By: Michael Rothstein
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted: Dec 4, 2009 at 8:51 PM [Dec 4, 2009]
After his team’s performance on Wednesday against Boston College, Michigan coach John Beilein left open the possibility of tweaks to the Wolverines playing rotation and lineup.
On Friday, he said he doesn’t anticipate making any changes for Saturday’s game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. But he didn’t close the door to the idea in the future.
“Bringing anybody off the bench is probably a consideration if we need to go there,” Beilein said. “I don’t think we’re at that position.”
He is, though, examining Michigan’s rotation.
“We’re still watching,” Beilein said. “But do you shorten, do you lengthen, do you give other people chances?
“We’ll continue to examine that.”
One potential rotation tweak could be playing senior forwards Zack Gibson and DeShawn Sims at the same time. Doing that would give Michigan more size and a potential second player in the post.
Gibson has been Michigan’s second-most productive player behind junior guard Manny Harris.
Beilein hinted the two-big-man plan - something he mentioned in the preseason - would be imminent.
“We have to go to a plan pretty soon that we’ve been trying to get,” Beilein said. “We went for a minute or a couple minutes the other day but DeShawn was in foul trouble and (Gibson) got in foul trouble.”
The Return of the Hammy
If there was a more negative effect for Michigan than losing two of three games in Florida, it was the re-emergence of junior guard Manny Harris’ hamstring issues.
Harris said before the Boston College game the tweaked hamstring affected the lift on his shots, forcing him to twist and alter his motion.
Beilein held Harris out of portions of Thursday’s practice to try and rest the suddenly re-emergent ailing hamstrings of the Wolverines star.
“It seems to have flared up a little bit more right now,” Beilein said. “There could be an issue in there. I don’t know. He runs very well but there could be something in his lift that could be something to do with it.”
Harris, for his part, said the hamstrings were irritating, but that he’d be fine to play.
Kings of the Road
If there’s one thing that stands out about Arkansas-Pine Bluff, it is the amount of miles the team has logged in buses and through the air already this season.
The Golden Lions, out of the SWAC, have yet to play a home game and won’t until Jan. 16 against Southern.
In all, Arkansas-Pine Bluff will play nine home games this season. Michigan, in comparison, will play its ninth home game on Jan. 14 against Indiana - two days before the Golden Lions will see the inside of their gym for a home game.
In their 0-5 start they have been within 10 points just once, a 68-65 loss to Akron on Nov. 27.
This and that
Beilein said Michigan had a very light practice Thursday before a full practice Friday. … After watching the tape of Boston College, Beilein confirmed his initial thought that struggles on offense clearly dictated Michigan’s issues on defense. … The Boston College-Arkansas-Pine Bluff homestand will be Michigan’s longest until Jan. 10-17, when the Wolverines face Northwestern, Indiana and Connecticut at Crisler Arena for its longest home stint of the season.
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
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