DeJulius Was Most Pleased With His Defensive Effort From Saturday's Win
Head coach John Beilein made an interesting decision during Saturday’s 65-52 win over Maryland.
With junior guard Zavier Simpson on the bench, he decided to first insert freshman guard David DeJulius instead of freshman guard Eli Brooks, who is usually the first guard off the pine.
Granted, DeJulius wound up playing just six minutes and Brooks only five, but the former’s extended run was even more notable when considering he hadn’t even played in the team’s previous three games, and had only received a total of six minutes over the last six contests.
“It felt good,” the freshman admitted this afternoon. “I had been staying grounded lately, and it was great seeing all the hard work I put in pay off.
“Coach had actually told me before the game I would be the first guard in off the bench, so I was ready when my number was called.
“I knew my moment was coming, and I wanted to do whatever I could to seize it. I had also kept a positive approach when I hadn’t been playing lately, so that helped.
“I knew this system would be complicated when I first arrived here, but Coach is a genius when it comes to the schemes he uses, and is light years ahead of others.
“It’s a blessing being able to learn under him, and sitting on the bench has only made me hungrier. Coach Beilein recently said any one of us could be the outlier for the team — including myself — and that meant a lot to hear. I’m just going to move forward and continue giving it my all.”
A quick glance at the box score will reveal that DeJulius only had two points against the Terrapins, but he explained that the offensive side of the ball wasn't where he made the biggest impact.
“I was actually the happiest with my play on the defensive end, checking a good player in [Maryland junior guard] Anthony [Cowan],” he revealed.
Cowan’s final stat line read 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, five boards and three assists, but the job Michigan’s defense did on him was incredible.
He averages 15.9 points and 4.6 assists per game, with the Wolverines obviously holding him well below those averages.
Simpson was the main catalyst behind the effort though, just as he has been all season long for the Wolverine defense.
“Zavier is the best thing that has ever happened to my game,” DeJulius laughed. “He’s arguably the best defender in the country.
“It’s such a different battle with him now in practice than when I first got here. He’s so relentless and never wants you to score, and I’ve fed off that mindset.
“It’s crazy how easy it is going against other guys compared to Zavier. We’re cut from the same cloth, in that we don’t let anyone punk us.”
The Maize and Blue defense will have another tough challenge tomorrow night at Minnesota, a place that only two Wolverines — Simpson and junior center Jon Teske — have ever played (when they were both freshmen in 2017).
Sophomore forward Isaiah Livers admitted this afternoon admitted he doesn’t even know much about The Barn.
“When I was a senior in high school, I remember watching Michigan lose there in overtime [in 2017],” he recalled.
“I know their benches are low too, similar to how it was at the Final Four last year.”
So what will it take for U-M to improve its road record to 6-3 tomorrow night in Minneapolis?
“Grit, toughness and focus,” Livers explained. “That’s what is always needed on the road, because it’s such a hard place to win in the Big Ten. When things get tough, the leaders are what keeps the team together.”
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