a 2001 football schedule Michigan's 2001 football schedule has finall, been officially released by the Michigan Athletic Department. Look online to see the matchups. michigandaily. com/sports ft gkdtkym ]PaUu S .TS THURSDAY MARCH 30, 2000 9A *AD shoots straight, but Iwhat does Ihe knowv? Rumors hurt hoops recruiting omeone needs to give Bill Martin some tips on how to be the Michigan Athletic Director. In his first post-introductory press conference as interim Athletic Director yesterday, Martin actually thanked the members of the media for coming to his office. As further evidence of his novice status, Martin answered every question without using the old Michigan "no comment-" What is this guy's deal? All joking aside, Martin brought the local media together to give a key piece of news regarding the basketball program: "It's very simple, in o~ne statement: Bran Ellerbe isy,. ourcoach, andis he will be our CHRIS coach next year," Martin DUPREY said. Dupe's Very simple SCOOP and straightfor- ward - and something indicates to Sme that this won't be the only time Jthat Martin shoots straight with the public. Martin cited the numerous rumors flying around on the Internet and talk-radio shows about Ellerbe's > future as the reason for this "clear- 1 the-air" meeting. By removing the 17 uncertainty regarding Ellerbe's sta- tus, Martin hopes to preserve the competitive recruiting edge Ellerbe needs if he is to add on to his cur- rent two-member class. Despite the upbeat nature of the announcement, Martin could not guarantee that Ellerbe would remain coach beyond next season. "Remember that I am the interim AD at this point in time. That would be something the permanent AD will have to address," Martin said. Yesterday's session also represent- ed the first time that Martin could *legitimately offer comment on issues concerning the athletic department. At his introductory press conference two weeks ago, Martin wasn't up to speed on the current state of affairs within the department and wasn't able to offer meaningful insight on those issues. 0 OFF-COURT INCIDENTS: We defi- nitely talked about that. "That gets into the one issue of dis- cipline and direction. We (Martin and' Ellerbe) didn't talk about any specific instances, we just talked about what we expect out of Michigan athletes * ED MARTIN: "I can tell you this about the Ed Martin situation: I know very little about it. That's being handled by our legal staff. I believe that announcements will be forthcoming within the next couple of weeks. "I'm very happy that this is going 'o finally come out. What we want is the truth, we'll get the truth and we'll deal with it." BUDGET WOES: "You probably saw a couple of weeks ago a report- ed projected deficit of S2.5-3 mil- lion. There will definitely be a deficit, but whether it will be to that level or not, we're just not certain. "There were three reasons for that deficit: A decrease in gifts, a decrease in licensing revenues and *he situation where we lost money through our radio contract." See SCOOP, Page 10A By Mark Francescutti Daily Sports Editor What's next? Michigan basket- ball in the National Enquirer? The latest gossip seems to dig into Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe every day. "You have no idea," Ellerbe told reporters yesterday when asked how several rumors in the past few weeks have affected him. But while Ellerbe may be a little frazzled by the hearsay, his chances at landing a star recruit are suffering. Interim athletic director Bill Martin, who told reporters yester- day that Ellerbe's job is safe, said that several recruits have been lost or alienated due to the rumors that Ellerbe would be fired, after a sea- son where the basketball program teetered on a line of disarray. Ellerbe went on to say that other coaches and players have spread the false rumors that harshly affected the program. "We've had a good number of kids that relayed information to us, and some that have eliminated us because of those rumors," Ellerbe said. The second-year coach has come somewhat under the gun for the lack of Michigan in-state recruits. While almost all of the possible barriers to entry into the Michigan area resulted from the Ed Martin scandal along with Michigan's seemingly stricter academic quali- fications, Ellerbe still has to fight the critics and the rumors. "We've never not recruited there," Ellerbe said. The Wolverines have two scholarships remaining, and may or may not use them. Ellerbe signed short, but quick, point guard Avery Queen and 6-8 for- ward 'Bernard Robinson in the fall signing period. With Peter Vignier graduating and only Chris Young and Josh Asselin at 6-10 or taller, the coaching staff has a big hope to find a big man for the spring. But the crop isn't the best, especially with the added rumors - every- thing from Ellerbe's demise to player transfers. Still, Ellerbe hopes for some- thing to sprout. "If we can get one or two guys, I think we'll be pretty good," Ellerbe said. Bill Martin and Ellerbe met Tuesday to discuss the recruiting problems. "The thing that I am concerned with is that student athletes are students first and athletes second," Martin said. "We've got a real young team. (Ellerbe and I), we've talked about maturity, about acad- emic performance. We're not just a farm team for the NBA." Martin said there may be a push towards accepting only recruits who plan to stay the full student time of four years. "That may be the type of recruit we want,' Martin said. "We had that whole philosophical discus- sion. Is it practical in today's world? Probably not. But Is it pos- sible that a (recruit) might over time get their degree? That would be great." Seniors Darius Taylor and Peter Vignier will graduate in four years as planned. Vignier hopes to try to play in Europe before returning to attend law school. DUKE'IN: Ellerbe said that he talked to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski Tuesday about renew- ing the series with the Blue Devils. Michigan will begin: a series with UCLA for the 2001-02 season. Ellerbe hopes to have' a new deal with Duke completed soon. MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe brought in a top-ranked recruit- ing classes last season, but rumors could halt that success. i Balancing It ; I TONIGHT IOWA CITY Who: No.1 Michin at NCAA Clanpionshp. Wheni: Team pretirniriries tonight, texn finals tcxootow and indwvidmal final Saturday Reasons for a repeat Scott Vetere The 2000 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year. Scored a national-best 58.7 to win the Big Ten individual all- around championship, along with three individual events. Has caught fire since Michigan's March 4 meet against Oklahoma. Vetere has scored above 9.8 at least three times a meet. On a team of home- run hitters, he possesses the biggest stick. Justin Toman The 1999 NCAA parallel bars champion and 1998-99 Michigan Male Athlete of the Year. Last year, Toman hit all six events in the team finals to key Michigan's NCAA Championship. A knee injury will keep him from con- peting in the all-around for the meet. Despite the injury, Tomanr will provide his expertise on the parallel bars. Daniel Diaz-Luong After missing the bulk of the sea- son with an ankle injury, Diaz- Luong won the Big Ten high bar individual title. His expertise on the event aids the Wolverines greatly -- high bar has proven to~ be Michigan's sole achilles heel. Kris Zimmerman The freshman won the Big Ten parallel bar championship and placed fourth on the rings. Zimmerman will also contribute on the high bar. His routines are critical -- he has been inconsis- tent this season, but spectacular as well. Lalo Haro The senior from Pueblo, Mexico will be saving his best in his final collegiate gymnastics meet. Was Kurt Golder's first blue-chip recruit. Always a fan favorite, Haro provides his emotional lead- ership, his solid all-around ability and consistent high bar routine for Michigan's title run. Men try to repeat as NCAA champions By Dan Dingerson Daily Sports Writer One down, one to go. The Michigan men's gymnastics team had two major goals this year; defend its Big Ten championship, and defend its NCAA championship. The Wolverines already dominated the Big Ten field two weeks ago in East Lansing and took home their second straight Big Ten title. Now, they travel to Iowa, the site of their Big Ten triumph last year, to try to repeat as NCAA champions. This year, unlike last, the Wolverines are prohibitive favorites to win the title. They have been ranked No. 1 all year. Most importantly they have experience, and they have developed a strong attach- ment to the title: National Champions. The championship meet starts today with the preliminary competition. The field is divided into two groups of six teams each. The Wolverines find themselves in the first group along with Big Ten foes Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois, as well as Nebraska and Massachusetts. The second group features second- ranked Oklahoma, California, Iowa, Michigan State, Brigham Young and Stanford. To advance to the team finals, Michigan must finish within the top three of their group. Advancing to the finals should not prove to be a difficult task. The Buckeyes are the only team in Michigan's group who have been able to compete with the Wolverines this year. Ohio State has defeated Michigan twice this year, the only losses that Michigan has suffered. The rest of the first group is at a dif- ferent level than the Wolverines and Buckeyes. While the first two teams are nearly a lock, the race for third could go any of three teams - Penn State, Illinois or Nebraska. The Wolverines toughest competi- tion could come from group two. Oklahoma nearly defeated Michigan on March 4 in Santa Barbara, a neutral site. It took an enormous comeback by the Wolverines to squeak out a victory. Additionally, Oklahoma may be peak- ing at the right time; the Sooners have risen to No. 2 after being ranked as low as No. 7 in mid-February. The team finals will match the top See NCAA, Page 13A PETER CORNUE/Daily Michigan's Scott Vetere nailed a national-best score in the all-around at Big Ten Championships. He will be counted on If the Wolverines are to repeat as champs. Haro moves from cornerstone to contender By Rohit Bhave Daily Sports Writer Four years ago, the state of the Michigan men's gymnastics program resembled a barren landscape. The previous year's squad had finished 0-16 in the reg- ular season. Then coach Kurt Golder arrived from Iowa, determined to construct a winner. To build this champion, the newly arrived coach needed blue-chip gymnasts, a difficult task with a los- ing program. Amidst the desolate recruiting climate, Golder found a gem-- Jose "Lalo" Haro from Pueblo, Mexico. "He is the foundation from which we built two Big Ten championships and a national championship on," Golder said. Golder points to the fact that Haro's aided the recruitment of Kevin Roulston and Justin Toman, then Daniel Diaz-Luong and Scott Vetere the following year. At this week's NCAA Championships, starting tonight in Iowa City, Golder will turn to Haro for his crucial final routines. "The first and last guys (on each event) will face the most pressure," Golder said. "Lalo is at this best in tough situations." Prior to his enrollment at Michigan, Haro had trained three years for the Mexican National team in San Diego, California. The experience in San Diego equipped Haro with the English and communication skills he needed to survive his freshman year at Michigan. Although his freshman year in Ann Arbor did not challenge him culturally, Lalo found the adjustment to collegiate gymnastics and academics difficult. "I was not used to having 12 competitions in three months," Haro said. In addition to having more competitions, collegiate gymnastics emphasize the team, unlike the individual focus of international gymnastics. To adjust to the team aspect, Haro looked to the upperclassmen for guidance. He learned the impor- tance of supporting teammates in addition to training himself for meets. Haro's rapt attention paid off- he became the first Michigan sophomore to be named team captain in 1997. For Golder, the nomination was both natural and well-deserved for his prized recruit. "What caught my attention about Lalo was his friendly, well-adjusted personality" Golder said. "He was such a strong, spiritual team leader." Beyond the adjustment to collegiate athletic life, Haro initially struggled with the two-fold role of the student athlete. Often at the beginning of his academic career, Haro would bring his academic burdens into the gym and carry his gymnastics issues into his classes. It was not until halfway through his sophomore year that he could compart- mentalize both aspects of his life. "I really tried to treat (academics and ath- See HARO, Page 14A . I .1 SUEdCH 3II nW V Student Discounts ~E iciganCasino No Crdt'No Prolnl Firt TmeBuyer Program ~ If ouhave the followin: * At least $1600 verifiable monthly income * 6 months verified full-time job ~ Professional Bartending Training Tins on Findinn n Too Pavino Jh F irr.. im/' 1 u