Last April, Nik Stauskass season at Michigan came crashing to a halt with a tough 82-76 loss to the Louisville Cardinals in the NCAA Championship game. ike MC SP Air Max 1 Beige/khaki/Light Green 607401-014 Print Womens Shoes . The 66" shooting guard started all but six games in his freshman year, averaging 11 points per game and shooting .440 from the three-point line. Based on his post-game comments, it was clear that he took the championship loss hard. "We just got to move on," he said, his eyes clearly filled with tears. "I know myself, Im going to get back in the gym tomorrow to start working on my game." Stauskas wasnt giving lip service. The dozen or so shooting videos, shot from his backyard in Mississauga, Ontario in sun, rain and snow on YouTube, attest to his incredible drive. His quest for improvement was doubly as important as the top two players on the Wolverines, National Player of the Year, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr., were both selected as first-round picks in this past Junes NBA Draft. With their departure, someone had to emerge on the team to pick up the slack and Stauskass work ethic would not allow it to be anyone else but him. "It just comes from me loving the game," he said. "I enjoy playing basketball, so its not really work for me. I enjoy getting better and anytime you go out there and see yourself being successful, it motivates you to try even more and get even better. Its kind of like a cycle for me - the better I get, the more I want to work." Already established as one of the best shooters in college basketball, Stauskas spent the summer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, rounding out his game. Working on his ball-handling to take defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim, he also added 16 pounds of muscle to his lithe frame. The result of his efforts was something no one expected him to do, by averaging 18.2 points in his first 11 games of the season. When met with stiffer competition in the Big 10 Conference, he led the Wolverines to a 9-1 record in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA, all of which translated into Michigan moving up the national rankings and garnering the sophomore a spot on the Naismith Award Midseason Top 30 list. "Ive never really had recognition like that before," Stauskas said. "To be put in that group with those guys, its an honour. Theyre all really talented and its a prestigious award. Im happy that I can be there and that my work is paying off." Yet as Stauskass talent continues to develop with increased freedom and responsibility, opposing coaches have recognized this, as well. In some games, he has been neutralized as defences key in on Michigans primary threat. "I think the biggest challenge for me personally has just been addressing the way teams have been defending me," he said. "A lot of teams have been preparing for me, more than anyone else on our team. Getting double-teamed and being face-guarded has been an adjustment for me, cause Ive never had to deal with that before. Its made me work harder in a lot of areas I havent had to work on before." Stauskass growth, however, isnt solely physical, as he has had to make the adjustment to being a leader on his team. "Its tougher to pick up the rest of the team and stay positive and encourage everyone else while you struggle personally," Stauskas. Yet, he recognizes its a necessary adjustment to take his team and game to the next level. His focus and drive to succeed wont allow him to think otherwise. This April, Stauskas has similar visions on what another Michigan group of fabulous freshmen accomplished in consecutive seasons - back-to-back trips to the NCAA Championship game. "After the loss we had in the Final Four, obviously our goal is to get back there and win that championship game," he said. "At the same time, we came two points away from winning a Big 10 Championship. Those are both goals I want to achieve coming back this year. The way were playing right now, I think were right on pace to do that, we just have to keep working hard." Nike Air Max Classic Bw Mens Trainers . - A momentary lapse in focus Saturday night proved costly for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Yeezy Boost 350 Tan Online .com) - The Chicago White Sox and outfielder Melky Cabrera have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract.Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera and Los Angeles Angels centerfielder Mike Trout are once again set to go head-to-head in Major League Baseballs year-end awards. The Baseball Writers Association of America announced its finalists for its four top awards on Tuesday night, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year and the Cy Young Award in both the American and National Leagues. Trout and Cabrera – who were hotly-debated MVP candidates in 2012 – were once again announced as finalists for AL MVP alongside Baltimore Orioles first-baseman Chris Davis. Davis led the majors in home runs (53) and runs batted-in (138), while Cabrera led the majors in batting average (.348) and finished second in the other two Triple Crown categories with 44 homers and 137 RBI. Trout led the AL in runs scored (109) and finished third in average (.323). In the NL the finalists for MVP included Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. Goldschmidt led the NL in RBI (125) and tied for the league lead in home runs (36) in addition to winning a Gold Glove. McCutchen finished top-10 in the NL in average (.317), steals (27), runs scored (97) and OPS (.911). Molina won his sixth-straight Gold Glove behind the plate and led all NL catchers in hits (161), doubles (44), average (.319) and OPS (.836). Tigers starter Max Scherzer headlines the AL Cy Young ballot, where he is joined by Japanese imports Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers and Hisashi Iwakuma of the Seattle Mariners. Scherzer won an MLB-leading 21 games and finished top five in strikeouts (240) and earned-run average (2.90). Darvish led the majors in strikeouts by a healthy margin with 277 and posted an AL top-five ERA (2.83). Iwakumas 2.66 ERA was third-best in the AL in addition to a 1.01 WHIP. Clayton Kerrshaw is up for the NL Cy Young for a third-straight year. Yeezy Boost 350 Black Price. Hes joined on the ballot by Miami Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez and St. Louis Cardinals vet Adam Wainwright. Kershaw – who won the 2011 Award and finished runner-up to R.A. Dickey in 2012 – had an MLB-best ERA (1.83) and WHIP (0.92) as well as leading the NL in strikeouts (232) and tying for third in wins (16). Wainwright won an NL-best 19 as well as finishing third in strikeouts (219). Fernandez finished top-three in ERA (2.19) and WHIP (0.98) while holding opponents to an MLB-low .182 average. Fernandez highlights the NL Rookie of the Year crop, but is also joined by Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig and Cardinals starter Shelby Miller. Puig set the league on fire with his early summer debut racking up 122 hits, 19 homers and 11 steals in just 104 games, with an MLB rookie-best average of .319. Miller posted a 15-9 record for the NL-champion Cards, logging 173.1 innings. Tampa Bay Rays teammates Wil Myers and Chris Archer are finalists for the AL Rookie of the Year along with Tigers infielder Jose Iglesias. Myers led AL rookies in doubles (23) and RBI (53), while Archer logged the second-most innings among AL rookie starters (128.2) posting a sparkling 1.13 WHIP. Archer Iglesias hit .303 in 109 games for the Tigers. John Farrells worst-to-first tactics in Boston have him nominated for AL Manager of the Year alongside fellow rookie skipper Terry Francona and the Oakland As Bob Melvin. Clint Hurdle, who led the Pittsburgh Pirates to their first playoff berth since 1992, headlines the NL Manager of the Year candidates alongside Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and the Braves Fredi Gonzalez. The Awards will be handed out next week, starting with the Rookie of the Year Awards on Nov. 11. One set of awards will be announced per day with Manager of the Year on Nov. 12, Cy Young on Nov. 13 and MVP on Nov. 14. 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