OeRTicSigunJap
SPORT
michigandaily.com
sportsdesk@umich.edu
WEDNESDAY
MARCH 27, 2002
11
Moore speaks out, will not be back
By Joe Smith
Daily Sports Editor
Josh Moore will not be attempting a return to
the University of Michigan because he feels he's
"not wanted."
The 7-foot-2, 305-pound former center on
the Michigan basketball team was declared
academically ineligible for the winter semes-
ter last December and was subseqluently dis-
missed from the University's Division of
Kinesiology on Jan. 15.
But there's no chance that Moore will consider
re-applying to the University, and as a result, he
will not return to the basketball team.
"There's a 100 percent chance that I'm not
going to be back at Michigan next year because
I'm not wanted there," Moore said. "I still have
not been given a chance to succeed at the college
basketball level."
Moore, who said that he hadn't had previous
academic problems at Michigan, saw his grade
point average drop below the required 2.0 level
after a tumultuous semester.
In the summer, Moore suffered from a herniat-
ed disc in his back. But despite efforts to play
through the pain, he saw action in just three
games this season - averaging 5.7 points and 11
minutes per contest.
"Nobody can say that I didn't work hard or go
out of my way to not miss any sprints in prac-
tice," Moore said.
Moore sat down with Michigan coach Tommy
Amaker for just the second time all season in
December to discuss a possible medical redshirt.
That's when Moore found out he was declared
academically ineligible for the winter semester.
Amaker was unavailable for comment, and
assistant coach Charles Ramsey didn't return
phone calls yesterday. But Amaker had only
good things to say about Moore when it was
announced that the Division of Kinesiology had
dismissed him from the University.
"It's disappointing," Amaker said on Jan. 15.
"He's bright, articulate and has a lot of qualities
people would think of that are positive. It's
unfortunate that things haven't worked out for
him."
In December, Amaker said that he expected
Moore to enroll for the winter semester, and he
said he would consider reinstating Moore late
this summer.
But when Kinesiology administrators looked
over Moore's case after the semester ended, they
decided to dismiss him.
"I got kicked out of school," Moore said. "It's
nobody's fault but my own and I take full respon-
sibility. But I could have gotten more support. I
didn't get the same help that some players got"
Director of Academic Services for the Divi-
sion of Kinesiology Harry McLaughlin couldn't
legally comment on a former student or his
records. But McLaughlin said that when a stu-
dent's case is being discussed, the department
looks at the student's past and most recent per-
formance - as well as extenuating circum-
stances - before deciding whether the student
can handle the University's requirements.
"I gave my all to (Amaker), gave my all to the
program," Moore said. "I never got a DUI or got
in trouble. So for me to be in the position I was
in, I don't understand it. I didn't do anything to
make the University look bad."
Moore said he doesn't want pity or empathy,
just to tell the truth. He wishes his former team-
mates well and feels bad for the supporters he
left behind.
"I feel sorry for people who supported me,"
Moore said. "It's hard to tell who those people
were, but God bless them."
Moore averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds
in 29 games at Michigan.
Moore said that he isn't sure what his future
plans entail, but he won't be playing basketball
overseas.
The Wolverines will have no returning players
over 6-foot-7 next season.
DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Josh Moore was kicked out of school by the Department of Kinesiology for his poor grades. He
has absolutely no intention of returning to Michigan.
Season on
the lne for'
'M' netters
By Brian Steere
Daily Sports Writer
Regardless of the sport, every team
encounters a crossroad at some point
during a season. It is the time when
elite clubs switch gears and rise to the
occasion, while pretenders plummet to
mediocrity.
For the Michigan men's tennis team
(1-3 Big Ten, 9-5 overall), this after-
noon's match against No. 7 Notre
Dame (16-4) at the Varsity Tennis Cen-
ter is the perfect opportunity to turn up
the gas.
"We need a win like this to help us
get into the NCAA Tournament,"
coach Mark Mees said. "We also need
to build as we head back into the Big
Ten season. We still have a couple
teams to face in the conference who
can play."
In each of the past two seasons, a
midseason nonconference victory has
jump-started the Wolverines and pro-
pelled them into the NCAA Tourna-
ment. After a 5-2 triumph over Notre
Dame two years ago, Michigan won
six of its next seven matches to close
out the year and advance to the post-
season.
"Beating Notre Dame was the turn-
ing point of my freshman season," jun-
ior Chris Shaya said. "This season
reminds me a lot of that year. We are an
older team and struggling in the early
going, but we have the opportunity to
pick it up again with Notre Dame."
Last season, a 7-0 drubbing of Bowl-
ing Green began a final stretch in
VARSITY TENNIS CENTER
Who: Michigan (1-3 Big Ten, 9-5 overall) vs.
No. 7 Notre Dame (16-4)
When: 3 p.m.
Latest: Michigan is in danger of missing the
NCAA Tournament for the first time in five
years if it is unable to reverse its downward -
slide.
which Michigan took seven of 10
matches to qualify for the NCAA Tour-
nament.
With nine contests remaining,
Michigan must finish strongly if it
wants to crack the NCAA field for the
fifth consecutive season.
"Now is the time when we can pick
it up or throw in the towel for the rest
of the season," Shaya said. "But I think
this team is too old and too competitive
to give up."
An integral part of being a competi-
tive tennis player is having the ability
to sustain confidence throughout an
entire match.
"In any match, it's very easy t6 go
through times when things aren't going
your way," Mees said. "But you still
have to play with the belief that you
can win from beginning to end."
That confidence was certainly lack-
ing this past Saturday at Indiana State,
where Michigan suffered a 7-0 trounc-
ing against the Sycamores.
"We started off poorly and were
never able to turn it around," Mees
said. "It was the worst match possible."
If the Wolverines are going to turn
the tide against the Fighting Irish, they
will have to do so without their No. 2
singles player Ben Cox, who is still
recovering from mono.
Cox's absence will move everyone
up a spot in the lineup and put either
freshman Josef Fischer or sophomore
Brett Baudinet in the No. 6 position.
Fischer has compiled a 1-1 record in
'singles this year, while Baudinet is 0-1
after last weekend's 7-6 (5), 6-4 loss at
Travel plans finalized,
icers eye Minnesota
a
By Chris Burke
Daily Sports Writer
It's not going to be easy for Michigan
hockey fans to get to St. Paul for the
Frozen Four starting on April 4, but
Michigan coach Red Berenson is cer-
tain that plenty of folks from Ann Arbor
will be making the pilgrimage.
"I think there will be a lot of people
that find a way to get there," Berenson
said. "We considered busing or driving
as a team, so it's reachable. I've driven
to Minneapolis, gone to a high school
hockey game, and driven back in one
night. I think people that want to go will
make it there."
The Wolverines finalized their travel
plans yesterday, so now Berenson and
the rest of the team can begin to focus
on Minnesota, the Wolverines' oppo-
nent in the semifinals.
The Golden Gophers improved to 2-0
at Yost Ice Arena this season when they
knocked off the West Regional's No. 6
seed, Colorado College, 4-2 on Saturday.
"It was a good game;' Berenson said.
"Colorado didn't have the legs that
Minnesota did.
"It didn't have the magic or the edge
that a Michigan (versus) Minnesota
game will have."
Road trip
Many Michigan fans will make the
trip from Ann Arbor to St. Paul, Minn.
in eight days for the Frozen Four.
Here is some handy travel info:
Distance: 650 miles
Total gas money: Honda - $53.70
Jeep - $104.66
First place you'll visit: The Mall of
America
Weather: Really cold
Landscape: Flat
Last place you'll visit: The Frederick
R. Weisman Art Museum
Michigan was the other team to fall
victim to the Golden Gophers at Yost
this season, dropping a 5-2 decision on
Nov. 23, 2001 in the College Hockey
Showcase.
In that game, Minnesota scored three
goals in the opening 6:51 of the first
period and never looked back, as for-
ward Jeff Taffe finished with a hat trick.
"Well, we keyed on Taffe and we
obviously didn't do a good job," Michi-
gan forward Eric Nystrom said. "We've
got to shut down their key players and
play a better defensive game - I think
at this point we're a better defensive
team than we were at that point in the
season."
"We know that they're a good team
based on our experience with them this
year, and the fact that we've played
them every year for the past seven or
eight years in the College Hockey
Showcase," Berenson said. "We know
what kind of a team they are, and the
kind of team they can be."
In addition to having their hands full
with Minnesota on the ice, the Wolver-
ines will have to deal with the boost the
Golden Gophers will receive off of it.
With the Frozen Four being played in
St. Paul, the Wolverines get to experi-
ence what St. Cloud and Denver faced
at the West Regional. The Golden
Gophers are expecting the Xcel Energy
Center to be full of rowdy pro-Min-
nesota fans.
But Michigan has been spectacular
on the road this season, posting a record
of 9-1-3. The Wolverines also have the
experience of the "Cold War" game
against Michigan State in their back
pockets. In that game, the Wolverines
played to a 3-3 tie with the Spartans,
despite over 70,000 fans packed into
Spartan Stadium cheering on the home
team.
"I think it's very helpful," said Ryz-
nar of the "Cold War" experience. "I
..: ; +
, : ;
I
DAVID KATZ/Daily
Milan Gajic and the rest of the Wolverines picked themselves up off the deck
against Denver, which is why they are now preparing for the Frozen Four.
think our team really thrives on that
type of environment with the fans
against us - we play our best hockey.
"It's going to be tough in Minnesota,
against Minnesota, but I think it'll be a
good game hopefully. If we stick
together as a team, we're going to do
pretty good."
Michigan has a lot of time to stick
together. With a two-week break
between the West Regional and the
Frozen Four, this is a rare opportunity to,
get a weekend off from games. The
Wolverines have played at least one
game every weekend since getting the
weekend of Dec. 21-22 off.
"I think that will be good for our
team," Ryznar said. "It'll be a chance to
regroup and it'll give us a chance to
rest, which we'll need."
I
Spartans' Taylor puts
name into NBA Draft
EAST LANSING (AP) - Marcus
Taylor plans to forgo his final two
seasons at Michigan State and enter
the NBA draft.
Taylor, who
emerged this sea-
son as the Spar-
tans' go-to player,
doesn't plan to
hire an agent and
released by the university yesterday.
"I've enjoyed my collegiate experi-
ence, especially the great support
from the student body.
"Becoming an NBA player has
been one of my goals for a long time.
By going to the workouts and testing
my skills against other potential draft
picks, I'll have an opportunity to see
where I am as a basketball player."
could still return Taylor led the Spartans this season
to Michigan State with 16.8 points and 5.3 assists per
for his junior sea- game. In Big Ten games, he became
son. just the second player to lead the con-
"It's not that I'm Taylor ference in scoring and assists. He
in a big hurry to averaged 17.7 points and 5.0 assists in
leave MSU, because I have great Big Ten games.
respect for the coaches, players and Taylor also earned first-team All-
university," Taylor said in a statement Big Ten honors.
Golfers blame the cold
for their inconsistency
PEN.
S U M M E R S I
Summer Session I Summer Session II
May 20-June 28 July I-August 9
Study Abroad
" Study with distinguished Penn faculty
" Programs in 12 nations, from Argentin
DEU P
12 Week Evening Session
May 20-August 9
By Gennaro Filice
For The Daily
Put the bubbly back on ice. Hold off
the blue ribbon and wreath of roses for
another time. The winner's circle has
Misia Lemanski tore up the links,
recording an impressive 71, and fresh-
man Laura Olin was plus-3 with a solid
75, they seemed to be the only Wolver-
ines unphased by the harsh conditions.
"We made mistakes (Monday) and
we,~ mane gnm mre (vesterda~v)."
a & Italy to Tanzania
m