321 The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition 2007
Beilein hired as next
Michigan's new coach
By H. JOSE BOSCH
Daily Sports Editor-
ZAC
Michigan State center Drew Naymick blocks Michigan guard Dion Harris's shot.
Cagers can't ma
Spartans' hun
By DANIEL LEVY
DailySports Writer
Feb. 14, 2007 - EAST LANSING - It was
a game Michigan State had to have.
It was a game Michigan would have
liked to have.
And as the two conference foes battled
down the stretch last night at the Breslin
Center, that difference was obvious.
The Spartans snapped their four-game
losing streak with a 59-44 victory over
their not-so-competitive rivals. Michigan
State has won six of the past seven con-
tests.
The Wolverines committed 20 turn-
overs and were left wondering what might
have been had they just held onto the ball.
"I didn't even know," said Michigan
guard Dion Harris after learning exactly
how many times his team turned the ball
over. "That's unbelievable to me knowing
we have full strength on the perimeter.
That's terrible?'
Despite the turnovers, Michigan still
found itself in the game late, trailing 40-36
with less than seven minutes remaining.
Unable to penetrate Michigan State's
defense, junior Ron Coleman was forced to
heave a desperation 3-pointer as the shot
clock expired. The Spartans capitalized on
the wild possession with a Raymar Mor-
gan lay-up to extend their lead to six.
Michigan center Courtney Sims drib-
bled into trouble on the next possession,
leading to two more for Morgan, who fin-
ished with 18 points.
The following time down the floor, it
was Michigan guard Jerret Smith's turn to
lose the ball. The turnover led to a Drew
Neitzel three, an 11-point Michigan State
lead and the nail in the W
"That was the turnir
game," Sims said. "Wec
ball. You can't do that, esp
physical they were."
The Wolverines hung
with a mix of expected s
Harris three as well as s
two free throws from J
and a banked 3-pointer fr'
For the Spartans, every
Neitzel, who finished witl
points.
The junior started the
ing Harris's triples with
his own. With the Wolv
drawn to him, Neitzel se
up for shots, the prettiest
a pick-and-roll that comp
Michigan's defenders. Nei
ball off to a wide-open G
then sent the ball to Mar
crowd-charging slam.
Even when Neitzel miss
a way to excite the fans. P
the half, Michigan thougl
two off a long rebound, b
Shepherd from behind a
ball off his knee for a Mic
After that, Neitzel got
does best. The Spartan
down two more triples, in
six seconds remaining in
Michigan State a 24-23 lea
"We knew (Neitzel) is1
senior Brent Petway said.
the ball in the basket, an
him credit."
Even though the Wt
Neitzel down in the seco
him to just seven points, it
Apr. 5, 2007 - Former West
Virginia men's basketball
coach John Beilein, his wife
Kathleen and his sons Mark
and Patrick all wore gold
Block-'M' pins as they entered
the Junge Family Champions
Center yesterday afternoon.
The Michigan men's basket-
ball team followed behind.
The moment featured two
HARY MEIsNER/Daily families - the Michigan family
and the Beilein family - wel-
h coming each other.
Beilein was officially intro-
duced as Michigan's new men's
baCtbal cac nyeteda
afternoon.
e r The announcement ends the
coaching search that began
March 17 when Athletic Direc-
olverines' coffin. tor Bill Martin fired former
ng point in the coach TommyAmaker.
didn't value the "I feltvery,verycomfortable
'ecially with how with (Beilein)," Martin said. "I
saw that he was the right fit for
in the first half Michigan."
cores - a pair of The $2.5 million buyout
urprise baskets, from West Virginia that was
evohn Shepherd thought to be a point of conten-
om Smith. tion is not the responsibility of
thing came from Michigan, Beilein said during
h a game-high 21 the press conference. He told
the media his lawyers were
game by answer- takingcare of the situation.
h five points of The contract is for six years,
erines' attention and his base salary will be
t his teammates $200,000. He will receive an
play coming on additional $1.1 million per year
letely scrambled for television, radio, Internet
tzel dropped the and other responsibilities.
oran Suton, who The other major issue at
'quise Gray for a hand was Michigan's lack
of practice facilities. Beilein
ed, he still found acknowledged that he and
Midway through Martin have a general plan for
ht it had an easy the future, but said nothing is
ut Neitzel caught set in stone. When pressed on
nd knocked the the fact that he wasn't guar-
higan turnover. anteed a new practice facility,
back to what he Beilein deflected the question.
leader knocked "(Martin's) open to all
cluding one with options," Beilein said. "That's
the half, to give terrific for me to hear. That's
ad at the break. all I can ask, is give us a chance
their go-to guy," to compete with our competi-
"He's able to put tors and recruiting young men,
d you gotta give practicing and developing our
players."
alverines cooled Then Beilein turned and
'nd half, holding pointed to the group of current
t wasn't enough. Michigan basketball players
standing off to the left. WINNIN
"Those are some pretty EVERYT
important recruits right there,"
Beilein said. "They're already Beilein is signed tarnin
here, but you have to recruit $200,000 basesalary. Bi
them every day to be better about the bottom line - ti
players. That's important as bonuses linked to winnin
well. We'll plan on doing that
as the facilities are upgraded, 0 $25,000 NCAA Tourn
and certainly with the facili-
ties we have right now." * $50,000 Sweet16
With Beilein's impressive
track record, expectations are @$100,000 Final Four
high. But Beilein was optimis- 0 $150,000 National C
tic in his openingstatement.
"There are big challenges, NOTCUMUL
but I've never looked at the chal-
lenges as much as I've looked at coaching."
the opportunities," Beilein said. Beilein answer
"We have one greatopportunity of questions rangi
here to put the University of issue of his buyou
Michigan basketball program offensive system ri
back on a national stage and be When questio
national contenders." his offensive anc
The former Mountaineers' strategies, Beilein
coach comes in with consider- to get everyone o
able postseason success over page regarding his
his 29 years of coaching. In the style" offense.
past three years, Beilein has "I want to set
reached the Elite Eight and the straight," Beileins
Sweet 16. He won the National don't use the wo
Invitational Tournament Title Princeton, it's a g
last Thursday. Michigan hasn't sity. (But) that w
made the NCAA Tournament saying, 'Hey, if you
since 1998. Japanese, you undi
Despite his successes at nese.' It's different
West Virginia, Beilein decided Not every mot
to leave Morgantown, W.Va., laugh from the
and come to Ann Arbor. Beilein was assei
"You go with what you feel is vision for the bas
right in your gut and what you gram.
believe," Beilein said. "I think "I brought aeou
that there are a lot of similari- rings and an Elite
ties in the type of young man and a Sweet 16 ri
and student-athlete and stu- said. "I passed it
dent that come from Michi- these guys today
gan to the same ones that I've 'We're going to put
recruited in all my years of soon as we can.'"
G IS
ING
years at a
ut it isnt just
he contract has
g:
ament
hampionship
KATIVE BONUSES
ed an array
ng from the
t to how his
uns.
ned about
id defensive
attempted
on the same
"Princeton-
the record
said. "Please
rd - I love
reat univer-
ould be like
a understand
erstand Chi-
t."
Ment got a
crowd, but
rtive in his
ketball pro-
ple of NCAA
e Eight ring
ng," Beilein
around to
and I said,
t these on as
10
Michigan men's basketball coach John Beilein is introduced.
0