The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 29, 2002 - 9
Davis finally
relieved of
his shadow
ATLANTA (AP) - Mike Davis took the criti-
cism a little too hard. He fretted about the
impact on his family. He even thought of quit-
ting.
Good thing the Indiana coach decided to stick
it out.
Davis began to escape the imposing shadow
of Bob Knight by taking the
Hoosiers to their first Final
Four since 1992. While the BASKETBALL
journey was ultimately Notebook
rewarding, there was plenty
of discord along the way.
"I knew it was going to be a tough task,"
Davis said Wednesday. "I just wasn't ready for
how tough it's been."
Anyone who succeeded Knight - especially
after the General was forced out under nasty cir-
cumstances - was going to face resentment in
the Hoosier Nation. Still, Davis let the condem-
nation become a little too personal.
"Now I understand it's not about me," he said.
"It's about being the guy who followed coach
Knight."
Tomorrow, Indiana meets Oklahgma before
more than 50,000 fans at the Georgia Dome.
Kansas and Maryland, both No. 1 seeds, are
paired in the other semifinal.
The winners will play Monday night for the
championship.
COVERDALE STILL IN QUESTION: Indiana point
guard Tom Coverdale is off crutches but is still
questionable for the national semifinal tomor-
row night because of his sprained ankle.
The team won't make a decision on whether
he plays until game time, Hoosiers spokesman
Jeff Fanter said yesterday.
Coverdale, a starter, sprained his left ankle
last Saturday in the Hoosiers' 81-69 victory over
Kent State in the South Regional Championship.
Indiana coach Mike Davis instructs sophomore standout Jared Jeffries. The Hoosiers face off against
Oklahoma in the national semifinals tomorrow.
LAURIE BRESCOLL/Daily
Michigan freshman Leanne Rutherford stepped up when it counted last night, fighting
back from a 5-3 first set deficit to win her match 7-5, 6-1.
He rode a stationary brcycle for the second
straight day yesterday. Earlier this week he was
on crutches and wore an "ice boot"
If Coverdale can't play, he would be replaced
by freshman Donald Perry.
Coverdale, the MVP of the regional, is second
on the team in scoring at 12.2 points a game. His
172 assists are almost double the next best total
on the team.
HOGS HIRE HEATH: After a 30-win season and
whirlwind ride through the NCAA tournament,
Stan Heath was hired yesterday as the successor
to Nolan Richardson as the coach at Arkansas.
Heath, who guided Kent State to the final
eight of the NCAA tournament, replaces the
only coach to lead the Razorbacks to an NCAA
basketball title. Richardson was fired one game
shy of completing his 17th year at the school.
Heath called Richardson a pioneer for black
basketball coaches.
"I'd like to thank Coach Richardson," said
Heath, who is black. "He's opened up barriers.
He's a leader."
Arkansas hopes Heath can extend his one year
of success at Kent State to a school that won the
NCAA title in 1994 and made three Final Fours
between 1990 and 1995.
"We have a coach here who can continue the
great tradition of Eddie Sutton and Nolan
Richardson," athletic director Frank Broyles
said.
Heath inherits a team that was 14-15 last sea-
son. He said he talked to Richardson before
accepting the job.
"I feel like Coach Richardson would want me
to be here," Heath said.
S PARTANS
Continued from Page 8
an interesting situation."
The other match that gained the atten-
tion of the crowd was freshman Leanne
Rutherford's No. 4 singles match against
the Spartans' Mandy Caldemeyer. Ruther-
ford was facing defeat in the first set,
down 5-3. But faced with adversity, she
began to pick up her game. Carefully
selecting her shots and dictating play,
Rutherford won the next four games on
the way to a 7-5 victory.
After being worn out by Rutherford's
commanding play, Caldemeyer dropped
the second set 6-1, putting Michigan
ahead 3-2 in the match scoring.
"When I'm down, it always makes me
more eager to fight back," Rutherford
said. "Winning the first set gave me
momentum and helped me through my
second set."
The loss gives Michigan an even record
heading into Sunday's match against No. 2
Wake Forest, the highest-ranked opponent
the Wolverines will face this season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
Who: Michigan (1-4 Big Ten, 7-7 overall) vs. No. 2
Wake Forest (3-0 ACC, 16-2)
When: Noon
Latest: Wake Forest's Bea Bielik won the ACC Player
of the Week for the second time this season. She is
ranked No. 1 nationally in both singles and doubles.
Rowers counting on Ketcheson to lead
By Steve Jackson
Daily Sports Editor
This weekend the torch will be passed.
All-American Kate Johnson led the Michi-
gan rowing team to a second-place finish at the
NCAA Championships last sea-
son, but this weekend her seat will 0 6
be filled by a freshman. BELLEVI
Not just any first-year rower
can step into that spotlight and and Virginia
shine, but Leah Ketcheson is up When: Tomor
to the challenge of the coveted and 2 p.m.
"stroke seat." Latest: The We
The person in the stroke seat, ished second<
which is located at the stern of the Championshil
boat, is important because all the but lost All-Am
other rowers can see her during Johnson to gr
the race. This enables her to set
the rhythm.
"She's mentally tough and has a very consis-
tent stroke," said Michigan coach Mark Roth-
m
LL
an
ro
Nol
at
ps
me
ad
stein, who was named National Coach of the
Year last spring by the Collegiate Rowing
Coaches Association. "It's very unusual for a
freshman to get the stroke seat."
In fact, the only other person to accomplish
that feat as a freshman was Johnson, the only
rower ever to be named to the All-
' " America first team on three sepa-
E LAKE rate occasions.
.DukeBut the rest of the first varsity
. Du eight have plenty of experience, as
w at 9 a.m. three seniors and coxswain Helen
Dalis return from last season's run-
verines fin- ner-up team.
the NCAA "We have very high goals for
last year, this season," Rothstein said. "We
rican Kate have expectations of winning the
uation. Big Ten and qualifying for nation-
als. We have great speed, but it's
too early to tell (if we can compete for the
NCAA title)."
Rothstein's squad will be tested tomorrow at
Belleville Lake in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Michigan will take on Duke in the morning and
perennial powerhouse Virginia in the afternoon.
Ohio State will also participate but won't
compete head-to-head with the Wolverines.
According to Rothstein, rowing on its home
course won't be a big advantage for Michigan.
"There's not much of a crowd factor in our
sport. It's mostly family and friends, and they
can only really be a factor for 20 strokes of the
race," said Rothstein, who expects around 200-
300 people to attend tomorrow, despite the
starting temperature forecast of 36 degrees.
Braving the cold weather is something that
the Wolverines have plenty of experience with.
After training through this year's brutal
Michigan spring, the Wolverines could have an
edge when the cold air starts blowing.
"We're definitely used to it," Rothstein
said. "We train out there for 100 hours for
every minute of competition. The girls are
really excited."
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