The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Sports New Student Edition - 7E
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom New Student Edition - 7E
Blue is Beilein's
toughest gig yet
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Long time coming: Quick
start helps M' cruise to win
WEST LAFAYETTE -
M ichigan coach John
Beilein doesn'tknow
what he's gotten him-
self into.
Five times
in the sec-
ond half of
Saturday's loss
at Purdue, the
Wolverines
came within
three points,
only to let the DAN
Boilermakers FELDMAN
re-extend their
lead.
Michigan lacking a killer
instinct? What a surprise.
But things were supposed to be
different under Beilein.
He's won at every stop - Erie
Community College, Nazareth,
LeMoyne, Canisius, Richmond
and West Virginia.
Well, almost every stop. Not
Michigan. The Wolverines (4-10)'
are the Big Ten's worst team.
When Michigan hired Beilein,
eight seasons separated the cur-
rent team and the program's last
game vacated by NCA sanctions.
Michigan won a semi-respectable
54 percent of its games in those
eight years, the last six under
Tommy Amaker. But the Wolver-
ines rarelyshowed a competitive
streak..
Against ranked teams: 10-49.
On the road: 22-61.
NCAA Tournament appear-
ances: zero.
Amaker admirably moved the
Wolverines past the Ed Martin
situation, but when it became clear
he couldn't take Michigan to the
next level, he was fired.
Athletic Director Bill Martin
hired Beilein because the coach
had ahigher ceiling than Amaker.
} But it hasn't shown. Beilein
has put aside winning to help his
young team learn his complex
offense of 3-pointers and backdoor
cuts and his unique 1-3-1 zone
defense.
Michigan needs to learn how
to win, and Beilein isn't teaching
that.
Beilein asked the public to judge
the team on its progress learning
his system, not its record.
He's probably a bit scared to see
what would happenif he put pres-
sure on his players to win. After
all, it's ayoungteamlearning a
new system - one of the nation's
most complicated at that.
The Wolverines' largest obsta-
cle is they don't know what it takes
to win. Dealing with the tension of
game is the best way to learn.
Michigan basketball has been
devoid of pressure for too long.
Everything is comfortable; there's
no desperation.
Beilein has said games can be
nuisances, distractions in the way
of practices. He's spending less
time preparing for opponents than
he typically does.
Put this team out there. See
what it can do. Beilein might be
surprised with what could hap-
pen.
I'm all for building a program,
rather than just focusing on short-
term success. But you don't need
to get bad to get good. Michigan
shouldn't lose to Harvard or Cen-
tral Michigan - both of which
have first-year coaches, too.
The Wolverines didn't even
pretend to give themselves a
chance against Georgetown,
Duke or UCLA. Once on the
court, they tried to win, but they
didn't expect to win.
BeileiG in his 29years as a
head coach, has proven himself,
and there's still a very good
chance he'll win here. But by
making winning a secondary
goal, he's drastically slowing
down the process.
For the last eight years, there
hasn't been much wrong with the
Wolverines, but there hasn't been
much right either.
If Beilein doesn't put pressure
on this team, the mediocrity will
continue. Maybe he's going to flip
that switch next year when the
team knows his system better.
But why wait?
Beilein can work on schemes
all he wants, but until he changes
the program's culture, not much
will change.
This column originally
ran on Jan. 7, 2008.
New, vocal coach
breathes life into
dormant program
By ALEX PROSPERI
Daily Sports Writer
March 25, 2008 - The Michigan
women's basketball team continues
to push the past further and further
away.
It wasn't enough for the Wolver-
ines to play in the Women's Nation-
al Invitational Tournament for the
first time since 2002.
Last night, they became the first
team in the program's 35-year his-
tory to reach the third round of a
postseason tournament other than
the Big Ten Tournament.
Thanks to senior Janelle Cooper's
22 points and a14-0 run to start the
game, Michigan easily took down
Virginia Commonwealth, 75-57, at
Crisler Arena last night.
"My teammates did a very good
job of rotating the ball and get-
ting it to me," Cooper said. "I was
just happy that I made some shots
today. Hopefully, that continues for
the rest of this NIT."
The co-captain had a near-
perfect performance, shooting
7-for-8 from the field and 5-for-6
from three-point range. She also
knocked down all three of her free
throws.
Despite not playing a game for
three weeks, Michigan (9-9 Big Ten,
18-13 overall) combined to shoot13-
for-22 from behind the arc.
"We were still in the gym even
though we weren't playing games,"
Cooper said. "I'm not really sur-
prised. We have pretty good shoot-
ers on our team."
Cooper ignited the first-half run
that put the Rams (13-5 Colonial
Athletic Association, 26-8) behind
by double-digits just three minutes
into the game.
Cooper connected on her first
three-pointer and one minute later,
junior Carly Benson did the same.
Benson hit another from behind
the arc and Cooper responded with
a traditional three-point play just
seconds later.
After a field goal by junior Jes-
sica Minnfield, the Wolverines led
14-0 a little more than four minutes
into the game.
"I thinka lot of us were pumped
and geeked and were ready to go,"
junior Ashley Jones said. "That 14-
0 run at the beginning was just us
being ready."
Despite the team's best shooting
performance of the season, Michi-
gan's usual weaknesses were still
on display.
The Wolverines were outshot
and outrebounded on the offen-
sive glass and committed twice as
many turnovers as the Rams. Ear-
lier in the season, that would have
spelled disaster for the team.
And even though Michigan
started the second half with four
straight turnovers, Michigan
coach Kevin Borseth and the Wol-
verines proved they wouldn't let
their normal flaws get in the way
of victory.
Michigan took its fewest shots
from the field all season (37) but
responded by shooting 62 percent
from the field, its best shooting
performance of the year.
Michigan's strong play on the
defensive end forced VCU to shoot
just 30 percent from the field and
created numerous three-on-two
fast break opportunities that led
to wide-open shots. Cooper led the
way with four assists.
"We usually don't get that many
assists," Borseth said. "That's a
pretty big figure for us." I
After last night's victory, the
Wolverines have their sights set
on one goal.
"We have our eye on the prize,"
Jones said. "We want to win the
championship."
WW.REC$PORTS.UMICH.EDU/OUTDOORAD
W-
Hockey Band
The tradition continues... C' Ya there!
Rehearsals will be on Thursdays
beginning at 7:30 PM
Women's Basketball Band
Join the Women's Basketball Band
and we'll support you while you support
the team...get paid to play The Victors!
Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays
beginning at 8:30 PM
Ments Basketball Band
Be a part of the Beilein Era...
On the road to victory with
the Men's Basketball Band.
Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays
beginning at 7:00 PM
Auditions will be held at Revelli Hall
Sunday, September 14,2008
Wednesday, September17,2008
Audition will include scales and sight reading.
To schedule a time for an audition
please call 764-0582.
Revelli Hall
350 E. Hoover
Ann Arbor, MI
48104-3707
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