Thursday
February 17, 2005
sports. michigandaily. com
sports@michigandaily. com
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SPORTS
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Forward
leads
Badgers
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By Josh Holman
Daily Sports Editor
MADISON - Mike Wilkinson must really
like playing against Michigan.
But that's not saying much these days. The
Wolverines (3-9 Big Ten, 12-14 overall) lost their Dion Harris scored in d
ninth straight game last night, 76-50, to Wiscon- played just 26 minutes
sin at the Kohl Center. in the first half.
Wilkinson led the Bad- WISCONSIN 76 Sophomore Dion H
gers (8-4, 17-6) with his Michigan's cause on 5-
second notable perfor- third straight game sco
mance against Michigan this season, 22 points But beyond the duoc
and nine rebounds. igan had nothing to w
"(The Wolverines) have some good big guys the Badger juggernaut.
that play hard all the time," Wilkinson said. "It's "We're just not play
just a challenge. It's fun to go out there against said. "Individually, sor
good guys, good competition, and that's what games, but, as a team,N
they are." The Wolverines we
Wilkinson thrashed the Wolverines in Wiscon- statistical category, b
sin's 72-61 win at Crisler Arena on Jan. 22, when rebounding departme
he scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. cleared the boards 39
But the Badgers didn't need that kind of per- Michigan's 28.
formance from Wilkinson last night in a blow- "When your team is
out where they led by as much as 30. those kind of things be
Wisconsin also had plenty of help punctur- do and accomplish," D
ing any dream Michigan had of an upset. Four Amaker said. "Makin
Badgers scored in double figures. Forward Zach bing the ball and gettir
Morley finished with 12 points, while Ray Nixon as simple as you'd like1
and Alando Tucker each chipped in 10 points. Wisconsin's inside
Forward Courtney Sims led all Michigan damage to the Wolveri
scorers with 16 points, 12 of which came in the half. Wilkinson and N
second half. With his eight rebounds and three points, respectively, pu
blocks, the sophomore had the most productive 17 lead at halftime.
night of any Wolverine by far, considering he Michigan's ability t
S* NOTE
Women's swimming team jumps out to
early lead in Big Ten Championships
After one day of competition, the Michigan women's swim-
ming and diving team has taken an early and surprising lead
at the Big Ten Championships. The No. 17 Wolverines edged
out Penn State by just one point.
Armaker must consider
SAPAC ad in decision,
-
RYAN WEINER/Daily
double digits for the third consecutive game.
s because of foul trouble
[arris added 15 points to
-of-17 shooting. It was his
gring in double figures.
of Sims and Harris, Mich-
ithstand the onslaught of
ing well as a team," Sims
me people step up certain
we're not playing well."
re beaten in nearly every
ut most notably in the
;nt, where the Badgers
times in comparison to
s struggling, it seems like
come very hard things to
Michigan coach Tommy
g a simple play of grab-
ng possession of it wasn't
to think it is."
game caused the most
nes, especially in the first
Morley scored 13 and 10
shing the Badgers to a 37-
o counter was hurt early
on, when junior forward Chris Hunter aggravat-
ed a left ankle injury that forced him to miss five
games earlier in the season. He did not return for
the second half.
"He's been battling a lot of injuries all year,
and, at halftime, he indicated that he was still
hurt," Amaker said. "So we opted to go in a dif-
ferent direction with Courtney Sims and held
Hunter out for the second half."
Outside shooting on both ends of the court
stunned Michigan early. The Badgers went 6-
for-Il from beyond the arc in the first half while
Michigan failed to convert from 3-point land,
going 0-for-8.
The Wolverines shot just 8-of-24 from the field
in the first half for 17 points, the fewest they have
scored in a single half this season. The number
could have been worse were it not for a Harris
jumper as the halftime buzzer sounded.
Michigan may soon be getting help in the
form of junior Daniel Horton, who practiced
with the team Tuesday for the first time since
he was suspended indefinitely. Amaker said his
playing status is yet to be determined.
"We're going to keep trying to find ways to
end (the losing streak)," Amaker said. "We're
not going to walk around with our heads down.
It's a tough time right now for our team."
Yesterday, we learned that coach Tommy
Amaker is still undecided as to whether
Daniel Horton, who on Monday pleaded
guilty to assaulting his girlfriend, will play in
Sunday's home game against Indiana. When I heard
this, one simple thought
sprang readily to my
mind: Are you kidding?3
There are those who
say that Horton has
already paid for his
crime - he pled guilty,
saving both himself and
his girlfriend from the MEGAN KOLODGY
emotional tumult that
they would surely under- Megology 101
go if the case were taken
to trial. He has already
missed seven games because of the suspension
he received when the news of his charges broke,
and he couldn't even travel or practice with the
Wolverines. His story has been blown up in every
paper in the area.
And besides, what he did doesn't really have
anything to do with basketball, right?
Not quite. Last season, the NCAA lifted self-
inflicted sanctions off Michigan, making the Wolver-
ines eligible for post-season tournament action. And
just like that, it wiped clean the program's previously
messy slate. Redemption was finally a possibility.
Although domestic abuse won't get the team
slapped with more sanctions, condoning it doesn't
do much for the clean image that coach Tommy
Amaker has worked hard to construct during his
nearly four-year tenure in Ann Arbor.
One of the most prominent and pertinent exam-
ples of the "good-guys" edifice that Amaker has
created runs in the Daily on a fairly regular basis.
Amaker appears in an advertisement for the Uni-
versity's Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness
Center that declares, "Take a stand against sexual
violence at U-M." And there's Amaker, second
from the left, with his hands on his hips, looking
very stern indeed. Obviously, he means business
- if it's convenient.
I understand that "pushing" your girlfriend, as
Horton claimed he did, is not quite the same as sexu-
ally assaulting someone. But domestic or relation-
ship violence and sexual assault are inextricably and
inarguably linked. And there is no "just" in this type
of situation - choking is as bad as pushing is as
bad as ... you get the idea. It's all a big deal because
violating trust in romantic relationships by physically
hurting a partner is always a big deal.
Should the ad be reworded to say, "Take a stand
as long as the perpetrator isn't your best shot
at making it to the NIT or moving past the first
round of the Big Ten Tournament?"
The only way that Amaker is taking any kind
of stand is if "stand" has suddenly come to mean
"standing idly by." But I'm pretty sure that's not
what SAPAC had in mind.
This is not the first instance when Amaker has
overlooked a player's poor judgment by letting him
back on the team. Two seasons ago, standout Ber-
nard Robinson Jr. pled guilty to two accounts of mis
demeanor assault and battery for allegedly fondling
a female student in a West Quad stairwell. After he
pled guilty, he was back in action on the court.
The fact of the matter is that Horton has a prob-
lem. No matter how furious you are at someone
else - especially someone who likely has little
chance to legitimately physically defend herself
against you - you should be able to control your-
self enough to keep your hands off of her. Abuse
is not a normal response.
And according to police reports, Horton's behav
ior was at least somewhat chronic. His girlfriend
had called the police on multiple occasions when
her situation with him was getting out of hand.
I am not saying that Horton should necessar-
ily be thrown in jail, or that he should never be
allowed back on the team. I realize that he is an
excellent basketball player, and that it is possible
that, career-wise, his future may lie in the sport.
But this period, when he has publicly admitted his
guilt, should be one of reflection and counseling.
He should focus on his conscience and behavior
- not be the focus of NCAA-highlight reels and
opposing teams' scouting reports.
He has already missed 13 games this season,
and his team is on a nine-game losing streak. The
only way the season will be salvageable for Hor-
ton is if he saves basketball for next fall and takes
care of his personal life.
And as for Amaker - who is typically a class act
and a role model not only for players, but also for the
University community - please be more than just
a face for SA PAC. Your team depends on you for
guidance on and off the court, and I do not think that
condoning assault is congruent with your beliefs, or
the image you want to project. If Horton takes the
time to get help now, it is less likely that there will
be a repeat of a similar incident. It would also set
a more positive precedent in regard to assault than
the one that is currently in place - one that doesn't
hold students responsible for their transgressions and
rewards them for pleading guilty, as was the case
with both Horton and Robinson.
Or at least he should think twice before "stand-
ing" for SAPAC next year.
Megan Kolodgy can be reached at
megkolo@umich.edu.
The 800-yard freestyle relay of Amy McCullough, Lindsey
Smith, Justine Mueller and Susan Gilliam took first, setting
a pool record and hitting the NCAA automatic qualification
mark with a time of 7:09.42. The 200-yard medley relay,
which consisted of Carolina Sierra, Kaitlyn Brady, Valeria
Silva and Abby Seskevics touched the wall just over a second
after the victorious Penn State squad. The Wolverines clocked
in at 1:40.75, which is an NCAA consideration time.
The Big Ten Championships will continue through Satur-
day, and are being held at Indiana.
Ever have those friends who always
jump on the bandwagon?
I I
Beat
Join IA
iagon!
ketball
For
Mott Children's Hospital
If we break 4,611 attendance record,
$1 for every ticket sold will be donated to Mott
February 17th vs. Purdue 7 PM
- an X - Box Game System
- a Sirius Satellite Radio with su
- a Year Supply of Domino's Pizd
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