The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Thursday, January 312008- 5A

Tough schedule
will prepare'M'
for the future

Freshman Aaron Palushaj leads Michigan in assists even with the stick-handling abilities ofea leading goal scorer.
For Palushaj, it's stickwork that co

Freshman forward the last off the ice after practice.
Palushaj and his roommate, first-
proves goals aren t line forward Max Pacioretty, alter-
the 1 goal nate taking shots against backup
t Oly ggoalie Bryan Hogan.
The two finally leave, almost a
By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK half hour after the rest of the team.
Daily Sports Writer Palushaj laughs when asked why
they stay out so long, practicing
Assists aren't flashy. unconventional stick moves and
Aaron Palushaj knows that. crazy plays.
And when Yost Ice Arena is full He brings up Detroit Red Wings,
of fans, setting up plays is what the forwardPavelDatsyuk'sbreakaway,
freshman and team assists leader one-legged goal against former
does to help Michigan win. Wolverine and Dallas Stars goalie
But on weekdays, he's one of Marty Turco in 2003 that prompt-

ed the announcer to exclaim, "You
do that in practice, but to do that in
agame!"
That goal epitomizes the way
Palushaj wants to play - with
an innovative style that's a little
flashy.
"(Datsyuk) said after the game
he works *i that in practice all
the time," Palushaj said. "When it
comes down to the game, it's just
like a practice for him - especially
when they're up by a couple goals,
he's trying the fancy, creative stuff
he does in practice. So that's why
we stay out there."

Palushaj has
responsible fors
the power play a
opportunities to
scoring creativi
control and quic
helped the fresl
place on Michig
season, behind
ter and Chad Ko
Palushaj's pu
Michigan scorei
Michigan State
technique was n
Carl Hagelin.
See P1

Beilein, players learn
value of top-notch
competition
By MARK GIANNOTTO
DailySports Writer
At his weekly meeting with the
press, Michigan men's basketball
coach John
Beilein had no Minnesota
ZACHARY MEISNER/Daily answer when at Michigan
asked if he
would have pre- Matchup:
ferred to play an Minnesota
easier schedule 12-6;
Michigan 5-15
unts this season.
He simply When: 7p.m.
chuckled at the Where:
thought.. Crisler Arena
primarily been When you've TV/Radio:
setting up goals on been through BTN
nd hasn't had many a gauntlet of
showcase his goal- highly ranked
ty - but his puck teams like his Wolverines have, a
ck moves have still sense of humor might be the only
hman leap to third remedy to your problems.
an's points list this The thought of a team with
seniors Kevin Por- just one experienced senior chal-
larik. lenging the number of quality
ick smarts helped opponents Michigan has played is
its first goal against laughable.
Saturday, and his To be exact, the Wolverines
oticed by linemate have gone up against the Nos. 3,
5, 6, 8, 11, 12 and 13 teams in this
ALUSHAJ, Page 8A week's AP poll - and lost every
time. According to the Sagarin rat-
ings, which rate teamsbased partly
on the strength of their opponents'
records, Michigan's schedule is the
third toughest in the nation.
"There's times where you want
to (have an easier - schedule),"
Beilein said. "A lot of times sched-
uling is done one or two years in
pull DeHaan away advance, so you really don't know.
by bringing sopho- There's certainly advantages to
lips out of the paint. playing a tough schedule, butthere
going to allow that are some times where you worry
seth said. "I believe about stripping confidence."
play a zone." On the other end of the spec-
ate is optimistic trum is Minnesota (2-4 Big Ten,
ht's contest because 12-6 overall), which faces the Wol-
f junior guard Mia verines tonight at Crisler Arena.
layed just two min- Like Michigan (1-7, 5-15), the
hile still recovering Golden Gophers have been work-
ury. Last Thursday, ing to adjust to a new system after
ir 20 points ina win hiring former Kentucky coach

Tubby Smith. But Minnesota got
off to a 10-1 start, building confi-
dence while beating unknowns
like North Dakota State and Ken-
nesaw State.
But since entering Big Ten play,
the Gophers have had to play
tougher competition and their
record has suffered for it. Min-
nesota comes to Ann Arbor on a
three-game losingskid.
Despite the adverse effect Mich-
igan's rugged schedule has had on
its record, sophomore DeShawn
Sims believes it will help the Wol-
verines in coming years.
"I like that we've played so many
tough games because it just gives
you experience," Sims said. "If you
neverplaytoughgamesyou'llnever
know what those games feel like to
play in. And if you are always play-
ing downgraded games, it doesn't
do anything for our team building."
Right now, Michigan doesn't
have much to build on. After an
encouraging three-point loss to
No. 13 Wisconsin on Jan. 22, the
Wolverines took a step back last
weekend in their 77-62 loss at No.
8 Michigan State.
Sims's play will be particularly
important against Minnesota. The
Detroit native struggled with the
Badgers' and Spartans' defense,
going 4-for-19 and I-for-7 from the
floor in the two games.
Without Sims's scoring,. oppo-
nents can swarm the team's lead-
ing scorer freshman Manny Harris
(16.2 points per game) and limit his
effectiveness slashing to the basket.
On defense, the entire front-
court must show the strength it
has gained over the course of its
brutal schedule. It must stop the
two of the top-scoring Gophers,
power forward Dan Coleman and
center Spencer Tollackson.
Note: The Michigan Athletic
Department will hold pregame
and halftime festivities tonight to
celebrate the 40th anniversary of
Crisler Arena.
Former Michigan basketball
greats Cazzie Russell and Rudy
Tomjanovich will be attendance,
as well as members of the 1967-
68 team - the first to play in the
arena.

RIVALS AT EVERY LEVEL

'and MSU
coaches have met
often in their climb
to the Big Ten
By JASON KOHLER
Daily Sports Writer
At first glance, it would appear
that Michigan coach Kevin Bors-
eth and Michigan State coach Suzy
Merchant have nothing in common.
Compared to Borseth, known for
fiery antics on the sidelines and con-
stant conversation with the scorer's
table, Merchant is quiet as a hum-
mingbird.
After her Spartans lost, 64-55, to
Michigan earlier this month, Mer-
chant looked as if she was close to
bursting into tears. When Borseth
lost last Sunday to Iowa, he stub-
bornly addressed the press.
"You're the ones writing - the
articles, not me," Borseth said. "You

already got your titles picked out, so
let's get a start to it"
Although their personalities dif-
fer, both coaches have taken simi-
lar paths to the Big Ten and have
encountered each
otherseveraltimes Michigan at
along the way.M.g
Both started Michigan
their college State
coaching careers Matchup
at Division II Mc
schools. Borseth's State 12-10;
Michigan Tech Michigan 12-7
Huskies often When: 7 P.M.
faced off against
Merchant's Lake Where: Bre-
Superior State slin Center
Lakers in the TV/Radio:
Great Lakes Inter- AM 1290
collegiate Athletic
Conference.
In 1998, both coaches made their
move to Division I - Borseth to Uni-
versity of Wisconsin-Green Bay and
Merchant to Eastern Michigan.
While at Green Bay, Borseth's
Phoenix played Merchant's Eagles

twice. Borseth's record against his
counterpart in Ypsilanti: 2-0.
After nine years among the mid-
majors, Borseth and Merchant were
hired to coach rival Big Ten teams.
Borseth came on to turn around
a Wolverine team that had 21 wins
in the previous three seasons. Mer-s
chant, on the other hand, took over
a team that had 24 wins last season.
She replaced Joanne McCallie, who
bolted to Duke last spring.
Through the years, Merchant has
always impressed Borseth.
"She adapts to situations really
well," Borseth said. "She studies
videotapes, sees what you do and is
not afraid to make changes to her
game plan."
To take down the Wolverines
tonight at the Breslin Center, Mer-
chant will have to adapt her strategy
from her team's disappointing per-
formance Jan. 13 at Crisler.
In that game, Michigan held the
Spartan's lanky 6-foot-9 Allyssa
DeHaan to nine points and six
rebounds. On offense, the Wolver-

ines were able to
from the basket
more Krista Phil
"They're notI
to happen," Borr
they're going to:
Michigan St
going into tonigl
of the return of
Johnson, who pl
utes on Jan. 13 w
from a knee injt
Johnson went fo

against Illinois.
With Johnson returning to form
and Merchant likely to rework her
game plan, Borseth doesn't quite
know what he has waiting for him at
the Breslin Center.
"It will be a lot different than the
last time we played them," Borseth
said.
But Borseth has been able to han-
dle Merchant's challenges through
the years.
Borseth's record against the
coach in East Lansing is unblem-
ished in Division I: 3-0.

One-time Olympian Valerie Silva hopes
" to again represent her country this year

Olympic Trials to
take place in Brazil
0 this March
By RUTH LINCOLN
Daily Sports Writer
While her teammates spend time
fine-tuning
their strokes
and tighten- SILVA,
ing their flip
turns in prep-
arationforthe
NCAA Cham-
pionships,
senior Valerie
Silva will be Year:
putting those Senior
techniques Hetowr
into practice Hometown:
south of the Lima, Peru
equator. Event:
She will Breaststroke
have to sand-
wich in an
extra com-
petition between the Big Ten and
NCAA Championships - an Olym-
pic qualifying meet.
In the four weeks between Big
Tens and NCAAs, the senior cap-
tain will fly to Brazil to compete in
the 100-meter breaststroke in the
South American Championships
scheduled for March 12-16. If Silva

meets the qualifying time there,
she will be eligible for August's
Beijing Olympics, representing
Peru for the second time.
Shortly after her 19th birthday,
the Lima, Peru native represent-
ed her country at the 2004 Ath-
ens Games. Though Silva didn't
return with any medals, she keeps
the memories of the opportunity
close.
"Standing in front of the blocks
before my race, I had the biggest
smile on my face," Silva said. "I
was very excited."
If Silva's performance for the
Wolverines this season is any indi-
cation, Beijing is within her grasp.
At November's Texas A&M
Invitational, Silva swam a life-
time-best 1:02 in the too-yard
breaststroke. The time earned her
an NCAA consideration time.
But what made Silva more excit-
ed was how well she swam follow-
ing a tough week of training and
little rest.
With such a small window
between upcoming major compe-
titions, her strong performance in
Texas made her eager for Brazil.
"Hopefully with some rest and
a proper taper, I'll be able to drop
even more and get an (Olympic)
qualifying time," Silva said.
The breaststroke requires a
great deal of underwater move-
ment and coordination, making
A A

Dedication fuels Harris's
record-setting start
Junior worked hard His hot start earned him two
-consecutive Big Ten Runner of
over summer, bent the Week awards for the weeks
of Jan. 15th and Jan. 22nd, a
on on breaking feat that hasn't been achieved at
Michigan since Nate Brannen did
personal records it in 2005.
No one expected Harris to
By MACKENZIE MELVIN break a school record this early
Daily Sports Writer in the season. Most guys on the
team are still warming up and
When the Michigan men's fine-tuning their techniques in
track and field January.
team beat Ohio HARRIS But Harris came into the sea-
State in "The son prepared and had high hopes
Dual," junior from the start.
Adam Harris "Usually we take some time off
led the team but I pretty much worked out the
around the whole summer without taking
track for a vic- - a day off," said Harris. "If I did
tory lap. Har- take a day off, I felt pretty bad. I
ris had another Year: was hoping to get some awards
strong perfor- Junior and I thought any of them would
mance, and Hometown: be nice."
because of his The Big Ten awards are a trib-
competitive Wheatn,. ~ ute to the hard work Harris put
instinct, he Events: in over the summer. His natural
wanted to rub Sprints talent was obvious even in his
it in. freshmen season, but his coach-
Growing up es are more impressed with his
in a family of work ethic, an uncommon qual-
athletes, that drive came natu- ity among such gifted athletes.
rally to him. So did his athletic "He is just an excellent athlete
ability. Harris played popular and the most dedicated person I
sports like football, baseball, and have ever seen," said senior co-
soccer as a kid, but in high school captain Andrew Wechter. "Every
he dropped them all to focus on time I'm at the track, he's there. I
track, following in the footsteps think he lives there sometimes."
of his parents and sibling. Having broken the 60-meter
His dedication to the sport dash record twice in his tenure at
has more than paid off. At the Michigan, Harris hopes to break
EMU Open, the season's first it again. Not because of NCAA
meet, Harris posted a NCAA qualifying times or Big Ten Run-
provisional time of 6.64 in the ner of the Week awards, but
60-meter dash, easily breaking because that's just what he does.
his own school record of 6.71 set "I'm hoping to bring it down
last year. Harris followed up the some more and leave it up on the
performance in the season's sec- wall a little bit longer," said Har-
ond meet, reaching 7.26. meters ris. "The lower I drop it, the bet-
on the long jump - another per- ter I feel."
sonal best.

PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily
Senior Valerie Silva hopes to swim for her home country of Peru for a second time.

it difficult to master. But Michi-
gan coach Jim Richardson said he
thinks its Silva's prowess on the
dance floor that makes it her best
event.
"It's very much a timing and
rhythm stroke," Richardson said.
"I think she can probably dance
salsa pretty well. And if you can
dance salsa, you've probably got a
fairly good chance at being a pret-
ty good breaststroker."
Aside from competing in the
Olympics, Silva has thrived on the

international stage. At the 2007
FINA World Swimming Champi-
onships in Melbourne, Australia,
Silva earned three top-30 victo-
ries in the breaststroke. The meet
featured Olympic gold-medal-
ist breaststrokers like American
Megan Jendrick and Leisel Jones
of Australia.
Silva will miss class for the
South American Championships,
but with one of the highest grade
point averages on the team, the
See SILVA, Page 8A