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8A - Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Despite late slide, next season is
looking bright for Blue
Asat watched the Mihigan
women's basketball team
throw its season away last
Thursday, the irony of the situ-
ation began to creep up on me.
The Wolverines were losing to
an undersized
team from EVERETT
Ypsilanti who COOK
were wearing
green jerseys onskeon
and playing b
some of its
best basketball of the season - on
Saint Patrick's Day. In my mind,
Michigan was not losing to East-
ern Michigan, but to the Luck of
the Irish.
How else could someone
explain what was happening?
As one of the lastteams to miss
the NCAA Tournament, the Wol-
verines were expected to contend
for the WNIT title. The players
seemed to be focused and ready
to go that week in practice, talk-
ing about hangingthe first wom-
en's basketball banner in program
history up in Crisler Arena.
But somehow, some way, I
found myself listening to senior
guard Veronica Hicks after the
game as she described her last
game wearingthe maize and
blue. In a season full of surprises,
this had to be the biggest one.
Michigan started off the sea-
son predicted by no one to finish
in the top three of the Big Ten,
yet it finished third for the first
time since 2001. At one point, the
Wolverines beat three-straight
ranked opponents, which includ-
ed their 2-0 start in conference
play. Perhaps most importantly,
they swept that team down south
for the first time in program his-
tory.
But with the highs came the
lows. Michigan lost to Detroit
Mercy early in the season, and to
Big Ten bottom feeder Minne-
sota twice. The Wolverines' slide
toward the end of the season,
though, is what ended up costing
them a spot in the NCAA Tourna-
ment. In the Big Ten Tournament,
Michigan received a first-round
bye for the first time since 2001,
yet lost to last place Illinois in its
first game of the tournament.
That loss pretty much sealed
the Wolverines' fate, putting
them on the outside looking in
on the NCAA Tournament. The
WNIT would have to be enough,
as Michigan would extend its
10-year absence from the Big
Dance.
Thanks to the Eagles, though,
Michigan's season is officially
caput. The season ended before it
should have, but I, the usual pes-
simist, am not worried. At all.
TODD NEEDLE/Daily
Junior forward Carmen Reynolds will fill a leadrship void left by current senior Veronica Hicks next season.
Michigan graduates only one
senior - Hicks. Granted, that one
senior is a huge one to lose, con-
sidering Hicks is one of just five
Wolverines in program history
with 1,000 points, 200 assists
and 150 steals. Perhaps more
importantly, Hicks was the team's
unquestioned leader and the emo-
tional backbone - every single
player leaned on her for support,
on and off the court.
After Hicks' last game in
Crisler, her post game speech
moved many people to tears,
including her teammates.
"Ronni" leaves the program
having never made an NCAA
Tournament, but the team she
left behind has a great chance to
do so.
Consider how much the Wol-
verines improved this year, even
with their incredible youth.
Then consider how much better
all of those players will be after
another six months of offseason
basketball.
Michigan will return a tal-
ented nucleus of young players
who can only go up from here.
Juniors Courtney Boylan and
Carmen Reynolds will step into
the leadership role that Hicks left
behind, as at one point or another
this season they each carried the
team.
Reynolds was inconsistent
throughout the season, but she
is still atop Michigan's all-time
3-point percentage chart at
43-percent in her career. Boylan
lit a fire under the Wolverines
midway through the season in her
first career start, showing flashes
of brilliance as starting point
guard.
Sophomore guard Jenny Ryan
has the potential to be the Wol-
verines' best all-around player
and even earn All-Big Ten honors
- her only weakness is a sporadic
jump shot. Sophomore guard Nya
Jordan will finally be healthy, and
she will step into to the slasher
role the Wolverines so desperate-
ly needed late in the season when
Jordan missed due to injury.
And 6-foot-4 sophomore guard
Kate Thompson used her height
and wicked jump shot to create
serious mismatches from the
perimeter.
Sophomore center Rachel Shef-
fer developed into a legitimate
offensive threat late in the sea-
son, as she ended up as the Wol-
verines' second-leading scorer.
Sophomore forward Sam Arnold
will most likely remain the Wol-
verines' post player off the bench,
as she can score in bunches from
both the center and forward posi-
tions.
Redshirt freshman Kendra
Seto will also geta chance to play,
as she sat out this year due to
NCAA transfer rules. Seto aver-
aged 10 points per game in her
freshman year at Vermont and
was named one of the Top-20
high school basketball players in
Canada her senior year of high
school.
All of the inexperience, dearth
of height, and poor pre-season
expectations were tied together
by the mad man at the helm -
coach Kevin Borseth. He took
a supremely youngteam and
led Michigan to its first win-
ning record in the Big Ten in 10
years. He might be angry on the
sidelines and seem crazy to the
outsiders, but his players love him
and he knows how to getthe best
out of them.
Obviously, most of this is spec-
ulation, but something tells me
this team is headed in the right
direction.
Nothing confirmed this more
than the courts of the CCRB on
Monday night.
Among the regulars were six
Wolverines, practicing for next
years' campaign less than a week
after their season ended. It was
9:00 p.m. ona weeknight and the
young Michigan players wanted
nothing more than to dominate a
game of pick-up basketball.
Michigan will miss Hicks,
without a doubt, but the team she
left behind has the potential to go
far. Remember, this is a program
that has made it out of the first
round of the NCAA Tournament
just twice. Ever. There have not
been alot of great teams in this
program, but the future is bright
in Crisler.
As long as the Wolverines
don't run into any Saint Patrick's
Day leprechauns, the outlook,
for once, is optimistic.
Blue emerges from
tough road with new
identity, confidence
T he games, really, meant found the starters he has been
next to nothing. searching for all season. Before
With the Michigan the series, the Wolverines had
baseball team's subpar record only experienced two quality
(6-12), last starts all year. This weekend, all
weekend's ZACH three starters - redshirt sopho-
three HELFAND more right-hander Tyler Mills,
victories Brosnahan and sophomore right-
over Alma, On baseball hander Kyle Clark - went 7.1
Oakland innings each and combined for
and Eastern Michigan served five earned runs, and freshman
as nothing more than a glorified right-hander Alex Lakatosawas
springtraining. electric out of the bullpen.
At the same time, though, the Quite simply, Michigan need-
games meant quite a lot. ed this series. Who cares that it
You could see the series' effect was supposed to beat Almaand
on Michigan coach Rich Malo- Oakland? And who cares that the
ney's face at Tuesday's practice. series does nothing for its post-
The difference was subtle, but season hopes? Winning can be
there. He didn't look downward contagious, and the team maybe
quite as much. He smiled more. learning how to win, finally.
You could see it in his shoulders, Maloney has stressed time
they were looser, lighter. and again that the team has
And you could feel it emanat- simply notlgotten enough timely
ing from the players at the end of hits. While otherteams were
practice as they clapped, yelled scoring in bunches, the Wolver-
and joked before finally breaking inesawere forced to chip away
for the day. one run at a time.
It wasn't like that earlier In that regard, Michigan
in the season. Practices were still has work to do. The games
quieter, more serious. Malo- against Alma and Oakland
ney appeared tenser and more should not have been very close,
reserved. With the official Big butcthey were. But that could be
Ten season beginning in two a good thing. The Wolverines'
weekends, the Wolverines didn't lineup isn't exactly the New York
look like they were even limping Yankees The team sluggingper-
into the conference season. They centage is just .326, and the team
were crawling. had more bunts in the game
To their credit, the players against Oakland (3) than they've
kept a surprisingly positive atti- had homeruns all season (2).
tude throughout the rough start This offense is not goingto
to the season. During the week- blow anybody out, and if Michi-
end series, they were still on the gan is goingto win, it's goingto
dugout steps watching and yell- win close. But maybe that's why
ing almost the entire game. this weekend was encouraging.
But who knew how long that This wasn't a fluke offensive
attitude would last. A loss to explosion. No, this was a blue-
Oakland, or worse, to Division- print for how the Wolverines
III Alma, who hungtough with can find success this season:
Michigan for 12 innings, would strong outings from the starters,
have been devastating. combined with small ball and
Doesn't matter. The Wolver- mistake-free baseball.
ines got the sweep and, with it, a And resiliency. If anything
renewed sense of confidence. has characterized this team,
"There's a refreshed attitude it's the ability to stay focused
on the team after we picked up despite a disappointing start
those three wins," freshman and even through the adversity
right fielder Michael O'Neill said. of losing senior right-handers
Confidence and attitude can Kolby Wood and Travis Smith to
only take ateam so far, though. injury. True tonform, Michigan
What Michigan really needed stayed resilient and won three
was some pitching. And in that close games this weekend.
category, this weekend's series So say whatcyou want about
answered alot of questions. the start of the season and the
Redshirt sophomore left- 6-12 record. Say that this week-
hander Bobby Brosnahan finally end's series was meaningless.
broke through his early struggles But the Wolverines have
against Oakland on Saturday. In emerged from a tough spring
7.1 innings, the only run he sur- with an identity. This weekend,
rendered came off a bloop double they added confidence and
followed by an infield single and execution.
sacrifice fly. In the Big Ten, that combina-
Maloney may have finally tion can mean aslot.
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'M' dishes out hard-hat awards, Burlon doubtful
By MARK BURNS ment consolation game, Hun-
DailySportsEditor wick received the hard hat for
his stellar performance. The
According to Shawn Hun- Sterling Heights, Mich. native
wick, teammate Matt Rust looks stopped a career-high 42 shots
like a lumber- in regulation.
jack. NOTEBOOK "We've had confidence in
"He must be Shawn right from the get-go,
on Coach's good side, because particularly from the stretch
he's had that beard for a little where he had to go in at The Big
while now," Hunwick joked after Chill and he's taken over our
practice on Tuesday. No. 1 goalie position," Berenson
And while Rust may be get- said. "He's been in a lot of close
ting away with a little more games, and he's found a way to
growth than normal at this point win them. We have rock-solid
in the season, Michigan coach confidence in our goalie."
Red Berenson isn't actually too Hunwick, who was left off
fond of playoff beards or other both the All-CCHA First Team
team superstitions in the latter and Second Team two weeks
stages of the season - except ago, grabbed CCHA Goaltender
maybe the hard hat. of the Year honors last Thursday
After every playoff win for the for having the best goals against
Wolverines, a hard hat is dished average of any conference net-
out to a well-deserving Wolver- minder.
ine based on the recognition of The conference coaches who
the players, not Berenson or the vote for the All-CCHA teams
coaching staff may not have given him the
It doesn't have to be a player respect he perhaps deserves, but
who tallied the most goals in his teammates and coaches, spe-
a particular game or even the cifically Berenson, know Hun-
"hero," as Hunwick said. wick's worth for a team heading
"It recognizes players that are into its 21st straight NCAA
unsung and are difference mak- Tournament.
ers that night or that weekend," "If you look at what he's
Berenson said. "It's usually an done, and if you've been around
obvious choice, but hopefully our program enough, then you
it's a tough choice. Hopefully, can see he's pretty legitimate,"
there's more than one player Berenson said. "His numbers
who played a great game." will match up against anyone in
Following Michigan's 4-2 the country right now, so good
victory over Notre Dame last for him."
Saturday in the CCHA Tourna- BURLON UPDATE: For much
l f
No, Shawn Hunwick is going
through an alleged mid-life cri-
sis.
"I see all these other guys,
my classmates, graduating and
they're starting to peak on
what they're going to do after
Michigan - jobs, playing, where
you're going to end up," Hun-
wick said. "I'm thankful I have
another year, but it still worries
me. Some nights, I'm lying in bed
wondering what I'm going to do
when Michigan is over. It's been
a dream come true. I wished I
never had to leave."
Hunwick, who is slated to
remain a Wolverine for a fifth
year next season, is fortunate
compared to the other seven
seniors who won't be returning
and won't have a shot at another
national title.
For forwards like Matt Rust
and Carl Hagelin, Friday could
be the last time wearing the
block 'M.' With a limited time
left on the ice, Hagelin knows
how important it is to get every-
one else on the team into the
same mindset.
"I think all the seniors know
there's only four games left max
here at Michigan," Hagelin said.
"We want to make the best out of
it ... As a leader, it's important to
engrain that in all the other guys
too.
"Even though (the under-
classmen) have a few more years,
you might not get this opportu-
nity again."
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cHRIS DZOMBAK/Daily
Junior defenseman Brandon Burlon is likely to miss this weekend's NCAA Regional game against Nebraska-Omaha.
of practice on Tuesday, there
was one Wolverine sitting by
himself in the near end zone of
Yost Ice Arena: Brandon Burlon.
Burlon - out of the lineup for
both games this past weekend
at Joe Louis Arena - has been
plagued by an "inflamed esoph-
agus," according to Michigan
coach Red Berenson.
The junior defenseman has
been in and out of the hospital
since last Monday when he came
down with strep throat. He's had
trouble eating solid food, and
has lost about 15 pounds over the
past week.
Berenson added that, as of
Tuesday afternoon, Burlon isn't
slated to play in Michigan's first
round NCAA matchup against
Nebraska-Omaha on Friday in
St. Louis.
ONE MORE GO-AROUND:
Hunwick was one of the last
Wolverines to leave the ice on
Tuesday after practice.
But it wasn't because he need-
ed some extra shots to prepare
for NCAA's this weekend. And
it wasn't because he was receiv-
ing a few tips from goaltending
coach Josh Blackburn.
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