C 14 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 21, 2003 'M' gains from extra work 'Crowd-pleaser' Petway ready to showcase dunking talent Fatigued Blue looks to rebound at Toledo By Danl Bremmer Daily Sports Writer It can never hurt to get a head start. While most schools around the country couldn't hold any practices until Saturday morning - with many choosing to host "Midnight Madness" at 12:01 a.m. - coach Tommy Amaker and the Michigan basket- ball had been practicing for two O weeks. 8 Because the Wolverines par- ticipated in an out-of-country exhibition tour in Toronto over the University's fall break, Amaker was able to get an exception and held 10 official practices before the tour. "We like to think that it will be an advantage, but time will tell," Amaker said. "We have nine freshmen and sophomores, and so when you look at our roster and our team, maybe to have a cou- ple extra (practices) here and there and a game or two, we're hoping that can pay dividends for us down the road." In addition to the benefit of having extra time to work with the team, the Wolverines are also hoping that their youth will be an advantage this year. Just three players on this year's roster are upperclass- men, which is almost unheard of around the nation. And just one of those three (senior Bernard Robinson) has logged significant minutes at Michigan - senior Colin Dill appeared in just four games last year, and junior transfer J.C. Math- is has yet to play a game in a Michigan uniform. "I thought our youth, a year ago, was as big of a reason that we were able to have a winning season and turn things around for our program as any," Amaker said. "They came from winning environ- ments, winning families, winning programs, so that's what they were accustomed to, and I thought that really bode well for our team. I'm hoping that will continue (this season)." Another advantage for Michigan is the NCAA infractions committee's decision to overturn the postseason ban that was imposed against the team in May. With the ban lifted, the Wolverines have increased incentive for their coming season. "Individually, it's a goal that is now possible to achieve," Robinson said. "When I heard (the ban was lifted), I was really excited and couldn't wait to get this season underway. It will give us that extra push or motivation to make it to that tournament." Amaker said that, after the NCAA's decision, he hasn't seen a big change in his team's work ethic, because of how hard the team had already been working. IT KEEPS GOING, AND GOING ...: You may already know about one Michigan freshman, last year's Michigan Mr. Basketball, Dion Harris. Make way for Brent Petway. Petway, a 6-foot-9 forward from McDonough, Ga., brought the crowd to its feet on multiple occa- sions with electrifying dunks during Michigan's tour in Toronto, including several put-back slams. Look for more of the same when Michgan starts its season with the Maize and Blue scrimmage on Sat- urday at Crisler. "I love to hear the crowd roar," Petway said. "I'm a crowd-pleaser. If the ball comes off the rim, I'm trying to go up and dunk it on somebody. I just try to get the crowd into the game, and that helps the team, because once the crowd is in the game, then you start to play harder. I feel like that is my job. I'm like the energizer bunny." In high school, Petway won the 2003 Florida- Georgia Slam Dunk Championship, an event that features the top high school seniors from the two states. By Steven Shears Daily Sports Writer The Michigan women's swimming and diving team knows today's meet is going to be a challenge - even if it is against Toledo. Michigan comes off a tiring week- end in which the Wolverines lost to national powerhouse Florida and return to the Midwest to face a much lesser opponent in the Rockets. But the level of competition does not con- cern the Wolverines. Michigan wants to use this meet to improve. "This past weekend was tough," Michigan captain Anne Weilbacher said. "There's tons of things we need to work on, but we're just not sure what just yet. This weekend is going to be a test." Said Michigan coach Jim Richard- son: "We have some objectives that we want to try to accomplish in the meet from the standpoint of improving on some things that we did Friday and Saturday." And this meet couldn't have come at a better time. It is a convenient chance to garner a victory while working on the skills needed to be successful in the long run. "I go into this meet thinking more on the lines of, 'Are we performing the way we've trained; are we doing the things we need to do at the end of the season; and are we making any mis- takes?' " Richardson said. "I think if you do that, you get your minds on the things that are going to make the dif- ference at the end of the season when you are trying to swim very, very fast." But scoring is still important to the Wolverines, especially since schedul- ing provides the team with only a few head-to-head meets. However, it still comes second to achieving the goal of improving fun- damentals. "All of our meets are important, we don't have many of them," Richardson said. "Of course, we pay attention to the score, we don't train to come in last. "But the technicalities are what is important in this meet. If you know what is going to get you there: good starts, good stroke technique and real- ly good turns, but you spend all your time focusing on how many points you got, your emphasis on points is way out of proportion to their value to making a person a better swimmer and a team a better team." Michigan will look to take advantage of its experience when it faces the Rockets. Toledo lost five MAC finalists from last year and lacks much depth. But according to Richardson, the Rockets have a few "foreign swim- mers that can swim at a very high level." Obviously, this test cannot be over- looked. "I never take any opponent for granted," Richardson said. BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily Michigan sophomore point guard Daniel Horton surveys the court to find the open man. Aubum-LSU highlights weak schedule of games By Gennaro Filice Daily Sports Writer Yesterday, the infamous BCS rankings made their first appearance of the 2003 cam- paign. Directly under the espn.com version of the poll is a long-winded explanation for a ranking system that's baffled many while satisfying few. But, C what's the point? Everyone knows what's going to hap- pen at the year's end: An overrated mid-major will whine, an underrated west coast team will moan and a basketball conference will receive its unearned courtesy bid. No. 17 AUBURN AT No. 9 LoUIsIANA STATE - 7:45 P.M., ESPN: In August, many ana- lysts were talking up an outside, risque pick for national champion - Auburn. But the Tigers' Sears Trophy dreams lasted just two weeks. Then-No. 8 Southern Cal. traveled to Auburn and embarrassed the Tigers 23-0. One week later, the Tigers lost at unranked Georgia Tech 17-3. Auburn's vaunted running attack was kept out of the endzone in its first two games, and its national title aspirations were crushed. But, the Tigers are back on track. Junior Carnell "Cadillac" Williams has separated himself from his fellow Tigers in a talented backfield and has led the Tigers to five straight victories, including consecutive wins over Tennessee and Arkansas. The win streak stops in Death Valley, though. Behind linebacker Lionel Turner and a host of speed-burners, Louisiana State's defense is the No. 4-ranked unit in the country. Cadillac will turn jalopy against this furious front seven. With running backs Joseph Addai and Shy- rone Carey questionable for the game, true freshman Alley Broussard needs to step up big for the Tigers. But the deciding factor in this SEC game will be Tiger Stadium's ear-piercing crowd. Thriving in night-game atmospheres, Death Valley is arguably the toughest place to play in the country. In the 1988 Auburn-Louisiana State game, the Tigers scored their winning touchdown with 1:41 left and the purple-and- gold faithful set off a Baton Rouge seismo- graph with a raucous celebration. Louisiana State 24, Auburn 14 No. 12 NORTHERN ILNOIS AT No. 23 BOWL- ING GREEN STATE - 4 P.M., ESPN2: Northern Illinois is this year's college football night- mare - a mid-major team that could go undefeated and still be excluded from the BCS. But BCS officials won't have to worry - the Huskies' run will end this week. Northern Illinois running back Michael Turner ranks third nationally in rushing yards (929) and boasts a 4.8 yards-per-carry aver- age. "The Burner" has earned water cooler Heisman talk since the Huskies first win over Maryland. But Turner's not the most talented player in the country or the Mid American Football conference. Turner's not even the best player in this game - Falcons quarterback Josh Harris is. The senior passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over Purdue and almost led the Falcons past Ohio State with 326 yards through the air. Harris will sur- pass 300 yards once again and lead the Fal- cons past Northern Illinois in a shootout. Bowling Green 38, Northern Illinois 35 No. 5 SOUTHERN CAL AT WASHINGTON - 12:30 P.M., ABC: With two of the most tal- ented receivers in the country, this game will boast Fourth of July-quality fireworks. It's the battle for the Williams surname - Mike vs. Reggie. Each player boasts a freak of nature physique. Mike is 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. Reg- gie is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. Both boast 4.4 40-yard dashes. But like Southern Cal. is bet- ter than Washington, Mike Williams is superi- or to Reggie Williams ... and every other player in college football for that matter. Mike and fellow-receiver Keary Colbert will torch the Washington secondary, and Southern Cal. will stomp the Huskies in Seattle. Southern Cal. 42, Washington 17 BIG EASY-BOUND The first installment of the BCS standings were released yesterday. The top two teams in the BCS at the end of the year will p lay for the national title in the Sugar Bowl. Team BCS Points 1. Oklahoma 2.77 2. Miami 4.10 3. Virginia Tech 10.23 4. Georgia 12.99 5. Florida State 13.14 6. Ohio State 13.20 7. Southern Cal. 13.83 8. Purdue 21.56 9. Washington State 23.96 10. Northern Illinois 26.00 11. Nebraska 26.45 12.1LSU 26.54 13. Michigan State 27.44 14. Texas Christian 28.17 15. Iowa 32.07 4 4 I Sophomore receiver Mike Williams looks to flash another postgame "Victory V" this weekend against Washington. Miserable matchups in Big Ten COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS THE EARTH INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Earn your IIPA in Env ironmental Science and Policy By Chris Burke Daily Sports Editor Well, consider yourself lucky that Michigan plays at home this week. Out- side of Michigan's game against Purdue, there will be better football at tailgates than on the actual field in the Big Ten. MINNESOTA (2-2 BIG TEN, 6-2 OVER- ALL) AT IWNOIS (0-4, 1-7) - NOON: Maybe getting out of <:OV The Master of Public Administra Program in Environmental Scien Policy combines Columbia University's hands-on approach t teaching public policy and administration with pioneering thinking about the environment. Beginning in June, this twelve-month program takes place at Columbia University's ce and ;o the Metrodome is what Minnesota really needs. The Golden Gophers, fortunately, will not play any more teams from Michigan this year. Michigan State built a huge lead against Minnesota and held on for a six-point win in the Dome, just eight days after Michigan completed its largest comeback victory ever at the Gophers' expense. It probably had Minnesota longing for a couple more visits from Troy State or Louisiana-Lafayette. But the level of competition actually won't be that much higher for the Gold- en Gophers this week when they take on Illinois. Rumor has it that the Fight- ing Illini are taking the "Fighting" part out until basketball season starts. Illinois, of course, was the pig that Michigan roasted Hawaii luau-style in the Big House, 56-14. To be fair, the Illini did play without starting quarterback Jon Beutjer, who is questionable again for this week's bat- tle, meaning either Chris Pazan or Dustin Ward could start against the Gophers. That's the football equivalent of the Detroit Tigers trying to decide between starting Mike Maroth, Matt Roney or some guy from the stands. Minnesota 48, Illinois 20 No. 20 WISCONSIN (3-1, 6-2) AT NORTHWESTERN (1-2, 3-4) - NOON, ESPN2: Anyone not see it coming? Fresh off an incredibly emotional vic- tory over Ohio State, Wisconsin fell flat at home against Purdue last Saturday. Boilermakers quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 411 yards, as Purdue snuck out of raucous Camp Randall Stadium with a 26-23 win. On the other side of the ball, North- western had a bye week last Saturday. That allowed the Wildcats to enjoy their 37-31 overtime win at Indiana, in a game that was about as well played as the title game in "Little Giants." But don't book your Rose Bowl tick- ets just yet, Wildcats fans. While the Badgers slim national title hopes ended last week, they're still one of the better teams in the Big Ten. Unfortunately for the Badgers, they will again be without quarterback Jim Sorgi. Sorgi sat out the last minutes of Wis- consin's win over Ohio State after Buckeyes' linebacker Robert Reynolds went mafia hitman on the signal-caller's neck. Then against Purdue, Sorgi land- ed awkwardly on his knee and under- went surgery on Sunday. If there's a bright spot in the Seventh Circle of Football Hell that is Evanston, it's running back Jason Wright, who is one of the more underrated players in the nation with 771 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Too bad there's only one of him. Wisconsin 31, Northwestern 21 PENN STATE (0-3, 2-5) AT No. 16 IowA (1-2, 5-2) - NOON: Seriously, JoePa, it's time to hang it up. The once-proud Nittany Lion pro- gram has fallen on times so hard that almost everyone in Happy Valley is secretly wishing for coach Joe Paterno to retire. Right now, Paterno's doing for Penn State football what Carrot Top is doing for collect phone calls. Penn State's two wins have come over Temple and Kent State this year ... so the Nittany Lions have at least two places to send those "Thanks for not let- ting us go winless" fruit baskets. Meanwhile, Iowa dropped a 19-10 game at Ohio State Saturday in a contest that was instantly dubbed The Worst Offensive Game of the Year. The Hawkeyes gave up a punt return for a touchdown, a blocked punt for a touch- down and then capped it off by snapping a ball out of their endzone for a safety. Spectacular. Of course the Hawkeyes did manage to beat Michigan - their defense isn't all that bad. It's certainly good enough to shut down Penn State's "Negative Three Yards and a Cloud of Crap" attack that the Nit- tany Lions have worked this year. Iowa 17, Penn State 2 No. 8 OHIo STATE (2-1, 6-1) AT INDI- ANA (0-3, 1-6) - NOON, ESPN: Who- ever makes the Big Ten schedule up is dumber than whoever came up with the nickname Hoosiers. If it weren't for the Purdue vs. Michi- gan slugfest, it would be hard to deci- pher this Saturday's Big Ten games from Friday night high school football. Indiana also hasn't played since that anti-ESPN classic contest against New York campuses. For more information, please call 212-854-3142, e-rail: lar46(a2columbia.edu. or visit our Web site. A - I - m T% AIL- MfW&V I