and 15 points respectively, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop a Rockets’ offense that shot 49.4 percent from the floor.
Point guard Will Bynum, strained right foot and forward Charlie Villanueva, sore right ankle didn’t play.
The Pistons have fallen in eight of the last nine games. Detroit tries to erase its losing ways at 8 p.m. Wednesday against the Timberwolves at the Target Center.
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Ty Conklin improved to 3-5 with the Detroit victory Tuesday, making 25 saves. Photo credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE
Ty Conklin played one of his best games of the season Tuesday in the Red Wings’ 3-2 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars.
As the clock wound down in overtime, Johan Franzen had a chance to end the game.
The forward intercepted a clear from Dallas’ zone, but was tripped by Stephane Robidas in front of the net and lost control of the puck. The penalty gave Dallas a chance in shootout form, but Conklin held strong in net.
“We’ve got to give Conks credit, he didn’t have a lot of run support tonight,” said head coach Mike Babcock.
Conklin improves to 3-5 following a win in which he recorded 25 saves and was perfect through the shootout.
“(Shootouts) are a good challenge and it was nice to come out with a win,” Conklin said. “I wasn’t too worried about the two goals I let in. I thought they were pretty solid goals and I felt I played better as the game went on.”
Burke (3), Novak (0), Hardaway Jr. (10) and sophomore Jordan Morgan (52) celebrate their win over rival Michigan State. Photo Credit: Dustin Johnston
Freshman guard Trey Burke lead No. 19 Michigan to a one-point win and its third straight win over rival No.9 Michigan State 60-59.
Burke had 20 points for the Wolverines (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten) while shooting 73 percent from the field including three three-pointers in his first game against the rival Spartans (15-4, 4-2 Big Ten).
“If you look in the last 10 or 12 years, it hasn’t been much of a rivalry,” said head coach John Beilein. “They’ve been beating us.”
U of M lead from start to finish in the first half and went into the locker room with a 36-29 lead.
But MSU came back in the second half and took the lead with 6:49 to go in the game and it got out to a four point lead with four minutes to go.
The Spartans wouldn’t make another shot from the field.
After a pair of free throws for MSU and a pair of layups from sophomore guard Tim Hardaway Jr. the Wolverines were down one with 44 seconds left when Burke found senior guard Stu Douglass open under the basket for a 60-59 lead.
Filed under MSU Mens Basketball, Spartans, UM Mens Basketball, Wolverines
Brothers Drew and Ryan Miller pose with the Stanley Cup. Drew has yet to win a cup, though he holds a 3-1 record against his brother. Photo Credit: Mike Bolt / HHOF
The Miller family was in attendance at Joe Louis Arena Monday night as Drew and Ryan Miller faced off for the fourth time of their careers.
Drew and Ryan’s mother created a half-Red Wings and half-Sabers jacket that sported each of the players’ numbers as well as the name “Miller” across the back. Ryan came into the game 1-2 against his brother.
“It’s fun for friends and family to watch that, we’ve got a lot coming to the game,” said Drew in an interview by the Daily Tribune. “It’s a unique situation to be in to play against your brother at this high of a level.”
Drew and his Red Wings had the last laugh as the team picked up a 5-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabers – a franchise-best 15-game home win streak.
Forward Henrik Zetterberg kicked off the scoring just over five minutes into the game, sending a wrist shot past the Sabres’ goaltender.
Johan Franzen and Niklas Lidstrom added tallies in the final two minutes of the period, including a goal with 17 seconds remaining.
The Sabres were outplayed in the first and that pattern continued throughout the second period. Forward Todd Bertuzzi scored his ninth goal of the season and Darren Helm snapped his goal-drought 13 seconds later.
Down 5-0, Buffalo pulled Ryan from the game after stopping nine of 14 shots over 25 minutes of play. The final goal he allowed was set up by his brother Drew – his first career point against his brother.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo (left) and Michigan's John Beilein (right) will renew their team's rivalary Tuesday Jan. 17 7 p.m. Photo Credit: Detroit Free Press File Photo
On Oct. 15 Michigan football lost to rival Michigan State 28-14.
Since then Wolverine fans have had Jan. 17 marked on their calendars, the day their beloved maize and blue welcome the Spartans to Crisler Arena at 7 p.m.
U of M (14-4, 4-2 Big Ten) comes into the game at No. 19 and fourth in the Big Ten standings, three spots behind leader of the Big Ten and rival No. 9 MSU (15-3, 4-1 Big Ten). Continue reading
Filed under UM Mens Basketball, Wolverines
Michigan’s road struggles continued Saturday afternoon as it lost to Iowa 75-59.
The Wolverines (14-4, 4-2 Big Ten) struggled to get anything fall as they shot a horrid 38.5 percent from the field and are now 0-2 on the road in Big Ten play.
The Hawkeyes (11-8, 3-3 Big Ten) took advantage of those struggles and went on a 10-0 run in the second half that snapped any hopes for a U of M comeback. In that run senior guard Matt Gatens hit one of his three second half three-pointers as he lead U of I with 19 points with four three-pointers.
“He had a great game and does a lot of great things for them (Iowa),” said head coach John Beilein.
The Wolverines cut the lead down to five in the first half but ended up going into halftime down 2(35-23).
In the second half shooting didn’t get any better. U of M didn’t get the deficit under 10 and eventually lost 77-59 making it the teams worst loss since last season’s loss in Bloomington, Ind. against Indiana (80-61).
Filed under UM Mens Basketball, Wolverines
