The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 - 7A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, November 28, 2012 - 7A

Junior quarterback Devin Gardner is expected to receive a retroactive redshirt season from his freshman year, when he was sidelined with a back injyry"
Gardner should get fifth year

Early slump nothing
new for Wolverines
By LIZ VUKELICH answer why Michigan suffers
Daily Sports Writer from so many lapses. Junior for-
ward Derek DeBlois says it boils
In a strange way, the Michigan down to the Wolverines "packing
hockey team has become accus- it in" when games seem to be spi-
tomed to losing. ralingout ofcontrol.It also doesn't
it may sound odd for a team help that Michigan is still search-
that has made 22 consecutive ing for more than just a couple of
appearances in the NCAA Tour- players to carry the team. Usually
nament. But over the past few sea- it's pride for the storied Michigan
sons, the Wolverines have made program that drives the Wolver-
an unusual habit of stumbling ines, and Berenson expressed
their way through the first halves dismay that the team didn't rep-
of seasons. resent itself better on a national
Starting with the 2009-10 cam- stage when it had the opportunity
paign, November has become a to play at Madison Square Garden
particularly cruel month to Mich- in New York City last weekend.
igan (3-5-1 CCHA, 5-7-1 overall). "When (the players) put that
This month, the Wolverines are jersey on, they know they've got
2-6-i. a chance to win every night, but
Michigan coach Red Berenson you've got to go out and do it,"
has always used 10-game inter- Berenson said. "Winning is hard
vals to gauge ... and you've
the program's got to pay the
performance, price."
but he seems "It starts now, The play-
to be at a loss , ers are quick to
right now for it starts today" point out that
an explanation there are still
of the team's four games left
underperfor- before the first
mance. He says the difference half of the year is over and the
between last season and this sea- season can still be salvaged but
son's fall slump is like night and most important is regaining con-
day, mostly due to goals-against ference standing before a brutal
- the Wolverines are currently travel schedule kicks in during
allowing 3.5 goals per game. January. Historically, the second
But Berenson doesn't want half of the season has been very
to admit that a first-half slump good for Michigan, with the team
has become an inevitable part of pulling out a strong rally to propel
the season, especially since this themtonearthetop of the CCHA.
season's struggles are so differ- It certainly helps that the
ent from the kind the Wolverines majority of the team already has
have faced before. experience with overcoming
"We're at the end of Novem- slumps, but they're still careful
ber now but (the problems) have not to ride on the expectation that
been going on since game one," a new year automatically implies a
Berenson said. "We didn't have a rejuvenated program.
good start and never put anything "We can't rely on a second
together. We've never had a Mon- half," DeBois said. "It starts
day where we looked back and now, it starts today. This week's
said 'We had two good games."' going to be huge, but we like our
The coach hasn't been able to chances."

By BEN ESTES think all the documentation and
Daily Sports Editor everything is being sent to the Big
Ten."
The loss to Ohio State aside, The coach said he was basing
over the final four games of the his position on a "gut feeling"
Michigan football team's regu- about the situation.
lar season, junior Devin Garnder A fifth year for Gardner was
showed there might not be much widely discussed after the 2010
cause for concern when he takes season, when the program said he
over the reins at quarterback couldnot apply for aredshirtuntil
when senior Denard Robinson after his four years had expired.
graduates in But many players in the past
April. NOTEBOOK have been granted medical red-
Now, it shirts immediately after the sea-
appears that Gardner could be son in question. Sure enough,
sticking around Ann Arbor a year rumors that Hoke couldn't apply
longer than anticipated. on Gardner's behalf sooner was
On Monday, Michigan coach the result of a miscommunica-
Brady Hoke said that he expects tion, the coach said several weeks
Gardner to be granted a retro- ago.
active medical redshirt for his . It'd be good news for the Wol-
freshman year in 2010, when he verines if Gardner does indeed
appeared in three early games but receive a fifth year. Moved to
missed most of the season due to wide receiver before the season
a back injury. That would allow and then back to quarterback
Gardner to play in the 2014 season after Robinson injured his elbow
as a fifth-year senior. in the loss to Nebraska in late
"I would expect (the redshirt) October, Gardner stepped in and
would go through," Hoke said. "I played better than anyone could

have reasonably expected. The
junior completed 63.3 percent of
his passes and tallied 15 touch-
downs over his four games as the
quarterback.
Though Hoke said that the
quarterback situation for the
bowl game could depend on the
continued recovery of Robinson,
it seems likely Gardner will get
plenty of snaps at the position in
the team's final game of the sea-
son. And Gardner's play has all
but guaranteed him the quarter-
back job for next season, too.
LEWAN LEAVING?: It'd be dif-
ficult to point to any Michigan
player that had a better season
than Taylor Lewan.
The redshirt junior offensive
tackle started every game this
season and was the one consistent
cog in an offensive line that often
struggled to get sufficient push
at the line of scrimmage. For his
efforts in locking down the left
side of the Wolverine line, Lewan
was named the recipient of the
Pace-Rimington Award, which

is awarded to to the Big Ten' top
offensive lineman.
But Lewan may not be around
next season to try and defend the
award. Though he himself has
not spoken about the possibility,
Lewan is a prime candidate to
forgo his fifth year of eligibility
and enter the NFL draft in April.
The 6-foot-8, 309-pound
Scottsdale, Ariz. native has been
appearing in the first round of
mock drafts all season long and
some prognosticators have even
pegged him to be taken among
the top-10 picks. Hoke said that
the proper paperwork has been
submitted to the NFL Draft
Advisory Board in order to get a
draft evaluation for Lewan, and
the coach plans to talk to Lewan
about a potential jump to the NFL
this week. Hoke insisted that
he doesn't try to steer players to
come back to school in these situ-
ations.
"I'm going to gear the young
man towards what's best for
him," Hoke said.


Michigan readies for 7th-
consecutive trip to NCAAs
By GREG GARNO - an unfamiliar opponent. nament," McElheny said. "We've
Daily Sports Editor "I think it's a fair draw," Rosen seen teams like that every week-
told MGoBlue.com. "It's certain- end and if we had to, figure out
For a team that just received ly not an easy draw. I think it's how to turn it arouncagainst a
its seventh-consecutive selec- going to come down to who plays team that's putting pressure on
tion to the NCAA Tournament, well over two matches. Because you."
you might think the Michigan of that I think it sets you up well But Michigan will also benefit
volleyball team would be calm for the next round where you're from its recent winning streak
and collected upon hearing the not getting creampuff matches." against two rivals on the road.
announcement that it would be Michigan has a 3-1 all-time A three-set victory over Michi-
playing Tennessee on Thursday. record against the Volunteers, gan State last Wednesday and
But sitting in the home of with their most recent meeting four-set victory over Ohio State
Mark and Leisa Rosen - the being a four-set victory for the on Friday will prepare the Wol-
Michigan head coach and assis- Wolverines in 2009. verines for traveling once more.
tant coach, respectively- the Tennessee concluded the reg- The Wolverines will face the
Wolverines were giddy with ular season with a 22-7 record, winner of No. 9 Louisville and
excitement to hear their name enough for second place in the Belmont on Friday and can look
called in the field of 64 on Sun- SEC East division behind Flor- forward to returning to Louis-
day. ida. ville for the Final Four should
With seven freshmen on its The Volunteers, however, lost they advance to that stage.
roster, half of the Rosens' young to Missouri and Arkansas ear- "Going into the postseason
team had yet to experience the lier in their season - two teams I think it gives us a lot of confi-
thrill of being selected, so you Michigan handled. dence to go on the road," Rosen
can't blame them when their said. "But it's something we
faces lit up like a child's on don't really talk much about as
Christmas morning. . "I actu lly think a team.
But the excitement won't last I actuallyt "I think you have to look at it
long. you get more as just another match, but it is a
Left with just two more days little different when there is a
to prepare, Michigan departs excited the less hostile crowd on the other side.
for Louisville on Tuesday and I think we're ready to go into
will look to its veteran leader- years yOu have." another environment and put
ship, which doesn't spend much our best game on the floor."
time relishing the excitement of With seven straight years
the NCAA Tournament. of experience, Rosen has been
"I've been here before," said But the Wolverines take on well prepared to'handle adver-
fifth-year senior right-side hit- a team they haven't had much sity this postseason. He can also
ter Claire McElheny. "But the time to study. The Volunteers count on his veterans to attempt
freshmen, we saw all their faces are bigger on paper, which will to recreate the magic of last
and it's all so new to them. It's force Michigan to be quicker off year's postseason.
still exciting to me, but I've been the floor. For some veterans, though,
there. I know what to expect, Michigan heads to Louisville the experience of the NCAA
not from the teams, but the pro- led by Cross and junior outside Tournament and Selection Sun-
cess." hitter Lexi Erwin. The pair was day is just as thrilling as the
Added junior middle blocker named to the 16-member All-Big first, bringing them back to the
Jennifer Cross: "(The freshmen) Ten team on Tuesday after rank- days of their freshman year.
didn't really know if we got a ing first and second in kills as "I actually think you get
good draw. A lot of them didn't well as points. more excited the less years you
even know that we play the first The Wolverines will rely have," Cross said. "You do cher-
and second round in the same on their strength of schedule ish it more because you know it's
location. So it was one of those against arguably the strongest not endless, so to me, I'm more
cool things where we actually conference in the NCAA. The excited than I ever have been. A
know how it works." Big Ten featured the No. 1, No. lot of schools never get a chance
Following last year's Sweet 16 4 and No. 10 teams in the nation to play in the NCAA Tourna-
appearance where they knocked at one point in the season and ment and I'm going to my third."
off a powerhouse in Stanford is still highlighted by Big Ten But if the Wolverines advance
and ultimately lost to Florida, champion Penn State. out of Louisville, they'll be smil-
the Wolverines will take on "It definitely gives us more ing like it's Christmas morning
another SEC team in Tennessee confidence going into the tour- again.

'M' set to battle No. 4 Duke

By DANIEL FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
After winning the first three
games of its current five-game
home stand, the Michigan wom-
en's basketball team will take on
No. 4 Duke (4-0) in a ACC/Big
Ten Challenge
matchup on Duke at
Wednesday
night. Michigan
For Michi- Matchup:
gan coach Kim Duke 4-0;
Barnes Arico, Michigan 5-1
the Blue Devils When:
are a familiar Wednesday
foe, as Barnes 7 p.m.
Arico's for- Where: Crisler
mer team, St. Center
John's, was
eliminated MTo/Raeco
in last year's
NCAA Tour-
nament Sweet 16 by Duke.
"At St. John's, we had a team
that handled pressure extremely
well and we played Duke and did
not handle pressure extremely
well," Barnes Arico said. "So I
know going in that will be a sig-
nificant challenge for us."
The Blue Devils return four
starters from a 27-6 team that
advanced to the Elite Eight last
season, including pre-season All-
ACC team selections in junior
Chelsea Gray and sophomore
Elizabeth Williams - who also
tied with Maryland's Alyssa
Thomas for the ACC Preseason
Coaches' PlayeroftheYearaward.
As a team, Duke entered the
season ranked third. It also
received nine of 12 first-place Pre-
season Coaches' ACC Poll votes
to enter the season as tops in the
conference.
In their first four games, the
Blue Devils have been completely
dominant. They are almost dou-
bling their opponents' average
point total at an 89 to 45 rate. To
go along with that, they are shoot-
ing 51.6 percent from the field,
while their opponents are being
held to a 29.2 percentage.
Duke will surely have an
advantage over the Wolverines in
rebounding. Michigan (5-1) has
outrebounded its opposition in its
first six games 206 to 198, though
that's a small margin. In a stark

comparison, the Blue Devils have
outrebounded their opponents
by a total of 68 and are averaging
46.2 boards a game compared to
30 for their opponents. 'M' has
only averaged 34.3 per game.
"Their'post play is exception-
al," Barnes Arico said. "Elizabeth
Williams is one of the best in the
country. We are going to have
a tough time matching up with
their size, their strength and their
athleticism."
With senior Rachel Sheffer
as the only true forward in the
starting lineup, sophomore guard
Nicole Elmblad will be key to
Michigan's success. Elmblad is
coming off a nine-rebound game
against Boston University and
she will likely have to emulate her
-afn -nrafn -an ~ to+ stair

competitive.
While the Wolverines' senior
core of Sheffer, guards Kate
Thompson and Jenny Ryan have
averaged 44.1 out of 63.8 points,
Duke has the flexibility of relying
on several players for scoring.
The Blue Devils have six play-
ers that average at least nine
points a game, led by Gray, who
averages 15.8 a game to go along
with 5.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
She'sjoinedbyfellowjuniorHaley
Peters, who is averaging a slightly
smaller amount of 15.3 points, but
alarger average ofsevenrebounds
pergame.
"It's going to be a really dif-
ficult matchup for us," Barnes
Arico said. "Hopefully we can
take care of the ball and have our
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