5B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - January 14, 2002 Trash talk "I think we have a ways to go, obviously. It's still a work in progress." - Michigan coach Tommy Amaker expressing his displeasure with his team's defense, which allowed each of its last two opponents to shoot nearly 70 percent from the SATURDAY'S GAME Michigan 70 Illinois 94 Players of the Game LaVell Blanchard (Michigan) Blanchard led the Wolverines with 17 points and eight rebounds while shooting 7-of-1S from the field. Robert Archibald (Illinois) Archibald scored 19 points (mostly on dunks) and pulled down a game-high nine boards. I Blue's achilles heel is once agman defense By Joe Smith Daily Sports Editor CHAMPAIGN - Michigan coach Tommy Amaker has leaned hard on the main pillar in the construction of his program - aggressive man-to-man defense. But for the second straight game, this pillar crumbled to the ground, as the Wolverines allowed another opponent to shoot nearly 70 percent from the floor. Illinois' 68 percent clip (an identical 17-25 mark in each half) broke a 30-year Assembly Hall record and came just short of the school record of 69.1 percent that the Fighting Illini shot against Wisconsin-Green Bay in 1985. "I think we have a ways to go BASKETBALL o b v i o u s 1y," Amaker said. "It's Notebook still a work in progress." In the Minnesota game on Jan. 9, the Golden Gophers victimized Michigan's in-your-face defense with their penetration and remarkable outside shooting. Minnesota shot 81 percent in the second half and had 44 points in the paint. On Saturday, the Fighting Illini beat up the undersized Wolverines down low Amaker expected Illinois to "exploit" its size advantage and said Michigan's only chance was to pressure the passer and make it difficult to throw the ball into 6-foot-10 Brian Cook (20 points), 6-foot-11 Robert Archibald (19 points) and 7-foot-2 Nick Smith (seven points).. But the mixture of the Illini's stellar ball movement - dishing out a season high 28 assists on 34 field goals - and the smaller Michigan post players led to Illinois' 46 points in the paint. "There was no back-side help because they were throwing the high-low from the top of the lane, and there was no wing that could have possibly helped because they were denying the help," said Michigan center Chris Young, who is the only Wolverine with significant playing time taller than 6-foot-8. But no matter how many easy dunks, back- door cuts or alley-oops Michigan gave up, Amak- :er stuck with the man-to-man defense for most of the game, preaching goals for the "long haul." "We made a decision to play the way we want our program to be known for and we're going to continually do that," Amaker said. LATE START: The Wolverines caught a break before the opening tip, as Illinois' All-America guard Frank Williams didn't start for the first time in his career for reasons other than injury. "I was kind of a little late today," said Williams, who arrived at Assembly Hall at 2:35 LESLIE WARD/Daily Illinois 7-foot-2 freshman Nick Smith was one of the Illini's big men that gave Michigan trouble. Best players need a chance to play HAMPAIGN - With Illinois cruising to a 20- point advantage late in the first half, the Fighting Illini's infamous "Orange Krush" student section rose to its feet and the reverberation of the 16,500 rabid fans in Assembly Hall resonated through out the arena and visibly shook Michigan's confidence. Shooting barely 30 percent and desperately struggling on the defensive end, the Wolverines needed a "shot in the arm," as coach Tommy Amaker likes to call it. The Wolverines needed a fearless player who has a history of stepping in to apply instant offense in big- game situations, and bring Michigan within striking dis- tance of a much better, yet beatable team. Michigan also needed someone who could calmly run the show, creating opportunities for a floundering offense. Amaker had those players in his arsenal, in sharp- shooter Dommanic Ingerson and point guard Avery Queen. But he didn't use them. Ingerson saw a season-low three minutes and took zero shots. Queen, who averages nearly 27 minutes, played just six. While their presence in the game may not have necessarily JOE led to a Michigan victory, Amaker didn't even give them a shot; he didn't let his best players lose. The one Instead, Amaker played three and only former walk-ons, Mike Gotfred- son, Rotolu Adebiyi and Herb Gibson. They averaged a combined 2.8 points per game in limited roles entering Saturday's game. But the three gathered career-highs in minutes and were supposed to lead the comeback charge. They ended up with a combined 16 points and seven fouls in 53 minutes in a 24-point Michigan loss. Michigan also had a season-low nine assists, its low- est total since Jan. 30 of last year at Michigan State. Gotfredson, who ran the point for 30 minutes, had just one assist. Queen had twice as many in only six minutes. Sure, Ingerson and Queen have spent some time in Amaker's doghouse for their behavior on and off the court. Radio reports after Saturday's game even stated that a frustrated Ingerson had to be restrained by Ade- biyi for allegedly "pouting" on the bench. But the only reasoning that Amaker gave after the game for Ingerson and Queen's absence was: "I think anytime as a coach, you want the players who will make you most competitive, and give you the best chance to win the game." Does this mean that three players who weren't origi- nally offered a scholarship to play for Michigan are bet- ter than a highly touted recruit in Ingerson and last season's starter in Queen? "No, I didn't say that," Amaker retorted after the game. Amaker stood by his claim that he played the guys he felt would give Michigan the best chance to win in that particular game. But the Wolverines needed someone to knock down some key shots and ignite a run to help them cut Illi- nois' lead down. With Ingerson's 3-point capabilities and past experi- ence in creating instant offense in big games (see Duke and Boston College), he'd be the most likely one to help stretch the defense and open up opportunities for Chris Young and LaVell Blanchard inside. Just three days prior, Ingerson's 3-point shooting brought Michigan back in the game against Minnesota in a tough road environment. On Saturday, as soon as Ingerson entered the game, Illi- nois coach Bill Self immediately sent his best defender, All- America point guard Frank Williams, at the freshman to shut him down - knowing that Ingerson is one of Michigan's top scoring threats. Williams ripped the ball away from Ingerson on the first possession, but the one who really stole the ball out of Ingerson's hands was Amaker - who gave Ingerson a quick hook shortly thereafter and didn't let his best pure shooter get into a rhythm. As far as Queen, the sophomore was coming off two solid performances against Purdue and Minnesota. After the Minnesota game, Amaker even said: "My personal opinion is that no one has made bigger baskets for us than Avery Queen." Queen was nowhere to be found against Illinois. Amaker said that those who played most of the game "displayed that kind of spirit, effort and drive - and that's why they played." There's no question that Adebiyi, Gotfredson and Gibson bring a lot of heart and hustle to the Wolverines. And in the long term, that's the example Amaker wants to have. But Ingerson and Queen bring talent and a "chance to win." Isn't that important too? Joe Smith can be reached atjosephms@umich.edu. BIG TEN Team Indiana Ohio State Minnesota Illinois Iowa Wisconsin Michigan Penn State Purdue Northwestern Michigan State STANDINGS Conference Overall W L W L 4 0 11 5 3 0 12 2 3 1 10 5 2 2 13 4 2 2 13 5 2 2 9 8 2 2 6 7 1 2 5 9 1 3 9 9 0 3 8 6 0 3 9 7 instead of 2:30 for the Illini pregame routine. "They decided that everyone had to be on the floor at the same time, so I had to sit out." Williams came into the game with 4:01 elapsed, and ended with 14 points and}seven assists in 27 minutes. SELF ESTEEM: Illinois' coach Bill Self approached Michigan junior LaVell.Blanchard after the game and told the forward how much he thinks the Wolverines have improved since last season. "I think they're a better team," said Self, who was impressed with how Michigan took Min- nesota "to the wire" last Wednesday. "I think (Bernard) Robinson, Blanchard and Young can SATURDAY'S GAME MICHIGAN (70) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS Robinson 26 3-11 4-6 1-2 2 3 10 Blanchard 31 7-15 2-3 2-8 1 2 17 Young 26 4-6 2-2 3-3 0 4 10 Jones 22 2-7 0-2 3-4 2 3 4 Gotfredson 30 3-5 0-0 1-2 1 1 9 Queen 6 0-2 2-3 0-0 2 0 2 Gibson 9 0-0 2-2 1-1 1 2 2 Ingerson 3 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 1 0 Groninger 24 3-11 3-4 0-2 0 1 12 Bailey 9 0-3 0-0 1-3 0 0 0 Adebiyi 14 2-3 0-1 2-2 0 4 4 Totals 200 24-63 152116-31 9 21 70 FG%: .381. FT%: .714 3-point FG: 7-23,_304 (Got fredson 3-5, Groninger 3-10, Blanchard 1-3, Jones 0 2, Adebiyi 0-1, Robinson 0-1). Blocks: 1 (Gibson). Steals: 2 (Robinson, Groninger). Turnovers: 15 (Groninger 3, Young 2, Jones 2, Gotfredson 2). Technical fouls: none. Illinois (94) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS Ferguson 20 2-3 0-0 0-0 2 2 4 Cook 25 8-11 4-4 0-6 3 2 20 Archibald 28 6-9 7-11 2-9 3 3 19 Bradford 30 3-5 0-0 0-2 2 2 7 Harrington 25 2-3 0-0 0-1 7 2 4 Head 18 5-5 1-1 0-3 2 4 13 Howard 3 0-0 2-2 0-0 0 0 2 Williams 27 4-8 4-4 0-5 7 1 14 Thomas 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Powell 6 1-1 1-2 1-1 0 1 4 Smith 17 3-5 1-2 1-3 2 0 7 Totals 200 34-50 20-26 4-30 28 17 94 FG%: .680. FT%: .769. 3-point FG: 6-12, .500 (Head 2-2, Williams 2-4, Powell 1-1. Bradford 1-3, Harrington 0-1). Blocks: 6 (Cook 2, Archibald, Fer- guson, Head, Smith). Steals: 9 (Williams 4, Brad- ford 2, Harrington, Head, Howard). Turnovers: 13 (Bradford 3, Ferguson 2, Williams 2, Cook, Archibald, Head, Howard, Powell, Smith). Technical fouls: none. Michigan...........26 44 - 70 Illinois-.. ........ ...........45 49 - 94 At: Assembly Hall, Champaign Attendance: 16,500 be considered the best players in the Big Ten at their particular positions." NOT PERFECT: After a sizzling start from the free-throw line during Big Ten play, Robinson and Gavin Groninger finally missed their first free throws in four conference games. Robinson had made 16 consecutive free throws and 14-of-14 in the Big Ten entering Saturday. Groninger was 11I-for-l in the con- ference and had not missed in 13 straight attempts. But Robinson went 4-for-6 and Groninger 3- for-4 from the line against Illinois. Both are still shooting nearly 90-percent from the charity stripe. Last Saturday's results: No. 9 ILUNOIS 94, Michigan 70 Wisconsin 64, No. 25 MICHIGAN STATE 63 Ohio State 55, NORTHWESTERN 48 Minnesota 87, PURDUE 71 Yesterday's game: Indiana 77, No. 13 IoWA 66 Tomorrow's game: No. 13 Iowa AT No. 9 ILLINoIS, 9 P.M. Wednesday's games: Northwestern AT MICHIGAN, 7 P.M. Penn State AT OHIO STATE, 8 P.M. Minnesota AT WISCONSIN, 8 P.M. Purdue AT No. 25 MICHIGAN STATE, 8 P.M. Saturday's games: Minnesota AT MICHIGAN, 4:37 P.M. No. 25 Michgan State AT PENN STATE 12:15 P.Mv. Purdue AT WISCONSIN, 2:30 P.M. Indiana AT OHIO STATE, 4:30 P.M. No. 13 Iowa AT NORTHWESTERN, 9 P.M. UP NEXT: Wolverines catch Illini at wrong time By David HoMr Daily Sports Writer CHAMPAIGN - Wrong place, wrong time. Things have been going well for the Wolver- ines so far this Big Ten season. Sure, they dropped a tough game against Minnesota last Wednesday, but their 2-1 conference record going into Saturday's game against Illinois was as good as anybody ever expected it to be. But things for Illinois were not going so well. After two straight road losses (at Wisconsin and Purdue), Illinois coach Bill Self was questioning his team's intensity, and the Illini found them- selves in an unusual position entering their return home: Looking up at the Wolverines in the Big Ten standings. Illinois - which was picked by some in the preseason as the premier team in the country and a likely Final Four contender - was in dan- ger of letting its season slip away. The return home to the intimate confines of Assembly Hall needed to reinvigorate the team. "I think the intensity definitely picks up (when the team returns home);' Self said before Saturday's game. "I think the crowds are worth quite a bit to home teams. I think that (the home games) are of more importance and I think our guys will understand the value of playing in these games at home." His team did not disappoint - entirely. While the Illini were outrebounded by the smaller Wolverines, they ran their offense to near-perfec- tion. A barrage of alley-oops and slam dunks helped the Assembly Hall crowd fuel the fire that extinguished Michigan's winning Big Ten record. Illinois has now won 26 straight games in Champaign. In short, Saturday's game pitted one of the nation's elite programs returning home to regain its confidence against a team that had been playing above expectations. It was an unfortunate circumstance for the Wolverines. Self was hesitant to call the game a "must win;' but with a dangerous Iowa squad looming this week for Illinois, it is difficult to imagine what the folks in Champaign would be saying about the team had it not handled Michigan. "This is a team that everybody thought was going to possibly be a Big Ten Tournament champion or possibly a Final Four team," Michi- gan coach Tommy Amaker said. "And I think you can see some of the glimpses for why peo- ple have those particular predictions for this ball club." Illinois shot a season-high (and Assembly Hall record) 68 percent from the field. Its post players helped move the ball around the court with a calculated fluidity that made the Wolver- ines' defense appear disorganized. The Illini were playing without two of their best players, forwards Lucas Johnson and Damir Krupalija. When they return (which should hap- pen within the next couple weeks), Illinois will likely make a full recovery from its recent fall from the top. "It didn't help that we caught them at this time," Amaker said. "I think they showed their character today. I think they showed that they could rally and put things back together." Winston Blake AP PHOTO NORTHWESTERN The Wildcats are currently at the bottom of the Big Ten food chain. Wednesday night's game may give Michigan a chance to halt its losing streak at two games, but Northwestern did manage to beat the Wolverines last year in Crisler (75-70) NEXT WEEKEND: LESLIE WARD/Daily Michigan coach Tommy Amaker admitted that the Wolverines met Illinois at the wrong time. I WEEKEND NOTES Wisconsin 64, No. 25 Michigan State 63: Unfortunately for the Spartans, col- lege basketball has rules in place to prevent a timekeeper from determining the result of a game. Michigan State appeared to win on an alley-oop layup by Kelvin Torbert with two-tenths of a second left. But after the students were cleared from the court, it became clear that their celebration was prema- Saturday, no player on Michigan State's roster had lost a game at home. No. 11UCLA 87, No.1 Kansas 77: After allowing cross-town rival South- ern Cal to snag 23 offensive boards, the Bruins rebounded nicely with an upset of Kansas, which passed Duke for the No. 1 spot last week. Fans stormed center court at Pauley Pavilion, dancing a ..- im indinra .hrnin ana, scored just two points in the first half and finished with 12 before fouling out with 38 seconds left. He has been bothered by a hip flexor and did not practice this week. Evans, averaging 18.3 points, scored only seven, a season low. He has been slowed by a head cold. Georgetown 70, No.16 Boston College 43: Standout guard Ryan Sidney left with a sprained ankle in the first half, and Boston College's offense disap- aa.ihhim HOW THE AP' Team Record 1. Kansas 13-2 2. Duke 13-1 3. Florida 14-1 4. Maryland 13-2 5. Oklahoma 13-1 6. Oklahoma State 15-1 7. Virginia 10-2 8. Kentucky 10-4 9. Illinois 13-4 10. Cincinnati 15-1 11. UCLA 12-3 TOP 25 FARED This weekend's results Lost to No. 11 UCLA 87-77 Beat North Carolina State 76-57 Beat Vanderbilt 95-85 Beat Georgia Tech 92-87 Beat Texas Tech 98-72 Beat Iowa State 69-66 Beat North Carolina 71-67 Beat South Carolina 51-50 Beat Michigan 94-70 Beat Houston 83-62 Beat No. 1 Kansas 87-77 MINNESOTA Minnesota torched Michigan for 90 points on nearly 70 percent shooting last Wednesday, but this time the game will be played in Crisler. The Gophers have plenty of height (top five scorers are 6-foot-7 or taller), but they are just 1-4 on the road. M' STATS Player Blanchard Robinson Young Ingerson mroninger G 13 13 13 13 13 Min 28.7 27.8 29.9 17.5 0 .7 A 1.9 2.2 0.9 1.2 1.A Reb 7.3 3.7 5.4 1.7 1.A Pts. 15.1 12.9 10.7 10.0 8.9 I F