How does the Michigan basketball team get its mind right? By meditating
The Michigan basketball team has battled its share of shooting slumps this season.
Consider:
- Sophomore guard Tim Hardaway Jr. has made 13 of his last 47 shots (27.7 percent).
- Junior guard Matt Vogrich's shooting percentage of 37.0 is the lowest of his career.
- Sophomore forward Evan Smotrycz went 4-for-25 in a four-game stretch in January.
Michigan coach John Beilein's best solution for each slump has been continued repetition, forcing each player to shoot his way out of a funk. His secondary solution?
That'd be meditation.
"We (meditate) throughout the year, and we try to teach them some things about how to relax," Beilein said Friday. "A lot of athletes use it, and it's important if they're going to see themselves in positive (situations)."
Michigan coach John Beilein on meditation: "A lot of athletes use it, and it's important if they're going to see themselves in positive (situations)."
Chris Asadian | AnnArbor.com
Beilein says meditation allows each player to visualize themselves having success, whether that be a 3-point shooting slump, a free-throw funk or any other challenging situation in life.
Which is why he practices meditation as well.
"There's a lot of ways to meditate. You can meditate through prayer and all sorts (of different ways)," he said.
Vogrich ended his recent shooting slump Wednesday at Nebraska, rattling home three 3-pointers in the second half for his highest scoring output in nearly two months.
Smotrycz and Hardaway, though, are still saddled in season-worst shooting skids that have lasted since the turn of the year.
Does meditation work? Maybe. It just depends on who you ask.
"(Beilein) kind of jokes with me because I'm probably the one guy who's not sitting there meditating," Michigan senior captain Zack Novak said with a laugh. "But I think it works for some people. ... It's about getting in the right mindset, if it's going to help somebody to sit there and tap pressure points to make jump shots, then I'm all for it.
"I guess it just doesn't work for me."
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Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
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