a 8 - Friday, April 2, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Robinson talks defensive improvement in year two a Junior Chris Cameron is among the favorites to win the Big Ten AII-Around crown in Colombos this weekend atter finishing in second last year. Men's gymnastics headst BighTens to face tough foes By RYAN KARTJE Daily Sports Editor When Greg Robinson came to Michigan last season after his pre- vious job as head coach at Syra- cuse, he immediately became part of the upheaval that has come NOTEBOOK to characterize Rich Rodriguez's tenure as head coach. It was a season full of struggles on defense, and the Wolverines finished in the lower tier of every Big Ten statistical category. Dur- ing the second half of the sea- son, Robinson refused to speak with the media. His first meeting with reporters since then yester- day was abounds with questions about possible improvements on the defensive side of the ball. "I don't know that the outside world needs to be confident," Robinson said of his defense this upcoming season. "You might want to be, but you know what, you're not going to be confident until you go out there and see a group play well. I can sit here and say all this and say that, but I think that every year is differ- ent." And according to Robinson, the biggest issue was the Wolverines' serious lack of depth. "If you go back and look at all the things I said prior to the sea- son last spring and summer, I like to think that I told you the biggest concern I had was depth," Robin- son said. "And I said it to you all the time. And quite frankly, that's really what came to hurt us. We had inexperience. We had some issues with personnel. We just didn't have alot of depth." Despite the unit's troubles, Robinson specifically referred to losses at Iowa and Michigan State as examples of the defense's improvement. But even in those games - which were both lost in the clos- a Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson spoke with the media for the first time yesterday after last By MICHAEL LAURILA Daily Sports Writer Having tied with Illinois last year for the Big Ten Champion- ship, the No. 4 Michigan men's gymnastics team will be looking to claim the out- right crown BigTen Men's this upcom- ing weekend GyninastiCS in Columbus. Championships And its big- gest hurdle Matchup: Big will be the Ten conference third-ranked When: Tonight Fighting Illi- at 7 p.m. ni. During the Where: St. season, the John Arena Wolverines beat Illinois by a single point in a dual meet. "(Illinois) is goingto be right up there with us," junior Chris Cam- eron said. "There are no two teams that are easily as matched as us and Illinois in the entire country. They're going to be right with us and right with us at NCAA too, and it's up to us to beat them. We defi- nitely recognize them as a threat to our possible titles." Another hurdle, almost as dan- gerous as the Fighting Illini, will be No. 5 Ohio State. Michigan is coming off a 10.65- point trouncing of the Buckeyes in the final dual meet of the season. Last year, then-sophomore Thomas Kelley won the all-around competition, and Cameron fin- ished right behind him. And after senior Mel Santander's record- breaking performance against Ohio State, he is hoping to join Kelley and Cameron in the ranks of the all-around crown winners. "I feel that between Chris, Mel and I, if we have a solid per- formance on five events, then that's going to be pretty good for our team standings," Kelley said. "That's the number-one goal right now." Throughout the season, Michi- gan has had trouble putting together a complete performance. Before the team's March 20 matchup with Ohio State, when it had a season-best score, it usually had one or two sloppy events. But after that performance against the Buckeyes, Michigan coach Kurt Golder is seeing his team peak at the right time. "I think it's an accumulation of all the work we've been doing and it finally started to pay off," Golder said. "We've done a lot of intersquad meets following the same format that we'll compete in and that will help the guys to be familiar and know what to expect." Though it will probably be a very close competition, the Wolverines are looking to use their experience and their ability to remain calm to their advantage this weekend. "We're just going to be aggres- sive," Santander said. "Attack each event one step at a time. Last year around this time,tthe coaches reminded us of three things: be confident, be aggressive and also be relaxed while doing it. That definitely helped us last season so hopefully it will this season, too." In a tournament-style meet like Big Tens, each team begins at a specific rotation. Not only is the opening event important, but it also determines the event that the team will end on. And Michigan has had many meets this year in which they have closed very well, so they will hope to do that again this weekend. "It's the combination of the two because you definitely want to get off to a good start, but then the pressure is on at the end," Golder said. "Those are the two pressure points, the first event and the last event. You always try to end on an event that's either high scoring or you're comfortable with." After this weekend in Colum- bus, the Wolverines will have just two weeks before their final meet of the season - NCAAs, which take place in West Point, N.Y. "If we win, we'll be motivated to continue what we're doing," Kel- ley said. "If we lose, we'll be super pissed and even more motivated to avenge our loss. Ultimately, we're taking one meet at a time and los- ing isn't really an option. We're not going in there with that mindset." ing moments - inexperience and a shallow depth chart, according to Robinson, were the main rea- sons for defeat. With a full season under their belt though, defensive players are beginning to look more comfort- able in his system, which would presumably give the Wolverines more options at each position. "I think our guys are absorb- ing fine," Robinson said. "As the offense comes at us with another wrinkle here, another wrinkle there, it's testing us, which is good." FORMATIONS THEY ARE A CHANGIN': Last week, Rodriguez announced that the Wolverines will increasingly work out of a 3-3-5 set, with slight tweaks to Robinson's hybrid system from last season. But Robinson was quick to point out that the new defense was more of an adjustment than a change in philosophy. "I don't know that I've ever been in a defense where there wasn't areas altered each year to your personnel or to what the offensive world is doing," Robin- son said. "You have to do that. You tweak constantly, and you do it throughout the season." Scheme changes, especially those as slight as the team's recent implementations, are also nothing new to Robinson who referenced his time in the NFL to justify his idea of an ever-chang- ing defense. "There's very little that I haven't done in my past," Rob- inson said. "If you go back to the New York Jets, we ran a 3-3 scheme ... When I went to Den- ver, we were listed as a four-man front, but we used a hybrid ... I've coached for a while, and there's been alot of time for me to do a lot of things." STEVIE AND THE SECOND- ARY: One of the more important positions in Robinson's scheme has been the hybrid spinner posi- tion, which last year was filled by departing senior Stevie Brown. As one of the positions in Rob- inson's defense that requires the most athleticism, Brown will be hard to replace, especially with an inexperienced secondary. So far this spring, sophomore Floyd Simmons has been taking reps at the position, along with redshirt freshman Thomas Gor- don and junior Mike Williams. After a much-maligned season at safety last season, Robinson feels that Williams's athleticism is well suited to move to the spinner position. At the safety position - which is even less experienced with Wil- liams's departure - Robinson also said he was impressed with the development of safety Cam- eron Gordon who moved from the wide receiver position this offsea- son. WOMEN'S BASK ETBALL Foul issues doomed'M'inWNJT By ZAK PYZIK and ALEX HERMANN Daily Sports Writers Freshman guard Dayeesha Hollins scored eight points in the first half of the Michigan women's basketball team's 76-59 loss to Miami on Wednesday night. But during the 10 minutes before half- time, she rode the bench due to a pair of quick fouls. Along with Hollins on the pine sat the Wolverines' momentum with a towel over its shoulder. The 11-point lead Michigan enjoyed in the first six minutes of the WNIT final four match slowly evaporated every minute Hollins sat. And the Hurricanes had an opportunity to rally back and take a 37-33 lead into the half. "Dayeesha was playing huge in the beginning of that game," junior guard Veronica Hicks said. "She was doinga dynamite job out there. She had a few tough calls.... As a unit we have to learn to pick it up no matter what, and unfortu- nately we didn't." When Hollins did play, she had the hottest hands in the game. She led the Wolverines in points scored, though she played just 26 minutes. When so long in the firs pulled Michigan o "When Dayeest the game it hurt,"] Kevin Borseth sai lead. We didn't pl we wanted to play. came out that lea away." In the second was back on the hardwood and quickly regained her momentum. Sophomore forward Car- men Reynolds, Hicks and Hol- lins recorded seven points on three straight possessions. But then it ha senior center B recorded her for about three minut ond half, momenta again. This time it back. "Whenever sm around, she is1 gan coach Kevin. Hollins sat for Phillips. "Whenever there is a :t, it essentially rebound, she gets the rebound. ut of the game. I think when she was out, espe- ha came out of cially in the second half, they just Michigan coach outrebounded us. They had a lot I. "We had a big of rebounds." ay quite as well Michigan was out-rebounded As soon as Day 45-36 and Phillips watched from d kind of went the sidelines until there were just seven minutes remaining with half, Hollins Michigan trailing 58-51. Then, about a min- ute after she came in, Miami "m issing 6-foot- drained three 3-pointers in as 6 in the post, many posses- sions to essen- you can't really tially end the game. replace that." "Missing 6-foot-6 in the post, you can't really replace ppened. When that with anything but 6-foot-6 Krista Phillips and higher," Hicks said. "You need urth foul just that size in the post. When she's es into the sec- not in we are not as aggressive of um got benched putting it toward the block." That's when it was over. wasn't coming Because with 3:45 remaining in the game, Phillips committed her omebody gets fifth foul and was taken off of the there," Michi- court permanently. ' Borseth said of "She is just a bigger target," Hicks said. "You miss her on the rebounds and you miss her on the boards. She just got some pretty bad calls today, I just think its frustrating for her all around." Not only did Michigan have to sit two of its starters for a signifi- cant amount of time, but it also was forced to rely on others, most of whom aren't necessarily battle- tested this postseason. Suddenly freshmen Nya Jor- dan, Rachel Sheffer and sopho- more Courtney Boylan were thrusted out on the court without having seen much playing time in the WNIT aside from late minutes in the Wolverines' several blow- outs. The foul trouble didn't just force Borseth to substitute start- ers, but it was the first - and last - time Michigan dealt with foul trouble in its tournament run. The fouls disrupted the patterned offensive roster that Borseth had instituted the entire tournament. "I didn't think we had any chance unless we did it," Miami coach Katie Meier said regarding getting Phillips in foul trouble. "That was definitely part of our game plans ... we have to try to get her away from the basket." Blue prepares for Pitcher of the Year candidate _ By CAITLIN SMITH Daily Sports Writer Despite having already played 22 games, the Michigan baseball team is determined that its 2009-10 sea- son begins today. The Wolverines will travel to Bloomington, Ind., where Michigan at they will open their Big Ten Indiana season with a Matchup: weekend series Michigan 13-9, against Indi- Indiana 12-11 ana. Michigan When: Today (13-9) is look- at 3 p.m ing to extend its current sev- Where: John Mel- en-game win- encamp Pavilion ning streak Live Blog: michi- and take home gandaily.com its first Big Ten wins of the year. "Getting back into conference play, all the teams step it up and it's really good baseball," senior pitcher Eric Katzman said following Tues- day's game against Eastern Michi- gan. "I want to see how our team will compete - the most hostile atmosphere you are going to find is within the conference." Like most sports in the Big Ten, baseball is wide open for teams to reach the top. The Wolverines are currently ranked third in the con- ference according to their overall record, following Michigan State and Ohio State. But that is all apt to change after a competitive Big Ten opening weekend. Michigan began its play at Ray Fisher Stadium just a week ago, eas- ily sweeping its three-game series against Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. On Tuesday, Eastern Michigan gave the Wolver- ines a greater challenge, as they bat- ted back into the game from a 7-2 deficit. But Michigan maintained a one-run advantage, and senior out- fielder Mike Kittle made a big base hit in the bottom of the seventh to get the winning tally on the score- board. For the Wolverines to claim the series this weekend at Sembower Field, as with all their conference games, they'll need to overcome the inconsistency at the mound and the plate that has been plaguing the team for most of the season. "We're just going to have to battle and claw like the rest of the teams in the Big Ten to find a way to get it done," Michigan coach Rich Malo- ney said. "It's just a matter of (the team) executing a littler bit better." Although the Hoosiers are in fifth place with a 12-11 record, they will still prove to be a tough series for Michigan, with their main threat being sophomore left-handed pitcher Drew Leininger. Leininger was recently named to the College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year Watch List and he has established himself as one of the most improved college baseball players this season. Leini- nger boasts a 0.79 ERA, a 3-0 record and 26 consecutive scoreless innings. "They know that they're facing [Leininger]," Maloney said. "But he's not a big, overpowering type of pitcher. But aleft-hander who mixes up his stuff and hides the ball can be difficult, so we're going to be in for a dogfight." Michigan will be utilizing its ace pitcher, Alan Oaks, to return the pressure on Indiana. If Oaks can control the mound and Wolverine batters produce at the plate, then the team should be able to subdue Leininger's golden arm. "Every year, Michigan's expecta- tion is to win," Katzman said. "We don't think there is a team better than us. So, if we play our game, no matter how good anybody else plays, I think we are going to finish on top. We should." 9