Michigan
Michigan basketball enters ‘self work’ week between marquee matchups
Belleville’s Elijah Dotson gives speech after signing with Michigan
On national signing day, Belleville’s Elijah Dotson speaks to an excited crowd after signing with Michigan football.
There’s nothing wrong with self-improvement and that’s exactly what this week is all about for Michigan basketball.
The No. 14 Wolverines (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) have gotten off to a largely impressive start in the Dusty May era, but their seven-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday in the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
U-M held a 15-point first half lead before it got bludgeoned by 33 points in the middle of the game. It then chipped away at its 18-point deficit in the final nine minutes and had multiple looks in the final 60 seconds to tie or take the lead, but none fell and Michigan lost to Arkansas, 89-87.
It was U-M’s second neutral site loss to a potential tournament team from a Power Four conference by a single bucket (U-M lost 72-70 to Wake Forest last month). While neither loss in a vacuum is anything to freak out about, the common themes causing Michigan problems throughout the contests are becoming perfectly plain.
“I think you know the answer to that,” May laughed Friday morning when asked about his points of emphasis. “Two things are keeping you from being your absolute best, so we’re trying to be creative fixing those things.
“Attacking them in film, attacking them in individual work, attacking them in team concepts. Full speed ahead, everything we have in the tank to fix these things.”
Michigan’s next opponent is No. 17 Oklahoma (9-0) next Wednesday at the Jordan Invitational in Charlotte.
Get more shots, limit more shots
Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but U-M is trying to cut down its turnovers.
If it sounds repetitive, it’s only because it is, because when Michigan shoots the ball, it’s simply elite.
May’s group is No. 7 in the country in 2-point shooting (61.0%) and No. 84 in the country from behind the arc (35.9%) according to KenPom. The problem is it’s only shooting the ball on just more than 78% of its possessions because it ranks No. 334 out of 355 times, turning the the ball over on 21. 4% of its possessions.
The other glaring issue, U-M is still winning on the boards. The Wolverines are rated No. 34 in the country in offensive rebounding rate (36.2% of missed shots) but are giving up too many second chances on the other end, allowing opponents to grab 32.6% of their misses, good for No. 276 in the nation.
“Those are exactly the two things,” forward Will Tschetter said. “We looked at KenPom, we’re an elite team in almost every facet. … We watched every single turnover we had in that game and how we can fix it, watched every single board we didn’t grab defensively and how we could have fixed that. Then emphasize that to a ‘T’ during practice.”
Tschetter and Nimari Burnett, the Wolverines two main holdovers from the previous regime, say that the current staff puts a greater emphasis on analytics than the previous one.
Its why May and company can live with some of the aggressive turnovers on outlets up court, or when someone is trying to make the extra pass. But when there’s a sloppy live ball turnover that results in a pick-six?
Well that needs to stop immediately.
“This gives us a few days to spend on us,” May said of U-M’s eight day break between games, the longest stretch of the season. “We needed this week of practice, even though our guys are busy outside of this (with finals) we needed this to be able to really put a lot of teeth into fixing the things that need to be fixed.”
‘Same level of urgency’
Michigan has held double-digit leads at some point in just about every game.
It did against Wisconsin, Iowa and Arkansas, yet in all three of those games Michigan allowed the opponent to get back within one possession or take the lead. Twice, U-M lived to tell the tale. The third time was not the charm.
“We have to stay focused longer, we have to continue to fight when we have the lead,” May said. “With the same level of urgency.”
The good news is all the individual pieces appear to be there. Danny Wolf comes off a near triple-double and is looking like a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate. After a slow start, Vlad Goldin is averaging 20 points and 7.5 rebounds over the past four games. Roddy Gayle Jr. and Tre Donaldson are both averaging 12 points per game and U-M’s bench whether it’s Will Tschetter or Sam Walters has shooters and energy to spare.
However, even with that, Michigan has allowed more 10-0 run than any other team in the country. Much of that happens because of giveaways and not securing boards.
“I know at home the magic formula is the timeout,” May said. “We have to play basketball, can’t turn it over, cant throw the pick-sixes that lead to easy baskets, those are energizer plays. So yeah, the pace we play at, the style we play, we’re succeptible to runs but we’re also capable of stretching leads.
“There’s a give and take with every style of play.”
Ten games into the season, the style of play U-M is employing does not seem to be a problem. Execution at times, is lacking. But part of that is still to be expected as a group that hasn’t been together yet as a complete unit for even six months has navigated a rather difficult schedule with few blemishes.
May is pleased, but not exuberant, about where his team is. He’s said multiple times this year that he could probably plan a little bit better for today, but that it wouldn’t prepare his teams as well for the long run. It’s a fine balance between tweaking playing rotations, emphasizing points of weakness and keeping the momentum all moving forwards.
But the Wolverines have done that 10 games into 2024-25. Now, in self improvement week, they want to take another step.
“We do respond to failure pretty well,” May said of what he’s learned of this group early. “Wake Forest, we came back with the mindset of being eager to fix what needed to be fixed. It seems like after our second loss, we’re in the same mindset.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
ROTHBURY, Mich. — Michigan State Police (MSP) detectives shared some more information Friday about their investigation of the infant death at this year’s Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury.
Troopers recently received a tip about a Muskegon woman who was said to have information about the incident, but after interviewing her and completing other necessary investigative steps, MSP said they ruled her out as a suspect.
A restroom vending company employee at the festival found the body of a neonate, a newborn infant who is four weeks old or younger, in a portable restroom in the festival camping area on June 28, according to troopers.
The festival is hosted at the Double JJ Resort, which was locked down to anyone entering the following day as police surrounded the scene.
Troopers are asking for tips from the public at michigan.gov/michtip.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Harmful algal blooms have been reported on two notable lakes in West Michigan: Gun Lake and Muskegon Lake.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says cyanobacteria was reported on Muskegon Lake July 3, but no tests have confirmed it.
The Barry-Eaton District Health Department says a harmful algal bloom was confirmed Thursday on Gun Lake. The lake remains open, but the BEDHD is encouraging visitors to use caution and avoid water that has “visible algae.”
Visitors are encouraged to avoid any contact with water that appears bright green, blue-green, brown or red or has “floating mats of scum.”
Pets should also avoid the water. If they come into contact with the algae, pets should be rinsed off as soon as possible with clean, fresh water.
Exposure to algae can cause a rash or irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. It can also cause stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever and trouble breathing.
“If you become sick, contact your healthcare provider. Seek medical care right away if you have trouble breathing, severe vomiting, or other serious symptoms,” the BEDHD said in a statement. “If your pet was exposed, rinse them well with clean water and do not let them lick their fur until they have been washed. Contact your veterinarian right away if your pet has vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, trouble walking, excessive drooling, shaking, or seizures.”
Harmful algal blooms are powered by the sudden growth of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria occur naturally in lakes, rivers and ponds but is often boosted by a sudden excess of nutrients, often caused by fertilizer runoff from farms or failed septic systems.
They can last for several days and sometimes even months. The water will look “scummy” or like “spilled paint or pea soup.” They are typically found in the summer and fall — usually peaking in August or September and dying off by the end of October.
You can report a suspected harmful algal bloom to EGLE at AlgaeBloom@Michigan.gov or 1.800.662.9278.
Sterling Stamping Plant is the largest in the world
Ed Daniels, vice president of North America injection and stamping operations, discusses the process of producing metal parts for Stellantis models.
Warren — Hulking metal presses line one wall of Stellantis NV’s cavernous stamping plant here, punching out the raw shapes of Jeep doors, Dodge hoods and Ram tailgates in rapid succession.
Nearby, swinging yellow robots continue the tightly choreographed work, gluing and pressing and welding smaller components to the sheet metal that eventually will start to resemble the shape of a truck or SUV.
Seven miles north, in Sterling Heights, Stellantis operates an even larger stamping plant — the biggest in the world, at 2.7 million square feet — that does much of the same work, churning out various shapes of steel and aluminum 24 hours a day.
Together, these lesser-known links in the manufacturing supply chain support all of Stellantis’ big North American assembly plants — from next-door Warren Truck Assembly Plant, where the Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV is built, to facilities in Windsor and Mexico that make minivans and pickups.
Inside Stellantis’ Huge Detroit Stamping Plants
The Detroit News recently got a rare look inside the automaker’s Sterling and Warren stamping plants, which are key to the company’s turnaround plan.
The Metro Detroit stamping plants, the automaker’s only two such facilities in the United States, have at times struggled in recent years, facing major job cuts and worker morale issues amid slowing sales and shifting production plans. But under Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, the facilities are expected to cram in more workload — and add staff — as Stellantis begins a new five-year strategic turnaround plan, which includes a heavy focus on its most profitable North American market.
The carmaker’s goal: grow sales by more than a third to 1.9 million annually by 2030 as it launches 23 vehicles, including 11 all-new models. The company also is directing billions of dollars of investment into its U.S. manufacturing footprint due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
“Stamping has never really been viewed as the sexy side of automotive manufacturing, we’re relatively invisible,” said Ed Daniels Jr., vice president of North America injection and stamping operations. “Because when you look at the commercials and advertisements, it’s always a beautiful Ram rolling off the assembly line or climbing the side of a mountain.
“But we’re the inception of that vehicle,” he said. “This is where raw materials are turned into commodities and parts.”
The Detroit News recently got a rare look inside the two plants that combined employ about 3,000 people. The automaker wanted to show off a newly-installed blanking press at Warren Stamping and other machinery like a high-speed transfer press and a robot that spots flaws in the metal.
Hiring expected
The blanking press unspools long coils of metal and chops them up into pieces that can then be shaped into roofs, fenders and floor pans. Stellantis shipped the massive machine to Warren from its idled Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois last year.
After upgrades to the machine, executives said it’s able to produce as many as 120,000 metal blanks per week. It will save Stellantis money since the plant will no longer need to pay a supplier to break down the coils before the metal arrives there.
The blanker addition is a big deal for the plant and signals that the company wants to bring more work in-house and invest in the facility over the coming years, said Romaine McKinney III, president of United Auto Workers Local 869, which represents workers at the factory.
The plant has already brought back all of its laid-off UAW workers, and McKinney said he anticipates more hiring to get underway if sales grow and new Stellantis vehicles come to market.
In another corner of the Warren facility, one of the fastest press lines in the world — known internally as the Hellcat — pushes as many as 15 pieces of metal through per minute. Dies that weigh up to 50 tons apiece squish the material into the shapes of doors and hoods before robotic arms snatch them out and place them on conveyor belts. Midway through a shift, workers can reconfigure the machine to make a different component, a process that takes just five minutes.
Robots check for quality
Curtis Booth, who manages Warren Stamping, said manual processes inside the plant have become increasingly automated, and safer, over the last couple decades, even as the automaker’s two stamping factories still utilize some presses that were installed in the 1960s.
The latest high-tech addition is the Automated Body Inspection System, or ABIS. It’s a camera system mounted on a robot that automatically checks the quality of components and flags anything in need of repair.
Auto plants of all kinds are increasingly turning to these types of camera systems, infused with artificial intelligence, to catch flaws in sheet metal and other components before they are shipped. Booth said worker visual inspections are still used. But in some cases the human eye has too much subjectivity, and the ABIS removes the guesswork.
Greg Bauer, who manages Sterling Stamping, said his plant has added staff over the past year, and expects to continue hiring as more work is assigned to the facility. There is no space at the plant to add more presses, but officials have figured out how to increase efficiency — quickly toggling back and forth between making doors for a Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Charger on on a single machine, for example.
“We want to bring high-volume parts into the plant, and we want to maximize the capacity of the equipment,” Daniels said.
lramseth@detroitnews.com
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