'X' Marks the Spot as Wolverines Pursue Treasure of a Big Ten Championship
3/16/2019 11:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Features
By Steve Kornacki
CHICAGO -- There were plenty of heroes and so much that went right for the University of Michigan in its convincing Big Ten Basketball Tournament semifinal win over Minnesota by a 76-49 score.
However, when looking for the best of the best performances on Saturday (March 16), look no further than the "X" Man and the "X" Factor.
Point guard Zavier Simpson -- nicknamed "X" from the way his name was spelled, Xavier, as a freshman -- had 15 points and nine assists with zero turnovers. He made six of eight shots, including three of four three-pointers, and added three rebounds and one steal in a very productive 26 minutes.
Forward Isaiah Livers -- the "X" Factor for the impact he's making off the bench -- scored a career-high 21 points by making eight-of-10 shots, including four-of-six treys, while adding three rebounds, two blocks, two assists and zero turnovers in 23 stellar minutes.
Livers, with 34 points in wins over Iowa and the Golden Gophers, has been Michigan's leading scorer in the tournament headed into Sunday's championship game with Michigan State. He's made 70 percent of his shots and also has been relentless defensively.
He's shooting so comfortably that he's become a "hunter" for scoring opportunities.
"He's worked really hard and practiced it," said Michigan head coach John Beilein. "He's got great rotation on the ball, and he's got rise on it. So, he's 6-foot-7 and a half, and when you've got that elbow up high, it's tough for people to get to. He's got a clear vision of the rim."
Beilein said Livers is one of a handful of players he occasionally has to run off the court after practices because they insist on getting more shooting reps, and really could benefit from time off their feet.
"He likes the idea that he can become a better shooter by getting extra reps," Beilein said of Livers. "That volume breeds confidence, and that confidence gives you some swag out there so you can hunt a little bit."
Livers
Impacting games to this extent is something Livers regularly accomplished as the 2017 Mr. Basketball in Michigan at Kalamazoo Central, where he averaged a double-double as both a junior (14.0 points, 10.4 rebounds) and senior (18.0 points, 14.0 rebounds).
Beilein joked with his team about how the popular topic with fans will be "how hot" Livers is right now, but he stressed that Livers would not be getting as open without the strong defense that Beilen considered the key to the game.
Beilein told the players: "Nobody in the stands is going to say, 'Coach, we were really in the gaps.' No, they're saying, 'Isaiah's hot!' But we couldn't get open if we don't play defense like that."
Livers explained the "gap defense" his team employed.
"It's where the next man is in the gap on the drive," said Livers, "and you go home to the shooter. If you don't have the shooter, you stay in the gap to help your teammate. So, that's very important that we did very well today."
And with the ball in the hands of the Wolverines after stops, the offense shot a superb 51.6 percent from the field thanks to fast breaks, great ball movement and solid shot selection.
Simpson wasn't alone in handing out enough dimes to buy a candy bar. Big guard Jordan Poole had a career-high seven assists. Beilein joked incredulously with the team when noting that, and Livers smiled widely when that was mentioned.
"Jordan Poole with seven assists," said Livers, shaking his head. "That's insane. It just shows how he's grown as a player."
Simpson, meanwhile, is taking a page from Poole's book. Simpson is 5-for-6 on three-pointers in the tournament, and quite simply, doing it all.
"He's really focused right now," said Beilein. "He's worked very hard on his mind-set, and just stays poised in basketball games. While he loves his individual matchup, he can't let that affect making the right decision. He's grown so much in that area, and that's hard for a point guard.
"He's understanding, 'I can't let my pride get in the way. I've still got to make the next right play.'"
Simpson is doing everything so well. But what is he doing best?
"Right now," said Beilen, "he's being so poised out on the court, right? And encouraging his teammates. That's really been big for him. He's so driven to be the best of the best. But that can get in the way sometimes, and now he understands he can do more by doing less at times in his approach of looking at the game."
That "approach" ties into what others on the team believe Simpson brings most.
"It's his leadership," said assistant coach DeAndre Haynes. "He ain't about what he does on the floor. It's about what he does inside this locker room with this team. You want a player-led team at this point in the season, and this is his team. He speaks, he wants something, we listen. If he sees something, and says, 'Hey, Coach B, let's do this.' We listen. He's the engine and we're going to go as far as he takes us."
Center Jon Teske added on Simpson: "Just leading our team and keeping us connected. Through the highs and lows, he's leading us. He might not be the loudest one, but you always hear his voice and everyone's listening to him."
Simpson
During breaks in the action, Simpson becomes a coach on the court. When Teske drew an early foul against Minnesota in the Big Ten semifinal game, Simpson was there to emphasize the point Beilein had made to the entire team before the game about playing defense with your chest out, hands up high and palms turned up as if balancing a tray.
"Zavier's going to make a great coach one day," said Teske. "That's what Coach Beilein always says, and I see it, too. He's always reading the game and so in tune to the game -- even when he's not on the court."
There was a play early in the game that exemplified just how quickly Simpson spotted scoring opportunities and how Livers, with not a split-second lost, took advantage of them.
Simpson drove the baseline from the left all the way to the basket, and continued to the right side of the court. Defenders Jordan Murphy and Amir Coffey both stayed with Simpson, leaving Livers open as he approached Simpson en route to the bucket. Simpson flipped the ball to Livers as they met, and Livers had nobody to beat for a dunk.
"That was like a halfback toss on a dive play," Livers said. "I don't know what that was, but it was good. Zavier's just a leader who does things like that every day, and it's wearing off on a lot of people."
Simpson said, "I just saw him open and just hit him. I saw the defender that was on him and he dragged his man (Murphy) out. I was able to hit him from the corner with a pass and he made me look better by finishing it up."
The point guard added that Livers' focus and leadership rose to a new level two or three weeks ago, and that it's paying dividends for both himself and the team.
I asked Simpson what he likes best about the way the Wolverines (28-5) have played in the tournament while outscoring two NCAA Tournament-bound opponents, 150-102.
"I like that everyone is having fun," he said. "Everyone's definitely having fun and that's important. It's not about the stats or this and that. It's about the fun and positive attitude and positive energy from the players."
The great attitude, energy and results has Michigan on the threshold of something very special.
Michigan has won a record 10 consecutive Big Ten tourney games, and now has a chance to become the first school in the 22 years of the event to win three consecutive titles.
"That's something that's never been done," said Simpson, "and so it's a great opportunity."
The Wolverines had a chance to grab the regular-season title in the final game at Michigan State, but came up short.
Livers said, "We missed our first chance to be champions, and now we get another chance. Everything's on the line for us."
If you're searching for treasure, "X" marks the spot. That applies even more so to these Wolverines.
