I* The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, March 18, 2011- 7
* The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, March 18, 2011 - 7
With Caporusso back, Blue
looks for back-to-back titles
By CASANDRA PAGNI
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan hockey team
may have swept Western Michi-
gan in its only series meeting this
season, but that doesn't mean it
was easy.
When the 12th-ranked Broncos
invaded Yost Ice Arena a month
ago, the Wolver-
ines had to claw
their way back Michigan
in Saturday's vs Western
game. It was
senior forward Michigan
Carl Hagelin Matchup:
who won the Michigan
series finale for 25-9-4; West-
No. 5 Michigan ern Michigan
on senior night1
- scoring the When: Fri-
game-tyinggoal day 8 P.M.
with 40 seconds Where: Joe
left in regula- Louis Arena
tion before win- TV/Radio:
ning the game FSN Detroit
with just 2.9
seconds left in
overtime.
"I don't think there's a big dif-
ference between the teams,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson
said. "When we played them here
on Friday night (Feb. 18), we got
the jump start. The puck went in
for us. But really, the game of the
weekend was the Saturday game,
when they came out and really
pushed back. They had that game
in the bag until the last minute ...
They'll be good. We just played
them. We know them and they
know us."
And after sweeping the Broncos
in mid-February, it was Western
Michigan who helped the Wol-
verines (20-7-1-0 CCHA, 25-9-4
overall) secure their 11th regular
season CCHA title by defeating
then-leader Notre Dame in the
final game of the season.
When these two squads meet at
Joe Louis Arena in the later game
of the CCHA Tournament semi-
finals Friday night, there will be
more than a trip to the conference
championship game on the line.
While the Wolverines are play-
ing in their 22nd consecutive
CCHA semifinal game, the Bron-
cos haven't won a semifinal game
since 1986. Michigan is fighting
for the last No.lseed in the NCAA
Tournament. Western Michigan
is hoping to secure its own NCAA
Tournament bid with a win. And
the Broncos are one of the last
three teams in the NCAA Tourna-
ment, according to USCHO.com's
latest bracketology predictions.
"They're a quick, sneaky team
- I don't know how to describe
them any other way," senior
forward Louie Caporusso said.
"They're a much different team
than the ones we've played in the
last three years. We're definitely
not taking them lightly."
The good news for the Wolver-
ines is that Caporusso, who has 18
points in 18 games in his career at
Joe Louis Arena, is back from a
lower-body injury that kept him
outofthe final game of the regular
season and in last weekend's series
against Bowling Green. Capo-
russo is playing with Hagelin and
sophomore forward Chris Brown
- a line that was red-hot, prior
to Caporusso's injury. Though
Caporusso will return this week-
end, Michigan will be without its
second-leading scorer. Junior for-
ward David Wohlberg sustained a
season-ending collarbone injury
against Bowling Green last Friday.
And while the Wolyerines have
had to deal with injuries of late,
the Broncos (10-9-9-5, 18-11-10)
will see the return of freshman
forward Shane Berschbach, who
was third on the team in points
before suffering a knee injury.
"I don't know if there is any
advantage to anyone," Berenson
said. "They've got one of their best
forwards (Berschbach), he's one
of their top scorers. But he didn't
play that weekend. And he's back
now. Now we're without Wally, so
they're a in a little better health
than we are. It's a big game at the
Joe, and we've got tobe ready for
it, no matter who we play."
The Wolverines completed
their sweep of Bowling Green
relatively easily - defeating the
Falcons 5-1 on Friday and 4-1 on
Saturday - while Western Michi-
gan battled to win two-of-three
from Ferris State.
But the mentality for both
teams switches this weekend,
as the best-of-three quarterfinal
series' are behind them and they
turn up the intensity in a winner-
moves-on semifinal matchup.
Notre Dame and Miami will
play in the earlier semifinal
tonight, with the winner advanc-
ing to the championship and the
other to meet the loser of Michi-
gan/Western Michigan on Satur-
day afternoon.
This will be the Wolverines'
fourth game at the Joe this sea-
son, but it willbe the Broncos first.
Skating under two banners adorn-
ing its name - the CCHA champi-
onship banner from last year and
the Great Lakes invitational ban-
ner from this season - Michigan
hopes its familiarity and success
in downtown Detroit will be an
advantage.
"We like playing there, we can
play there," Berenson said. "We've
had success there. But in the
meantime, it still comes down to
onegameand havingagoodgame.
You know you're going to play two
games down there and you know
you're going to play Notre Dame
or Miami no matter what. We've
got to elevate our game."
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl is under criticism after misleading investigators about a recruiting barbeque he hosted.
M es on Tennessee,
Pearl fces uncertainty
By ZAK PYZIK
Daily Sports Editor
Tennessee men's basketball
coach Bruce Pearl isn't just play-
ing what may be his last game
this season
against Mich- Michigan VS
igan.
Recently, Tennessee
Tennes- Matchup:
see athletic Michigan
director Mike 20-13; Ten-
Hamilton has nessee 19-14
commented When: Friday
that he still 12:40 P.M.
doesn't know TV/Radio:
if Pearl will TruTV
be returning
this season.
This may be his last game as the
Volunteers' head coach. Pearl's
position is currently under
review after having recruits
over to his house for a barbecue
and then misleading investiga-
tors on who was involved.
The Wolverines (20-13 over-
all, 9-9 Big Ten) won the most
recent matchup the two teams
had, 87-52 on Dec. 2 1985. But
nobody who will take the court
this Friday when these two
teams rematch would have been
born yet and Pearl's distractions
didn't exist then.
With Michigan trailingbehind
the Volunteers with an all-time
4-5 record, the Wolverines will
get a chance on Friday to advance
out of the first round of the
NCAA Tournament for the sec-
ond time since Michigan coach
John Beilein took the helm.
Michigan has been playing
arguably as hot as any other
team in the country. After start-
ing the Big Ten season 1-6, the
Wolverines won nine of their
last 13 games to propel them into
the Tournament as an eighth
seed.
On the other hand, Tennes-
see (19-14, 8-8 SEC) has slowed
down. The Volunteers have lost
seven o
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of their last 11 games and Jordan Morgan is six-foot-eight.
ming off of an 85-74 blow- But this does give Tennessee the
s to Florida. rebounding advantage, which it
only thing the two teams is known to take advantage of.
y do share in common "Rebounding is a big part of
r early-season matchups their game," Beilein said. "Much
Oakland, who won the like Michigan State and Ohio
it league and was awarded State, (Jared) Sullinger is a won-
omatic bid to the tourna- derful rebounder. It's difficult
Tennessee was upset by to strategize against that other
;an's neighbors, 89-82 in than we'll put that bubble up on
ille, Tenn. Four days later, the rim today so no shot can go
id visited Ann Arbor and in and we'll box out and box out
elivered a ruthless 69-51 and box out."
the Wolverines. Michigan can certainly take
higan will travel to Char- advantage of Tennessee's unfa-
NC, essentially a bus trip miliarity with a four-guard
nnessee. The Volunteers offense - the type of offense
ipset 49-48 by Charlotte Beilein runs if he doesn't have
c. 17 this season, the last five guards playing.
iey played there. Recently, the Wolverines have
been winning games solely
because of their 3-point suc-
cess. With 43 percent of its
"They're shots being 3-pointers, Michi-
f gan has shot 39 percent from
own for their 3-point land in conference play
- a lethal threat to a team like
length and the Volunteers, who shoot just
29 percent from long range.
abounding). "Our 3-pointer is on," Mor-
gan said. "When our guards are
hitting their shots that's when
our team's at its best. They are
hat game, Charlotte hit known for their length and out-
pointers and went 12-for- rebounded their opponents. We
the charity stripe to gar- are just ready to hit our shots and
upset win. Despite being do what we can on the glass."
ounded 41-36, Charlotte Another advantage the Wol-
l1 able to take the game to verines have is at point guard.
al possession. Michigan's Sophomore Darius Morris will
with the Volunteers may have a noticeable size advan-
lar. tage against counterpart Mel-
nessee coach Bruce Pearl vin Goins. Goins - five inches
s scouting team taking a shorter - will have his hands
hots from the perimeter full if Tennessee does shut
eek in practice. The Vol- down Michigan's shot like Pearl
s - just like anybody else intends, and if they do, Morris is
- is expecting the Wol- the next likely option.
to take advantage of its "I'm getting better in the
nd from 3-point range. post," Morris said. "I always
Wolverines are the only practice my big man moves. I
ennessee willhave played can sometimes use that to my
ar which starts four play- advantage. In some games this
der six-foot-five - center year I have."
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Michiganensian
YEARBOOK
O Sophomore guard Darius Morris will look to e xploit his size advantage over Tennessee's guards on Friday.