pa
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, March 16, 2009
michigandaily.com
'M' dancing for first time since'98
No. 10 seed Michigan
to play No. 7 seed
Clemson in first
round Thursday
By ALEX PROSPERI
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan faithful waited
more than 4,000 days and watched
more than 300, games in prepara-
tion for a day like Sunday.
And judging by the turnout at
Crisler Arena, it was worth the
wait.
For the first time since 1998, the
Michigan men's basketball team'
has. earned an NCAA Tournament
bid. CBS announced Sunday night
that No. 10 seed Michigan would
face No. 7 seed Clemson in the
South Regional in Kansas City on
Thursday at 7:10 p.m.
If the Wolverines win, they will
face the winner of No. 2 seed Okla-
homa and No.15 seed Morgan State.
"I knew that the country wants to
see the block 'M' back at the dance,"
MichiganAthleticDirectorBill Mar-
tin said. "I think it's a real defining
moment for our program this year,
It's just upward going forward."
The Wolverines (20-13) have
played their best basketball this
season with their backs against the
wall. Michigan was the 61st team to
have its name called Sunday, which
put the team through the grinder
yet again.
"It was very appropriate because
that kind of sums up our season,"
fifth-year senior C.J. Lee said.
"We've been right there, back and
forth all year."
When studio host Greg Gumbel
finally said 'Michigan' on the CBS
telecast, it was to the tune of hun-
dreds of screaming fans who filled
the lower bowl on the east side
of Crisler Arena. Michigan coach
John Beilein addressed the crowd
after the show.
"I don't even know because of
all the excitement, where are we
going?" Beilein asked.
Michigan waited more than a half
hour to hear its name called - not
an easy task for players or coaches.
"I was so nervous," fifth-year
senior co-captain David Merritt
said. "My stomach was turning
over just to think that there was a
chance we wouldn't make it. Luck-
ily and thank God that our name
came up as a10 (seed)."
Added Lee: "Of course I was ner-
vous. When you're seeing all those
spots beingtaken by teams that kind
of are similar to yourself, we were
just playingthe waiting game."
Assistant coach Mike Jackson
See TOURNAMENT, Page 3A
WILL MOLtLER/Daily
Michigan players and fans celebrate in Crisler Arena last night moments after they found out they made the NCAA Tournament.
CAMPUS REMEMBERS
ackbone At'U,' Davidson
understand what the endow-
ment is, what it's comprised of,
how it functions, who manages
itnnr m fall how ' . it 5,,,,
Pistons owner,
University alum
passed away at the
age of 86 on Friday
By VERONICA MENALDI
Daily StaffReporter
Bill - Davidson, Detroit Pistons
owner and Ross School of Business
alum, passed away last Friday at the
age of86.
Davidson died at his Bloomfield
Hills home, and
although the
cause of death is1
still unknown,
Davidson's
health had been
poor for the last
few years.
The funeral DAVIDSON
will be held at
Congregation .
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Mich.
Tuesday at noon.
University President Mary Sue
Coleman wrote in an e-mail state-
ment Saturday that Davidson will be
greatly missed here at the University.
"It was always a pleasure to spend
time with him, and my thoughts are
with Karen and their family," Cole-
man wrote in the e-mail to The
Michigan Daily. "We will miss him,
and we will honor his legacy as a
dedicated and successful alumnus."
As part of his legacy at the Uni-
versity, Davidson created the Wil-
liam Davidson Institute in 1992 at
the Ross School of Business. 'The
institute, according to its web-
site, is a "non-profit, independent,
research and educational institute
dedicated to developing and dis-
seminating expertise on issues
affecting firms in transition and
emerging market economies."
WDI Executive Director Robert
Kennedy, who worked with David-
son over the past six years, wrote
in an e-mail to The Michigan Daily
Saturday that Davidson loved to
help however he could, and was
truly a great man.
"Bill Davidson was a business
visionary, a great philanthropist
and a dedicated family man," he
wrote. "He was incredibly generous
to the University of Michigan.
"One of the nice things was that
it was never about him. Bill always
encouraged us to aim high and to
accomplish great things," he wrote.
"The thing he said most often was,
'How canI help?'"
See DAVIDSON, Page 3A
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
MSA presidential
candidates to square
off in debate tonight
Former MSA
president Prof. Scott
Page will moderate
By JENNA SKOLLER
Daily StaffReporter
In the midst of one of the most
competitive Michigan - Student
Assembly election races in recent
.history, the presidential and vice
presidential candidates from each
party will engage in a debate at
7:30 tomorrow night in the Palmer
Commons Auditorium.
All three parties in the election
- the Defend Affirmative Action
Party, the Michigan Vision Party
and the reMichigan Campaign -
will take part in the debate, which
WOLV-TV will broadcast on chan-
nel 55 and stream to its website.
Vice presidential candidates will
field questions from.Political Sci-
ence Prof. Scott Page, who was MSA
president from 1984-1985, until 8
p.m., at which point presidential
candidates will take the stage until
the close of the debate at 9 p.m.
Page said he thinks student lead-
ers offer a unique perspective on
improvingcampus-wide issues.
. "When I was a student, I was
convinced that students had some
of the bestideas for how to improve
the University," he said. "I still
think that's true."
Page will pose a series of questions
to the candidates, who will each
See DEBATE, Page 3A
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