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8A- Wednesday,March 21, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
MES "AKEBALL
The search for a
coach continues
BEN SIMON/Daily
Sophomore Jack Johnson and his teammates may have to play fewer minutes to acclimate to the high altitude in Denver this weekend.
Icers to playatliud
By NATE SANDALS
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan's toughest opponent in
this Saturday's NCAA Tournament
game might not be North Dakota.
In fact, the Wolverines' foe might be
something that isn't even there.
Michigan's biggest struggle this
weekend might be with oxygen - or
the lack thereof.
Denver's air density is about 15
percent less than sea level, meaning
each breath players take in contains
less oxygen than normal.
Part of getting ready for this week-
end's NCAA West Regional is going
to be adjusting to the altitude. That's
one reason why the Wolverines will
fly to Denver on Wednesday night, a
day earlier than normal for a Satur-
day game.
Michigan coach Red Berenson
expects the extra day of practice in
the Mile High City to make the alti-
tude difference relatively inconse-
quential.
"I don't think you notice it," Beren-
son said of playing hockey at a higher
altitude. "I think it's just a matter of
being acclimatized to it."
But it's hard to imagine the lack of
oxygen won't at least slightly disrupt
Michigan's high-powered offense.
Most teams traveling to play in
Denver, or a similarly elevated locale,
start each line off with 30-second
shifts, as opposed to the regular 45-
second or even one-minute shifts.
As the game progresses and players
adjust, line changes can become less
frequent.
"I think it's important we take
some shorter shifts at the start of the
game," said Mel Pearson, Michigan
associate head coach. "We talked
to some former players at Michigan
who've played out there, and we got
some tips from them on what might
help us."
Shorter shifts could be a disad-
vantage for Michigan. Players like
senior alternate captain T.J. Hensick
and defenseman Jack Johnson regu-
larly take minute-and-a-half or even
two-minute shifts, especially on the
power play.
Science and experience say that
will be more difficult this weekend,
but don't tell Johnson that.
"Yeah, definitely," said Johnson
when asked if he could log his usual
25 to 30 minutes of ice time on Satur-
day. "Especially because of the mag-
nitude of the game."
Having played at high elevations
before, Johnson added that the issue
is more psychological than anything
else.
Michigan's Saturday night oppo-
nent, North Dakota, isn't used to
playing at altitude either. The Fight-
ing Sioux's campus sits at an eleva-
tion of 843 feet above sea level, just
three feet higher than Ann Arbor.
Ironically, the only team in the
West Regional that won't have to
worry about altitude is the fourth
seed Air Force. As the lowest-ranked
team in the region, the Falcons
should be the sacrificial lamb to top-
seeded Minnesota, but they train and
play their games just an hour south
near Colorado Springs, Colo., so they
might have an advantage in stamina,
at least at the outset.
As an added bonus, the Faltons
will essentially be the home team
this weekend, with Michigan, North
Dakota and Minnesota each flying in
for the regional.
"(Air Force is) used to the altitude
and also being closer to home they
don't have to travel," Pearson said.
"It's a little bit easier on them, no
question about it."
By MARK GIANNOTTO
Daily Sports Writer
This week The Michigan
Daily will profile 12 possible
candidates (three each day) to
replace former Michigan bas-
ketball coach Tommy Amaker.
Athletic director Bill Martin
intends to name a new head
coach by the middle of April.
Today we focus in on som can-
didates frommid-major schools.
They are listed in no particular
order.
Candidate: Sean Miller
Current Job: Xavier head
coach
Coaching Experience: 15
years (three as head coach)
Pros:Sean Miller has worked
under several high-profile head
coaches as an assistant coach
at Xavier, Pittsburgh, North
Carolina State and Wisconsin.
Current Ohio State coach Thad
Matta, who Miller worked
under as associate head coach at
Xavier, even told the Cincinnati
Inquirer that Miller "taught
me everything I know about
recruiting." That's saying some-
thing from a coach who nabbed
Greg Oden and Mike Conley,
Jr., in the same class. At Xavier,
Miller has shown the ability to
recruit against the power con-
ferences, beating out Michigan
for the services of class of 2007
stud Dante Jackson. Miller also
has taken the Musketeers to the
NCAA Tournament in two of
his three seasons as head coach,
and lost in overtime to No. 1
Ohio State just last weekend in
the second round.
Cons: Miller is said to be
in the running for head coach
openings at Minnesota and
South Florida, which means
Martin and his search commit-
tee must move fast if they want
to gethim. That may turnMiller
away since Martin must wait
for other candidates to finish
their seasons. Miller may also down.
be uncomfortable facing his
former boss Matta twice a year Candidate: Lon Kruger
as part of the Big Ten. It doesn't Current Job: UNLV head
help that most of the key play- coach
ers from this year's 24-8 Xavier Experience: 31 years (23 as
squad return next season, mak- head coach)
ing it hard for Miller to leave a Pros: Lon Kruger has a prov-
team that has a chance to make en track record and is the only
a deep run in the 2008 NCAA NCAA coach to lead four differ-
Tournament. entprogramstotheNCAATour-
nament (Kansas State, Florida,
Candidate: Chris Lowery Illinois and UNLV). He could be
Current Job: Southern Illi- intriguing to recruits because
nois head coach of his NBA background. Kru-
Experience: Seven years ger was the head coach of the
(three as head coach) Atlanta Hawks (2000-03) and
Pros: Chris Loweryis a name an assistant with the New York
that popped up all over the mes- Knicks (2003-04). As Florida's
sage boards even before Amaker head coach, Kruger turned the
was fired this past weekend. His Gators from a mediocre team
Southern Illinois team has gone to a factor in the Southeastern
fromasurprisemid-majorsquad Conference and led them to a
to a team that commanded a No. Final Four and a school-record
4 seed in this year's Tournament 29 wins in 1994.
and now has a date in the Sweet At Illinois, Kruger took the
16. He has wonthe MissouriVal- Fighting Illini to the Big Dance
ley Conference and advanced to in three of his four seasons
the Big Dance in all three years there.
at the helm of Southern Illinois, Recently, he. has turned
and he has the Midwest ties Bill around a UNLV program that
Martin covets in a head coach had gone through nine coach-
from his three seasons working es in 13 seasons and has them
under Bruce Weber at both Illi- back to the Sweet 16 for the first
nois and Southern Illinois. He time since 1991. His offensive
is also known for his fiery side- sets and in-game strategy can't
line demeanor and tenacious be questioned given the wide
defense. range of success he's had over
Cons: Lowery is just 34 years his career.
old, and after taking a risk on Cons: According to reports,
a 35-year-old Amaker back in Kruger's family is comfortable
2001, Martin may prefer some in Las Vegas and would prefer
more experienced candidates. to stay there, despite the fact
And if the Salukis pull off an that Kruger has been somewhat *
upset over the Jayhawks in the of a nomad during his coaching
Sweet 16, Lowery's price tag career. There is also the ques-
could skyrocket. His Southern tion of whether he will be able
Illinois teams are not high scor- to recruit properly because
ing, indicating that Lowery may he is notoriously averse to the
not be the best X-and-O coach AAU scene. Martin has also
available. In-game strategy was expressed the view that Michi-
a weakness during Amaker's gan is not a stepping stone job,
years, and Martin has indicated so Kruger's short stays at other
that he wants someone who schools could be a detriment in
can draw up aplay and execute the eyes of the search commit-
it when the clock is winding tee.
Wondering who is winning The Michigan Daily Bracket
Challenege? Check out our blog, The Game.
Rankin and McKay
lead the way for Blue
By MATT JOHNSON AnnArbor. thought we brought
Daily Sports Writer Frost delays and high winds down with us."
brought some frigid conditions to The less-than-desi
The Michigan men's golf team the south. might have felt famili
sad a small home-course advan- "We're used to it, playing Mid- verines, but the play
age at the Pinehurst Intercolle- west golf," Michigan coach Andrew Billy McKay and so
;ate, even though it was far from Sapp said. "Everybody probably Rankin had much mo
their second-place fin
teams.
With junior Tin
.T1 Michigan's top player
season, having a roug
The Alumni Association will take fithevid.
the mystery out of relocating. McKay shot even
tournament and fini
for fourth - his first c
Move On finish.
Rankinone-upped]
Monday, March 26 shooting 1-under par
5-7 p.m. ALUMNIASSOCIATION in a tie for second, h
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN a 2-under par 70 intl
t. Buffalo Wild Wings His runner-up finish
I an Wolverine has hat
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the weather
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ar to the Wol-
of freshman
phomore Bill
ore to do with
nish out of 18
m Schaetzel,
r and rock all
h tournament
mates helped
par for the
shed in a tie
areer top-five
histeammate,
and finishing
ighlighted by
he first round.
was the best
id this season
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"Billy (McKay) is a talented play-
er, and it's taken a semester and a
half for him to get the experience to
play the way he's capable of," Sapp
said. "I'm really pleased with his
progress. Bill (Rankin) until this
year hadn't started full time. This
was his breakout week."
Michigan started out rough, sit-
ting in fifth place following a medi-
ocre first round. But thanks to the
strong play of McKay and Rankin,
the Wolverines tied Indiana at the
top after the second round. But
Michigan couldn't overtake the
Hoosiers on the final day.
Even though the Wolverines
finished behind Indiana, they still
defeated No. 33 Southern Method-
ist and No. 34 Wisconsin, the only
two top-50 teams. at the tourna-
ment.
"Being able to battle back from
a bad start with all the pressure of
being in the final group and com-
peting for a championship will help
us," Sapp said. "You have to have
some experience with that situa-
tion in order to come back and win
the next time."
Sapp feels the improvement of
the team's younger players, with
the usual consistency of veterans
like Schaetzel, will help Michi-
gan in its final two tournaments
before the Big Ten championships
inApril.
"If our veteran players had
played as well as they have in the
past, we would have won easily,"
Sapp said. "I'm really excited for
the last two tournaments because
if we play like we're capable, and
get three or four guys in the top 10
or 20, the wins start coming."
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