The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, November 15, 2012 - 7A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, Novemher 15, 2012 - 7A FOOTBALL Robinson boo-boo hinders Iowa's prep Kwiatkowski blazes walk-on trail By ZACH HELFAND Daily Sports Editor Maybe there is something to this boo-boo business. Michigan coach Brady Hoke has declined to give any sort of update on senior quarterback Denard Robinson's status against Iowa. And that's at least a bit of an obstacle for the Hawkeyes, NOTEBOOK according to coach Kirk Ferentz. Hoke's refusal to provide any information regarding Robinson has produced some interesting explanations. Last week, Hoke said he would stop giving updates on Robinson and redshirt fresh- man quarterback Russell Bellomy "in fairness to those kids." Ever since, Hoke has favored the term "day-to-day." On Monday, even the potential for disappointment if Robinson couldn't play was deemed "day-to-day." Ferentz said that means his team must spend time preparing for two quarterbacks. "Hoke said it was a day-to-day thing, which we understand that totally," Ferentz said in a press conference. He chuckled quietly, then added, "You gotta be ready for both. ... It's a little bit tricky because you have two prepara- tions. They're not that much dif- ferent, but they're not the same either. So it's two different prepa- rations and both of them are tough preparations." Both Robinson and junior quarterback Devin Gardner have earned Big Ten player of the week honors this year after Gardner won it for his performance against Northwestern last week. Though both signal-callers are similar in the sense that they are dual-threat quarterbacks, Ferentz noted that. Michigan typically has more designed runs with Robinson in the game. His players also said their approach to the game differs depending on who plays quarter- back l r the Wolverines. Mostly, it was Robinson's electric running ability that posed the biggest chal- lenges. Iowa defensive back Micah Hyde said of Robinson, "when you talk about Michigan's offense, you gotta start with him." Iowa defensive tackle Steve Big- ach said that with Robinson in the game, the defense has to treat the Wolverines' offense as a two-back set, with Robinson as an extra running back. That forces Iowa to put more defenders in the box. "It's definitely dangerous," Big- ach said. "It adds an extra element to the game." On Monday, Hoke added anoth- er element of uncertainty. When one reporter asked whether Rob- inson would be available in a non- throwing role if his injured elbow healed enough to play, Hoke of course revealed nothing certain. "I guess I'll talk to him about that day to day," he said. HUT, HUT, HUH?: Borges was mum on the reasons behind Michigan's newfound propensity to draw the opposing team off- side with Gardner under center. The Wolverines have induced five encroachment flags with Gardner as the starter. That's a pretty significant devi- ation from the average number of offsides penalties. Borges declined to say whether this was simply an effective hard count by Gardner or whether it was by design. "I won't answer that question," Borges said. "It's too -- tells too much." Follwing Saturday's victory over Northwestern, redshirt junior Taylor Lewan said plays are called to draw teams offsides. "That's a situation we've gone over a lot of times, and we have packages we put in every once in a while for different teams to keep them on their toes," Lewan said. By BEN ESTES Daily Sports Editor Mike Kwiatkowski wasn't sup- posed to make it this far. The fifth-year senior tight end admits that much himself. As a senior at Dakota High School in Macomb, Mich., Kwiatkowski was only recruitedto play football by Division-II schools. Though he ended up choosing to attend the University of Michi- gan due to the school's strong academics, Kwiatkowski never thought he'd end up on the foot- ball team. When he pushed his way up to somewhere around the fifth row of Michigan Stadium as a fan during his first two years at the school, he thoughtcthat was as close to the field as he'd ever get. Yet here is Kwiatkowski, pre- paring to play his final game at the BigHouse on Saturday, joined by 22 other seniors, most of them much more than ballyhooed than he ever was. It's fine to recognize how unlikely it is that Kwiatkowski rose from regular student to scholarship starter in a matter of three years - but don't call him a walk-on. "I actually despise that label," Kwiatkowski said. "Because like you said, there's been a number of (walk-ons) who have played, and just because you weren't given a scholarship doesn't mean you aren't as capable. Obviously, there's some exceptions to that, of people who walk on and don't end up playing. "I guess that's the rule, if any- thing." Kwiatkowski has managed to break that rule. When he arrived at Michigan in 2008, he ignored former high school teammate Ricky Reyes, then a redshirt junior walk-on himself, who prodded him to try out for the team right then and there. Two years later, Kwiatkowski was checking the Athletic Depart- ment website to see how an exam for a genetics class matched up with the football schedule. He noticed a blurb about open try- outs - one of several suc held by former coach Ric guez in his three season decided to give it a go. Kwiatkowski's own4 tions were low - he jo he had run about three the two years before tha tryout in 2010, and that already sweating during But then- offensive coor- dinator Calvin Magee pulled him . aside while players were walking off the field to deliver the "I n th h tryouts himself forced to block either h Rodri- Mike Martin or Ryan Van Bergen is - and on any given play. It was still a highlight to be on expecta- the field on Saturdays, though, ked that which occurred first for Kwiat- times in kowski against Bowling Green in it fateful 2010. He dressed for the first time he was against Michigan State later that g warm- year, but his real breakout came in spring ball after the sea- ever expected Then-new is day would coach Brady. Hoke moved come!' Kwiatkowski to tight end full time because Michigan wasp going to lacking depth at the position, and i was at he impressed coaches and team- at Magee mates alike during spring prac- d on him tices. When the 2011 season rolled verine. around, Kwiatkowski found him- Kwiat- self on the travel team, and he appeared in his first career game suddenly against Minnesota on Oct.1. '2-pound Late in fall camp before this wski was season, Kwiatkowski was one then and of seven walk-ons to be given y trade, a scholarship by Hoke. On the' casional- field, despite the arrival of highly- out team touted freshmen tight ends Devin he found Funchess and A.J. Williams, Kwiatkowski's role has only increased. He's started sixofthe team's 10 games, and the fifth-year senior has been the most reliable blocker at the position. He's also man- aged to record three catches, the first coming in the season opener against Alabama. Kwiatkowski's relative lack of accolades hasn't discouraged him from helping out the younger tight ends as much as possible, a trait that earned him compli- ments from Hoke. And the dearth of credentials hasn't made him any lesser part of the team - nor has it endeared him any less to his fellow seniors. "I think it's what makes it spe- cial, and I think it's what makes a lot of us close, is we've all had different experiences," said fifth- year senior center Elliott Mealer. "We got guys like Mike and Jor- dan Kovacs, (walk-on safety) Charlie Zeller, a guy that's been on the team only for a couple years. They're all seniors, and even though they haven't been with us our whole careers; all four, five years, we've all got a special bond. "(Being walk-ons) doesn't take away from anything that they've put into this program. It feels like they've been a part ofit the whole time since I've been here." And yet it can't be denied that Kwiatkowski's journey to this Saturday's senior day was a very different one from the rest of the seniors. "When I first got here, I never expected this day to come," Kwi- atkowski said. "The first game I dressed for was Michigan State, and I was just happy to be out there. I had no foresight of think- ing three years in the future, I'd end up walking out there as a senior for the last time. I didn't even know if I'd make it three years" A pre-pharmacy major, Kwi- atkowski said he wanted to go into medicine so that he could help people. He's already helped the Michigan football team more than anyone imagined he would. news that Magee was "keep" him. Kwiatkowsk first a bit confused by wh meant, but then it dawne - he was a bonafide Wol "That was pretty cool, kowski said. Of course, it wasn'ts all smooth sailing. A 26 tight end now, Kwiatkov around 250 pounds back an offensive lineman b playing tight end only oc ly. He was relegated to sc left guard duties, where1 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Barnes Arico inks first recruiting class for 'M' By GLENN MILLER JR. Daily Sports Writer. One of the biggest challenges for any first-year coach is to make an immediate impact on recruit- ing for the future. It's especially difficult for coaches who are hired mid-way through the offseason, like Michigan's women's basket- ball coach Kim Barnes Arico, since they have ^ late entrance into the sweepstakes for national talent. But once she arrived in Ann Arbor, it didn't take long for Barnes Arico to get out on the recruiting trail and start build- ing a roster for the 2013-14 sea- son. On Wednesday, Barnes Arico announced that high schoolers Paige Rakers, Shannon Smith, Siera Thompson and Danielle Wil- liams had signed National Letters of Intent with Michigan. As the first four recruits of the Barnes Arico era, the quartet brings an exceptional amount of talent and experience from AAU programs and high school teams. The new- est additions to the Wolverines' roster provide depth at the guard position, which will help replace the offensive production lost from this year's seniors Jenny Ryan, Rachel Scheffer, Nya Jordan, Kate Thompson and SamArnold. Rakers, a 5-foot-11 guard from Carlyle," Ill., is an outstanding shooter who averaged 19.4 points per game on 44-percent shooting in her junior year of high school. After leading her team to the title game of the Class 2-A Regional, Rakers finished the year with a team-best 52 steals and 49 assists. Last year, she won the Illinois High School Association's state- wide 3-point shooting, earning the name "Queen of the HilL." In addition to leading her high school team, Rakers also competes on Team Adidas, an AAU team based out of St. Louis. Smith will transfer to Michigan from Trinity Valley Community College after spending two red- shirt seasons at North Carolina. After a medical redshirt sidelined Smith her freshman year, she averaged three points and 13 min- utes per game. With two years of eligibility remaining, Smith will provide her scoring talents and experience of playing in Division I. The 5-foot-7 guard was heavily recruited out of high school, earn- ing the Associated Press women's prep co-player ofthe year in North Carolina during the 2009-10 season. Averaging 23 points and seven assists per game, Smith led Forestview High School to the 3-A state title. She finished her high school career as the leadingscorer in Forestview and Gaston County history, and was named North Carolina's Miss Basketball in 2010. The Wolverines' top-ranked commit is Thompson, who ESPN graded as the 68th-best player in the nation and 15th-best point guard. The Gardena, Calif. native averaged 11 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds in her junior year, while leading Serra to three con- secutive section championships. Thompson also plays for AAU's highly regarded Cal Sparks. Rounding out the incoming class is Williams, a 5-foot-9 guard ranked 97th in the nation and 28th at her position by ESPN. Williams helped lead St. Mary's to the Divi- sion I Arizona state championship while completing an undefeated 30-0 season. In 2012, St. Mary's reached the national champion- ship and earned the No. 1 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today poll. "I have had the opportunity to watch Danielle play since she has been in the seventh grade," Barnes Arico said. "I have watched her progress and develop ...Hercoach, Curtis Ekmark, he has done a phe- nomenal job with her and making his program one of the best in the country. Once I got the job here, knowing the academic piece was so important for her and her fam- ilyhe knew it would be a great fit." Barnes Arico's first four com- mits are expected to be just the start for Michigan's recruit- ing process. The Wolverines are already planning to take a foreign trip during next summer's off- season, which should allow the rookies some extra time to adjust before practices start in the fall.