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