5B - The Michigan Daily - SportsTuesday - January 22, 2002
Trash talk 1,
"We don't necessarily evaluate whether
the ball is going in, although that's what
everyone else does."
--Michigan coach Tommy Amaker on his starting lineups
quality possessions, while being outscored 7-2.
SATURDAY'S GAME
Minnesota 69
Imm Michigan 71
Players of the Game
Bernard Robinson
(Michigan)
Robinsons 12 points and 10 rebounds
gave him his first career double-double.
His last-second shot won the game.
Dusty Rychart
(Minnesota)
Rychart was a rebound shy of a double-
double of his own. He ended the day with
14 points and nine boards.
f .~~l.+-x:b,"
Young hot
when not
under fire
By Joe Smith
Daily Sports Editor
Although Saturday's game was nearly
two weeks removed from the last time
the Wolverines battled Minnesota,
Michigan center Chris Young still had
vivid memories in his mind from the
teams' clash in Minneapolis.
"A few times they were yelling 'fire'
and all of a sudden, three or four guys
were standing around me and there was
nothing I could do but kick the ball right
back out,"Young explained.
A discouraged Young finished that
game with just eight points in Michi-
gan's 90-82 loss. But it was the Wolver-
ines' sparkling outside shooting (40
percent from 3-point range) that burned
the Golden Gophers and changed coach
Dan Monson's defensive strategy for
Saturday's rematch. Monson decided to
play off Young and focus on defending
Michigan's shooters.
"We tried to make him earn it inside'
said Monson. "And he certainly did."
This time, Young had much more
room to breathe and maneuver inside, as
he wasn't double-teamed nearly as
often. Throughout the game, his team-
mates continued to find him, and the
senior tri-captain tallied 18 points.
The total matched Young's offensive
output in his last two games combined,
and marked just the third time in the
past eight games that Young has fin-
ished in double figures.
Another good sign of Young's aggres-
siveness came when he tied a season-
high with seven free-throw attempts
(6-for-7), especially since he's had trou-
ble getting to the line recently.
Young delivered the entire game
because he kept himself out of foul
trouble (one foul in 37 minutes). After
taking a key charge late in the game, his
one-handed dunk off a nice feed from
freshman Chuck Bailey with 17 seconds
left gave Michigan a 69-67 lead.
But Bailey wasn't the only Wolverine
to find Young, as nearly all of Michi-
gan's guards followed the game plan
and "were looking inside on every pos-
session,' Young said. This held especial-
ly true after Minnesota's top two big
men, freshman Rick Rickert and Jerry
Holman, each picked up two early fouls.
"We were thinking they wouldn't be
as aggressive on defense if we got it
inside," Michigan coach Tommy Amak-
er said. "And Chris really delivered."
Suffocating double-teams have
become routine for Young since his
career-high 25 point outburst against
Duke on Dec. 8. They have kept the cen-
ter from giving Michigan an important
inside punch, which has put the pressure
on the Wolverines' outside shooters.
Although Avery Queen and Domman-
is Ingerson have proven to be threats
from behind the arc (each shooting better
than 50 percent), junior Gavin Groninger
has struggled - nailing only three of his
last 17 shots from 3-point range.
While Groninger said his shots will
fall, he believes its even more important
for the Wolverines that Young con-
tributes on the inside to give Michigan's
shooters some room.
"Offensively and defensively, when
Chris is playing well, the rest of the
team plays well too," Groninger said.
Personnel wrong
SATURDAY'S GAME
Minnesota (69)
fr Amakers
plan-
- DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily
Michigan sophomore Bernard Robinson had a career-day, notching his first ever double-double with 12
points and 10 rebounds. Robinson also shared the wealth, dishing out six assists - even in a crowd.
Unusual suspects: Amaker
shows yet another li*ne OsIup
M chigan coach Tommy Amaker wants to rebuild the
once-proud program, saying that everyone needs to
e "patience" because he's in it for the long haul
and that he wants to instill "internal standards" instead of
outward "expectations" in the way he coaches.
He expects his best players to be the hardest working ones,
similar to the way Shane Battier was at
Duke. He sends motivational messages
by taking starting positions and minutes
away from Michigan's most talented". .
players.
He doesn't want the tumultuous
chaos that he experienced at Seton
Hall, where extremely talented, yet
cocky, freshman Eddie Griffin thought
he was bigger than the team, bigger JOE
than the coach, bigger than the pro- SMiTHi
gram. Griffin is no longer there, and
neither is the black eye he gave Ty The one
Shine, but the memory still remains in and only
Amaker's mind.
The problem comes when Amaker tries to relate the phi-
losophy of playing the "best practice players" and saying that
they will "give the team the best chance to win."
Because they don't.
Not here. Not on this Michigan team.
Maybe if Amaker had the luxury of bringing a Maurice
Searight or a JaQua Hart or a Kevin Gaines off the bench to
motivate another star player, then his plan may be plausible.
By no fault to Amaker, these players are not here. But what
he can control is what he has, and how he deals with it.
When you have former walk-ons as your ammunition,
your gun doesn't pack as much heat - especially if you want
to win games, like Amaker says he does.
"We always do things in term of practice," Amaker said.
"The guys who are going to be very competitive and show
that drive, courage and determination - those are the guys
we're going to go with."
The problem is that his players with the most courage and
determination didn't gain a scholarship offer to come to Michi-
gan in the first place. And it shows on the court.
One case in point has been the ever-important beginning
moments of seven of the past nine Michigan games - when
Amaker most often sends messages by playing former walk-
ons or those at the end of the bench who "work hard." Michigan
has been outscored 56-4 in the first few moments after the
opening tip. Mike Gotfredson started all but one of those
games.
After another 7-2 deficit on Saturday against Minnesota,
Amaker finally unleashed the reigns on his stars, Bernard
Robinson, LaVell Blanchard and Dommanic Ingerson because
he wanted to win. But after the game, he didn't forget his long-
term aims when explaining another apparently poor start.
"We don't necessarily evaluate whether the ball is going in,
although that's what everyone does," Amaker said. "We eval-
uate the type of shots and types of possessions."
Amaker even speaks about baskets as long-term goals.
He insists on sticking to "his guns" of an aggressive man-
to-man defense, even when his team is overmatched in size
and is beaten backdoor consistently - because he wants to.
be known as a man-to-man team years down the road.
He insists on playing those that work the hardest, no matter
what, because he wants that type of team in the "long term."
"We're setting our internal standards for our program, and
everything after that, we can live with," Amaker said.
Maybe he can live with it, but tell that to a veteran like
Chris Young. Tell a senior captain who worked his tail off for
four years and has been through hell and back with this pro-
gram. Tell him that when he's finally peaking as a player and
his team finally has promise to be putting things together,
internal standards will be put above anything else.
Tell him to be "patient."
If Amaker was given the type of players needed to send
such messages, Young and everyone else might understand it.
So should Amaker have to adjust to the hand he was dealt,
or try to bluff the Big Ten with his lower cards?
How he answers this question will determine the Wolver-
ines' fate this year.
Joe Smith can be reached atjosephms@umich.edu.
Changing it up
In five of Michigan's past seven losses, the Wolverines
have dug themselves a big hole in the first few minutes of
the game, being outscored 46-4.
at Western Michigan Down 15-2
Young, Blanchard, Robinson, Groninger, Gotfredson
vs Duke Down 9-0
Young, Blanchard, Robinson, Groninger, Queen
at San Francisco Down 7-2
Young, Blanchard, Robinson, Jones, Gotfredson
at Illinois Down 8-0 Gotfredson
Young, Blanchard, Robinson, Jones, Gotfredson
Bennett
Rychart
Rickert
Burleson
Bauer
Hargrow
Fleming
Esselin
Holman
Totals
MIN
26
35
27
33
30
12
23
2
12
200
FG
M-A
1-2
6.15
4-8
2-6
7-15
1-1
0-1
041
3-6
24-55
FT REB
M-A O-T A FF
2
2-2 4-9 1 2
6.8 0-3 2 3
2-2 0-4 8 0
0-0 1-2 2 2
2-2 -0-3 0 1
3-6 2-4 1 1
0-0 0-0 0 0
0-0 2-3 0 4
15-201435 15 17
FG%: .436. FT%: .750. 3.ont FG: 6-17, .353
(Bauer13-7,Rickert 1-1, Bennett 1 -1Hag r ow1-1,
Esselink 0-1, Rychart 0-3k. Blocks:,1 (Ric kert).
Steals: 6 (Bennett 4, ychart 1, Holman 1).
Turnovers: 16 (Burleson 5 Rychart 4 Bauer 3, Ben-
nett. RickertFI eming Esselink). Techn(cal7G1s)
none.
MICHIGAN (71)
Groninger
Bailey
Young
Sueen
otf redson
Jones
n rson
Rtbinson
Blanchard
Totals
MIN
17
16
37
35
3
17
23
25
27
200
FG
M-A
0-4
0-1
6-13
2-3
0-0
0.2
4-11
5-12
8-10
25.56
FT REB
M-A 0-T A FF
2-3 0-2 1 1
4-4 1-3 1 4
6-7 2-4 1 1
0-0 0-0 4 0
0-0 0-0 0 1
0-0 0-2 0 0
0-0 0-4 27 3
2-2 5-10 6 3
1-2 2-3 0 5
15.181.1-29 15 15
PTS
2
4
18
5
0
0
10
12
20
71
FG%: .446. FT%: .833. 3p4Int FG: 6-19, .316 (Blan-
chard 3-5, Ingerson 2-6, een 1-2, Robinson 0-2,
Jones 0-2, Groninger 0-2). Blocks: 6 (Blanchard 2,
Youn 2, Bailey, Robinson). Steals:8 (Robinson 2,
B anad, Ingerson, Queen, Young, Bailey,
Groninger). Turnovers: 16 (Blanchard 3, Young 3,
Bailey 2, Queen 2, Ingerson 2, Robinson 2,
Gronnger, Jones). Technical fouls: none.
Minnesota...........29 40 - 69
Michigan............28 43 - 71
At: Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor
Attendance: 11,603
BIG TEN
Team
Ohio State
Indiana
Wisconsin
Illinois
Minnesota
Michigan
Northwestern
Michigan State
Iowa
Penn State
Purdue
STANDINGS
Conference Overall
W L W L
5 0 14 2
4 1 11 6
4 2 11 8
3 2 14 4
3 3 10 7
3 3 7 8
2 3 11 7
2 3 11 7
2 4 13 7
1 4 5 11
1 5 9 11
PTS
3
14
15
6
17
5
3
0
6
69
By David Horn
Laily Sports Writer
Will the real Michigan starting five please stand
up? Everything coach Tommy Amaker has said,
and everything he has shown fans on the court sug-
gests that a true "starting line-
up" does not exist for the -
Wolverines. On Saturday BASKETBALL
against Minnesota, Amaker Notebook
sent out diminutive point
guards Mike Gotfredson and
Avery Queen, sporadic 3-point specialist Gavin
Groninger, freshman forward Chuck Bailey and
veteran center Chris Young. It was a peculiar
menagerie of size and talent, and was the seventh
different starting lineup Amaker has employed so
far this season.
The unit struggled and fell behind early, 7-2.
Less than three minutes into the game, Amaker
quickly injected some scoring into his lineup, sub-
bing leading scorers LaVell Blanchard, Bernard
Robinson and Dommanic Ingerson for Bailey,
Groninger and Gotfredson. The squad that
remained on the floor - Queen, Ingerson, Robin-
son, Blanchard and Young - went on a 12-4 run
and spent the majority of the game together.
At the beginning of the second half, Amaker
uncharacteristically did not send out his first half
starters. He instead allowed his "second line" (the
one that included Blanchard, Robinson and Inger-
son) to open the half with a 7-0 run.
"We were down one at the half, and I thought
that lineup gave us a nice boost," Amaker said.
Those three ended the game with a combined 42
points, but Amaker was comfortable with his deci-
sion to initially keep them on the bench.
"We wanted to give them a different look,"
Amaker said. "Sometimes when guys get a chance
to sit and watch it for a little bit they may get a dif-
ferent perspective on the game."
Queen, who enjoyed running the point for the
quicker and higher-scoring line, benefited from
more continuous minutes.
"We had a lineup in there that was versatile (and)
that could do many things," Queen said. "We just
seemed to find our rhythm, our game."
BERNIE JR.: The talk after the final buzzer on Sat-
urday was Bernard Robinson's 15-foot runner to
win the game. But that shot overshadowed what
was a career-day for the sophomore guard. Robin-
son had a career-high 10 rebounds (five on the
offensive end) and tied a career-high with six
assists. He also had two steals, a block and 12
points, including that game-winner. Saturday was
his first career double-double.
"I was trying to get everyone involved today,"
Robinson said. "I'm starting to understand more
about the 'game of basketball - how it's not just all
points. You can do a whole lot of things to help
your team win."
Amaker was most pleased with his young swing-
man's consistency.
"I was impressed with his line at halftime,"
Amaker said. "He basically doubled that (in the
second half). We talked about him being the three
A's: Active, athletic and aggressive. When he does
those three things, we feel good things happen."
But the fun on Saturday wasn't in compliment-
ing Robinson's consistency or versatility. It was in
marveling at how his awkward runner found its
way through the rim with three seconds left. The
team practices the very situation it was in (tied with
less than eight seconds remaining), and the players
have been instructed to "push it," rather than call a
timeout. The idea is to "attack the defense."
Bailey inbounded to Queen, who passed it to
Robinson at halfcourt. A few steps within the are
Robinson let the ball roll of his fingertips and kiss
off the high glass.
"It was crazy. It was pretty. I never saw nothing
like it," Queen said.
FASTBREAK: The Wolverines have been vulnerable
to the fastbreak all season, and had not yet been
able to make it work for them despite Amaker's
early season comments suggesting that it would be
an integral part of the team's offense (via its
defense). Saturday, though, they found themselves
with many more opportunities than usual, a result
of an above-average eight steals and perhaps also
the 10 rebounds of Robinson, whose quickness
allowed the breaks to start earlier.
Not all the fastbreaks were successful, however.
A Bailey charge and a Robinson travel were among
the slipups during fastbreak opportunities.
"Sometimes people get out of control, but that's
just part of the game," Queen said.
Michigan ended with nine points off of
turnovers, but hopes to improve its successful con-
version of fastbreak opportunities in the future.
"That's our game. That's mostly what we do,"
Queen said. "We try to push the ball as much as we
can. It seems like in the past we've just not had as
many opportunities."
Last Saturday's results:
Michigan 71, Minnesota 69
Northwestern 63, Iowa 50
No. 20 Ohio State 73, Indiana 67
Michigan State 77, Penn State 65
Wisconsin 77, Purdue 66
Today's game:
Michigan State at Iowa, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday's games:
Northwestern at Purdue, 6 p.m.
Wisconsin at No. 9 Illinois, 8 p.m.
Indiana at Penn State, 8 p.m.
Thursday's game:
Michigan at No. 20 Ohio State, 7 p.m.
Saturday's games:
Vermont at Michigan, 2 p.m.
Penn State at Wisconsin, 12:15 p.m.
No. 9 Illinois at Indiana, 2 p.m.
Iowa at Purdue, 2:30 p.m.
No.20 Ohio State at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m.
UP NEXT:
Brian Brown AP PHOTO
The 20th-ranked Buckeyes are the hottest
team in the Big Ten, surprising everyone
by standing 5-0 in the conference. They
are coming off a 73-67 win against Indi-
ana, but are considered to be untested.
NEXT WEEKEND:
LESLIE WARD/Daily
Chris Young takes a rare seat.
vs. Northwestern Down 7-0
Young, Blanchard, Robinson, Groninger, Gotfredson
i
WEEKEND NOTES
Northwestern 63, No. 17 Iowa 50:
Winston Blake scored 16 points and
Jitim Young added 13 Saturday night
as Northwestern used its patient half-
court game to earn a 63-50 victory
over Iowa.
The Wildcats (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten), who
never trailed and led by as many 20
points, posted their second upset of
the week after beating Michigan on
Wednesday. It was their first defeat of
a ranked team since beating Purdue
on Jan. 27, 1999.
State- into first place in the Big Ten.
Brian Brown had a career-high 26
points and freshman Terence Dials
scored 10 consecutive points down
the stretch.
Unranked and underestimated all sea-
son, the Buckeyes (14-2, 5-0) won
their eighth game in a row overall and
their 12th consecutive conference
game.
"Seasons have peaks and valleys,"
to a 74-67 victory Saturday over No.
7 Oklahoma.
"I got my mind right," he said.
Only twice in his previous 44 games
had Gooden not scored in double fig-
ures - both times against Oklahoma.
At halftime Saturday, often double-
teamed by a confusing Sooners
defense, the Big 12's leading scorer
had one field goal, two free
throws and an air ball.
:4Is "1 -nn in+ n Innzn
HOW THE AP
Team Record
1. Duke 16-1
2. Kansas 15-2
3. Maryland 14-3
4. Cincinnati 17-1
5. Florida 15-2
6. Oklahoma 14-2
7. Virginia 12-2
8. Kentucky 12-4
9. Illinois 14-4
10. Arizona 13-4
11. Oklahoma State 15-3
TOP 25 FARED
This weekend's results
Beat Wake Forest 103-80
Beat Oklahoma 74-67
Beat Clemson 99-90
Beat Louisville 77-50
Lost to Georgia 84-79
Lost to Kansas 74-67
Beat Florida State 91-74
Beat Notre Dame72-65
Beat Iowa 77-66
Beat UCLA 96-86
Lost to Texas Tech 94-70
Anure AndersonAP -
The Catamounts surprised everyone by
putting together a 10-game winning
streak, including a 5-0 start in the Ameri-
can East conference. They now stand at
14-4 and are first in their conference at 7-
1. They beat Albany 71-43.
'M' STATS
Player
Blanchard
Robinson
Young
Ingerson
rtmnind r
G
15
15
15
15
15;
Min
28.4
27.9
30.7
17.8
2.n n
A
1.7
2.5
1.1
1.4
11
Reb
7.1
4.4
5.5
1.8
1.A
Pts.
15.1
12.7
11.0
9.7
7.9
I
I