10A - Wednesday, November 15, 2006
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
NCAA-tested
Panthers look
to pounce
By MARK GIANNOTTO
Daily Sports Writer
ordinarily, a game against
a Horizon League opponent at
Crisler Arena wouldn't pose much
of a threat to the Michigan men's
basketball team.
But Wisconsin-Milwaukee has
something the Wolverines don't:
an NCAA Tournament appear-
ance in the past eight years.
In fact, the Panthers have qual-
ified for the Big Dance three of the
past four seasons, including a run
to the Sweet 16 in 2005 and a sec-
ond-round showing last year.
Michigan (3-0) hasn't been
to the NCAA Tournament since
1998.
"This willbe a challenge forus,"
Michigan coach Tommy Amaker
said. "They have a very good tra-
dition of winning."
But this season's Panther squad
is much different than in past
years. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1-
2) lost seven players to graduation
following last year's campaign.
The Panthers have 15 players in
either their first or second year
with the team stepping in to fill
the void.
Northern Illinois transfer Paige
Paulsen and junior guard Avery
Smith lead the Panthers. Paulsen
scored 27 points and grabbed 12
rebounds in the Panthers' 72-60
win over Radford Friday night.
Smith poured in 21 points against
UAB this past Sunday.
But the Panthers might find it
harder to come by points against
the Wolverines. Michigan comes
off a weekend in which it had little
trouble disposing of its first three
opponents. Teams have shot an
average of just 32.5 percent from
the field against the Wolverines
because of Michigan's newfound
dedication to defense.
"I'm hopeful that we can con-
tinue to get better," Amaker said.
"Our identity has been that we are
going to scrap and claw, and we're
going to defend."
Michigan will also have to
combat fatigue after playingthree
games in three days over the
weekend. This will be the Wolver-
ines' fourth contest in six days.
"We have to get rested and
make sure that any bumps and
bruises that we have are healed as
much as they can," Amaker said.
Family bragging rights are also
on the line for Wolverine sopho-
more Jevohn Shepherd. His cous-
in, Kaylan Anderson, is a redshirt
freshman guard for the Panthers.
Shepherd is coming off a solid
performance against Eastern
Michigan last Sunday. He scored
seven points and had four steals
on defense.
Tonight's game, which will tip
off at 7 p.m. is the final of the John
Thompson Challenge, in which
the Wolverines and Wisconsin-
Milwaukee served as hosts. While
Michigan went undefeated over
the weekend, the Panthers come
to Ann Arbor reeling from two
straight losses to Washington
State on Saturday and UAB on
Sunday.
But losses aside, overlooking
a 2006 NCAA Tournament team
could prove costly come March
for the Wolverines.
Sophomore Andrew Cogliano, along with defenseman Jack Johnson, drew the majority of the attention from last year's recruiting class. This new crop is more balanced.
Balance hi~ghlights Icers' class
By JAMES V. Dowd
Daily Sports Writer
As it prepares to say goodbye to
seven seniors and faces the immi-
nent threat of players leaving early
for the professionalranks, the No.8
Michigan hockey team announced
its first five additions for the 2007-
08 season yesterday at Yost Ice
Arena.
In recent years, one or two play-
ers have headlined Michigan's
recruiting classes, namely sopho-
mores Jack Johnson and Andrew
Cogliano last season and freshman
Chris Summers this year. But with
the new class, the Michigan coach-
es expect immediate contributions
across the board.
The Wolverines signed forwards
Aaron Palushaj, Louie Caporus-
so and Ben Winnett, along with
defensemen Tristan Llwellyn and
Kevin Quick.
"With these five, it would be
hard to separate the three forwards
and the two defensemen," assistant
coach Billy Powers said. "I think
that will be the theme of this class
- an all-around impact class."
The three forwards include
two Canadians and one Ameri-
can, all from backgrounds that
have become regular recruiting
grounds for the Wolverines. The
American, Aaron Palushaj, hails
from Northville and has spent the
past two seasons playing for the
United States Hockey League's Des
THREE DAYS.
Moines Buccaneers. no's flat-out speed, but he's got the
Michigan currently has eight intelligence and the stick skills."
skaters who played in the USHL Winnett, on the other hand, is a
before coming to Ann Arbor. The more explosive forward. He leads
Wolverines recruited Los Angeles the Silverbacks with 37 points in
Kings first-round draft pick Trevor the team's first 18 games. Accord-
Lewis from Des Moines this past ing to Powers, he has great speed
season, but he left for the minor and great hands, and hasbeen near
league ranks before joining the the top of the league in scoring at
team. every level.
The two Canadian recruits, The defensive core of this
Louie Caporusso and Ben Winnett, recruiting class continues the
come from the St. Mike's Buzzers recent trend toward the offen-
of the Ontario Provincial Junior sive style of blue liners that have
Hockey League and the Salmon become Michigan's bread and
Arm Silverbacks British Columbia butter in recent years. Tristin
Hockey League, respectively. Llwellyn, an Ann Arbor native, and
Both of these teams have pro- Kevin Quick, from Salisbury Prep
duced some of Michigan's most in Connecticut, should step in for
notable recent recruits. Cogliano the likes of captain Matt Hunwick
played for St. Michael's and former and alternate captain Jason Dest,
captain Andrew Ebbett played for who will graduate after of this sea-
Salmon Arm. A continued relation- son.
ship with these Canadian leagues Quickhas alreadyproducedgood
has provided long-term benefits offensive numbers. He has scored
for the Wolverines. three goals, and added 20 assists in
"It's nice to keep a connection 28 games played. He was drafted in
with the (British Columbia) Hock- the third round of the NHL Draft
ey League," Powers said. "Espe- by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
cially with an organization like Llwellyn, on the other hand,
Salmon Arm, which produces so has the potential to develop a more
many high-end players year after offensive game, but is more of an
year, it's nice to have the top play- all-around defensemen for the Tri-
ers from their organization come City Storm Chasers.
to Michigan." "(Llewellyn) reminds me of
Caporusso and Cogliano are (sophomoreMark) Mitera,"Powers
both from Woodbridge, ont., but said. "He's not6 foot 4 like Mitera,
that's where the similarities end. but he's a big kid and he plays big.
When Cogliano came to Michi- He loves to get physical. But he also
gan, his numbers attracted a great has an offensive upside, so we look
deal of fanfare. He scored 102 at him as a good two-way addition
points during his final season at St. to ourtback end."
Michaels's. The early signing period for
Caporusso's numbers aren't as NCAA hockey ends today, and the
prolific, but Powers believes that Wolverines expect to sign several
he can still make a strong impact. additional players. When the early
"He is a skilled centerman," period elapses, Michigan will have
Powers said. "I compare him a lot to wait until April 11 to add new
to Ebbett. He doesn't have Coglia- signees to their roster.
Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez form
DEFENSE one of the best wideout combina-
From page 9A tions in the nation. Each has racked
up more than 600 receiving yards,
with Ginn doing much of his dam-
to throw his way. And fellow cor- age deep and Gonzalez performing
ner Morgan Trent brings much- more as a possession receiver.
needed speed to the secondary on the ground, running back
and improved technique. He out- Antonio Pittman remains a strong
ran Ohio State wide receiver Ted part of Ohio State's ball-control
Ginn, Jr., in the 200-meter dash offense. Gaining more than 1,000
at the Don Mitchell Roosevelt yards on the season, Pittman aver-
Memorial track meet in 2004. ages 93.8 rushing yards per game.
Ohio State offense: The The Ohio State offense packs
Buckeyes' gameplan starts and more of a punch with Smith calling
ends with their signal caller: the shots, but Michigan's defense
Heisman frontrunner Troy may just be good enough to keep
Smith. The quarterback has theBuckeyes' dual-powered attack
greatly improved his accuracy, under control. Michigan boasts a
and he leads the Big Ten in pass talented linebacking corps that is
efficiency, completing 66.4 per- technically sound and fast enough
cent of his throws. With his abil- to contain Smith's scrambling.
ity to scramble and turn broken Even though the secondary has
plays into positive gains, Smith been shaky at times, Hall should
is the spark for the Ohio State be able to lock down Ginn, and
offense. Trent can handle Gonzalez, espe-
The fifth-year senior has cially with the way he silenced
thrown for 2,191 yards, 26 touch- Notre Dame's Jeff Samardzija.
downs and just four intercep- The Wolverines defense will be
tions. On the ground, he's tallied the key to Michigan staying close
221 yards and one score. and having a chance to win in this
But Smith doesn't have to do game.
it all by himself. Wide receivers Edge: Michigan
Scratch that, without that game,
BELL the rivalry would notbe what it is
From page 9A today.
Even though Ohio State has
traveled to the Big House and beat-
said at the dinner we had for en Michigan more than a handful
him after he retired, and when of times since thatcgame - includ-
he looked down at the podium ing last season's 25-21 win - it
at me and said, 'God damn you, doesn't come close to comparingto
you will never win a bigger game the magnitude of what occurred on
than that,"'"Schembechler said that afternoon in'69.
on Monday. "And he was right - I So when you're caught up in the
don't think Iever did." media circus this week surround-
Michigan's 24-12 win against ing this game, take a step back and
the top-ranked Buckeyes gave the respect those who helped elevate
Wolverines a berth to the Rose the rivalry to its current place atop
Bowl over their rivals. It also gave the college football world.
Schembechler a 1-0 record against And if you see a current Wol-
Hayes, a mark that expanded to 5- verine on campus in the next
4-1 by the time Hayes retired. few days, don't be afraid to slap a
But maybe most importantly, piece of paper that says 25-21on
the win put a Michigan program his back.-
that had wonjust two of the last I hear it works wonders.
20 Big Ten titles back on the map.
Without that game, this rivalry - Bell can be reached at
might not be what it is today. scotteb@umich.edu.
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