Contrast in styles for 'M' basketball

DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily Michigan center Peter Vignier will attempt to use his size in the post tomorrow against No. 14 Purdue.

By Pranay Reddy
Daily Sports Editor

All right, enough of the Louis Bullock-Robbie Reid show for Michigan basketball. Sure, the two guards acccount for 50 percent of Michigan's offense.

On the other side of the coin is the newfound one-two punch of Josh Asselin and Pete Vignier. The frontcourt duo has come around as of late for the Wolverines, and there's no telling how far they can go by the end of Michigan's season. Tomorrow in Mackey Arena against Purdue, fans just might find out.

While the two make their living in the paint, they go about it in very different ways. From rebounding and defense to shooting and setting screens, Asselin and Vignier use their specific talents to reach a successful end to their means. Let's break them each down, starting on the defensive end of the court.

Rebounding: You've been under a rock if you've seen the past four games but haven't noticed Asselin's presence on the boards. The 6-foot-11 sophomore grabbed a career-high 10 boards against Ohio State last week, and hasn't looked back since.

But what is more interesting is the way Asselin goes about cleaning the glass. Whereas most players of Asselin's stature tend to use their huge frames to gain position, Asselin uses his surprising quickness and absurdly long arms to gain an advantage over an opponent. He poses a difficult matchup for an old-school, pitch-your-tent-in-the-paint center.

Which brings us to Vignier. Not equipped with the fleetest of feet, the 6-foot-11 center is cut from a more traditional cloth of big men. Vignier's width is as much of a factor as his height - with his rump-shaker providing his competitive advantage. Vignier puts up 260 pounds to Asselin's 230, and he uses those 30 pounds very effectively. Thus far, he leads the Wolverines with 7.7 rebounds per game.

Defense: The difference in style of play doesn't stop with rebounding. Again, Vignier's size plays a huge role - allowing him to body up any big man the Wolverines are likely to face.

And when Michigan is playing a zone, it's Asselin's quickness that makes him most effective. Sweeping around the weakside to help on 'D,' Asselin has swatted about one shot per game this season.

Michigan's big man-quick man combo was especially effective Wednesday night against Minnesota. The duo bottled up 7-foot freshman phenom Joel Pryzbilla, holding him to eight points.

Scoring: The biggest discrepancy between Asselin and Vignier is on offense. Asselin is definitely a more gifted scorer, by way of his athleticism. During his recent hot streak, the power forward averaged 18.3 points over three games.

Not necessarily the best 'basketball player,' Asselin is nothing short of a tremendous athlete. Boasting the highest vertical leap on the team, Asselin scores the bulk of his points in transition as well as off of loose balls.

On the other hand, Vignier's biggest strength tends to be one of Asselin's shortcomings. Vignier employs a bit of touch in his offensive game, displaying the occasional ability to knock down an open 10-footer, or dropping a hook. Still, Vignier seems reluctant to shoot during games - but then its no secret that he's in the game for his defense and rebounding.

Passing: On both counts, passing is the biggest weakness for Asselin and Vignier. On double teams, both have displayed some difficulty in their ability to hit either Bullock or Reid on the outside. To their credit, their passing has improved, evidenced by their decrease in turnovers during the past few games.

While both have had solid seasons for Michigan, it's obvious that the two still have much work ahead of them. But given their recent success, it appears they could be headed on the right track. And with contributions by Bullock and Reid always accounted for, it might be Michigan's other duo that keeps opposing coaches up at night.

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