10 - Tuesday, January 9,k2007 nt
Shoes or no shoes,
Baker's a threat

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

By MARK GIANNOTTO
Daily Sports Writer
EVANSTON - After scoring 19
points against Army on Dec. 28,
Michigan freshman Reed Baker
knew he had the ability to score
with the best of them.
But never in his wildest dreams
did he think he could score without
his shoes.
With the Wolverines clinging to
an early 6-4 lead eight minutes into
the game, Baker was seen on the
defensive end trailing his own man,
while trying to wriggle his left foot
back into his hightops. After fresh-
man Ekpe Udoh blocked a North-
western shot, senior Dion Harris
sprinted out on one of Michigan's
few fast-break opportunities.
And that's when Baker decided
there was no time for shoes.
The Fort Myers, Fla., native ran
up court and found an open spot

on the right wing. Harris fed him, and I know my strength is spot-up
and the freshman did what he does shooting," Baker said. "It was real-
best: Baker sunk a three-pointer ly exciting, and I was glad I got a
- all without his shoe completely chance to show myself out there."
on his foot. Baker was 3-of-7 from 3-point
Shoe or no shoe, Michigan need- range, but it was his mere presence
ed every bit of Baker's team-lead- on the floor that seemed to extend
ing 11 points in Saturday's defeat of the Wildcats' zone, leaving more
Northwestern. room in the paint in the second
The Wildcats played almost the half
entire game in a trapping 1-3-1 zone Baker's scoring is something
to offset the Wolverines' advantage the Wolverines are growing accus-
in size and athleticism. Northwest- tomed to. In last Wednesday's con-
ern compacted on the interior, but ference-opening win over Illinois,
in doing so conceded a 3-pointer on Baker came in off the bench and hit
the wing. a big 3-pointer in the second half.
It was up to Michigan to exploit "Whenever Reed is out there on
this. Although Baker doesn't usu- the floor, we know we want to get
ally play heavy minutes, he was him the ball," said senior Dion Har-
needed extensively because of his ris, who assisted on two of Baker's
ability to hit the outside shot. The three trifectas. "We want to get
26 minutes he logged against the him shots because he can knock
Wildcats was his second-highest them down."
total of the season. Baker's ability to hit 3-pointers is
"They were playing that zone, a skill Michigan desperately needs.


US g
lnsigr
all dir

Freshman guard Reed Baker has used his outside shooting touch to become an important part of the Wolverine offense.
The team has shot just 31 percent Baker has shown a knack for hitting Harris and junior Ron Cole-
from the outside, and no one besides 3-pointers on a consistent basis. man, normally reliable shooters,
have been streaky throughout
much of December and January.
Zone defenses, like the one used by
Northwestern,shouldbecomemore
prevalent given Michigan's difficul-
ties shooting the outside shot.
But with a shooter as capable as
Baker on the bench, Michigan may
have a permanent solution to these
situations.
"Reed Baker givingus the kind of
minutes and production that he was
able to give us was tremendous for a
freshman player," Michigan coach
Tommy Amaker said. "We felt com-
ing into the game that this was the
type of ballgame that he could give
us some quality minutes. I didn't
anticipate it being 26 minutes, but
'ections. he earned it because of the way he
played. He certainly made some big
shots for us."
If Baker keeps up the stellar
shooting, maybe - just maybe - he
and the rest of the Wolverines can
trade in those clunky sneakers for a
pair of dancing shoes come March.

0

GATORS - From page 9
later after being injured while cel-
ebrating the touchdown, and by the
time he returned for the second half
on crutches, Florida led 34-14.
"Ohio State didn't get it done,"
Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said.
Underdogs by a solid touchdown,
Meyer had a word for the critics
who demeaned the Gators.
"td like to thank all thoeesebpl.
Our pregame speech was easy," he
said.
Maligned for never winning the
big one, Leak completed 25 of 36
passes for 213 yards and a touch-
down. The Rambo-like Tebow
threw for one TD and powered into
the end zone for another.
Troy Smith, meanwhile, joined
a long list of Heisman Trophy
quarterbacks - Jason White, Eric
Crouch and Gino Torretta, among
them - to fall apart in bowl games.
He was just 4-for-14 with one inter-
ception and never showed off his
elusive running.
"Not everything in life is going to
go the exact way you want it," Smith
said. "I don't have any regrets,
though. I really don't. We came out
and fought. We came up short.
"Sometimesyouhave greatgames
and sometimes you don't," he said.
Defensive ends Derrick Harvey
and Jarvis Moss made it a miserable
night for Smith. Linebacker Earl
Everett got into the act, too, run-
ning down Smith despite missing
his helmet.
"Honestly, we've played a lot bet-
ter teams than them," Moss said. "I
could name four or five teams in the
SEC that could probably compete
with them and play the same type of
game we did against them."
Florida won its second national
title, adding to the one Heisman
winner Danny Wuerffel brought
home in 1996 under coach Steve
Spurrier with a 52-20 romp over
Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.
This time, the man in charge was
the 42-year-old Meyer, once a .200
hitter in the low minors in Atlanta's
farm system. Since then, he's made
a rocket rise in the coaching ranks,
topped off by a title in his second
year at Florida.
The BCS added an extra game
this year to determine a champion.
Some fans were certain Michigan
deserved to be here - until it got
pounded by Southern California in
the Rose Bowl.
This game had no name - per-
haps now it might be the Meyer
Bowl, at least for a year.
And back home in Gainesville,
the Gators can raise another chain-
pionship banner as they did after
the basketball team beat UCLA in
Indianapolis.
"How do I compare them? Both
have confetti landing on my head,"
athletic director Jeremy Foley said.
"I couldn't believe it in April, I can't
believe it now. I can't believe I can
talk about it without jinuing us.
Obviously, things had to break our
way to even get here."
Tressel's team, meanwhile,
looked as if it belonged at the Holi-
day Bowl, because it took this night
off. Given 51 days to prepare, the
Buckeyes were confused from the
get-go once Florida got the ball.
In the first football matchup
between these schools - they've
both played the sport for 100-plus
years - the Gators emphatically
stopped Ohio State's 19-game win-
ning streak.

You bring something unique to the table, and at Ernst & Young, you'll
be encouraged to speak up and contribute. Because we know that
bringing together people with different backgrounds and perspectives
lets us deliver quality results for our clients. It's why we've created
a work environment of mutual respect that promotes your personal
and professional growth and success. So visit us on campus or at
ey.com/us/careers.

4

© 2007 ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Quality In Everything We

11