Friday, December 3, 1999 - The Michigan Daily - 11
*For 'M' the unfamiliar awaits
Women's basketball faces three other WNIT picks
By Dena Beth Krischr
.Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's basketball team
s looking to better its undefeated record as
it faces New Mexico State for the first time
.:n Michigan history at the Gene Hackerman
the random burst of energy that helped
them bounce back from a 14-point deficit
to defeat Providence 79-66 on Tuesday
night, starting the game out slow just isn't
going to cut it against the top teams they've
got lined up in the future.
Rice Invitational in ,.___That random burst of
Houston today at 7 p.m. energy came mostly
The Wolverines will be THIS WEEKEND from senior forward
going into the tournament ---.-----------"------..-.-- Kenisha Walker, who
blind, not knowing much Who: Tonight: vs. New grabbed three boards and
2 bout New Mexico, Mexico State; Tomorrow vs. had nine points in just 10
Massachusetts or Rice. All Rice or Massachusetts minutes on the court.
they know is that the other Where: Gene Hackerman "I decided with the time
three teams saw just as - Rice nvitational; Houston that I have I might as well
much postseason action as .hn 7m tonight; do something," Walker
chigan did in the WNIT. . ; said. "My nickname is
"We haven't started our 7 p.m. tomorrow. 'Instant Energy' so when I
scouting report or anything The Latest: Coming off of come in, I just try to bring
like that, so we don't really a 79-66 win over Providence, in a little energy to the
know too much about Michigan coach Sue Guevara team, a little excitement
them," sophomore guard and the Wolverines are 5-0, and emotion and just have
Alayne Ingram said. "We matching their best start in some fun.
know that they're three Guevara's four-year tenure. "I play best when I get
oher good teams, we all to run the floor in an
went to the WNIT and that open court. We had an
etting there is not an easy task - so we opportunity to do that in the second half
know they're going to be good competi- and we capitalized."
tion." But Michigan can't rely on a few sponta-
What the Wolverines know is that despite neous combustions from certain players.
The team as a whole needs to be more
revved up, and the Wolverines aren't exact-
ly sure about how they're going to ensure
that.
"I don't really know what else we can
do," Walker said. "We have our pre-game
warmup, we get excited in the tunnel before
we come out and it's just up to the players
who are starting the game to come out and
have a little enthusiasm for themselves,
because you can only say so much."
The Wolverines have since then gone
back to practicing against their managers
- who just so happen to 'be of the male per-
suasion - in order to get used to playing
the way they did during the second half of
Tuesday's game.
"They're really good for us to play
against," Guevara said. "We haven't done it
the last couple of weeks because our games
have been so close, but playing them really
helps us a lot.
"They're quicker, they're faster, they
jump higher and they block a lot of shots
and make us play faster than we want to, so
we have to learn to control tempo with it."
The winner of tonight's game will play
for the first-place title tomorrow at 7 p.m.
against the winner of the Massachusetts-
Rice game.
Raina Goodlow and the Wolverines hope to soar above the competition at the Gene Hackerman Rice
Invitational, a tournament that Includes three other teams that made the WNIT last season.
Cliff Keen calls wrestlers west
STAFF PICKS
y Ryan C. Moloney
aily Sports Writer
When a wrestling tournament bears
the name of a legendary Michigan
coach, it's usually safe to assume a few
things - the competition will consist of
several nationally-ranked teams, and the
tradition that goes with the tournament
will add a little prestige,
Oh, and of course,
the hotels in Ann Arbor
*hould enjoy an
onslaught of business,
right?
With apologies to
3ampus Inn and the
Sheraton, the Cliff
Keen Invitational won't
be taking place in the
Cliff Keen Arena -
rather, in Stateline, Nev.
Make sense? Even
*he Michigan wrestlers
are scratching their
heads.
"It's kind of strange
to have it near Las
Vegas," captain Otto
Olson said. "Because of.
the name, it's still a little
tion for us.
THis 1N
Who: 41-tear
that includes N
and No. 6 Okh
Whgre: Clif
Invitational in!
When: Dece
day
The Latest
a 79-66 win a
Michigan coac
and the Wolve
matching their
Guevara's four
bit of a tradi-
national teams like Minnesota,
Oklahoma State and Illinois as a gauge
for making decisions for after Christmas
break.
"This tournament is the first time I'll
have kids at each weight," McFarland
said. "I'll make decisions on weights
and redshirting afterwards, but I like the
attitude on this team - everybody is
working hard."
!EEKENDAmong those
are Olson and
freshman A.J.
m tournament Grant. McFarland
4o. 3 Minnesota commented on
ahoma State.. Olson's "great job
I Keen as captain,
Stateline, Nev. adding that "he
ember 3-4, all' has demonstrated
a great work ethic
in practice."
: Coming off of Grant has
ver Providence, shown a lot of fire
h Sue Guevara ,. and "great spirit"
.ines are 5-0, in practices so far
best start in as well.
r-year tenure. M c F a r l a n d
"expects good
things" out of Joe
Warren and 141-pound stalwart Damion
Logan, and is counting on the emer-
gence of Kyle Smith in the 197-pound
class and Mike Kulczycki at 149.
Tony Holifield and Matt Brink, at 157
pounds and heavyweight, respectively,
could fulfill some early-season promise
with strong showings this weekend.
"If you look at our lineup from top to
bottom, we're pretty tough;' McFarland
said.
What might be of more concern to the
Wolverines is their adjustment to the
new coaching system.
McFarland took over for longtime
coach Dale Bahr at the end of last sea-
son. The length of Bahr's tenure (21
years) could have signaled a rocky tran-
sition for the team, but Olson said the
issue won't surface this weekend
because it never existed in the first
place.
"(McFarland) has always been run-
ning things," Olson said. "but his heart
is definitely more into it this year."
Not that the process is complete - a
season of subtle changes seems the most
likely prospect.
"The adjustment is going about as
well as I expected," McFarland said. "I
think it's gone easy for the team because
I've been with the program.
"I will be able to tell a little bit more
as we get into the season."
Though the season is young, the tim-
ing of the Cliff Keen Invitational -two
weeks before the holiday break - tacks
on an element of deceptiveness on the
result sheet.
Unlike at the end of the season, dif-
ferent wrestlers are at different points in
their training - a favorite might fall to
an underdog because of different train-
ing schedules.
"Some guys like to peak for this
because we have some time off after-
wards,' Olson said. "I'm not planning
on peaking for it, but I still plan on win-
ning."
MARSHALL (-20.5) vs. Western Michigan Marshall
Navy (-6.5) vs. Army Army
MIAMI, FLA. (-29.5) vs. Temple Miami
Nebraska (-8) vs. Texas Texas
Florida (-7) vs. Alabama Alabama
All picks made against
the spread.
Home teams in CAPS.
Correct picks in bold.
T.J. Berka
Rick Freeman
Marshall
Navy
Miami
Texas
Alabama
Alabama
7-7 (1-0)
78-73-3 (6-5)
Josh Kleinbaum Andy Latack
Marshall
Navy
Miami
Nebraska
Florida
Florida
7-7(0-1)
77-74-3(5-6)
Marshall
Army
Miami
Nebraska
Florida
Florida
7-7(0-1)
76-75-3 (5-6)
Best Bet
Last week
Overall
Texas
6-8 (1-0)
80-71-3 (2-9)
Ddleaves Blue for
post at Central ciga
From staff reports
Michigan offensive coordinator, experience, DeBord ha
Mike DeBord will leave to become college football since'
the head coach at Central Michigan, , variety of schools, deali
the Chippewas' athletic department ly with the offense.
announced yesterday. ' DeBord replaces D
DeBord first became Michigan's Central Michigan, who1
offensive coordinator in 1997, and six seasons with the Ch
promptly helped the Wolverines to . Central Michigan v
the national championship. He will introduce DeBord at a
finish his duties with Michigan ence in Mount Ple
through the Orange Bowl, and then Michigan has not ye
begin, his first-ever head coaching DeBord's departure.
job ' . - ' - By Daily
rZ_.T ,_,,.- mi a arinr - n
lead
"But being a Michigan wrestler is tra-
dition enough."
* For the most part, Michigan is uncon-
cerned about the location - what mat-
ters is how they perform in the biggest
meet of the season so far.
Michigan coach Joe McFarland plans
to use the Wolverines' results against top
as worked in
1982 with a
ing exclusive-
iick Flynn at
went 30-37 in
ippewas.
will officially
press confer-
asant 'today.
et announced
Sports Editor
Chris Duprey
T T
o PRINTING *
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Volleyball makes unlikely trip to NCAAs
ID ,.WORSPORTSCENTERlROLLR HKE
ey Raphael Goodstein
Diy Sports Writer
Christmas came early for the
Michigan volleyball team.
The Wolverines believed their season
was done until their middle blocker,
Annie Maxwell, received a phone call.
Maxwell's friend, who plays for
Virginia, told her that Michigan made
the NCAA Tournament. The good news
pread via the phone, since Michigan
had not even organized a team meeting
to watch the selection.
"For us it was a total gift;' said
Maxwell after finding out the good
news.
The Wolverines (7-13 Big Ten, 15-14
overall) were awarded an at-large bid to
the 64-team NCAA Tournament.
Michigan was the eighth team from the
Big Ten to qualify. It was the first time
in conference history that the selection
committee has taken eight teams - the
Big Ten placed two more teams than
any other conference.
Michigan will face Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference champion Fairfield
(30-3) in the first round of the tourna-
ment at 8 p.m. tonight at the Alex G.
Spanos Center in Stockton, Calif.
Though the Wolverines were one of
the last teams to receive an at-large bid,
they were placed in a relatively favor-
able region.
"Something that is in our favor is
that Fairfield hasn't played a very
strong schedule," Michigan coach
Mark Rosen said. "I imagine that we're
going to match up pretty well, but you
never know"
If the Wolverines get by Fairfield,
they will face the winner of Pacific and
Colgate. Pacific enters the tournament
ranked fifth in the nation.
Pacific is the lowest-ranked No. I
seed in the tournament and Rosen is
familiar with the Tigers. Last year, he
coached against them in the Big West
Conference as Idaho State's coach.
This will be the second time the
Wolverines have participated in the
NCAA Tournament. In 1997, Michigan
won its first-round match, beating
Temple in five games. Texas A&M
then swept the Wolverines in the sec-
ond round.
WINTER LEAGUE For more Details
Registration Deadline: Dec 30th Visit Our Webs
Season: Jan 3rd - Mar 24th
Ages: 6 through Adult
Team Fee: $900 Individual Fee: $95
Youth League Format: 8 Games, 4 Practices & Playoffs
Adult League Format: 10 Games, 2 Practices & Playoffs
*Mini-Mites Program for ages 4 -6 years old.
*Developmental Programs for All ages are available.
Call (734) 9134625 or
ite www.wwsports.com
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