The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 9
SAME
IFERENT
JIIT.
ANGELA CESERE/ Dail
Michigan's women's basketball team faces a sharp shooting Central Michigan squad tonight in Mount Pleasant.
agers will be tested
y Central's hot hand
By DAN FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's basket-
ball team lost 23 games last season
to 16 different teams.
But the Wolverines have a
chance to get revenge upon at least
14 of them this season.
They already avenged last sea-
son's loss to Toledo with a 44-41
road victory last Wednesday.
Michigan's next opportunity at
redemption comes tonight when it
travels to Mount Pleasant to take
on Central Michigan at 7 p.m.
The Chippewas romped the
Wolverines last year, 79-57 in
what was arguably the season's
low point.
Central Michigan reserve guard
Angela Chan torched Michigan
for 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting,
including 3-for-3 from behind the
arc.
"I never in a million years But even without revenge as a
dreamed that this would happen," motivation, the Wolverines have
Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett much to play for beyond their
said after the devastating loss. record.
The Chippewas shot an out- "We just want to be the best
standing 7-for-11 from behind the team in Michigan," sophomore
line that game. forward Melinda Queen said.
Central Michigan is shooting a Michigan beat Detroit last week,
solid .375 from long range this year, leavingtonight's game and a Jan. 18
well above the .284 clip Michigan matchup versus Michigan State as
has allowed thus far. the only remaining contests with
Adding insult to the injury of in-state teams.
Central Michigan's hot shooting, A win tonight would guarantee
Michigan went just 3-for-19 from a winning intra-state record, but to
behind the arc against a Chippewa be considered the state's best team,
zone defense last season. the Wolverines would need to win
But the Michigan players barely over the 20th-ranked Spartans.
remember the loss. They aren't But for now, with a focus-on-
dwelling on the past and just want today attitude, the Wolverines
to focus on tonight. And their short must face the challenge in front of
memory will help achieve the goal, them and prove that they're bet-
sophomore point guard Jessica ter than the state's Mid-American
Minnfield said. Conference teams.
"We always come in with a new Something they haven't done
mindset," Minnfield said. yet.
Packing on the pounds,
wrestlers gain advantage
By DAVID MURRAY time on technique and just work- be a good thing for me, because I
Daily Sports Writer ing hard, as opposed to trying to can focus more on my wrestling.
cut off a last couple pounds." They were all for it."
So, bigger is better ... or at least The three most highly touted Early signs show that the trio's
that's what the Michigan wres- Michigan wrestlers plan to main- new strategy is working.
tling team is trying to prove this tain the same style and speed from Churella is currently 9-1, with
season. last year despite the added muscle. his only loss coming in the finals of
Redshirt sophomore Steve Luke "Sometimes you see as those the Body Bar Invitational to Cor-
gained 17 pounds over the sum- guys move up in weight classes nell's Jordan Leen. Churella's nine
mer. maybe their dealing with some wins are good enough to be ranked
Junior co-captain Eric Tannen- guys that aren't as quick," McFar- sixth in the nation by Intermat.
baum added 16 pounds. land said. "So, this might even be Tannenbaum has encountered
Junior co-captain Josh Churella an advantage for them. They still similar success to Churella. The
put on eight pounds. have got that great speed." redshirt junior is undefeated on
You could call it the anti-Rich- If success when changing weight the season and is also ranked sixth
ard Simmons workout plan. is hereditary, then Churella could nationally in his weight class.
Michigan head coach Joe be in for his best season yet. Josh's Steve Luke seems to have ben-
McFarland is attempting a differ- older brother, Ryan, made it to the efited the most from the weight
ent strategy when it comes to his NCAA finals last year while wres- gain.
wrestlers' weight this year. McFar- tling at a weight 16 pounds heavier The Massillon, Ohio, native is
land let Tannenbaum, Churella than he wrestled at two years prior. 10-0 on the season thus far and
and Luke move up to a heavier Josh and Ryan's father, Mark, won has had upset victories over two
weight class rather than having an NCAA title at 150 pounds in highly touted 174-pound wres-
his wrestlers exert extra energy to 1978, and then another NCAA title tlers, Lehigh's David Helfrich and
maintain a lower weight. McFar- at 167 pounds the following year. Pittsburgh's Kevin Gavin.
land's top-three wrestlers can now Needless to say, the Churella fam- "When I was wrestling 157-
concentrate on their opponents, ily, was whole-heartedly behind pounders I was wrestling down at
rather than losing a pound or two Josh's increase in weight. the same weight, and they felt a lot
before each match. "My brother and my dad were quicker than these 174-pounders,"
"Last year, I was constantly telling me, 'Just go up a weight, go Luke said. "I still feel like I have
worried and focused on if I was up a weight you can wrestle just as the same quickness that I did last
going to make weight, and what I good at the other weight, maybe season, but now I am wrestling
was going to do that night," Tan- even better,' " Churella said. "All guys that are slower, so it makes
nenbaum said. "I was doing two or summer my dad was telling me me look faster, and I feel like I can
three workouts a day just to lose that I was going to be a 149-pound- shoot in and take them down a lot
weight. This year I can focus more er, because he thinks that it would easier."
Spartans hire new football coach
EAST LANSING (AP) - Mark Dantonio is back
with the Michigan State football program. This time,
he's in charge and he has much flashier jewelry.
Dantonio, an assistant with the program from
1995 to 2000, was hired yesterday as the Spartans'
head coach. At his introduction in East Lansing, he
flashed the 2002 championship ring he won as Ohio
State's defensive coordinator, hoping it would inspire
the Michigan State faithful.
"I wear this championship ring very, very few
times, but I wear it for a reason," Dantonio said. "I
wear it to symbolize what can happen when you have
the resources, when you have the players, and most
Importantly when you have the commitment."
Dantonio said it won't be easy, but Michigan State
could have championship aspirations as well - if
everyone connected with the program pulls together
to build a winner.
The head coach for the University of Cincinnati
the past three seasons, Dantonio becomes the ninth
Michigan State coach since Duffy Daugherty left the
program after the 1972 season.
Michigan State is barely above .500 since then and
has won eight or more games in consecutive seasons
just once, with one Rose Bowl appearance.
Dantonio takes over at a low point in a program
that has struggled on the field and in the recruiting
battles against nearby powerhouses Michigan, Ohio
State and Notre Dame. Michigan State finished 4-8
this year and has missed out on a bowl trip three
straight seasons for the first time since the early
1980s.
"If you have an opportunity to compete against
the best, you can become the best," Dantonio said.
"You have the opportunity to measure up."
The Michigan State Board of Trustees unani-
mously approved President Lou Anna Simon's rec-
ommendation to hire Dantonio at a special meeting
Monday. The five-year contract guarantees Dantonio
about $1.1 million a year, on the lower end of the
Big Ten pay scale. The contract also has a $200,000
signing bonus and incentives that could boost his
income.
Dantonio, 50, had an 18-17 record at Cincinnati,
including a win over previously unbeaten Rutgers
earlier this month. The Big East school is await-
ing a bowl bid, but Dantonio won't be coaching the
Bearcats in that game. Defensive coordinator Pat
Narduzzi was appointed Cincinnati's interim head
coach Monday.
Dantonio has a defensive coaching background
and extensive recruiting experience in the Midwest,
both of which had been trouble spots for the Spar-
tans under former coach John L. Smith.
Smith was fired before completing his fourth sea-
son in East Lansing. He finished with a 22-26 record.
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