The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
March 12, 2012 - 3B
A look at Michigan's NCAA resume
By MICHAEL LAURILA
Daily Sports Writer
Over the past week, the Michi-
gan women's basketball team has
been preparing. But for what?
That is still an uncertainty.
The Wolverines sit on the
precarious NCAA Tournament
bubble, and according to ESPN
women's bracketologist Charlie
Creme, Michigan is the second
team out, behind just North Caro-
lina. The Wolverines' resume isn't
great, but it just might be good
enough to earn their first NCAA
Tournament berth since 2001.
Michigan comes in at 20-11 -
its best overall record since coach
Kevin Borseth took over in 2007
- but just 8-8 in conference play.
The Wolverines' lack of a strong
conference record could be attrib-
uted to the strength of the Big
Ten.
"I think our conference has
been better this year, and hope-
fully the committee will see
that," said senior guard Courtney
Boylan.
Following the conclusion of the
Big Ten Tournament and Michi-
gan's second-round loss to Ohio
State, four Big Ten teams sit in the
AP top-25 poll - No.11 Penn State,
a No. 14 Purdue, the 17th-ranked
Buckeyes and No. 20 Nebraska.
The addition of Nebraska to the
conference could be a negative
factor for Michigan's hopes, as the
Cornhuskers are a lock for an at-
large berth, that could potentially
have belonged to the Wolverines.
But two important figures
that the committee looks at are a
team's Ratings Percentage Index
and its record against teams with
a top-50 or top-100 RPI. RPI uses
a team's strength of schedule and
their success against that sched-
ule to give a numerical value.
Michigan currently sits at 44th
in RPI, which is noticeably higher
than last season, when it also sat
on the bubble. The Wolverines'
strength of schedule and their
ability to avoid bad losses against
weaker opponents, which have
plagued them in seasons past,
help their status.
Boyland has been here before
- her postseason tournament
hopes resting in the hands of the
selection committee - and isn't
in unfamiliar territories with the
mixed emotions that are felt while
on the bubble.
"It's hard because you want
it so bad, but there's nothing you
can do right now," Boylan said on
Tuesday. "It's kind of in the hands
of the committee, and that's how
it's been the past couple of years,
so I'm just hoping it turns out dif-
ferent for us."
It might turn out different
because the Wolverines' resume
is thicker than it's been in the
past. Michigan defeated then-No.
11 Ohio State in Ann Arbor on Jan.
7 and traveled to Omaha on Feb.
9 and easily handled then-No. 15
Nebraska. The Wolverines also
beat Florida on the road in the
BUCKEYES
From Page 1B
arc in the first half and shot 16
percent from long range for the
game. That amounted to a dismal
31-percent shooting percentage
overall.
"If we're not hitting shots on
offense, then the defense is going
to kind of break down," Burke
said. "After six or seven posses-
sions, it's going to get tired of
playing defense if you're not hit-
ting shots on offense."
Only senior forward Zack
Novak had a strong game, earn-
ing two tough layups in traffic
and knocking down two 3-point-
ers in his 10-point effort.
After Sullinger was held in
check in the teams' first two
games, Ohio State coach Thad
Matta found a way to get his
sophomore open down low.
Michigan's double-teams were
ineffective and Sullinger was
able to spin out of trouble to find
an open shot or teammate at will.
When it wasn't Sullinger bul-
lying the Wolverines down low,
it was forward Deshaun Thomas
who used his versatility to create
mismatches with the undersized
Wolverines.
The sophomore was effec-
tive inside and out and picked up
where Sullinger left off at half-
time. Thomas took over in the
second half and scored 22 points
on 10-for-15 shooting, adding six
rebounds.
"They've got so much talent
from top to bottom," Morgan
said. "All of their players can kill
you. It's hard trying to strategize
for one person or two people or
three people because even Craft
steps up and hits big threes like
he did today."
Added Michigan coach John
Beilein: "They've got alot of bul-
lets, rockets in that gun, and they
use them very well."
Nothing looked good for
Michigan.
Senior guard Stu Douglass
botched an alley-oop to sopho-
more guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
Morgan missed a dunk on the
baseline and air-balled a four-
footer. Hardaway Jr. got brick-
happy once again and Douglass
got reamed out by Beilein after
missing a long 3-pointer early in
the shot clock.
"They came out with so much
energy," Morgan said. "They
probably were sour about (Michi-
gan's 56-51 victory in February). I
didn't think we were ready for it."
Ohio State went into halftime
up 34-21 after a disastrous Wol-
verine first half. It didn't seem
possible for Michigan to shy away
even more.
But Ohio State guard William
Buford drained a 3-pointer from
the corner to build the lead to 16
to open the second half, and that
lead would only expand. It was
clear that Michigan was counting
down the minutes until it could
return to Ann Arbor.
"Coming out at halftime, we
normally fight back like in Arkan-
sas and many other games that
we played on the road," Hard-
away Jr. said. "Today was very
embarrassing to us and it really
stings a lot."
Michigan senior guard Courtney Boylan is hoping for the Big Dance.
first game of the season.
"I think we deserve to be one of
(the teams in), but the main thing
is what the committee thinks at
this point," Borseth said.
But Michigan's record against
RPI top-50 opponents is a glaring
weakness in its resume. The Wol-
verines are 3-6 in this category,
and 3-9 against teams in the top-
100. Teams like Michigan State,
who are also on the bubble, have
a similar overall record to Michi-
gan, but boast a better conference
record. The Wolverines have a
higher RPI, though, which could
give them an edge to the commit-
tee. Though Michigan's postsea-
son aspirations are in the hands
of a group of people they've never
met, as a senior, Boylan recognizes
the significance of finally achiev-
ing a goal the team has always
had during her entire career as a
Wolverine. But even if it doesn't
get over the NCAA Tournament
hump that has been present for
more than a decade, Michigan
will stillbe playing in the postsea-
son - just at the WNIT.
"It's what we've been work-
ing for ever since I got here,"
she said. "To me, it would pretty
much mean everything. Even if
we don't, we're still playing, and I
still look forward to the opportu-
nity to keep playing even if it's in
the WNIT."
SWEEP
From Page 1B
first," said fifth-year senior goal-
tender Shawn Hunwick. "You
never want to play behind the
eight ball. I think our team strug-
gles when we don't get that first
goal."
On Saturday, it was senior for-
ward David Wohlberg who put the
Wolverines up first in the wan-
ing moments of the first period.
With the puck trapped against
the boards, Michigan freed it up
and freshman forward Phil Di
Giuseppe dished it to Wohlberg,
who in turnsniped from the slot to
the top shelf past Notre Dame net-
minder Steven Summerhays.
Wohlberg scored a second time
with a wrister from the slot to put
the Wolverines up 3-0 midway
through the second frame. But
before the arena's public-address
announcer could finish announc-
ing the goal, Notre Dame respond-
ed. The Fighting Irish took control
of the puck after forcing a Michi-
gan turnover in its zone after a
faceoff. A cross-crease pass was
all that forward Peter Schneider
needed to find twine.
The Wolverines took the hits
the night before - five periods
worth of hits. Michigan scored
first Friday, too. But it took a lit-
tle longer for them to walk away
with the win. Just over a minute
into the game, junior forward A.J.
Treais knocked the puck away
from Notre Dame in the neutral
zone, where Di Giuseppe took the
puck to the net. His shot, slowed
down by Summerhays, bounced
off the post, where senior for-
ward Luke Glendening tapped it
in to give the Wolverines the first
lead of the night. It took another
47 minutes before anyone scored
again. And considering Hunwick
had been peppered with shots the
whole game, it seemed inevitable
that one would sneak past him.
With the game tied, then came
overtime. Berenson usually likes
to finish overtime games in the
first five minutes. No such luck
this time.
"It was heart-attack hockey for
the coaches," Berenson said. "I
liked the way we stayed with our
focus."
Michigan dominated posses-
sion throughout the first 20 min-
utes of overtime, but Summerhays'
14 saves stood between them and
finishing the game. Enter over-
time NO. 2, where it took junior
forward Chris Brown to find the
game-winning goal.
Brown collapsed on the ice
before retreating to the locker
room for an ice bath - the Wol-
verines were expected to do it all
again on Saturday.
Berenson was never too con-
cerned about left over fatigue from
Friday translating into Saturday.
"Mentally and physically,
our team matches up well with
teams," Berenson said. "Our team
has worked as hard as any team
in the spring, summer and fall off
the ice. That's when it shows up,
in a weekend like this. It's a track
meet. You've got to be able to go
back and forth, back and forth and
take the hits and keep going."
egated to the bench, and by the which matched a career high.
time he returned, the Buckeyes He shot 1-for-11, and 0-for-7 from
From Page 1B had already taken asizable lead. 3-point land, a stark fall-off from
"It definitely was a turning his 11-for-14 shooting perfor-
With Michigan trailing by point," Buke said. "I personally mance against Minnesota, when
11, each point guard had one feltlike I got on his side. I person- he made three of his four 3-point-
foul. Leading a fast break, Burke ally felt like it should've been an ers.
attacked the hoop, looking for a and-one, but you can't change a Though the sloppy and often
transition layup. Craft, though, ref's mind. He did do a good job out-of-rhythm showing was
got to the paint first and set up for at getting back into charging posi- atypical for the freshman, his
a charge. Burke's layup went in, tion, but it definitely changed the composure throughout the game
just as both players crashed to the game." reflected the poise he's shown all
floor. Even after returning to the year.
But instead of the Wolver- game, Burke wasn't the same. "I give Trey credit," said senior
ines narrowing the margin back The Columbus native finished guard Zack Novak. "He had a
to single digits and Craft tak- with just five points - his lowest rough day, but by his demeanor,
ing a seat on the sideline with output since he scored five against you couldn't tell it, and he just
two fouls, Burke was called for UCLA in Maui on Nov. 23 - to go stayed up and he was rock solid,
a charge. The freshman was rel- along with his seven rebounds, like he has been all year."
i