The Michigan Daily ( michigandaily.com : March 16, 2009
"It's just upward going forw
Beilein has made'M a*
" Tournament contender
This bid was
for the fans, too
By RUTH LINCOLN
Daily Sports Editor
John Beilein jumped out of his large leather chair,
embraced his wife and children to his right and ran on
to his jubilant players.
The man who had just been hiding his inevitable
nerves, sitting calmly, with his legs crossed and left
hand sitting reassuringly on the back of redshirt fresh-
man Laval Lucas-Perry's chair, was ecstatic.
With hundreds of screaming fans in Crisler Arena,
Michigan men's basketball coach had just led his team
to sometbing huge - its first NCAA Tournament berth
since 1998.
When Beilein first met wiih his players in April 2007,
he brought theNCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rings he
earned at West Virginia to share. As each player slid the
rings on and off, Beilein's message was clear:
"We're going to put these on as soon as we can,"
Beilein said through the Athletic Department in 2007.
"NCAA rings, we're going to go. after it as soon as we
can. There's no timetable. Just do your .best, and our
coaching staff and everyone will do the best they can,
as well."
That was 534 days ago. It has been 11 years since
Michigan's last Tournament appearance. On Thursday
at 7:10 p.m., that will change.
Yesterday, Michigan became a legitimate Tourna-
ment team. And Beilein deserves a lot of the credit.
HE'5.BEEN EVERYWHERE
Thirty. years of head coaching experience speaks
pretty loudly, and 26 winning seasons is even clearer.
Never as an assistant, Beilein has learned how to
win as a head coach at all levels - community college,
NCAA Division II, and for the last 17 years, Division-I.
In April 2007, after six seasons under former-Michi-
gan coach Tommy Amaker and no NCAA Tournament
bids, Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin brought in
someone with a winner's resume.
.Known as a true teacher, Beilein directed his pro-
grams to greatness with a quirky offensive system
and an ability to make seemingly average players into
household names.
"John Beilein can win at whatever level you put him
at and still maintain the integrity of the institution and
the integrity of his program," said John.Maddock, an
associate athletic director at Canisius who served on
the Canisius search committee that helped hire Beilein.
See BEILEIN, Page 4B
T he numbers didn't matter anymore.
. Eight seed, 10 seed, 12 seed, 16 seed - no
one cared as hundreds of fans nervously.
stared at the Crisler Arena Jumbotron and waited for
the announcement'that was 11 years in the making.
With each successive bubble
team called --Arizona, Minne-
sota, Southern California, Mary-
land - the drama built up, doubt
growing in every mind. Fifth-
year-senior guard C.J. Lee sat in
a plush chair, hands held-in front
of his face as if he were praying.
Michigan coach John Beilein
slumped in his seat, scowling and ANDY
shaking his head for every brack- REID
et that didn't feature Michigan's
name. Fans rubbed their temples
and booed other selections.
The Midwest, the West and the East brackets
were called first. The tense murmurs and "what ifs"
started to buzz throughthe crowd.
Then it happened.
The Michigan men's basketball team was extend-
ed an invitation to participate in the NCAA Tourna-
ment.
It was great for the players, who celebrated as if it
had just made the Big Dance for the first time in more
than a decade - oh, wait - bt yesterday was about
more than the players and coaches.
It's about the eight fans who have.frequently
painted themselves to spell out "MICHIGAN,"-even
during the 10-22 debacle last.year.
It's about senior Vince Coughlin, Super Fan and
head of the Maize Rage club, who probably hasn't
missed a home tennis match in his four years inAnn
Arbor, let alone a basketball game.
It's about William Austin, a CrislerArena usher
for 26 years, who can't remember too many moments
as.special as this one. He'd be going to Kansas City if
he didn't have to fulfill his professional obligations at
the Michigan baseball games this weekend.
It's about cheerleaders and band members and
season ticket holders. Team managers, marketing.
representatives, alumni who watch every game from
their couches, and ex-team members who played
through four years of Tournament-less seasons.
It's simply about everyone who has a vested inter-
est in this team. It was a long time coming.
See REID, Page 4B
The future looks much brighter for Blue
iCE Ho CKEY'
D' is ketoMichigan's
The shift in attitude was
palpable. '
After last year's first spring
football practice, Michigan coach
Rich Rodri-
guez walked
into his post-'
practice press
conference
almost an hour
late . because
the team had to
repeat so many
drills. He was
tired, sarcastic COURTNEY
and exasper- RATKOWIAK.
ated. ' Almost - -
every question
revolved around how he was in
charge of a team that was saddled
with controversial attrition and
players that weren't suited to his.
offensive scheme
"I'm having a hard enough
time sleeping now at night," said
Rodriguez on'Mar. 15, 2008 when
asked about all the offensive start-
ers Michigan lost in the offsea-
son. "You want me to think about'
that?"
Last year was about picking up
the .pieces from the post-Lloyd L
Carr exodus and. trying to stitch
them together the best way possi-
ble under a completely new brand
of football. From the start of spring
practice, the season was a mis-
matthed mess - from the spring
game at Saline High School that
was closed to the public to then-ju-
nior left guard Justin Boren trans-
ferring to Ohio'State after §tating
that "family values have eroded".
under Rodriguez.
Last year, it was easy to believe
Michigan football as we knew it
was gone.
But this year's the one to judge.
The stadium and the team are
still under construction, but it was'
obvious even after the team's first'
spring practice Saturday that this
See RATKOWIAK, Page 3sAh aD ALSALAH/Dail
See ATKOIAK Pag 3BEarly enrollee Tate Forcier practices during the first half hour of Saturday's practice.
When the first period wound
down to its final minute on Satur-
day night, the Yost Ice Arena faith-
furgave one of the most enthusiastic
"How much
time is left?"
chants of the
season, follow-
ing it up with
a 10-second
countdown to
end the frame
- all for the
big zero on the MICHAEL
shot-on-goal . EISENSTEIN.
counter.
The Wol-
verines already had a commanding
two=goal lead in the CCHA Tour-
nament quarterfinals. Western
Michigan hadn't managed to even
remotely threaten Michigan goalie
Bryan Hogan. The Broncos even
went on a power play with three
minutes remaining. It didn't mat-
ter.
Shots on goal for 'the period:
Michigan 21, Western Michigan 0.
It was as dominant a defensive per-
formance as the Wolverines have
had all year.
"I've never seen a goose egg after
one period," senior forward Miller
said.
And Michigan coach Red Beren-
son didn't remember the last time
the Wolverines'-defense has accom-
plished such a feat.
The defense - the one -unit of
a hockey team you usually never
notice unless it's bad - was the cen-
ter of attention:
And deservedlyso. The blueliners
have played very well in the team's
second-half run from seventh place
See EISENSTEIN, Page 4B
HARRIS ON THE RUN OFILI: NCAA CHAMP
U Senior Adam Harris placed fourth in the -1U Senior Tiffany Ofili took home her second
etiS e100-meter dash at this weekend's indoor ' straight national championship in the 60-me
national championships. Page 2B. terhurdle race. Page 3B.
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