8A - Thursday, September 13, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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Steady decrease in production
not a concern for Roundtree
Roundtree patient
even as receiving
numbers continue
to plummet
By BEN ESTES
Daily SportsaEditor
The Michigan football team's
passing game has been seized by
Devinmania, with the develop-
ment of junior receiver Devin
Gardner and the emergence of
freshman tight end Devin Funch-
ess dominating the conversation
surrounding the team this week.
Lost in the attention paid to
those two tall targets is fifth-year
senior receiver Roy Roundtree,
the mostbattle-tested of all of the
Wolverines' pass-catchers. But if
Roundtree has been somewhat
of the forgotten man, it's for good
reason - he's yet to make a true
impact in the passing game so far
this season.
In the season opener against
Alabama, Roundtree managed
just two catches for 12 yards, and
while the Devins were busy light-
ing up the Air Force secondary
last week, Roundtree tallied just
one reception for five yards.
Add it up, and you have the
recipe for one frustrated wide
receiver. But Roundtree says he
isn't getting bogged down by his
lack of production.
"Just helping the team,"
Roundtree said. "I know the stats
don't really mean anything to
me. As long as I go out there and
block and help the team out, I
don't really even look into all that
because I'm a team player. My
time will come."
It's that attitude that helped
Roundtree get through what was
likely a tough individual season
for him a year ago.
In 2010, the Dayton, Ohio
native emerged as quarterback
Denard Robinson's favorite tar-
get in Rich Rodriguez's spread
offense. The Robinson run fake-
to-Roundtree seam route was one
of the team's staples that year, and
Roundtree totaled 72 receptions
and 935 yards for the season en
route to earning All-Big Ten Sec-
ond Team honors.
But the arrival of Al Borg-
es' hybrid West Coast system
last year seemed to stymie
Roundtree's game. He had the
catch of the year with his last-sec-
ond, game-winning touchdown
reception against Notre Dame,
but his overall numbers slipped
drastically - he hauled in just 19
catches and tallied 355 receiving
yards.
Roundtree has filled up the stat
sheet even less through the first
two games this season, even as
Robinson has flashed an improved
BASEBALL
New baseball staff
hopes to implement
'blue-collar' approach
By LIZ NAGLE that special assistant Wayne Wel-
Daily Sports Writer ton would return for his second-
straight year.
Maybe it wasn't just the slew "It was extremely important
of injuries, inconsistent hit- for us to bring Wayne back on
ting and unreliable bullpen that from last year," Bakich said in a
kept the Michigan baseball team statement. "He's passionate about
toward the bottom of the Big Ten Michigan and Michigan baseball.
last season. Maybe it was the His experience in the state for 36
man in charge - former coach years as a high school coach and
Rich Maloney - making poor athletic director will be invalu-
judgment calls. Or maybe the able in this role in accelerating
program just needed a fresh per- our program back to the champi-
spective. onship level."
After finishing second to With high expectations and
last in the conference, Athletic goals of returningto the top of the
Director Dave Brandon decid- conference, Bakich also brought
ed that the Wolverines needed in familiar faces Nick Schnabel
change. Maloney parted ways as the recruiting coordinator and
with Michigan after his contract Sean Kenny as the pitching coach.
expired on June 30th, and the Schnabel played alongside Bakich
national search for his replace- at East Carolina from 1999-2000
ment began immediately. and Kenny spent the last three
Michigan hired Erik Bakich, years with Bakich as Maryland's
who was the head coach at Mary- pitching coach.
land for the past three years. As Kenny helped the Terrapins
the youngest baseball head coach set a school record of 464 strike-
at a school in a BCS conference, outs in his first season with the
Bakich brings youth that he Terrapins - they ranked 16th
hopes will nationally that
help awaken year with 8.5
the teamfrom « e strikeouts per
a two-year W ere going to nine innings.
slumber. be know n as a But after Bakich
But Bakich left Maryland,
can't do it team w ith a ton there was little
alone. Since holding the Ann
his unex- of energy." Arbor native
pected move back from
to Michigan, returning home.
he's recruited "It hasn't
a rather large staff to help see his quite hit me yet," Kenny said.
vision through. Though it's too "I still can't believe they actu-
early in the off-season to make ally gave me the keys to this
any hasty assumptions, director place. Having grown up here my
of baseball operations Derrick whole life, it honestly hasn't hit
Ross, who Bakich hired lastweek, me and I don't know that it ever
said he's confident in the direc- will, which is a good thing. I'm
tion of the program. It's what extremely appreciative toube here
Bakich coined, "Bringing the blue and I think I will be every single
back into blue collar." day."
"The style of play is going to be . With its new coaching staff, it
totally different - it's going to be appears the program has taken a
aggressive," Ross said. "It's going major turn.
to be all in, all the time. ... We're That just might be the ingredi-
going to go out there and we're ent to turn Michigan into a top
going to create runs and we're contender, like it was from 2006-
going to be known as a team with 08 when it won three-straight Big
a ton of energy." Ten championships.
Ross comes to Ann Arbor with With fall practices just start-
more than 15 years of experience ing this week, the coaching staff
at the professional level, most has already seen enthusiasm and
recently as the Cleveland Indi- acceptance of their method and
ans' regional scouting supervisor. motto.
He said leaving the organization "I've seen a lot of guys buy-
wasn't an easy decision for him, ing into what we're trying to do
but the culture of the University here and that's encouraging,"
felt "refreshing." Ross said. "It's always about win-
Even after adding Ross to the ning championships. But what it's
program, Bakich continued to put really about is developing guys
the finishing touches on his staff. that are going to go out and be
Volunteer coach Aaron Etchi- productive citizens, productive
son joins the Wolverines after fathers, productive husbands and
spending the last two years as a leaders within their community.
catcher at Maryland. On Wednes- ... Bringing the blue back into blue
day, Michigan also announced collar."
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Fifth-year senior wide receiver Roy Roundtree has been lost in the excitement of Devin Gardner and Devin Funchess.
ability to connect
Part of the issuen
to outside receive
in the slot during
sophomore seasc
said this week tI
consider moving
the outside positi
But if you ask
and coaches, th
ing numbers do
Roundtree
hasn't been
doing his job.
"I think
every day he
comes in here
to get better, no
matter what it
is," said Michi-
gan coach
Brady Hoke.
"Roy, as a senior,'
ership. We value
again, work ethic
he's just as good a
"I think game
he'll get on a car
think all thoseg
daggone good bl
finishes those mo
with receivers. The receiver
may be his move pointed to his
er - he thrived asked if he's been
that successful the lack of looks
on, but Borges game.
hat he wouldn't Receivers' bloc
Roundtree off and in the runni
on. haps one of the
his teammates preciated ingredi
se low receiv- success, yet it's
nt mean that that Roundtree
"I'm a team
player. My time
will come."
himself also he's well respected because of
blocking when that attitude."
frustrated with The numbers have dropped
in the passing over the course of the career, and
that trend may continue as this
king on screens season unfolds.
ng game is per- But for Roy Roundtree, the
more underap- winning attitude has remained
ents in a team's constant.
also something NOTES: Sophomore defen-
says he prides sive end Frank Clark pled guilty
himself on. to a felony second-degree home
Given his invasion charge on Tuesday, but
team-first Hoke said that his status with the
attitude, that team was unchanged. Clark was
shouldn't come suspended from the team during
as a surprise. the firstpart of fall camp and was
Most play- forced to sit out the season open-
ers would say er, buthe returned to game action
that they only last week against Air Force.
care about the Fifth-year senior tight end
team when Brandon Moore will miss a sec-
were performing ond straight game with his knee
when Roundtree sprain, Hoke said.
asier to believe. Hoke also revealed that red-
and whatever shirt sophomore defensive tackle
me," Roundtree Richard Ash would most likely
to win." also be outthisweek against Mas-
Hoke added. sachusetts, even though he did
s football team. take part in some drills in Tues-
teammates and day's practice.
values that lead-
it. On the field,
practice-wise,
s anybody.
-wise, the way
ner or safety. I
guys are pretty
lockers, but he
st of the time."
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asked how they w
individually. Butc
says it, it's much e
"Those stats
don't matter toi
said. "I just want
"That's Roy,"
"And he loves hi
And he loves his
MEN'S GOLF
Senior duo leads Michigan into
Whitten's second fall season
By JEREMY SUMMITT "He had the lowest scoring aver- recorded top-20 finishes in any
Daily Sports Writer age in the history of the team. tournament last season. But only
Matt Thompson is impossible to the slightest bit of leadership will
With many fall sports already replace." go a long way out on the course
underway, the Michigan men's But the second-year head- this fall.
golf team is busy preparing for its man will not only look to his two "Miguel is somebody who made
first tournament of the season on seniors to pick up where Thomp- a huge improvement from sopho-
Monday. son left off, but to the entire team more to junior year. He brings a
After a disappointing 10th- for improvement throughout the lot of leadership and off-course
place finish at Big Ten Champion- year. stuff," Whitten said. "Matt Alessi
ships last season, the Wolverines "I think if everyone can be a lit- is a guy that the team really looks
will look to their two seniors, tle better than lastyear, we'll have up to (and) the way he handles
Miguel Echavarria and Matt a chance," Whitten said. himself at practice."
Alessi, to lead a large group of Whitten has set aspirations With a year under his belt as
underclassmen into the Inverness for the team's upcoming season, head coach, Whitten has now
Intercollegiate Tournament in focusing on one particular tour- instilled what he calls "core val-
Toledo, Ohio. There, Michigan nament. ues" into the Michigan golf pro-
will take on 11 teams, including "The goals stay the same for gram.
fellow Big Ten opponents Ohio every year, and the first goal is to These values - confidence,
State, Michigan State, and Penn win the Big Ten Championship," attitude, purpose, integrity and
State. Whitten said. "It's one tourney at trust - build the groundwork
There are big shoes to fill this the end of the year. (The) whole of how Whitten wants his team
season after All-Big Ten and All- season gets us ready for that one to practice, compete and have a
Region golfer Matt Thompson special tournament." mindset.
graduated last year. Thompson Meanwhile, the month of Sep- "If the process is right, the
finished 19th at the NCAA region- tember will be a crucial time for results will follow," Whitten said.
als but has now moved on to the Whitten to mentor the young With his philosophy of prepa-
amateur Gold Tour, where he's Wolverines. He will have some ration and dedication now firmly
tallied multiple top-10 finishes. help from Echavarria, who was installed within the program,
"He was the best player in the recently named team captain. both on and off the course, Whit-
history of the program," said Echavarria and Alessi are the ten believes he has the Wolverines
Michigan coach Chris Whitten. only golfers on the team who headed in the right direction.
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