The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com v ° ; . 1 aif' .1} t, Wednesday, December 3, 2014-- 7A W MENCS BASKETBALL SWolverines edge 'Cuse AMANDA ALLEN/Daily Athletic Director Jim Hackett said he has created "swim lanes" to find Michigan's next coach, but did not reveal names. Big nameshighlight eM's replacem-ent for, Hoke By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Writer All night long, sophomore guard Spike Albrecht made a sold-out Crisler SYRACUSE 65 Center MICHIGAN 68 come to its feet with crisp passes. But it wasn't until he knocked down a deep 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in the game that the crowd was cheering its loudest as he helped Michigan edge Syracuse, 68-65. Three times prior in the second half, Albrecht put the crowd on its feet - and he didn't even have to score. Early in the frame, Albrecht drove to his right and dished a crisp behind-the-back pass to forward Ricky Doyle. The freshman brushed off contact and finished with a dunk then knocked down a free throw to complete the and-1 play, giving the Wolverines (6-1) the lead. Nine minutes later, with 7:49 left on the clock, Albrecht found Doyle again. This time, the junior guard pushed a bounce pass to him and the 6-foot-9 forward finished with another dunk, bringing the Wolverines' lead to seven points. Then, with just under two minutes left and the shot clock expiring, Albrecht took the ball from the top .of the are, drove toward the paint and dished to the left block where Doyle was waiting for him again. Doyle missed the first shot he put up but tipped in a second-chance opportunity. After , the game, Michigan coach John Beilein said he tells Albrecht, " 'Spike, shoot when. you're open. Pass it when you're not.' It's pretty simple." Nine times, Albrecht passed the ball to someone else in a maize and blue jersey who finished with a basket, and eight times he opted to shoot - knocking down four of those attempts attempts and three beyond the arc. "Spike is really good attacking the zone, he sees behind the zone," Beilein said. "He makes that entry pass into the high- post area better than anybody, so that's why we had him out there so much." Doyle, after having a breakout game against Oregon during the Progressive Legends Classic, and putting up 15 points on Saturday against Nicholls State, finished with another strong stat line,recording12 points and six boards. Syracuse tied the game with 56 seconds left, and cut Michigan's lead to only one after Albrecht's late three, but the Orange (5-2) were forced to foul, sending Michigan to the line. The Wolverines did everything they could to give away the game, but Syracuse couldn't take advantage. Sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. missed on a 1-and-i attempt, but the Orange were unable to regain possession, throwing a rebound out of bounds. Sixsecondslater,juniorguard Caris LeVert went to the line to try and ice the game, but he too missed a 1-and-1 attempt. This time Syracuse brought the ball down the court but it couldn't hold on to it, losing control as the ball slipped out of bounds. Following another Syracuse foul, LeVert went to the line for a second 1-and-1 attempt and knocked down two free throws to put Michigan up three points - this time for good. A 3-point attempt from Syracuse fell short at the buzzer to give Michigan its first marquee win of the season. Albrecht might have captured most of the attention at the pointguard position,butWalton started the game after being called a game-time decision on Monday due to a left toe injury. Be11ienid Walton told him he was OK to play just 10 minutes before tip-off and he wanted to start Walton when he was stretched out as opposed to starting Albrecht and bringing Walton in off the bench. The two guards shared minutes throughout the game, but neither tould get the offense going in the first half, as it shot 13-of-36 in the first frame. In the first 20 minutes, Michigan and Syracuse battled back and forth with neither team able to get shots to go. The Wolverines started the game 0-for-7fromthe field, struggling to get shots to fall over the Orange's 2-3 zone defense. But Syracuse's shooting woes kept them from running away with it early. Save for forward Rakeem Christmas, who shot 5-for-6 from the field in the half, the Orange went just 6-for-19 in the frame. Sophomore forward - Zak Irvin kept Michigan in the game throughout the first half, knocking down two 3-pointers and scoring 12 points. In the second stanza, Irvin helped the Wolverines push the lead to 10 - their largest lead of the game - with just over seven minutes to go to give it some breathing room. He finished with a game- high18 points. Michigan's ability to get shots to fall in the second half and to start attacking the rim allowed them to break down Syracuse's defense. "We were more aggressive in the second half," LeVert said. "In the first half we were kind of conservative. We weren't really penetrating to get in the middle of it. In the second half, (the ability to penetrate) opened it up and we knocked down some shots." The Orange didn't hold back at the end, and it used a couple of late jumpers to cut the lead and tie it, but sloppy play at the end ultimately cost them an onnortunity to get aead.n By GREG GARNO ManagingSportsEditor After Brady Hoke was fired Tuesday, Michigan Athletic Director Jim Hackett now turns to the task of finding his replacement. He has a later start than schools such as Florida and Nebraska, who fired Will Muschamp and Bo Pelini, respectively. Muschamp was fired nearly two weeks ago, and Pelini was released of his head coaching duties Sunday. But what Hackett doesn't have in time, he has in talent. Michigan's brand and prestige don't have the same luster it did before Rich Rodriguez was hired, though. How Hackett goes about his search will, in part, depend on those willing to take on the challenge. The Daily breaks down potential candidates to become the Wolverines' next head coach, in no particular order or rank. Dan Mullen, head coach, Mississippi State: Background: Mullen has led the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record this season, having lost only to Alabama and Ole Miss. He's 46-29 at Mississippi State and has developed a team that once sat at the bottom of the SEC West into a top-10 team nationally, including a brief stay atop the polls. Prior to Mississippi State, Mullen was the offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer at Florida and served as a quarterbacks coach at BGSU and Utah. Pros and cons: Mullen is young and he has experience against big-name programs and in the postseason. His track record at turning around a program is noteworthy, but his record in the Southeastern Conference isn't nearly as good. Could it happen? Mullen will certainly be pursued, but it will be tough to convince him to leave an already successful program and go back to rebuilding. Craig Bohl, head coach, Wyoming: Background: You probably haven't heard of Bohl, but perhaps you heard about the powerhouse at North Dakota State. Bohl, who finished 4-8 this season, is in his first year with the Cowboys. But he built the Bison into a formidable program in 10 years, winning three consecutive Division I national championships in his final three seasons. Pros and cons: Bohl has built a program before and knows how to make the most of less- heralded players. He'd be more than willing to take over a big program and could handle the transition process well. But he has never regularly faced a Big Ten-caliber schedule or played against other Power 5 opponents. Could it happen? Michigan shied away from bringing in a popular name last time, so it could do so again if things don't work out with the bigger names. But the Wolverines will seek out a proven name this time before turning to a backup option. If Bohl had a couple more years at Wyomingto findsuccess it would seem more plausible. Les Miles, head coach, LSU: Background: You might remember Les Miles as the original choice to replace Rich Rodriguez in 2010 before Brady Hoke was hired. Miles is 131- 49 at LSU and Oklahoma State, holding a 7-5 record in bowl games. He won the National Championship in 2007 with LSU. Pros and cons: Miles played under Bo Schembechler and has the experience at a big name program that fans clamor for. He has beaten top teams in the SEC and would bring his strong recruitinggprowess to Ann Arbor. Miles is 61, though, and he wouldn't necessarily be a long- term option for a program that looks to restore its consistent success. Could it happen? Miles is also in a secure position since LSU is a safe bet to finish with nine or 10 wins every season. But he's long been tied to Michigan and could wrap up his coaching career at the place he started playing. Tom Herman, offensive coordinator, Ohio State: Background: Herman doesn't have any experience as a head coach, but he spent the past nine years as an offensive coordinator at Ohio State, Iowa State, Rice and Texas State. He's found success at each school, most recently coaching some of the Big Ten's best offenses at Ohio State. He turned freshman J.T. Barrett into the conference's best quarterback in just one year. Pros and cons: Herman could be an answer to Michigan's offensive woes this season and would be able to develop sophomore quarterback Shane Morris into all that he was projected to be. But leaving Ohio State for its biggest rival might not be feasible. And most importantly, he still lacks head coaching experience. Could it happen? It's not likely that Michigan would turn to a coordinator, though it wouldn't be unprecedented. Still, there are bigger names out there before the Wolverines turn to Herman. David Shaw, head coach, Stanford: Background: At 7-5, Shaw may be having a down year, but his track record has otherwise turned him into a solid candidate. In his first three seasons at Stanford, Shaw led his teams to the Fiesta Bowl and consecutive Rose Bowls. He coached for four years under current San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. Pros and cons: Shaw is a winner, and he's proven capable of developing talented quarterbacks such as Andrew Luck and Kevin Hogan. But he's also settling into a program that he played and coached for, so poaching him would be tough. Could it happen? His ties to Stanford are likely too strong, but a sizeable paycheck could change that. And the thought that he would need to rebuild a program would likely deter him. Butch Jones, head coach, Tennessee: Background: Jones isn't having the most successful year in Knoxville, where the Volunteers are currently 6-6. But he took over both Central Michigan and Cincinnati from Brian Kelly and built those teams up even further. He holds a 61-40 record in his eight years as a head coach. Pros and cons: Jones has experience taking over programs and can recruit well. He's also a Michigan native and has enough experience against top teams in the SEC. But he's not fared well enough at a big program to prove he can handle Michigan. Could it happen? After two years, Jones is likely to stay put at Tennessee for now. But he's a good balance of a big name and comes from small beginnings. If he is willing to move, then he could be a good candidate. Jim Harbaugh, Head coach (NFL), San Francisco 49ers: Background: The name everyone has called for, Jim Harbaugh, is a former quarterback under Schembechler and now working in the NFL. He holds a 43-16- 1 record with the 49ers, but is havinghisworst seasonwith the team, currently sitting at 7-5. He coached at Stanford before that, taking over alowly program and finishing with an 11-1 record after the 2010 season. Pros and cons: Harbaugh developed a strong offense at Stanford and knows how to develop talent even better. He is a proven winner in college and in the NFL, known for his terse demeanor. But Harbaugh is very controlling and does not always get along with his players. Could it happen? No matter how hard you wish, it's not likely. He's rumored to be leaving San Francisco, but ESPN's Adam Schefter has said he's not likely to return to Ann Arbor. But if Hackett were able to swing the deal, it could be the beginning of a turnaround. Other options: Michigan will have plenty of options beyond those mentioned above. Here are some other options that could be in the mix. Greg Schiano, unemployed, previously at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rutgers. Mike Gundy, head coach, Oklahoma State. Pat Narduzzi, defensive coordinator, Michigan State. Scott Frost, offensive coordinator, Oregon. Rich Rodriguez, head coach, Arizona, 2014 Pac 12 Coach of the Year (Just kidding. Wanted to see if you were still reading). Sophomore forward Zak Irvin scored 12 points on Tuesday, but his two three pointers helped swing momentum. Jackson surprisedoke fir ing, uncerta in on future, By GREG GARNO ManagingSports Editor Even amidst the speculation surrounding Brady Hoke's job status, running backs coach Fred Jackson was still surprised by Tuesday's announcement that Hoke had been fired. Jackson said he had heard of Hoke's firing through the news, and not from Hoke himself on Tuesday afternoon outside Schembechler Hall. "I didn't really expect it," Jackson said upon arriving. "I know we didn't play as well as people would like to see us play, but I also understand it's all about winning and losing and we didn't win enoughgames." Monday, the Wolverines' running backs coach for the past 23 years had been on the road recruiting for Hoke, talking to recruits about next year's situation and "how good (the running backs) can be." But one day later, he was left wondering about his ownjob. "I'm going to coach football somewhere," he said. "It might not be here." And he could do it again, as interim Athletic Director Jim Hackett said assistant coaches would be meeting about their futures. It should be noted that Jackson has survived several head coach changes before, includingRichRodriguez in2010. He worked under Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr, coaching backs such as Chris Perry, Mike Hart and Anthony Thomas. "One of the messages we're going to give them is that we'd like to have our new coach have the right to interview them," Hackett said. "I don't want them to have to go through two disappointments." And after going through coaching changes, Hackett has seen how each coach has left the program. But he wasn't prepared to say whether Hoke had a fair shot to finish coaching. "I don't know how to answer that question," Jackson said. "I feel the administration makes decisions based on when they need a timetable made but I'm not 100-percentsurewhat'sright orwronginthatsituation. "It's a situation now where I feel uncomfortable that these kids are putin this position where they're not knowing everything was goingto happen so fast."