Scoreboard Tracking 'M' soccer
SOn Jose at NBA Check out the No. 18 Michigan soccer team as I
HOC KEY VANCOUVER, inc. BASKETBALL
Tampa Bay at Edmonton at Indiana at hosts Wright State today at 2 p.m. at the Varsity
WASHINGTON. inc. LOS ANGELES, inc. MIAMI, ic. Socer Field in the first round of the NCAA
Philadelphia at Portland at oi amh}
NEW JERSEY, inc. UTAH, inc.
Oalas at Phoenix at
ST. LOUIS, inc. CHICAGO, inc Wednesda
A n ah ei m at L A . L a k e rs a tN o e b e 0 1 9
TORONTO, inc. DALLAS, inc. November 10, 1999
-Around the Horn-
st/d ":e R ai er + cs: se£ , wt..of1 B;l+= ue w o
cats..By Dan Williams
D aily Sports Writer
SLess than a hu
Michigan soccer te
mayb ack No. 6 Penn St
Tournamentsbarhh
t this time last year, the college
football world focused on
anhattan, Kans., where the
Wildcats were feasting on a diet of cup-
cakesand cream puffs, were undefeated
and'olked to be a good bet to play in
the BCS national championship game.
But as the sea-
sonwgre on,
Kansas State was T .J,
exposed. The Berka
Wildcats were
upset by Texas
A&M in the Big
12.tite game and
lost to Purdue in
the Alamo Bowl.
The naysayers
were having a field
day with the TE imC,
Wildcats last OFF
January. The 'I told
you sos' circulated as critics claimed a
teamfrom Kansas could never win in
any bport without a free throw line.
Better yet, those same critics were
talking about how Kansas State was an
ordiniaty team whose record was inflated
by teams such as Utah State and
Northerm Illinois.
Andfinally, with the loss of star quar-
terback Michael Bishop and eight other
starters, college football experts were
prediting doom for the Wildcats.
That didn't seem too far-fetched a
notion in January. Kansas State is no
stranger to doom. Before this decade,
dotfft'Was all the Wildcats knew.
jrr Sports Illustrated's 1989 college
foptball preview issue, SI called Kansas
State the worst program ever, and for
good reason. In 1989, the Wildcats had
lost 500 Division I-A games.
Soon after, the Wildcats' losing streak
Igt~w to 30. They had also only been to
ono bowl in their history prior to 1919, a
14s3 Independence Bowl loss to
Wisconsin in 1982.
So when Kansas State crashed and
burned to end the 1998 season, images
of the old Wildcats started appearing. It
seemed as if Kansas State was a fluke of
nature and would revert to its old role of
midwestern pansy.
But Kansas State hasn't cooperated
with the experts and critics. To the dis f
dai and surprise of football fans,
Kansas State is back and threatening to
b e a factor in the Sugar Bowl race.
Don't feel bad if you didn't have a
clu of Kansas State's 9-0 record and
Not 5 ranking. Before the BCS rankings
came out on Monday, I had no clue how
;ood Kansas State was either.
All the upstart national contender talk
which Kansas State prompted last year
is npw focused on No. 2 Virginia Tech.
Wile the Hokies are encountering the
your schedule is trash, you are overrat-
id talk, the Wildcats are quietly win-
sing games.
Kansas State isn't that different from
i yar ago. The Wildcats still play one of
he most ridiculously weak schedules in T
he sation. They still rely on a big-play
luatrerback in Jonathan Beasley and a
itiny defense. w
But Kansas State has shown an ability
o come back and make the big play.
the Wildcats were behind on the road
his season.against Iowa State, Texas and i
Diklahoma State. Each time they won.
Kansas State plays at Nebraska this
weekend. If the Wildcats win, look out. t
rho pansies in purple might be playing
forp national championship come
laniry t
-TJ Berka can be reached via email
at berkat@umich.edu.
today's 2 p.m. f
Wolverines.
In Indianapolis t
8-1) became M is
Tourname 01oppor
Midssesteri Colleg
Strong goalkee
Freeman, the MCC
player, led Wright
The Raiders went
MCC regular seaso
The Wolverines
their game against
little surprised the
hye. The toruicame
top 16 seeds receiv
Wolverines thought
16.
So the team fr
DayGon, Ohio is m
north to Ann Arboi
Wol\erines nappin
the yea.
"We'd like to ca
State coach Scott R
ing some of their b
they'll let that happ
Michigan coach
that the potential fo
has just two days to
a grueling three-da
tions ran high.
"I'm hoping we
victory, and come i
Belkin said.
The Wolverine
Tournament withou
AV CHKLINDDaiy
At 2 p.m. today, the Michigan soccer team hosts Wright State in the first round of the NCAA touma-
ment. The Wolverines swept through the Big Ten Championships last weekend.
concern-,. oe Pa
By Andy Latack
Daily Sports Editor
Joe Paterno doesn't want to talk about Penn State's
ranking in the polls this week. After the Nittany Lions'
national title hopes were dashed with a crushing loss to
Minnesota on Saturday, the Penn State coach won't
answer any questions about his team's current standing in
the all-important national rankings.
Actually, Joe Pa would be happy to talk about where
his team stands in the polls - if only he knew. But the
fact is, the legendary coach doesn't concern himself with
the national rankings.
"I've never really taken any interest in the polls what-
soever," Paterno said. "All I know is if you win enough
games, you'll get where you belong."
Sure, Joe. Coaches say that all the time, while secretly
agonizing over the number of first-place votes their team
receives from their peers and members of the media.
But Paterno means it - he literally pays no attention
to the polls.
"I don't know where we're ranked this week," Paterno
said. "That's not a cop-out, honest to goodness. I don't
even know where they put us."
The answer is No. 6 and No. 8, respectively, in the
Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. In
all probability, the Lions are out of the running for a
national championship, but still in the chase for the Big
Ten title and BCS bowl berth.
Ranked No. 2 in both polls going into last week, Penn
State appeared headed for a clash-of-the-titans meeting
with top-ranked Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. But
after their 24-23 loss to the Gophers, the Lions are now
on the fringe of the national title picture.
But while he is disappointed for his players, Paterno
sn't throwing in the towel on his 50th season with the
Nittany Lions.
"This whole football team worked hard, hopefully with
he idea that we would have a shot at a national champi-
onship," Paterno said. "But we had a fine practice on
Sunday, and the kids now are looking forward to ending
he season on as high a note as they can."
Doing so means beating Michigan on Saturday and
Michigan State in the season's final week. This is no easy
uld be Wright o
the tough weekend left the team physicall
drained. Belkin gave the team light practices o
ndred miles away from the joking and stretching on Monday and shootin
am's stunning 4-2 victory oser and set plays yesterday. hoping to keep the tea
ate to clench an NCAA fresh for the mid-week matchup.
Wright State sneaked into \ith just two days for both teams to pr r
first-round match with the for an unfamiliar opponent, scouting bece
tougher for the coaches.
his weekend, the Raiders (Il l-Belkin has to rely on many of \right Site'
chigan's first round NC \A A U Is uti ctonference foes to get seouttitg, siine
tent when they knocked off the other MCC schools won't give out itforia
sin in penalty kicks in the i'n to the Raiders' opponents. I he problem i
iate Conference Tournament. this is that Wight lue is acy oung ten, and ha
ping by sophomore Randi cinged a lot from the early season.
Tournament's most valuable "l know that they have a couple of real fist for
State in its late-season surge. wards," Belkin said, "and they beat a stron
81--1 in October and won the Milwaukee-Wisconsin team in their tournan '
in. Among the young emerging stars for \\ ugh
(16-5-1) are excited about State is sophomore midfielder Angie Crole
Wright State, but they were a Croley scored the Raiders' only regulation goa
y didn't receive a first-rotund in the MCC final, giing her team the chance t
nt field is 48 teams, and the win the shootout, 42.
e byes. With Sunday's win, the "We're very young, and we've had dilTeren
t they would be one of the top people sep up at difterent times," Rodgers said
"Our diefense has been especially strong lately."
tom a smaller university in While Michigan didn't have any idea who tr
aking the four-hour bus trir scout until Sunday night, Rodgers had a feelin
r to see if they can't catch the his team would llce a Big Ten opponent inht
g after their biggest victory of first round. lie knew the N'AA conn.11
wouldn't send a mi doxestern school ftr away fo
itch them off guard," Wright a Wednesday gise. Therefore, he had a chanc
odgers said, "but they're play- to scout at last weekend's Big Ten Tournament.
est soccer, and we don't think "We've got some ideas of what Michigan cat
en." do"' Rodgers said. "We're not going to be intim
Debbie Belkin also realizes idated because we've played some big schools al
ir a let-down exists. The team year"
prepare for Wright State after Despite the fact that Michigan has some smsoal
y tournament in which emo- disadvantages and potential distractions, i
shouldn't be a problem if they mnaintain 'i
can feed off the Penn State recent effort.
n here with the same effort," "If we continue playing like we played agains
Penn State, we'll be fine," senior Emily Scmit
s escaped the Big Ten said. "Sunday's emotional win will drive us ever
it any substantial injuries, but more."
The're stars of the
double-entendre, tool
Search for All-Stars nets porn websites
By Jacob Wheeler ers to make the transition to college
Daily Sports Writer basketball at any level."
When searching the Internet for Tonight will be the season's first
information on the Double Pump All- tipoff against an unfamiliar opponent,
Stars - the independent traveling bas- following last Saturday's Maize d
ketball team, which plays Michigan Blue scrimmage.
tonight at Crisler Arena - only links That means Ellerbe will pick a start-
to pornographic Web pages appear. ing lineup for the first time this season,
A closer look reveals that the Double and shed light on the subject of which
Pump All-Stars is made up of a series Michigan freshman will break the
of basketball camps and teams of for- starting five.
mer high school players, based in Crawford and Gaines started togeth-
California, that travels around the er in the backcourt for the losing Blue
country and scrimmages various col- team, on Saturday, impressing fans
lege teams. with their tight defense and some elec-
The All-Stars are the first of two trifying passes on offense. But Ellerbe
inconspicuous teams which the said following the scrimmage tha
Wolverines host this week, with the at- hadn't necessarily settled on them as
ter being Team Prestige on Sunday the starting guards.
afternoon. "We just broke them up," Ellerbe
But inconspicuous opponents before said. "You can't read into it"
the season officially begins on Nov. 19 Unlike the opposing Maize team, the
fit right in to Michigan coach Brian Double Pump All-Stars aren't familiar
Ellerbe's strategy of diverting pressure with Michigan's game plan - espe-
from his young team. cially the moves of the freshmen
Michigan's entire backcourt - guards, which were somewhat stifled
which will inevitably dictate the game's last Saturday since the Wolverines
tempo - is fresh out of high school, so were already familiar with each otls
the probable guard duo of Jamal styles.
Crawford and Kevin Gaines lacks the "We all know each other and what
valuable experience that other Big Ten we like to do," Crawford said. "It'll be
teams have in abundance. good to test out what we've learned
Luckily for them, the Double Pump against other teams."
All-Stars - players also fresh out of So tonight's game is actually the first
high school - are also green with chance for Michigan fans to watch a
inexperience because, as the Double new crop of Wolverines display their
Pump mission statement - found on distinct playing styles, against another
the team's G-rated official Website team of youngsters who have waited a
suggests, "it's becoming more and long time to display their skills on
more competitive for high school play- collegiate level.
AP PHOTO
Penn State coach Joe Patemo won't talk about Penn State's
national ranking. Why? Because he doesn't know what it is.
task, as the Wolverines and the Spartans are each 4-2 in
the Big Ten, just one game behind the Lions.
Paterno knows the Wolverines and the Spartans could
be trouble for his team. He felt the same way about the
Gophers before the two teams met, but nobody would lis-
ten to him.
Which is why the coach bristles when it is suggested
his team suffered a letdown against the upstart Gophers,
who have lost three Big Ten games - their only losses of
the season - by a total of1 1 points.
"Minnesota's a fine football team with a lot of great
athletes," Paterno said. "I don't think we're playing down
(to our opponents). I think we're playing up and playing
hard."
So while Penn State's loss may have been shocking,
Paterno knew that getting through the Big Ten unscathed
wasn't going to be a cakewalk.
See PATERNO, Page 11
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