The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 5A JEREMY CHO/Daily Defensive lineman Alan Branch is projected to be a top-10 pick in next month's NFL Draft. Despite the hype, there are some who think Branch has more work to do. Bra ch readiesfDraft By KEVIN WRIGHT Daily Sports Editor INDIANAPOLIS - David Terrell. Drew Henson. Ernest Shazor. What do these three former Michigan football players have in common? All of them left Ann Arbor early to pursue a career in professional sports. And none of them have produced consistent numbers in the NFL. But come April, former Michi- gan defensive tackle Alan Branch would like to break the recent trend of early-entry Wolverines. After a disappointing loss in the Rose Bowl, Branch didn't talk to reporters. Instead, he held a teleconference later in the month to announce his decision to try his luck on Sundays. "It was a great opportunity for me to leave right now, so I had to put that into consideration," Branch said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "And then I'm just a competitor, and when it's all said and done, really the best athletes in the world play for the NFL. I felt that it would be a great time for me to leave." This past Friday, Branch partic- ipated in Michigan's pro day, and at the end of February, he traveled to the RCA Dome to take part in the NFL Scouting Combine. Branch has drawn criticism since declaring for the NFL Draft. Already NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt wrote in his NFL.com blog that the Rio Rancho, N.M., native appeared out of shape at Michigan's pro day. But even with the criticism, Branch brings flexibility to the field in his ability to play multiple positions along the defensive line. He moved from defensive end to defensive tackle this past season for his third and final season at Michigan. "He's a nose tackle who can play three-technique," ESPN analyst John Clayton said. "Just with that in mind, that's a rare commodity. Movement-type of nose tackles like that, those things are valuable because he could play in a 3-4 ... or just move him to three-technique, he could shoot the gap." At the combine, Branch partici- pated in all of the defensive line- men drills. He looked impressive in the bench press, tallying a mark of 33 repetitions of 225 pounds. Many mock drafts and draft experts have dubbed Branch a top-10 pick, but others still have their doubts. "Alan Branch is top-10 ability," NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "Some people are going to question his statistics; some people are going to question his motor. People are going to ques- tion on a consistent snap-by-snap basis. Is he a top-10 player?" For Clayton, Branch was one he circled as needing to perform well at Indianapolis. "Not coming off the greatest year, he needs a good workout," Clayton said. "He's one of those guys you target as saying who See BRANCH, Page 8A More coaches to think over By MARK GIANNOTTO the Horizon League, which doesn't Daily Sports Writer boast any mid-major powerhouses besides Butler. Coming from a mid This week The Michigan Daily major, Lickliter hasn't had the will profile 12 possible candidates chance to show if he has the ability (three each day) to replace former to recruit at the highest levels. Michigan basketball coach Tommy Amaker. Athletic director Bill Candidate: Tubby Smith Martin intends to name a new head Current Job: Kentucky head coach by the middle of April. Today coach we focus in on three more candi- Coaching Experience: 28 years dates for the job. (16 as head coach) Pros: Of all the candidates fea- Candidate: Steve Lavin tured thus far, Tubby Smith is the Current Job: ESPN college bas- only coach with a National Cham- ketball analyst pionship, having led Kentucky to Coaching Experience: 16 years one in1998 in his first season. Smith (seven years as head coach) also guided Tulsa and Georgia to Pros: As head coach at UCLA the NCAA Tournament before from 1997-2003, Steve Lavin was arriving at Kentucky. He has took known as one of, if not the best, Kentucky to five Sweet 16s and recruiter in the nation. He con- advanced to the Elite Eight three sistently piled up top-10 classes times. But with criticism mount- during his tenure. A disciple of leg- ing from the Wildcat faithful after endary Purdue coach Gene Keady, a few "down" seasons in which the he has some Midwest ties and has team still made the NCAA Tourna- been actively pursuing a job in ment, Smith may be growing weary the Big Ten during his three years of the intense scrutiny in the Blue- covering the conference for ESPN. grass State. Smith recruits in the During his seven seasons at UCLA, same manner as former Michigan Lavin made it to the Sweet 16 five coach Tommy Amaker did, focus- times, including the Elite Eight in ing on players who will best rep- his first year. Even though he has resent the program on and off the been out of coaching for the past court. He is capable of recruiting three seasons, Lavin is still a hot in Michigan's backyard, convinc- commodity. He reportedly turned ing Detroit's own Joe Crawford to down the North Carolina State job renege on his verbal commitment last spring. with the Wolverines and come to Cons: Lavin's three years out Kentuckyin 2004. of coaching will more than likely Cons: If Smith decides to leave doom him in the eyes of the search Kentucky, there are likely to be committee. Martin has said that he countless suitors for what would wants someone who is currently be the most accomplished coach on in coaching. And the five Sweet the market. Therefore, itwill likely 16s are a bit tainted since UCLA take a large sum of money, promis- didn't garner anything higher than es of a practice facility and a defini- a No. 4 seed after Lavin's first sea- tive plan on renovating Crisler son. For all of his positives on the Arena for Smith to come here. In recruiting side, there are negatives recent years Smith's recruiting has when it comes to in-game strategy. been average at best after being Lavin has never been known as the burned by several AAU standouts type of X-and-Os coach that Mar- who couldn't handle the rigors of tin seems desperate to hire. college basketball. His assistant coaches have also been criticized Candidate: Todd Lickliter of late. Current Job: Butler head coach AP PHOTO Coaching Experience: 13 years Kentucky's (six as head coach) Tubby Smith Pros: Todd Lickliter has guided could be a Butler to one of the more improb- candidate for able seasons in recentmemory Not Michigan's only did the Bulldogs garner a No. coaching S seed in this year's NCAA Tour- vacancy. nament, they beat a slew of quality opponents during the season (Indiana, Notre Dame, Ten- nessee,Purdue andGonzaga). Lickliter isone offour coaches to lead a Horizon League team to the Sweet 16 (where they face Florida tonight) and has guided the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tourna- ment in three of his six years there. He was also an assistant at Eastern Michigan in 1990s, so he has ties within the state. Cons: Lickliter is from Indiana and a Butler alum, so prying him away might take alot of work. And although his resume is impres- sive, it has all been done within .mn~sar'at'sai~rsr