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8 - Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
How do QB transfers fare?
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ZACH ARY ME ISN ER/Daily
Sophomore Scooter Vaughan saw the ice this weekend for the first time since Michigan's loss against Bowling Green on Jan. 16.
Even with little ice
tiCme, Vaughan shie
A t Michigan, you hear a lot
about those who stay.
But what about those
who leave?
Redshirt freshman quarterback
Steven Threet became the most
recent player to depart from the
Wolverine football team when he
announced his transfer early yes-
terday morning.
Of every
quarterback
who has
thrown at least
three passes in
a season since
1949 (as far
back as Athletic DAN
Department
records go), FELDMAN
just nine didn't
complete their eligibility.
Two of them left in the last two
years - both after Michigan hired
Rich Rodriguez.
Ryan Mallett, arguably the most
highly touted quarterback recruit
in Michigan history, stayed just
one year (2007). He transferred
to Arkansas last winter and will
probably start for the Razorbacks
next season.
And now Threet will play some-
where else, too. (Don't assume it
will bea Football Championship
Subdivision or Division-II team.
Because he already transferred
once, Threet will have to sit out
next season no matter the level of
his new school.)
Mallett said he left because
he didn't fit Rodriguez's spread
offense. Threet, rivals.com's No.
9 pro-style quarterback in 2007,
faced a similar predicament. But
he stuck it out for a year.
When Threettransferred to
Michigan from Georgia Tech in
2007, he told his high school coach
he thought he could beat out Mal-
lett. But Mallett transferred, and
Threet had a different challenge. .
So Threet found himself bat-
tling Nick Sheridan, a former,
walk-on who didn't receive any
scholarships out of high school,
for the starting spot in a system in
which he didn't really fit.
By staying and giving Michigan
another feasible option besides
Sheridan, Threet opened himself to
public criticism from the Wolver-
ines' coaches. Offensive coordinator
Calvin Magee described Threet's
three-interception performance
against Michigan State on Oct. 25
as "inconsistent, like it always is."
Threet, on the other hand,
always praised Sheridan publicly
and never took credit for any suc-
cess the team had (although he
didn't have many opportunities).
Some of Michigan's coaches
could take a lesson from Threet,
but what can be learned from the
other seven experienced quarter-
backs who left early? There's no
clear direction for a player in this
position.
Jason Forcier, whose brother
Tate signed with Michigan asa
quarterback two weeks ago, left
after Mallett beat him out for the
backup job in 2007. He was Stan-
ford's third-string quarterback this
year.
Drew Henson and Clayton
Richard both left the Michigan
football team to play baseball.
Henson skipped his senior sea-
son to sign a six-year, $17-million
contract with the New York
Yankees in 2001, but he had just
nine major league at-bats. He also
played nine games in the NFL,
including two for the Detroit Lions
last year.
Richard left the football team
after two seasons to join the Mich-
igan baseball team as a pitcher.
After one successful season, the
Chicago White Sox drafted him in
the eighth round of the 2005 draft.
He played in last year's All-Star
Futures Game and could be in the
White Sox's rotation this season.
Records on Stacy Johnson and
Paul D. Palmer aren't very clear,
but it appears each played just two
years - Johnson from 1976 to 1977
and Palmer from 1958 to 1959.
Gary Lee also played just two
years for Michigan (1978-79). A
year ago, his contract to be head
coach at Flint Southwestern High
School wasn't renewed. It recently
become public that heused two
players who were released from
their prison sentences to attend
school and play football.
Matt Gutierrez's situation might
be the most relevant to Threet's.
Gutierrez appeared to be the
heir apparent to the starting job
in 2004, but a shoulder injury
allowed a freshman named Chad
Henne to start.
Gutierrez was the Wolverines'
holder for a year before transferring
to Idaho State, where he threw for
2,237 yards and 16 touchdowns in
his final season of eligibility. He's
now the third-string quarterback
for the New England Patriots.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Threet
has some NFL potential because
of his size and arm strength. But
it's nearly impossible to predict
whether he'll make it.
As these eight players show, a
quarterback who has Michigan
experience doesn't always make
his mark elsewhere. Threet's 200
passes last year were more than
the other eight ever attempted in a
season, but nobody knows what's
in store for Threet.
But it's clear Threet's past is
impressive, even if he didn't put up
electrifyingnumbers. His attitude
speaks much louder.
When the season was still full of
promise, Sheridan flicked an eight-
yard touchdown pass to freshman
Michael Shaw to give the Wolver-
ines a 7-0 lead over Utah in the
season-opener.
Nobody was more excited than
Threet. He greeted Sheridan
on the sidelines with his arms
stretched wide and hugged the
man who had just taken the job he
wanted so badly.
Whatever happens from here,
credit Threet for handling a dif-
ficult season with class.
- Feldman wants to know
what happened with Johnson
and Palmer. He can be reached
at danfeldumich.edu.
Sophomore records
two assists during first
game in month
By CHRIS MESZAROS
Daily Sports Writer
Earlier this season, Michigan
hockey coach Red Berenson would
have been happy with just three
healthy defensive parings.
But now some of his players
would be happy with a little more
time on the ice.
In a role rever-
sal from earlier NOTEBOOK
this year, when
the fourth-ranked Wolverines had
three injured players on the blue
line, Michigan players are now bat-
tling it out on the ice and in practice
for a spot on one of those pairings.
And no one knows that more then
sophomore Scooter Vaughan.
In last weekend's series against
Nebraska-Omaha, it was a relief for
Vaughan to get back some playing
time. The last time Vaughan saw
game action was in Michigan's 3-0
loss to Bowling Green a month ago.
Both Berenson and Vaughan saw
things they liked on the ice, but also
saw plenty ofrust in Vaughan's game
that has to be cleaned if he wants to
keep his playing time.
"He showed that he hadn't played
in awhile," Berenson said.
And though he made mistakes in
both games, Vaughan contributed
at a time when his team needed it
most.
With Michigan leading 4-3 Fri-
day night, Vaughan helped spark
a four-goal third period by adding
two assists in less than 30 seconds.
"It's just nice to get back out there
and contribute," Vaughan said.
"That's what I came to school to do,
is to get on the ice and play hockey."
After the losses of senior captain
Mark Mitera, junior Steve Kampfer
and freshman Brandon Burlon at the
blue line earlier this season, plenty of
spots were open on defense. But with
Burlon and Kampfer both return-
ing and the possible return of Mit-
era within a few weeks, open spots
became limited on the active roster.
Vaughan and the rest of the defen-
seman realize this, which helps cre-
ate healthy competition between
the blueliners. They know that they
must make the most of playing time
or else they might not see it again for
the rest of the season.
That's why Vaughan knows what
he needs to do to stay on the ice.
"Keep working and keep per-
forming when I get the opportunity
to play," Vaughan said. "It starts in
practice, so I work hard there and
work hard in the weight room. Then
when it becomes Friday and Satur-
day night, just show why I should be
out there."
FINALLY POWERFUL PLAY: If
there's one facet that mirrors the
Wolverines' season exactly, it's on
the man advantage.
Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's
nonexistent and sometimes it's hit
or miss.
After going scoreless on its last 12
power plays coming into last week-
end, Michigan excelled against the
Mavericks.
The Wolverines scored on five of
its 10 power-play chances, four on
Friday night and one on Saturday.
"The only thing I liked about the
game wastthe power play," Berenson
said. "We got some offense going."
PALUSHAJ'S BIG NIGHT: When
a team scores eight goals in one
game, that's something special. And
it's even more so when one player is
involved in five of the tallies.
Sophomore forward Aaron
Palushaj assisted on four goals and
scored one Friday. He set a career
high in single-game points and
assists.
"It is probably just the puck
bouncing my way," Palushaj said.
"I got a goal though, which is nice,
but I wasn't really doing too much.
I was just moving the puck and we
were bearing hard."
Palushaj's lone goal came off a
deflection of a shot by sophomore
Carl Hagelin for the Wolverines'
sixth goal of the night. Three of his
helpers came on the power play.
MITERA UPDATE: Yesterday,
senior Mark Mitera participated in
his first full-contact practice since
sustaining a knee injury in the first
weekend of the season. Check out
http://thegarne.blogs.michigandaily.
com for more information on Mit-
era's recovery.
Blue back in conference title race
As the final buzzer sound-
ed, the Michigan men's
basketball team walked
off Northwestern's Welsh Ryan
Arena floor with a much-needed
70-67 win in its third overtime
game of the
season.
But what
would have
happened if
Michigan lost r
Sunday in
.Evanston?
If the Wol- RUTH
verines had LINCOLN
dropped their _
eighth game in 10 tries and fallen
to 5-8 in the Big Ten?
If they let another winnable
road game slip by?
If Michigan's top scorers
couldn't put up their characteris-
tic numbers?
"Forget about all those tour-
naments everyone talks about,"
Michigan coach John Beilein
said at his weekly radio show last
night. "You've got to get some
momentum going. It's the bounce
of a ball that can change your
whole season."
Or the power of one drive to
the basket:
Sophomore forward Manny
Harris showcased his slashing
ability and exploded with 25
points in the second half and
overtime.
Or the stroke of a smooth
jumpshot:
Redshirt freshman Laval
Lucas-Perry scored in double
figures for the first time in more
than a month.
Or a team on the road having
just enough poise to eke out a
win:
The Wolverines cane back
from an opposing team's venue
with the sweet taste of victory
for just the second time this sea-
son.
Instead of seeing its NCAA
Tournament hopes slip fur-
ther away, Michigan got the
confidence boost it desperately
needed.
"We're happy to get it," said
fifth-year senior guard C.J. Lee,
who played a team-high 40 min-
utes Sunday. "Now it's on to our
next game. ... It's the first one of a
few that we have to get."
Beilein has made it very clear
he doesn't want to talk about
the NCAA Tournament, instead
stressing day-to-day and long-
term improvement.
But now it's Feb. 17, and con-
ference standings across the
nation have started to take shape.
Well, unless you play in the Big
Ten.
With Sunday's win, Michigan
threw itself right back into the
conference race.
Have you noticed the Big Ten
standings after this weekend?
Well, here's a recap. Michigan
State is good. Really good. Unless
the norovirus sweeps through
the Breslin Center as quickly as it
did the Ross School of Business,
the Spartans will undoubtedly
win their first outright regular-
season conference crown since
2001.
Illinois and Purdue are in good
shape to finish strong, too.
The rest of the pack?
It's a logjam in the middle.
Fourth through eighth place -
Ohio State, Minnesota, Penn
State, Wisconsin and Michigan
- are within 1.5 games of each
other.
And with five regular-season
games left, it's anyone's at-large
bid to lose.
If you've watched Selection
Sunday the last few years and
have been drastically disap-
pointed with the Big Ten's four-
or five-bid showings in the NCAA
Tournament, this March might
be a pleasant surprise.
The Big Ten has the nation's
second-highest RPI, behind the
Atlantic Coast Conference. That's
right. The lowly Big Ten has a
higher RPI than the Big East and
could get six or seven bids in the
NCAA Tournament.
"The Big Ten will get every
team that it deserves in it," Bei-
lein said. "We did our work out
of conference. We will get credit.
Don't worry about all the guys
that think the ACC is the only
league you can go to or the big,
bad Big East. If you listen to the
commentators, there are 105
teams that will get in it."
Well, only 65 teams actually
make the Big Dance. And after
Sunday's win, Michigan regained
the confidence and positioning to
compete for one of those spots.
- Lincoln is thankful she's an
LSA student and never caught
the norovirus. She can be reached
at lincolnr@umich.edu.
The Michigan
baseball team hosted
its annual "Meet
the Wolverines" fan
night last night. For an article
and a multimedia video about
the event, visit The Michigan
Daily's website:
http://www.michigandaily.com.
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