p V, Sports desk: 763-2459 sportsdesk@umich.edu SECTION B i 11 Nil , W. . I 'M' opens spring practice, 12th game still possible By Joe Smith Daily Sports Editor Senior Steve Hutchinson found himself in an unfamiliar position when the Michigan football team kicked off spring practice Satur- day morning - on the sidelines. The All-America offensive lineman and former Michigan captain woke up early and trudged through the snow in order to get a ak peak at his former teammates and aches inside the warm, friendly confines of Oosterbaan Fieldhouse. "It's kind of different," said Hutchinson, who is a projected first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. "But it's good watching the guys that I've played with the past couple years go through it." Coincidentally, Hutchinson and Michigan coach Lloyd Carr were both keeping a close e on the offensive lineman. With three ential first-round draft picks leaving - Hutchinson, Jeff Backus and Maurice Williams, Carr is trying to plug the holes. "You don't replace those guys overnight," Carr said, "because they took so much experi- ence with them." The departure of former captain Hutchin- son, Backus, Williams and David Brandt, will leave a major hole to fill in a front seven that will be depended on to create clear routes for running backs while keeping fierce lineback- ers off senior quarterback Drew Henson's back. But Hutchinson said that spring practice is exactly the time for the younger guys to learn and improve and build on the rich tradition Michigan has of successful offensive lineman. "That's what spring practice is for, the younger guys,' Hutchinson said. "During the season a lot of the backup positions don't get a lot of repetitions. So spring practice is a good time for them to step up their game, step up their technique, and get their timing down. They'll keep listening and watching film." Michigan has a mix of experience and young talent returning on the offensive line. Ben Mast and Jonathan Goodwin have some experience as starters, while Hutchinson said that younger guys like Tony Pape and Deme- terius Solomon will step up to add some depth. Dave Petruziello moved from defensive end to the offensive line, which should add another body for the coaching staff to work with. "If he can get his stuff down pat, he's going to be another guy who can raise the level of competition and have another body in there either start or be a backup " Hutchinson said." EXTRA GAME: Carr and Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said last week that there is a "50-50" chance that Michigan will host a preseason game on August 25th at Michigan Stadium called the Michigan Charities Clas- sic. "We've contacted a number of schools that we feel would be outstanding opponents," Carr said. "But the discussions are ongoing. There's not a lot of interest in coming to Michigan Stadium to play." Although the financial benefits and televi- sion exposure are some positives for having the game, Carr said there's always going to be consequences. "I will tell you this," Carr said. "You have to win. If you play that game and lose, now you have to win seven games (to be bowl eli- gible) and if you look at the history - the last two years in the Big Ten, there is pretty good evidence that is a risk." CARR MUM: In Michigan's search for a new basketball coach looming, there have been questions if the new coach should be paid more than the football coach, along with what type of person does the Athletic Depart- ment want to bring in. Everyone has his or her own opinions, including Carr. "Let me say that there have been a lot of developments in the last few weeks," Carr said. "I have very strong opinions on these. But I don't want to share them." "I know exactly who I want to hire." But when asked if he would share his con- cerns with Martin, Carr replied: "If I'm asked. But I don't expect to be asked." Still dreaming 0 "/r C 17: MICHIGAN 81, VIRGINIA 71 (OT) Tonight, Blue faces 'top-seeded Notre Dame By Bentauin Singer Daily Sports Writer NOTRE DAME - The first two rounds in the NCAA Tournament are stepping-stones for more than just the road to the Final Four in the mind of Michigan coach Sue Guevara. They are building blocks for the future of the women's basketball team. Two of the past three years, Guevara has taken her Wolverines to the NCAA Tournament only to lose in the first game. In the week leading up to the tournament, she had heard quite a few reminders of her history. She made sure she doesn't have to hear about it the next time she goes to the NCAAs after her 81-71 overtime victory against Virginia on Saturday. "Everybody in the media (said), 'Well, Guevara got her team (in the tournament) but they haven't won a game,"' Guevara said. "Well, guess what. We did. So this is a nice step for our program. "It's a step and it's what we have to take for our program to build what Notre Dame has here with their women." The question becomes, is one first- round win enough to be able to com- pete with the top-seeded Fighting Irish on their home court in tonight's game? Notre Dame (28-2) is the No. 2 team in the country after No. 1 Connecticut avenged its loss to the Irish from earli- er in the season with a win in the Big East Championship. All-America and Big East Player of the Year Ruth Riley is likely to give Michigan the most trouble. The center recorded 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. "It's going to be a challenge, probably the biggest challenge I'vz ever faced in my basketball career," Michigan center Jennifer Smith said. See IRISH, Page 3B JEFF HURVITZ/Daiy Michigan State captured the West Regional's No. seed - and the CCHA trophy - with its 2-0 win over Michigan. Icers get third seed in west, draw Mercyhurt By Joe Smith Daily Sports Editor After weeks of hoping for an NCAA Tournament bye, Michigan finally found its destination yesterday - the No. 3 seed in the West Regional in Grand Rapids. And Michigan's insight on its opponent, Mercyhurst, proves to continue the trend of ambiguity. "We've accumulated close to 40 games on tape as a library of information on possible opponents, and I can tell you that the one with the least amount of tape is Mercyhurst," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "This is because they're not televised as much and are not as visible. "They'll be a team like Niagara was, coming from an unproven league and looking to prove something. I know they'll be super-excited to play in the NCAA Tournament." Niagara came out of the less-established CHA con- ference last year to stun 1999 NCAA runner-up New Hampshire team in the first round of the NCAA Tour- nament. In the same way, Mercyhurst has something to prove. After several years at the Division III and Division II level, the Lakers will make their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament since gaining Division I status just two years ago. Mercyhurst, a small school located in Erie, Pa., joined the four-year old MAAC conference this season - and just in time. This is the first year the MAAC conference tourna- ment winner gained one of the five automatic berths into the NCAAs, to go along with the CCHA, WCHA, ECAC, and CHA. Although Berenson fully supports improving and expanding college hockey, he and other coaches feel that giving a new league a precious berth isn't always a good thing. "But I don't think anybody feels good about giving them an automatic bid right now - if you take all the coaches around the country, they're not too excited about that:' This still leaves Mercyhurst, MAAC conference and Tournament champions, with the hunger to prove the critics wrong, and show it deserves a bid. "We're going to have to be ready to come out against a team that will come out and give it everything it's got, with a nothing-to-lose attitude," sophomore center Mike Cammalleri said. "That's tough anytime you play against a team that has nothing to lose and will throw everything at you." What Michigan will find out about these Lakers is that they're a young, hard-skinned team that has dealt with plenty of adversity, but is peaking at the right time of year. This makes them a very dangerous opponent for the nationally renowned Michigan team that is mak- ing its record 1lth straight appearance in the tourna- ment. "I don't like to hear the mighty Michigan and the unknown Mercyhurst, because we all know that story," Berenson said. "So we just have to get our feet on the ground and get ready to play against a good team - a team that is going to play its tail off." MARJORIE MARSHAL/daily Junior Alayne Ingram refused to let another season end in overtime. Ingram scored a career-high 27 points, 15 more than her season average. Michigan moves on with win over Cavs By David Horn Daily Sports Writer NOTRE DAME - In the second half of Saturday's NCAA Tournament first round game against Virginia, junior guard Alayne Ingram did everything she could to prolong the career of teammate Anne Thorius. Ingram, who led Michigan to an 81-71 over- time win, scored 22 second-half points to lead the Wolverines to their first tournament victory in coach Sue Guevara's tenure. "Anne and I talked a lot about what we have to do in order for this team to win," Ingram said of her halftime conversation with Thorius. "One of the things she said to me that really stuck with me was I don't want my career to be over today. I'm not sick of playing with her yet." Using a six-player rotation, Guevara's team overcame a 33-22 halftime deficit, and improved its record to 8-8 this season when trailing at the intermission. The first half saw a balanced attack from the Cavaliers, which featured All-America candidate Schuye LaRue, sophomore Mar- cie Dickson and junior Telisha Quarles. Dickson and Quarles posted 23 of the Cava- liers' first-half points. But it was the Vir- ginia defense that was most impressive, forcing 22 Michigan turnovers, 13 of which came in the first half. "We played very good defense in the first half," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "We came out in the first five minutes of the second half and continued that. Then it looked like the doors were locked for us defensively. We couldn't handle anything - we couldn't handle Ingram at all. She just went on a tear in the second-half - hitting all those threes." Ingram's tear was the result of both her own creativity, and an effective Michigan offense. "She came off the screen looking for threes, and moved around on the court look- ing for the open shot," LaRue said. "Then once she hit a shot, she penetrated, so you really didn't know what she was going to do. She just read our defense well." Ingram began the second half with the aggressive offensive play that she has, in several games this season, shown herself See CAVALIERS, Page 3B mp Tweeners gone, Big Dance moves on to Sweet 16 This question has plagued high school tweeners - those teens suave enough to secure a prom date but lowly enough to have to drive her home by midnight - for generations. Is it better to have danced and lost than to never have danced at all? "Sixty four to the Sweet 16" means that 48 hopefuls were bounced like a bad check. 2:12 p.m. Saturday: Enter contest with Maryland with dreamy visions like a kid on Christmas Eve. 4:20 p.m. Satur- The Michigan ralily s it's the jock's turn for tear-shedding. And for the losing coaches, two options present themselves: 1. Climb aboard the media machine - providing commentary and critiquing about the team that just ended your sea- son days earlier - a la studio analyst K(rzyzewski). What a nice alternative route to the Final Four while your team sulks at home. 2. Take to the Acura and hit the recruiting trail, scouring remote villages Michael singing "Careless Whisper." "I'm never gonna dance again," a remorseful Michael sings. A full 362 days of labor for a few hours of limelight - who would? Here's a swan song of our own to the weekend's losers. Ohhhhhhh see ya! The Big Ten: Grading a conference on the basis of its tournament performance is overrated, but in this case, the middle of the Big Ten has been correctly unmasked as mediocre. Slauceifeur. Idaho. Don't forget your toiletries or your TransAmerica Athletic Conference f.. i