Before many games last season, David Merritt would stand up in the locker room and talk to the Michigan basketball team. He'd try to send a message and inspire the Wolverines.

One of two senior point guards on the roster last year, he became the leader, part of an emotional core that this year’s Michigan team is still seeking to find.

On Tuesday, though, senior forward DeShawn Sims took a step toward Merritt’s role. He addressed the team before the game, in part because Michigan coach John Beilein asked him to and also because he let it be known he wanted to talk.

“Just go out and if anyone’s not playing tough, including me, tell me,” said Beilein said, quoting Sims’ message. “And I think we came out and showed that. I think we really played - obviously Coppin isn’t Kansas - but I thought we came out and played with a lot of that same energy.”

This is something Beilein has been trying to foster throughout the season from his senior leader. He wanted him to become more vocal, grab hold of the team and make it his own.

With one speech, he started to do that.

“It was a David Merritt-type of rendition of ‘Why don’t you say a few words,’” Beilein said. “So it’s something have to incubate a little bit here and just make them happen a little and faster and more often because they aren’t as spontaneous as I’d like them to be.”

Where did the Pride go?

In one of the more curious moments during introductions, sophomore guard Zack Novak is always introduced as “The Pride of Chesterton, Indiana.”

It isn’t something Novak requested or even said, but on Tuesday before Coppin State, Novak’s Pride was gone.

Instead, the Public Address announcer gave Novak’s Pride to his roommate, Stu Douglass, who became “The Pride of Carmel, Indiana.”

While the Pride moved a couple hours south, neither player is sure why.

“I have no clue,” Douglass said. “No clue.”

The change worked for Douglass, who had 20 points and clearly his best game of the season. And Novak? At first he didn’t know his Pride was gone. He didn’t even know he was the only one who had the Pride announced before his name.

When asked about it, he didn’t seem to matter at first. Then he thought about how
Douglass shot.

“Maybe, actually I want my Pride back after the way he shot it,” Novak said. “I don’t think he knew about it but I always thought it was kind of funny. I’d hear it, ‘The Pride of Chesterton, Indiana.’

“It’s kind of funny. It’s the perception, I guess, coming from a small town.”

But it’s a moniker Novak would like to have back.

With effort comes practice

Often times, getaway games - the ones immediately before a quick break home for Christmas or New Year’s - cause players to become lethargic or distracted.

Coming between finals and an anticipated break from basketball, it’s understandable.
Yet for Michigan, it didn’t happen.

Instead, Michigan had its most inspired win of the year, a 30-point blowout of Coppin State.

“We ain’t in a place to take no game lightly,” junior guard Manny Harris said. “So we just came out with a lot of intensity and just a lot of effort tonight.”

Part of it could be due to a semi-threat made by Beilein. Good effort means an easier practice before Michigan leaves Wednesday morning. Poor effort and they’ll be running for a while before they start running for their cars and to make their flights home.

“I said I want the same type of effort and win or lose, it doesn’t make a difference with tomorrow’s practice, you had to give a great effort,” Beilein said. “You make how practice is tomorrow so there was a little bit of a threat, I guess.”

This and that

Beilein said Michigan will lift weights at 8 a.m. Wednesday followed by a film session at 9 a.m. and then practice from 10-11 a.m. before the team leaves. … Coppin State was led by Lenny Young, who had a game-high 22 points. … Walk-on Josh Bartelstein played for the first time since the season opener against Northern Michigan, getting three minutes at the end of the game along with freshman Eso Akunne and redshirt freshman Ben Cronin. … 

Michigan’s 33.3 percent three-point shooting tied its best effort of December along with its win over Detroit on Dec. 13. … For what it’s worth, Indiana, Michigan’s first Big Ten opponent, lost at home to Loyola (Md.) on Tuesday. Loyola is one of two Division I teams Coppin State beat this year, 63-58 in overtime on Dec. 9.

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.