March 11, 2004 sports.michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com PORTS 5A Gu d play integral Guard play integ in Cagers' success Unsatisfied Burnett excited for 'M'future By Bob Hunt Daily Sports Writer For Michigan to make a run at an NCAA Tournament bid this weekend in Indianapolis, many things must be clicking for the Wolverines. And it starts with the players who touch the ball first. It's no secret that Michigan's guard play has not lived up to expectations this season, as last year's Big Ten Fresh- man of the Year Daniel Horton and for- mer Michigan Mr. Basketball Dion Harris have not thrived as much as many predicted. Horton has seen both his scoring average and shooting per- centages drop, while Harris has failed to emerge as a consistent threat as the conference season has progressed. Both players seem to spend a lot of their time on the offensive end shoot- ing beyond the 3-point arc instead of * penetrating in order to create shots. For a team with a free-flowing offensive plan like Michigan, that's an even big- ger problem. But there's still a chance for Hor- ton and Harris to help the Wolver- ines accomplish what they had set out to do this season. Both played up to their potential on Saturday in Michigan's win over Northwestern. Horton, instead of settling for 3- pointers, drove inside, scored 14 points and looked like the player he was last season. "I think I'm just going to go out there and play like I've done the last two games," Horton said. "(Against Northwestern), I thought I was more assertive - I went to the basket and was just more aggressive." After a season when Horton has gone from being Big Ten Freshman of the Year to not even being an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, Hor- ton has started to change his role in practice, attempting to take more con- trol of the team. "He's shown more leadership, not for the guards, but for everybody," said FOR~ESTICASEY/Daily Dion Harris made the Big Ten All-Freshman team this week, and his play could be vital to Michigan's chances at the Big Ten Tournament this weekend. sophomore guard Ashtyn Bell, who works with Horton and Harris in prac- tice. "He tells the guys what to do more often now." While Michigan leads the confer- ence in both steals and blocks, it will have fewer chances to create scoring opportunities through its defense as tournament play tends to favor a half- court game. So Horton's ability to cre- ate will be paramount. See GUARDS, Page 8A 0 WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DlViNG Kelemen shoots for first NCAA appearance CHRIS BURKE Goin' to Work heryl Burnett sighs when she's asked if her first season as coach of the Michigan women's basket- ball team was a success. It was a season that saw the Wolver- ines double their Big Ten conference win total from last year, set the single- game attendance mark for the program and upset then-No. 12 Minnesota. For Burnett, that's not good enough. "It's very easy," she said. "We didn't make the NCAA Tournament, so I don't think we've done what we need to do. I will take total responsibility for that. I believe our staff could've, should've done something more or something dif- ferent for us to have gotten there. "So we're behind (expectations) - we didn't make the tournament." Burnett took over the Michigan pro- gram after a tumultuous 2002-03 cam- paign for the Wolverines that culminated with the unpleasant resig- nation of former coach Sue Guevara. Expecting an NCAA Tournament berth in her Michigan debut might seem unreasonable, but it's exactly the type of thinking that quietly makes Burnett one of the best coaching hires the Michigan athletic department has made in recent memory. At her former post, Southwest Mis- souri State, Burnett made two appear- ances in the NCAA Final Four and another one in the Sweet 16, while orchestrating 13 consecutive winning seasons. And while that winning r6sum6 is nice, what's more valuable to the Wolverines is Burnett's passionate belief that the same success can be achieved in Ann Arbor. "Everything that I thought Michigan potentially could be, the answer is a resounding yes,"Burnett said."This job and the potential of this program is a national-caliber program. It has every- thing we will need to succeed." The situation Burnett entered was not all that dissimilar to the one men's basketball coach Tommy Amaker was hired into in 2001. Minus the scandals and probations, Burnett needed to not only stabilize a struggling program, but also to teach the Wolverines how to win again. "I definitely believe there's a mindset (involved in winning)," Burnett said. "I definitely believe that a pride of tradi- tion carries itself a long way. I just call it the intangibles - how we compete, how to win. Did we make tremendous strides in those things? I think we made astronomical strides." Those intangibles are something that Burnett is hoping will also rub off on the Michigan fans. At Southwest Mis- souri State, Burnett's teams often played in front of packed arenas. At Michigan, Burnett is faced with building a fan base from the ground up. If the record-setting crowd of 4,611 that showed up for the Wolverines game against Michigan State on Feb. 12 is any indication, Burnett's on the right path. "That's really important to me and our staff," Burnett said. "There's so much more that we know we're going to have in place that will impact attendance incredibly in the future. "I'll use the Ohio State game as an example. We lost that game, but the people that were here at that game were giving us a standing ovation when we left. Our style of play, people' appreciate, because our kids are play- ing their guts out." . Present at that Ohio State loss on Jan; 29 were the Bluenatics (rhymes with lunatics), the growing student section that Burnett is confident will continue backing the program in the future. "It's something that I'm used to hav- ing, but the students approached me See BURKE, Page 84 By Anne Uble Daily Sports Writer Senior diver Tealin Kelemen has placed in the top 25 in every event in the last four Big Ten Champi- onships. She's been named Big Ten Diver of the Week five times. Two weeks ago, she provided the point difference that sealed a 14th Big Ten title for the women's swimming and diving team, placing fourth in the platform event. But, Kelemen wants one more thing before she ends her collegiate career. She wants to qualify for the NCAA Championships. "She's never qualified," Michigan diving coach p Chris Bergere said. "So, that's the goal this year. It's up to her to block out the pressure and concen- trate on what she has control over, and that's her diving. We're all pulling for her. She has clear shot at making it." This weekend at the NCAA Diving Zones, Kele- men will get her final opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Divers around the nation will be sent to regional zones where they must fin- ish within an allotted number given to their site. Michigan will be competing at Indiana, and if Kele- men places in the top 11, she will compete at the championships next weekend in College Station, Texas. "It's a little stressful, but it's mostly because I've worked so hard this year," Kelemen said. "This could be my last meet and if it's not, that's great. If it is, then I just want to end my career having fun and diving well." While the meet will be bittersweet for Kelemen if she doesn't qualify for the championships, Bergere hopes to watch an athlete that he's coached since middle school end her collegiate career in style. Regardless, he knows he'll have a huge void to fill on the team next year. The future of the team rests primarily with freshman Ellen Van Cleve and junior captain Alexis Goolik. Both will join Kelemen at Indiana this weekend. "Kelemen and Goolik have had experiences with this meet," Bergere said. "But for Van Cleve, this will be her first appearance. I think it will be a good learning experience for her." Van Cleve, who graduated from Pioneer High School last year and was named 2002 Michigan High School Diver of the Year, has become a inte- gral part of the squad. She finished among the top 20 in the one-meter, three-meter and platform events at the Big Ten Championships. "She has a lot of potential," Bergere said. "Fresh- man year is usually pretty difficult, because you're just learning how to balance everything. Ellen is getting adjusted and still working on technique." Even if Bergere doesn't have any of his divers qualify for the NCAA Championships, he whole- heartedly believes that the season has been one of most enjoyable and rewarding. "This has been the best women's team I've coached, no matter where I've been," Bergere said. "They have gone beyond where they thought they could go. It's been a dream season." Tired of being a A Want to be a Reserve your spot for the REAL LIFE 101 Series, sponsored by the Alumni Association, and you'll get practical advice and concrete tips on life after Michigan, including getting the job you want, using the Michigan alumni network to your advantage, making the most of your job offer and managing your finances. 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