Tuesday
March 28, 2006
sports.michigandaily. com
sports@michigandaily.com
PORhe fTSicigan ail
9
Blue hopes
to trump
Monarchs
By Scott Bell
Daily Sports Editor
Throughout the season, members of the Michigan
men's basketball team said their goal was to make the
NCAA Tournament.
Nineteen games into this year's campaign, the Wol-
verines held a 16-3 record and looked to be coasting
M ICE HOCKEY
Johnson's future
now up in the air
By. H. Jose Bosch
Daily Sports Writer
I -
to that goal. So following
their victory against Penn
State on Feb. 1, if you had
told the team it would be
going to the Final Four, it
would've been elated.
Today, the team will do
exactly that: play in the
Final Four. But instead
of playing in the NCAA
Tournament's Final Four,
Michigan will be making
TONIGHIT,
Old 1 D mu}iiol
Michigan defenseman Jack
Johnson may not be as sure about
staying in Ann Arbor as he claimed
to be all season long.
It's no secret that the Carolina
Hurricanes - who drafted the
freshman third overall in the 2005
NHL entry draft - could use
Johnson's defensive presence dur-
ing its late season push toward the
Stanley Cup playoffs. Currently
the Hurricanes hold the NHL's
third-best record, behind Detroit
and Ottawa. They've been want-
ing to sign the Ann Arbor native
since January.
During the weekend of Jan. 6
and 7, before the Wolverines were
took on Alaska-Fairbanks, John-
son and Carolina officials met
for lunch, said a source close to
Johnson, who spoke on condition
of anonymity because of the situa-
tion's delicacy. The source said the
team offered Johnson a contract,
similar to the longtime contract
Sidney Crosby - a friend of John-
son's - received from the Pitts-
burgh Penguins. The source also
said the team was going to insert
Johnson into the lineup as soon
as possible. But the source said
Johnson turned down the offer.
The source also said that Michi-
gan hockey coach Red Berenson
was alerted of the situation and
gave Johnson the go-ahead to talk
to Carolina.
Then, two weeks ago, following
Michigan's second-round CCHA
playoff sweep of Ferris State,
Johnson was unusually straight-
forward with reporters about his
intentions for the future.
"The only way you're going to
get me out of here is by gunpoint,"
Johnson said.
Now, Johnson seems uncertain.
"At this point, I'm kind of up in
the air, I guess," Johnson said in
an article published yesterday in
the Raleigh News and Observer.
"I still feel hesitant on making
the jump. I want to make sure. I'm
going to talk to a few people who I
really confide in, and after talking
to them try to make a pretty good
decision. Right now, I'm really
torn."
Johnson can still sign with the
Hurricanes and join the team for
its playoff run. According to the
article, the first year of his con-
tract would roll over to next season
if he played in 10 or fewer games.
The loss of Johnson would be a
big one for the hockey team. John-
son was fifth on the team in points
(32) and was the top point scorer
amongst the freshman. Johnson
also broke the all-time record for
most penalty minutes in a season
with 149 minutes.
Johnson and his family could
not be reached for comment.
its second trip - in the past three seasons - to New
York City for the NIT's Final Four.
"It's always exciting to play at Madison Square Gar-
den," junior forward Brent Petway said. "You can't
beat that."
And lately, when it comes to the NIT, you can't beat
Michigan, either. The Wolverines are tied with NIT
semifinalist South Carolina as the team with the longest
postseason winning streak. Both teams hold an eight-
game unbeaten streak and hope to bring it into double
digits by Thursday night.
But before Madison Square Garden officials can
start advertising a "battle of the NIT giants" final
matchup, both the Wolverines and Gamecocks have
opponents to face tonight that aren't as familiar with
Madison Square Garden.
Michigan faces off against Old Dominion, which
hasn't played at the Garden in more than 20 years.
The other semifinal pits South Carolina against Lou-
isville, a team accustomed to making the other tourna-
ment in March.
The veteran-laden Michigan squad hopes it can use
its Madison Square Garden trip two years ago as a
learning experience.
"It helps a lot," said junior guard Dion Harris of
the 2004 team's NIT Final Four appearance. "For us,
it's knowing we played there in the NIT, and then we
came back the next year and played in the preseason,
so we've had some games there. We feel comfortable
in the Garden."
FOREST CASEY/Doaly
Dion Harris and the Wolverines hope to continue their string of victories in the NIT tonight at Madison Square Garden.
Harris, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer in Mich-
igan's second-round win over Notre Dame, also thinks
the pro-style court could play to Michigan's advantage.
"Our first time we went there, (the pro court) messed
with us a little bit," Harris said. "We were trying to
shoot the pro three and things like that. We're an expe-
rienced team, and we've played in a lot of pro arenas. I
don't think that will be a problem with us."
The Monarchs don't have anybody on their roster
averaging over 15 points per game, but seem to be play-
ing their best basketball of the season. They are coming
off an upset victory over No. 2-seeded Hofstra, a game
in which Old Dominion snapped Hofstra's 21-game
home winning streak.
Senior Isaiah Hunter, the team's leading scorer at
14.6 points per contest, is coming off a career-best 29-
point performance.
Michigan hopes to counter Old Dominion's senior
leader with the recent strong play of its own seniors.
Throughout the NIT, Michigan coach Tommy
Amaker has used an all-senior starting lineup. In
Michigan's last game, a four-point victory over Miami,
Michigan's senior trio of Daniel Horton, Chris Hunter
and Graham Brown all did their part to leave Crisler
Arena the right way, putting up double figures in either
points or rebounds.
"We start our seniors in this tournament, and they've
been setting the tone every game," Harris said. "We just
want to go out and match their intensity and go out and
play as hard as they're playing."
Old Dominion has never beaten a team from the Big
Ten in the 75 years it has played basketball. It lost to
Wisconsin, 84-81, earlier this season in the finals of the
Paradise Jam tournament.
Last season, the Monarchs' season came to an end
at the hands of Michigan State in the first round of the
NCAA Tournament.
This season, the Wolverines hope to do the same, and
bring themselves to the NIT finals for a shot at their
second title in three years.
DEAR JACK JOHNSON,
CAROLINA WON'T WIN THE STANLEY
CUP ANYWAY. ONE MORE YEAR.
LOVE,
DAILY SPORTS
Procrastination Station
Old Dominion 85, Michigan 64
* Play of the game - With less
than 2 minutes to go, Old Domin- Prec
ion's C #30 swooped in after a
miss and converted a tip-slam. The COnf
dunk, which gave the Monarchs
an 11-point lead, sent Michigan Old Dom
coach Scott Bell into hysterics. "Advice
9 Player of the game - Old words -
Dominion C #30: Among many
Monarchs with good stat lines, "Apparen
C #30 stood out the most. He wasn't th
scored 24 points and grabbed they didn
seven boards, leading a strong they still
team effort on both ends of the
court. "I don't k
low
erence quotes:
inion coach Matt Singer:
for coach Bell? Two
- lay-up lines."
ntly, finding a new coach
he answer for Michigan. No,
n't lose by 80 points, but
embarassed themselves."
know what it is about these
Michigan coaches. One week,
attacking a trash can. The next,
overturning a dumpster. These guys
need anger management classes."
Michigan coach Scott Bell:
"I may have said more curse words
than my team scored points, but
at least I showed emotion."
"Were the full-court shots during the
last two minutes bad sportsmanship?
Absolutely not - they were open."
"I guess our NIT dynasty is over.
Looks like we're going to have to
move on to bigger and better things
... like getting everyone on the
team to stretch before the game.
F! 'I
Don't Think
... Believe!
Mentat Health Awareness Campaign
Syb
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March 30. 7:00
Rackham Auditorium
SyiNarvisits the University
this month as purt of Rackhads
Mental Health AaeesCm
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came an Oscar-wming film by Ran
Howard, and eearned the prestigou
National Critics Circle Award
and omntion for a PQuitze riz
suc.ess hasn't made Nasarany less
mindful ofthe need to contue to
Imo: . abft ti i g_ ma , ci -
aedwt mentaiilem At this
event, Nasar ispeak atbrganmental
he 6rguate and pro aional
catoncomunity recognition und
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