LISTEN LIVE: Hockey v. Colorado College in GLI Championship!

LISTEN LIVE at 7:35 as Michigan looks to capture its 14th GLI title versus the Tigers of Colorado College at Joe Louis Arena.

Andrew Goddeeris, Adam Brewster, and Michael Lewandowski on the call.

LISTEN LIVE: Hockey v. Michigan Tech @ Great Lakes Invitational!

LISTEN LIVE at 7:35 as the Wolverines look to take down the Huskies from MTU in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena!

Andrew Goddeeris, Adam Brewster, and Michael Lewandowski on the call.

LIVEBLOG: Basketball v. Purdue

LISTEN LIVE: Basketball v. Oakland

LISTEN LIVE at noon as the Michigan basketball team takes on the Oakland Grizzlies from Crisler!

Jack Warner and Andrew Goddeeris on the call.

LISTEN LIVE: The BIG CHILL at the BIG HOUSE!

LISTEN LIVE at 3 pm to the Big Chill at the Big House as Michigan hockey takes on Michigan State in front of a world record crowd in Ann Arbor.

Andrew Goddeeris, John Zaccardelli, Bill Rothwell, and Chris LaFreniere in the booth.

LISTEN LIVE: Basketball v. Utah

LISTEN LIVE tonight at 6:30 as the Michigan Wolverines look to continue their winning streak against the Utah Utes in a rematch from last season's ugly defeat.

Jack Warner and Adam Wilensky on the call.

Michigan vs. Concordia

Listen in as the Michigan Wolverines take on the Concordia Cardinals in basketball!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/university-of-michigan-athletics

We'll be on at about 7:30! Tyler Bruens, Steve Cook, and Jeff Turner with the call

LISTEN LIVE: Basketball v. Harvard

LISTEN LIVE to Tommy Amaker's homecoming as the Michigan Wolverines takes on the Crimson of Harvard at 1 pm.

Jack Warner, Andrew Goddeeris, Tyler Bruens, and Matt Bernstein on the call.

Josh Groban? Football? It better be game over for Rodriguez

Disclaimer: What you are about to read is both opinionated and offends good taste.

GAMETIME

In case you missed seeing it somewhere in the news, the Michigan football team had their annual end of the season banquet yesterday in Livonia. The most newsworthy of the events that occurred was a Rich Rodriguez speech in which he emotionally stated his strong desire to be a Michigan man. Something also to note was that Rodriguez had his team hold hands to the song "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban.

TIMEOUT

Josh Groban? Football?

Rich Rodriguez, based on my potentially biased opinion, has all but told us that he is out the door after the bowl game. If this is true, the Josh Groban song is acceptable because this banquet was like a funeral- the death of an era. People get teary and emotional at funerals, I understand. But the extent of my empathy is only contingent on the fact that Rich Rodriguez knows he's gone.

TIME IN

And if he doesn't know the status of his employment at the University of Michigan next year?

SHAME ON HIM. What's with this nonsense about Rich Rodriguez acting so soft in front of crowds? He moped about the NCAA allegations, he moped about his defensive woes all season, he moped about the injury problems on his team, and now this? Josh Groban?

Coach: Crying (or coming damn near it) never solved anything. If you don't know that you're going to get fired, then stop acting so feeble. It doesn't resonate well with fans, administration, or recruits.

When Tim Tebow's Florida Gators got beat in 2008 by an inferior Ole Miss team, potentially ruining a championship season, how long did he feel sorry for himself? About 5 minutes. Then he stood up in front of a crowd of media, delivered (regardless of what you think of Tim Tebow) a great speech about how hard the team the was going to work the rest of the season, and then got it done by winning a national championship. Tebow's leadership turned sorrow into determination.

And Rodriguez? Well, after months of having his tail between his legs in front of the media and alumni, it appears that it will remain there. This submissiveness, I'm sure, is doing wonders for the public's perception of him as a strong-minded football coach.

GAME OVER

Michigan had a winning record, but not a winning season. A winning season breeds optimism, support, and a determination to improve. Instead, the Michigan football team is currently surrounded by pessimism amongst supporters, de-committing recruits, and a student body that has the right to feel sorry themselves for having to live through the Dark Years of modern day Michigan football. When you're a junior at Michigan and you have yet to beat Michigan State, Penn State, or Ohio State, a little bit of wallowing in self-pity isn't hard to accomplish.

I can never fault a man for getting upset over losing his job, but as long as Rich Rodriguez is publicly known as the head coach of Michigan, he owes it to the Michigan fan base paying his multi-million dollar salary to act the part. Michigan fans are simple creatures: they like to win, and they like to be around people who are determined to win. Excuses, moping, and an affinity for Josh Groban, have not, and will not ever, fulfill this simple desire.

(Updated) Should He Stay or Should He Go: The Rich Rodriguez Saga

At this point, Michigan fans have had a couple weeks to know about where the football program would finish this season, and people have been finalizing their opinions on Coach Rodriguez's job security for some time now.

I think it's fair to say the majority of the fanbase as a whole wants Coach Rod canned - the NCAA violations, the spread, the Big Ten record, losing streaks to conference powers and rivals, the complete and utter lack of defense. It's a wholly reasonable opinion, as Rodriguez's tenure at Michigan has been an utter embarrassment, and it's hard to keep coming up with excuses for the coach. Emotionally, Michigan fans feel like enough is enough, and are ready to forgive Jim Harbaugh's comments about Michigan's standards to hire the architect of the turnaround in Palo Alto.

There's another sizable contingent who says Rodriguez deserves another year. Three years is a short amount of time in the scheme of things, and he's still getting his recruits in place and up to speed in his schemes. Rodriguez has been the victim of an absurd amount of transfers, injuries, and admissions snafus, and inherited a certifiably awful 2007 recruiting class from Lloyd Carr. He's demonstrated progress - an explosive offense behind the nation's most electrifying player and seven wins and a bowl in his third season. Giving Rodriguez another year to get Michigan back to contending for the Big Ten championship would help avoid what could be a rash of transfers and would provide some much needed continuity that's important for player development and recruiting.

Dave Brandon does not have an enviable position as he heads home tonight, cell phone surely buzzing off the hook with alumni, former players, and friends offer their opinions on the fate of the coaching spot at the nation's winningest program. Whatever his decision, a couple things are clear:

• Anyone less than Jim Harbaugh will be a disappointment. The Stanford coach and "Michigan Man" (ed. some of us haven't forgiven his previous treachery) has expressed a desire to coach at his alma mater in the past, and he absolutely is the #1 choice of Michigan fans everywhere. Hiring anyone else would have fans scratching their heads and wringing their hands.
• Whoever coaches at Michigan next year should have a minimum expectation of 9 wins. Michigan will return 19 starters, will have one of the nation's most explosive offenses returning almost entirely intact, and will have improved depth and experience on defense. Michigan will have the talent to win 9 games next year, and anything less will be a major disappointment, no matter who the coach is.
• Michigan fans will continue to support their team wholeheartedly. Fans support the team far more than the coach, and nobody will care who coaches the team as long as the team is succeeding.

Sports Directors' Decisions

Bill: Fire Rodriguez. The time has come to make the change, and we owe Rodriguez nothing. Bring on Jim Harbaugh.

Andrew: Rodriguez should get one more year, for most of the reasons listed above. However, I won't be heartbroken if RichRod is out at Michigan. I like Rodriguez more than most people, and want badly for him to succeed, but I want much more for Michigan to succeed, and if Harbaugh gives Michigan that chance then so be it. I think it would be premature to fire Rodriguez, but I can certainly understand the decision if it happens.

AD Dave Brandon will surely have to do some damage control if he plans on keeping Rodriguez, and you should expect the former CEO to crank up the PR very soon if Rodriguez is the guy. If he decides to fire Rodriguez, expect the decision to come sooner than later, and expect Harbaugh to be the pick. We'll know a lot more on Monday.

Bonus rumor: Update - We're going to go ahead and repost the rumor. It's precisely that, a rumor, and it should by no means be interpreted as anything more. If the powers that be have an issue with this, please email me at amgodd@umich.edu.

Following the fiasco in Columbus, a couple WCBN personalities were informed by a source that Rich Rodriguez would be replaced by Jim Harbaugh, and that Rodriguez would be headed to Miami to take over the head coaching job there. We were initially highly skeptical, but with the firing of Randy Shannon a few hours after we received this tip, have reason to be a bit more confident that this will happen. Some of us are much more skeptical than others, and the Shannon firing wasn't exactly a major surprise, but there's enough here in our minds to leave it up on the blog. It's all very interesting. We'll see how it plays out.

Update II - WCBN has learned through a source within the University of Miami administration that the U and Rich Rodriguez have been in contact. What this means, however, is unknown. Everybody contacts everybody with these coaching searches, and it could be nothing more than Miami reaching out to RichRod only to be rebuffed. However, we believe there has been contact, which is interesting enough to pass along.

Whoever the coach - forever and always, Go Blue.

LISTEN LIVE: THE GAME

LISTEN LIVE. THE GAME. NOON.

Andrew Goddeeris and Bill Rothwell from the Camera Deck at Ohio Stadium.

Midseason Hockey Thoughts

Well, well, well…with the non-conference schedule over and Michigan a few series into the CCHA, we have learned a few things. Michigan is still the Michigan of last year. A talented team with the ability to score goals, run a deadly powerplay, and makes key saves, but they cannot do it for 60 minutes or over 48 hours. Ties against Mercyhurst, New Hampshire, and Ferris State clearly show they cannot close out games on a consistent basis. Michigan has had a curse of sorts the past two seasons with having an awful Friday night record and a strong Saturday night record. Michigan is 2-3-1 on Friday night games this season and 6-0-2 on Saturday. The most disappointing moment has to be the Friday night game against Notre Dame two weekend ago, when Michigan had to strong two periods before tanking in the third. This past weekend Michigan took care of an inferior Lake Superior State team. After Thanksgiving is the College Hockey Showcase. Wisconsin and Minnesota, who are in the middle of the pack of their conference, will be a good barometer to determine if the wolverines are improving or staying stagnant.

Although, there is hope with this Jekyll and Hyde team because they clearly have talent. Defensemen Jon Merrill has played very comfortable as a freshman on the top pairing, Hagelin and Caporusso are scoring at a point per game pace, and Bryan Hogan has put up good stats. Even Scooter Vaughan has emerged as a scoring threat. Michigan fans might have to wait until the end of the season before the hockey team can get their act together as they did last year. The pressure is on the seniors to get back to the frozen four like they did when they were freshmen.

-JZ

Three Spankings and You're Out!

Can Rich Rodriguez afford to lose this weekend to keep his job? Yes.

Can Rich Rodriguez afford for his team to get walloped in the biggest rivalry game in sports three times in a row? I doubt it.

I like Rich Rodriguez, but let's be honest: the man has done a poor job coaching arguably the best college football program in the country. I know the cupboard was empty when he came in 2008, I know he's faced an onslaught of freak injuries that continue to cripple his defense, and I know that it takes time to institute a new system such as the spread... but some things are simply inexcusable. Getting thwacked by Jim Tressel's Buckeyes after three years of building your program, no matter how decimated with injuries the Wolverines currently seem, is one of those things.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon has been adamant about keeping Rich Rodriguez around Michigan's campus since the day Brandon was hired. According to Brandon, immediate success would not gauge Rich Rod's job security, but rather, "progress" would be key.

Call me crazy, but "progress" has yet to be accomplished by Rich Rod against the Big Ten's elite. Heck, some might say Michigan's regressed. Just last year the Michigan State Spartans and the Iowa Hawkeyes beat the Wolverines by margins of 6 and 2 respectively. And this year? Well, let's just say the combined margin was greater than 25, with both schools beating Michigan AT HOME by double digits.

Where is the progress? It's true that the maize and blue have improved their record every year under Rich Rodriguez, but Michigan has looked silly against Michigan State, Iowa, Penn State, and Wisconsin this year. No progress, it seems, has been made regarding how the Wolverines stack up to the top teams in the Big Ten conference.

The only good news for Rodriguez is that the trump card is still in play for 2010. The one game that matters more than the rest has yet to be played. A win against Ohio State, in my opinion, constitutes progress. Shoot, even a close game (within 10 points) would show that this team is on the rebound. But if history repeats itself and Michigan gets dominated by another Big Ten powerhouse, I'm just not so sure that Dave Brandon, with his self-imposed standards, can justify keeping Rich Rodriguez as the head coach of the University of Michigan football team.

I think three Buckeye-decorated spankings for Rich Rodriguez in three years, regardless of the circumstances, will mean he's out.

Listen: Basketball v. Gardner-Webb

LISTEN LIVE at 2 as Michigan basketball looks to move to 3-0 on the young season.

Adam Wilensky and Jack Warner on the call.

LISTEN: Hockey v. LSSU

LISTEN LIVE at 7:35 as Michigan looks to sweep the Lakers out of Yost.

John Zaccardelli, Michael Lewandowski, Adam Brewster, and Jeff Turner on the call.

LISTEN: Volleyball v. Indiana

LISTEN LIVE at 7 as Michigan volleyball takes on Indiana at Cliff Keen!

Andrew Goddeeris, Chris Kudialis, and Michael Fienberg on the call.

Listen: Football v. #7 Wisconsin

LISTEN LIVE at NOON as Michigan takes on #7 Wisconsin at the Big House. Michigan looks to improve to 8-3 on the year and get the marquee win of the Rich Rodriguez era.

Andrew Goddeeris, Bill Rothwell, Jeff Turner, and Chris Lafreniere on the call.

LISTEN: Volleyball v. Purdue

LISTEN LIVE as Michigan looks to rebound from tough losses on the road last weekend as they return to Cliff Keen to take on Purdue!

Tyler Bruens and Steve Neff on the call.

LISTEN: Hockey v. LSSU

LISTEN LIVE at 7:35 as the Wolverines look to snap their Friday funk and get an important conference win over the Lakers at Yost.

Andrew Goddeeris, Michael Lewandowski, and Kevin Carpenter on the call.

Michigan Basketball vs. Bowling Green

LISTEN LIVE at 7:00pm Thursday, November 18.

Is Amir Williams really about to Terrelle Pryor us?

Brace yourself, because what you're about to hear won't be good.

Multiple sources have begun to report that Detroit Country Day basketball standout Amir Williams, despite some late, promising visits to Ann Arbor, will be choosing between Ohio State and Florida for his commitment this Wednesday. It sounds like Michigan is going to take the bronze in the recruiting race for the 6'9" center... which means they will take nothing.

Is it just me, or is this history repeating itself to a sickening degree? Wolverine fans remember when current Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor teased the Wolverines for a few months before converting to the dark side, and now, my gut tells me, Amir Williams will do the same. The factor that makes this one even worse? Amir is from Detroit! Our backyard, our talent, and he is choosing to be a hairless nut for the next four years instead of becoming one of the leaders and best.

But not all hope for a decent future is lost.

As we have had to do multiple times in the last 5 years, Michigan fans now turn to Florida to turn a negative into a neutral. Remember 2007? The gators managed to beat the Buckeyes for the NCAA championship in both football and basketball.

Here's to hoping for one more triumph for Florida... goooo gators!

Michigan Basketball vs. South Carolina Upstate

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LISTEN: Michigan football v. Purdue

LISTEN LIVE as Michigan looks to move to 7-3 on the road against the Boilermakers from Purdue!

Tyler Bruens, Chris Kudialis, Matt Bernstein, and Adam Wilensky on the call live from West Lafayette.

LISTEN: Michigan hockey v. Notre Dame

LISTEN LIVE at 7:35 as Michigan hockey takes on the Fighting Irish from Notre Dame!

Andrew Goddeeris, Michael Lewandowksi, Adam Wilensky, and Matt Bernstein on the call.

Volleyball v. OSU

LISTEN LIVE as Michigan looks to bounce back from a tough loss to PSU and take down the Buckeyes at Cliff Keen at 6 pm.

Andrew Goddeeris and Chris Kudialis on the call.

Michigan football v. Illinois

LISTEN LIVE as the Wolverines look to snap their Big Ten skid and get bowl eligible for the first time in the Rich Rodriguez era against the Illini from Champaign. Kickoff at NOON.

Andrew Goddeeris, Bill Rothwell, Tyler Bruens, and Chris Kudialis on the call.

#15 Volleyball v. # 9 Penn State

The hottest ticket in town is MICHIGAN VOLLEYBALL! LISTEN LIVE tonight at 7 pm as the #15 Michigan Wolverines look to take down the #9 Nittany Lions in front of a SOLD OUT Cliff Keen Arena!

LISTEN LIVE

Andrew Goddeeris and the WCBN crew are your official voice of Michigan Volleyball!

Michigan hockey v. Ferris State

LISTEN LIVE Saturday night at 7:35 as the Wolverines take on the Bulldogs of Ferris State University!

Michael Lewandowski, Jordan Rochelson, and Kevin Carpenter on the call!

Hockey v. UNO Game 2

LISTEN LIVE as Michigan looks to bounce back from a 4-2 loss to the Mavericks from Nebraska at Omaha. Puck drops at 7:35 pm!

Andrew Goddeeris, Jack Warner, Adam Wilensky, and Matt Bernstein on the call.

Michigan hockey v. Nebraska-Omaha

LISTEN LIVE tonight at 7:35 pm as the #4 Michigan Wolverines take on the #10 University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks.

Andrew Goddeeris, John Zaccardelli, and Kevin Carpenter on the call.

Michigan football v. #15 Iowa

LISTEN LIVE as the Michigan Wolverines look to take down the Hawkeyes and get bowl eligible for the first time in three seasons!

3:30 pm, Andrew Goddeeris, Andrew Seid, Steve Petras, Adam Brewster, and Jillian Rothman in the booth.

#15 Michigan volleyball v. #20 Northwestern

LISTEN LIVE as the Michigan volleyball team looks to stay atop the Big Ten standings against the Wildcats from Northwestern.

Live at 7 pm from Cliff Keen Arena.

Don't miss the long-awaited return of WCBN alum Andrew Seid, the long-time voice of Michigan volleyball!

Something to note this weekend: the Dom Pointer decision

In the heart of Michigan football season, it's unlikely that many people are thinking about basketball, so if you've taken a break from Wolverines basketball (after a season to forget) let me brighten your day with a nugget of information:

With any sort of luck, by next Tuesday, the University of Michigan mens basketball program may land their biggest recruit since Manny Harris: enter Dom "Ziggy" Pointer.

Pointer, a Roseville, MI native who has been going to high school in Winston, North Carolina, is ranked by michigan.scout.com as the #82 prospect in the country (regardless of position), and the #18 Small Forward. Pointer, a 6'5" slasher with good inside touch, will be in Ann Arbor this weekend for his last official visit, and, by all accounts, should make a decision within days of his visit.

While Ziggy has not been very vocal about which way he is leaning between Michigan, St. Johns, and West Virginia, Pointer's parents, who still reside in Michigan, have been open about wanting their son to go to school close to home.

I have an admitted bias as the author of this article, but based on Pointer's parents' quotes, I would put big money on Michigan for this kid.

Volleyball vs. Michigan State

LISTEN LIVE

Wednesday, 10/13/10 7:00pm

Michigan hockey v. US NTDP U-18

Michigan takes on the NTDP U-18 team tonight live from Yost Ice Arena at 7:35 pm.

John Zaccardelli, Michael Lewandowski, and Jillian Rothman on the call.

LISTEN LIVE!

Michigan Football vs. Michigan State

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VOLLEYBALL-LISTEN LIVE!

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Michigan takes on Wisconsin at 7 pm at Cliff Keen and looks to improve to 4-1 in the Big Ten!

Hockey season is here!

The Michigan hockey team starts out the 2010-2011 fresh after a trip to the regional finals last year. Michigan for the first time in 13 years returns all their non-seniors. The forward trio of Carl Hagelin, Matt Rust, and Louie Caporusso look to defend their CCHA tournament championship and return to the Frozen Four for the first time since their freshman season. Michigan gains three defensive recruits this season which includes New Jersey Devils’ second-round pick Jon Merrill. They have depth at the position but the first couple weeks will tell if the talent can make up for the graduations of Chris Summer and Steve Kampfer. Senior walk-on Shawn Hunwick will start the season as the number one goaltender, however Bryan Hogan has a legitimate shot to regain it if Hunwick struggles.

This past weekend, Michigan played its first regular season game against Mercyhurst followed by an exhibition game with Western Ontario. Red Berenson was looking for his 700^th career win but unfortunately he will have to wait another week at least. Michigan looked comfortable up 4-0 late in the second period and then proceeded to sit back and give up four unanswered goals. After a crazy five minutes of overtime, the Wolverines tied Mercyhurst 4-4. Captain Carl Hagelin was sent off for a fortuitous hit from behind early in the 2^nd period before the Lakers comeback, but I believe if Hagelin plays the full sixty we would be talking about a win. Yes, it is a scare although it was only a tie and not a loss. Michigan played the next day against Western Ontario, winning 4-2.

Now for the player’s performances. Shawn Hunwick looked sharp in the first two periods, stopping several good chances by the Lakers. I wouldn’t fault Hunwick on the four goals in the third because they were either odd man situations or tick-tac-toe plays by Mercyhurst. The seniors on the team, Hagelin, Rust, Caporusso, and Langlais played well and to expectations although Langlais was at fault for not having his stick ready on one of the goals. Brandon Burlon definitely could have had better performance and Greg Pateryn played alright. It is important for these junior defensemen to give the Wolverines quality depth for a run at the NCAA tournament. Freshman Jon Merrill played a lot of minutes and looked very mature, picked up an assist, but had one “freshman” moment that contributed to one of Mercyhurst’s goals. Mac Bennett played on the 3^rd pairing and displayed good stick skills and speed. He just needs to remember he can’t skate around opposing players like in juniors. Kevin Lynch and Chris Brown need to get more involved in the play but at the same time not create too many penalties against the team. Luke Moffatt played average for a freshman in his first collegiate game but did pick up a point against Western Ontario. I wasn’t impressed by the fourth line besides Scooter Vaughan scoring a goal and hitting a post in overtime. Michigan has the talent to put up 3 or 4 goals a game, but they need to stay focus for the whole game because momentum is killer for them. Coach Berenson is still switching up his lines with Hagelin and Rust playing together and the Caporusso, Wohlberg, and Glendening have good chemistry. Hopefully one player can be consistent with the first line, allow Caporusso to be on the second line, and have an effective checking with whoever is bounced out of the scoring lines. Even with the tie, Michigan has the talent to prove that their number 4 preseason ranking was correct.

Cliff Keen Confidential

The Michigan women's volleyball team is the best kept secret on campus.

By now, everyone knows that Yost is a legendary place to watch hockey, that the lacrosse team is a juggernaut, that the only team with maybe more offensive firepower than Denard Robinson is the softball team, or that the soccer teams play in one of the nicest new venues in the country. But what people around campus don't seem to realize is that the most exciting young team on campus doesn't play at the Big House - they play in tiny Cliff Keen Arena.

The football team is obviously, far and away, the premier team on campus. Every game is like a holiday, each win a momentous occasion, each loss casting gloom and doom over Ann Arbor. But when you remove the immense meaning of each game, pound for pound, the Michigan women's volleyball team is the most electric team on campus, as anyone who witnessed their stunning comeback victory over Minnesota on Saturday will attest to.

Down 2-0 headed to the locker room, Michigan was out of sorts. They were pummeled 12-25 in the first set, and lost a hard fought second set 23-25. Minnesota, the #14 ranked team in college volleyball, was big and physical, dominating play at the net behind sophomore Tabi Love. There was a palpable sense of disappointment in the crowd, who had the previous night witnessed Michigan run over an overmatched Iowa squad. This was Michigan's first chance of the season to beat a ranked team, and a Big Ten foe at that. 2-0 felt like an insurmountable hole to climb out of.

And then, a ray of hope. Behind 7 kills from Alex Hunt and 4 from Claire McElheny, Michigan took the third set 25-22. A buzz was restored to Cliff Keen as Michigan was finally able to solve the 6'-6" Love. In a back-and-forth fourth set, Hunt got help from freshman Jennifer Cross and McElheny, and Michigan won 25-23. Michigan believed, and so did the Cliff Keen crowd. After falling down 9-6 in the decisive fifth set, Michigan battled back, and Alex Hunt's career-high 28th kill sealed the upset for the Wolverines.

I, for one, was calling the game for MGoBlue.com and I went nuts. Like, screaming hysterically. The show the Wolverines put on was incredible. Easily in the top two comebacks I've witnessed as a Michigan student (Tate v. ND in 2009 #1, Denard's ND comeback was never in doubt). I know it's just one win, but what a massive, massive win for this Michigan team.

And it's only going to get better. This team is built for something special. Lead by senior All-American setter Lexi Zimmerman, perhaps already the greatest Wolverine volleyball player ever, and junior outside hitter Alex Hunt and libero Sloane Donhoff, Michigan is experienced and talented where it counts. Michigan also sports a fantastic group of talented freshmen in Molly Toon, Jennifer Cross, Lexi Erwin, Brittany Lee, and Ally Saybol, all of whom have gotten extensive playing time so far this season. Toon, Cross and Erwin especially have shown the ability to take over a game and provide solid secondary options to Hunt. Add in solid depth from McElheny, Courtney Fletcher, and Karlee Bruck and Michigan has the veteran leadership to make a run at not only a Big Ten championship, but a national championship.

That road continues this weekend as the Wolverines go on the road to Ohio State and Penn State. Michigan has a legitimate shot to take down the fabled Nittany Lions and emerge from this weekend with a sweep and a message to the world of college volleyball that they are title contenders. Sweep, and Michigan should return to Cliff Keen the following weekend to a standing ovation, and I'd expect the team to draw a packed house. Get on the bandwagon now, Michigan fans, because this volleyball season has the potential to be historic.

What Must Be Done if Denard Robinson is to Win Heisman Trophy

So maybe Ryan Mallett's three interceptions against the best team in college football didn't completely take him out of the Heisman race, but it did cripple his chances. With Mallett's stock wounded, all eyes are on Michigan QB Denard Robinson to take the lead in the competition for college football's most coveted individual prize. As of today, in my opinion, there are two legitimate candidates significantly leading the race for the Heisman- Our beloved Denard Robinson, who has looked like Superman in a winged helmet, and that goon down in Columbus who is not respected enough to be named by the Michigan student who authors this article. If Denard is going to win one for the good guys, there are a few criteria that must be met:

1. Denard must play in all 12 games this year.
This, admittedly, is easier said than done. The Bowling Green knee scare, though nerve-wrecking for the Wolverine faithful, was not detrimental to Denard's Heisman candidacy, but it certainly didn't help. In order to keep up his ridiculous stat line, Denard needs to play... it's that simple.

2. Michigan must win 9 games this year.
We need look no further than the last three Heisman winners to see that the Heisman trophy recepient usually plays on a highly respected team- Ingram's team won it all, Bradford's team finished runner-up, and Tebow's team had 3 losses going into the postseason (remember the capital one bowl?). Though Denard may be the best player is college football, if his team doesn't win, then he may not get the respect he deserves come Heisman voting time.

3. Denard must run for 100+ yards nearly every game.
Yes, he's a quarterback, but what makes Denard Robinson unique is his ability to create on the ground. Mark Ingram won the Heisman trophy with 1658 yds rushing last year and he was a running back. If Denard, who's on pace to get 1500+ yds on the ground, can come anywhere near Ingram's mark he should be on easy street. Remember, Ingram didn't have 2000 yds passing, which is a very feasible passing mark for Robinson in 2010.

4. Denard must show up to play in Columbus.
Think of the defining moments in the Heisman-winning seasons of previous Wolverines. These moments- Desmond Howard striking a pose after a punt return for a touchdown and Charles Woodson returning a punt for a touchdown- occurred against Ohio State. There's no better way to end a year than by embarrassing a rival on the road in the last game of the regular season. This is especially true this year, when Denard's greatest Heisman competition may be the man running the offense opposing the Wolverines.

Whether Denard Robinson fulfills these criteria in 2010 still remains to be seen. With 8 games left to play in the regular season, the Wolverine faithful hopes that whatever Shoelace is doing, he can keep it up.

Michigan Volleyball vs. Minnesota

LISTEN LIVE

Saturday, September 25, 7:00pm

Michigan Football vs. Bowling Green

LISTEN LIVE

Saturday, September 25, 12:00pm

Michigan Volleyball vs. Iowa

LISTEN LIVE

Friday, September 24th, 7:00pm

Football vs. Massachusetts

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Michigan Football vs. Notre Dame

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Michigan Volleyball vs. Youngstown State

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BEAT ND

via MGoBlog.com

Week of the Irish

We have a fantastic upcoming slate of football games to look forward to this weekend! Of course, top billing belongs to the renewal of the rivalry between the Wolverines and the Fighting Irish as Michigan heads to South Bend to take on Notre Dame. Come back to the blog this saturday at 3:30 to listen in live for WCBN Sports' broadcast of the game! Bill Rothwell, The Andrew Goddeeris, Adam Brewster, and Tyler Bruens will have the call What makes this an even better weekend is all the other quality games that fill out the remainder of the weekend:

22 Georgia vs. 24 South Carolina, 12:00 PM

This game starts a three-games-in-a-four-game-stretch that will make or break Steve Spurrier's job at South Carolina. After Georgia, the Ol' ball coach catches a bit of a break against Furman before taking on Auburn and then Alabama. Losing all three of those games against ranked opponents would make it nearly impossible for Spurrier to keep his job (unless he can take down Florida later in the year).

17 Florida St. vs. 10 Okalahoma, 3:30 PM

The Seminoles look to jump on the suddenly weak-looking Sooners. Florida St. looks for its first significant win in the post-Bobby Bowden era while the Sooners look to try to show that last week's rough effort against Utah St. was an aberration.

12 Miami vs. 2 Ohio St, 3:40 pm

This one is a huge game for both teams. Ohio St. looks to gain a more secure footing on second place ahead of Boise St. with a strong showing here, while Miami looks to give itself national championship hopes with a win of its own. The battle between highly-touted QBs Jacory Harris and Terrelle Pryor should be a thrill to watch.

18. Penn St vs. 1 Alabama

JoePa has his work cut out for him this week, taking his Nittany Lions (and true freshman QB Robert Bolden) to Tuscaloosa. Bolden looked good in his first game, but the Youngstown St. defense doesn't even compare to Alabamas. If Bolden can play like an upperclassman though, this game should be filled with smash-mouth football. It is still not known if last year's heisman winner, Mark Ingram, will play for the Crimson Tide.

Should be a fantastic weekend for college football fans! And don't forget, if you want to join the WCBN Sports' colorful team of personalities, come by and find the WCBN Booth at Festifall in the Diag today!

Michigan Football vs. Connecticut

LISTEN LIVE

2010 Football Preview

http://wcbnsports883.podomatic.com/entry/2010-09-03T17_53_46-07_00

Listen as the WCBN-fm Ann Arbor personalities, after a few struggles with the intro, break down the Michigan roster and preview the 2010 Michigan football season.

2010 Michigan Football Preview

Credits: Tyler Bruens, John Zaccardelli, Andrew Goddeeris, Bill Rothwell

DEFENSE

The defense will generally be in 3-3-5 scheme but will have many different formations depending on the team and game situation. The team was 82th overall in yards given up per game with 393.33, better than Maryland, but worse than in state rival Michigan State. Even though the secondary was awful last year, it was the rushing defense that was ranked lower among the nation’s teams, 91st out of 120. A more experienced line and linebackers will hopefully improve the run defense along with allowing the defensive backs to cover receivers tighter.

Defensive Line Starter [Backup] (third)
Nose Tackle: #68 Mike Martin [#73 Will Campbell] (Adam Patterson)
Defensive Tackle: #92 Greg Banks [#95 Renaldo Sagesse] (Terry Talbott)
Defensive End: #53 Ryan Van Bergen [#90 Anthony LaLota] (Jibreel Black)

The defensive line is expected to be the strongest part of the defense. Returning starter Mike Martin will stuff the middle while backup Will Campbell will rotate in and team up for goal line stands. Look for both of them to push the opponent’s line and pressure the quarterback on a consistent basis. Van Bergen will move to the end position even though he is not the ideal quick big man. Seniors Banks and Sagesse bring experience at the tackle position, but do not be surprised if Martin slides over to allow Campbell more playing time at the nose position. Freshmen LaLota and Talbott could push for playing time if not the occasional appearance for early experience.

Linebackers Starter [Backup] (third)
Middle Linebacker: #45 Obi Ezeh [#25 Kenny Demens] (Mark Moundros)
Outside Linebacker: #8 Jonas Mouton [#27 Mike Jones] (Isaiah Bell)
Linebacker/Defensive End #88 Craig Roh [#42 J.B. Fitzgerald] (Brandon Herron)
Defensive Back /Linebacker: #7 Brandin Hawthorne [#15 Thomas Gordon] (Josh Furman)

Last year the linebackers looked lost in the old scheme, but it was pointed out that the defensive backs’ missed coverage had more to do with the problem than the linebackers’ actual skills. Still, Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton have too much experience not to perform under Greg Robinson’s scheme. Captain Mark Moundros is getting a lot of reps in pre-season ball which is not a good sign of the quality of the scholarship backups Demens and Jones because Moundros just recently switched from fullback to linebacker. The new scheme will move away from the “quick” and “spinner” positions, but they still have the same feel will Craig Roh trying to rush from the linebackers and Brandin Hawthorne or Thomas Gordon floating into the back field. This is the one unit on the defense that will see the most backups play early in the season because of the uncertainty of performance from the experienced players.

Defensive Backs Starter [Backup] (third)
Corner 1:#12 J.T. Floyd [#18 James Rogers] (Courtney Avery)
Corner 2: [#24Cullen Christian] (Tony Anderson) (DOOOOOOOMMMMMM)
Safety 1: #32 Jordan Kovacs [#14 Teric Jones] (Marvin Robinson)
Safety 2: #4 Cameron Gordon [#5 Vladimir Emilien] (Mike Williams)

There has been plenty of turnover in the secondary going back to last year when Cissoko was suspended then kicked off the team and now Justin Turner choosing to depart before the start of the season. J.T. Floyd, solid but not flashy, is a decent corner. The injury to Woolfolk (out for the season with a dislocated ankle on Aug 17) leads to a lack of depth and experience for the second season in a row. Cullen Christian, a top recruit, will now be tasked with starting on day 1. If he struggles, DOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.The small but effective Jordan Kovacs who led all defensive players in tackles last season will float down to the line of scrimmage to cover the run or extra receivers. Cam Gordon or Vlad Emilien will look to solidify the back field and decrease the big play factor. Ideally both will show promise and allow Kovacs to only come in special situations.


OFFENSE

The Michigan offense was not the main culprit in the team’s disappointing finish last season, finishing 41st in the nation in scoring with 29.5 points per game. However, there is no doubt that there is room for significant improvement.

Running Back
Committee candidates: #15 Mike Cox, #20 Michael Shaw, #2 Vincent Smith, #28 Fitzgerald Toussaint, #33 Stephen Hopkins.

This will be a very interesting situation to keep an eye on throughout the season. As it stands now, four tailbacks have a chance to be the starter, with the other three earning carries. The four tailbacks are Vincent Smith, Michael Shaw, Mike Cox, and Fitzgerald Toussaint. Smith would be the favorite if not for the ACL injury he suffered in last year’s Ohio St. game, as by the end of last season he had emerged as the premiere option. Michael Shaw has the most experience as he enters his third year as part of the system, which should enable him to, at least early on, have a significant number of carries. However, if reports out of practice are to be believed, it is Toussaint who currently receives the most reps with the first team. Mike Cox, at 211 lbs, will be the bruiser of the bunch. He’s not the shifty-type that a spread option prefers for a tailback, so assume most of his carries to be short-yardage and goal line situations. Hopkins could also push for the short-yard situations.

Wide Receivers
Wide-outs: #21 Junior Hemingway, #22 Darryl Stonum [#6 Je’Ron Stokes]
Slot: #12 Roy Roundtree [#9 Martavious Odoms] (#19 Kelvin Grady)
Notable Backups: #83 Jerald Robinson, #82 Ricardo Miller, #17 Jeremy Jackson, #10 Jeremy Gallon, #8 Terrance Robinson

The top two Receivers are expected to be Junior Hemingway and Darryl Stonum. Hemingway is probably the more sure-handed of the two, and Stonum brings speed as evidenced by his kick return performances from last season. Look for him to make a significant impact. At slot is the top receiver from last season, Roy Roundtree. He finished the season with 434 yards, but only emerged late in the year, with 92, 126, 56, and 116 yards receiving in the final four games of the season, respectively.
The backups include Martavious Odoms at slot, arguably the fastest player on the team, in addition to Je’Ron Stokes, Jerald Robinson, Ricardo Miller, Jeremy Jackson, and Terrance Robinson. Stokes, J. Robinson, Miller, and Jackson all provide what the starters lack: height. The shortest in the group is Stokes at 6’1”. Terrance Robinson’s shorter but provides the speed necessary for the spread offense to work. Look for Terrance to make his mark in the return game. Out of the other receivers looking to make a break, look for Stokes to make a splash this year. He was a highly touted prospect, having originally committed to Tennessee before Philip Fulmer’s departure led him to Michigan.

Tight End
#86 Kevin Koger [#80 Martell Webb] (#88 Brandon Moore)

A two-man race between two near-clones: Kevin Koger and Martell Webb. Each provides a solid blocker with size who has a tendency to drop very catchable balls. Their jobs will be primarily to block. Look for Koger to hold the starter’s job, at least at first.

Fullback
#44 Mark Moundros

Practically non-existent. Over/under on plays using a FB this year? 10? Any takers? If necessary, look for Cox or Mark Moundros to fill the role.

Offensive Line
Left Tackle: #72 Mark Huyge [#77 Taylor Lewan]
Left Guard: #52 Stephen Schilling
Center: #50 David Molk
Right Guard: #65 Patrick Omameh
Right Tackle: #79 Perry Dorrestein [#65 Patrick Omameh]

The only loss to the starting offensive line this year is departing left tackle Mark Ortmann… which might actually be a good thing. Fighting for the right to replace Ortmann, and to tow the tackle spot on the blind side this year, are Mark Huyge, Perry Dorrestein, and red-shirt freshman Taylor Lewan. Given the Jake Long comparisons, many would like to see the young behemoth Lewan start, but the front-runner in this competition is Huyge, simply because he started at right tackle last year for the Wolverines.
If Huyge moves from the right side to the left, there are a multitude of options for filling that vacant spot. In order to keep his guard-to-guard part of the line consistent, head coach Rich Rodriguez can put the second place winner of the left tackle sweepstakes at right tackle. This person, due to seniority, will probably be Perry Dorrestein.
Rodriguez also has the option of moving the red-shirt sophomore Patrick Omameh to right tackle. For purposes of consistency, Patrick Omameh will likely play right guard. Opposite him at left guard will be senior stud Stephen Schilling, and splitting the two at center will be red-shirt junior David Molk.

Quarterback
#16 Denard Robinson [#5 Tate Forcier] (#7 Devin Gardner)

It just seems appropriate to conclude this preview with the position that has been the focus of the media- quarterbacks. By this time, there is near certainty that true sophomore Denard (Shoelace) Robinson will start for Michigan this year. He is faster, appears to be making better reads than the others in practice, and has vastly improved his knowledge of the playbook. The real question this year is how much Rich Rodriguez will incorporate his very young, talented backup quarterbacks in his offensive schemes.
True sophomore Tate Forcier, in all likelihood, will backup Robinson. Do not be surprised to see Forcier come in for a couple of possessions each game as a change of pace quarterback. Since Forcier seems to have been in Rodriguez’s doghouse since the Iowa game last year, it is unlikely that Tate the Great will reclaim his starting job. Unfortunately for Forcier, he has too much competition sandwiching him on the depth chart.
Expect to see Devin Gardner burn his red-shirt this year on the field. Remember that Rich Rodriguez is fighting for his job this year, and that leaving arguably his most prized recruit in his tenure at Michigan on the bench seems idiotic. Gardner committed to Michigan stating that he did not want to red-shirt, and there is a lingering notion in practice that his wish will be granted.

5 Reasons Not to Panic About Losing Troy Woolfolk

Troy Woolfolk's injury has taken the wind out of the sails of the Wolverine faithful. Losing the most experienced player in an already jumbled secondary is never a good thing, but maybe it's not as bad as we think, and here's five reasons why:

1. He has 3 career pass break-ups.
Morgan Trent- that no talent fool that you hated for 4 years- had 14 after his junior year.

2. He has 0 career interceptions at the University of Michigan.
That's as many as his replacement has, except his replacement hasn't played secondary in 21 games as a Wolverine.

3. He has 1 more career tackle than Jordan Kovacs.
It's true. He has one more tackle (40 vs. 39) over the course of 3 years than that speed-deficient walk-on who only saw real action in about 8 career games last year.

4. He has never forced or recovered a fumble.
That's right, if you're doing the math at home: 0 INTS + 0 FR= 0 Turnovers... pretty bad, huh?

5. His name is Troy...not Butch.
Butch Woolfolk, Troy's dad, was a running back. Butch Woolfolk ran for 3, 998 career yards as a Wolverine and had 3 1000+ yard seasons. Butch was a Michigan great.
Troy plays in the secondary. His numbers indicate that he is very average, and will likely not be remembered in Wolverine history.


Is this team better without Troy Woolfolk's leadership? Abosolutely not...but hopefully what's above convinces you that the Michigan defense is far from destroyed. There's no reason to panic...yet.

2011: Johnny B's Make-or-Break Recruiting Class

Most people can foresee that the upcoming 2010-2011 Michigan basketball season will be a struggle. If you didn't know, allow me to refresh you with a simple equation:

Losing Team+ a bunch of decent freshman- leading scorer - leading rebounder= _________


I hate to sound too much like the kid who screams out answers before the teacher asks the class, but acceptable answers here are: uh-oh, damn it, a worse team, and do we really have to talk about the 2010-2011 Michigan Wolverines basketball team?

No. We do not have to talk about the 2010-2011 Michigan Wolverines (not yet anyway), because I believe that a true reflection of where a John Beilein coached team is headed is not exemplified by next year's team, but rather, is captured in the 2011 recruiting class. In essence, if you haven't been following basketball recruiting for the class of 2011, then you should. Currently, Beilein has only one commit, but is in the hunt for some premium talent. If all goes well, it could be the beginning of a flowering Michigan Basketball program under John Beilein.

What we have committed(according to scout):

6'1" Shooting Guard- Carlton Brundidge **** (Southfield, MI)
- Carlton is a scorer unlike any other we've seen at the University of Michigan in the past few years in the sense that does not have a lanky build like Manny Harris or Deshawn Sims. Sure, we've seen the undersized David Merritt drain the occassional 3-pointer, but this kid is a SCORER. He can't grab rebounds like Manny Harris, he isn't as tall as Darius Morris, but he puts the rock in the circular file. Remember this name, because he will surely impress when he sports the maize and blue.


What we have a decent shot at:

6'9" Center- Amir Williams **** (Beverly Hills, MI)
- While it is true that Michigan is competing with basketball powerhouses such as UNC, Duke, and Michigan State for this kid, Michigan still holds a few wild card factors that could play into its favor when attempting to land this kid. 1) He is a local kid. 2) He is friends with Carlton Brundidge (see above), and has done interviews with Carlton in which Carlton openly admits that he constantly recruits his AAU teammate Amir to come to Michigan. 3) He goes to Detroit Country Day. Now, the last time I checked, Michigan got a 6'9" center from DCD about 20 years ago and he went first overall in the NBA draft (I'm just saying...).

7'0" Center- Marshall Plumlee **** (Arden, NC)
- How John Beilein has found a way to maneuver Michigan into being one this kid's 3 "high interest" schools continues to baffle me, but I won't complain. Marshall Plumlee, whose two older brothers Miles and Mason just won a title at Duke, is a kid with size, versatility, and scoring ability. As mentioned, I'm not sure how John Beilein has slid Michigan into the race for this kid, but whatever he's doing, I like it.


What we have an outside shot at:

6'10" Power Forward- Cody Zeller ***** (Washington, IN)
- Yes, Michigan is in the hunt for a 5 star (according to scout) recruit. Much like Plumlee, I have no answers for how Beilein got into this position, but I do know this: Michigan is one of this kid's top 7 schools, and he has said in an interview that John Beilein is a guy that he could see himself playing for.



Yes, there is a still a lot of work to be done, and yes, star ratings are not perfect determinants of a player's potential. However, if your maize and blue heart is empty after a fruitless basketball season last year (and potentially one this year), I encourage you to look to the future. There is no guarantee that Michigan will land any of the non-committed recruits above, but if it could land one to compliment Brundidge, along with a 3 star supporting cast, John Beilein may be ready to take this program to the next level.

Listen: Michigan Softball in the NCAA Super Regionals

The Round of 16 for the NCAA Tournament has arrived and Michigan will be hosting the Super Regionals. Listen in live as the Wolverines host the Lady Vols of Tennessee for a ticket to Oklahoma City and the Women's College World Series!!

To listen to each broadcast, click HERE! Click on the WCBN Sports Stream link
Thursday (7:30 P.M.)

Friday (4:30 PM)

Saturday (7:00 P.M.): If Necessary

Go Blue!

Listen: Michigan Baseball vs. Iowa

Due to the impending weather on Sunday, Michigan will play a doubleheader today against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Wolverines enter play tied for first place in the Big Ten with a 6-3 conference record.

To listen to each broadcast, click HERE!

Friday (2:30 P.M.): RHP Alan Oaks (4-4, 3.60) vs. LHP Jarred Hippen (2-3, 3.86)

Friday (Game Two): LHP Bobby Brosnahan (4-3, 4.26) vs. RHP Nick Brown (2-4, 7.27)

Saturday (1:00 P.M.): TBD

Go Blue!

Listen: Michigan Baseball vs. Bowling Green

Tune-in to WCBN Sports for the only way to hear Michigan baseball's mid-week contest vs. the Bowling Green Falcons!

Goodbye Mr. Fresh?

News has recently been surfacing that suggests that junior guard Manny "Fresh" Harris is ready to leave the University of Michigan Men's basketball program for the NBA. According to sources, Harris will observe his draft prospects in the near future and, by the deadline of April 25th, is likely to declare for the NBA draft. If Harris decides to declare for the NBA draft, however, as long as he remains agent-free, he has until June 14th to change his mind.

While it seems like Harris, a Detroit native with a big family, could obviously use the financial comforts that come with being an NBA draft pick, I question whether Harris was impressive enough last year to even be an NBA draft pick at all.

Let's start with some statistics: 18.1 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, 6 rebounds per game.

I will acknowledge that these numbers are good, but are they NBA worthy? Even if the reader's response is yes, let's also consider the fact that Harris' team went 15-17 last season (ouch), Harris made slightly over 30% of his three pointers (yikes), shot 80% from the charity stripe (solid), and averaged 2.8 turnovers per game (what if every starter did that?).

Yes, Harris is a great slasher. Yes, in the last 10 minutes of the season, Harris showed great poise against Ohio State. Yes, Harris can create off the dribble. But does anyone else get the impression that last year, regardless of the numbers, he just wasn't as "Fresh" as the Ohio State game at the end of the year evidenced he could be?

Is it possible that NBA scouts saw the same Manny "Stale" Harris on a 15-win Michigan Wolverines basketball team that I did in 2009-2010? The one who jacked up 3-pointers at inopportune times all season long, punched his teammate in practice (which lead to a suspension), and turned the ball over constantly?

Even a "maybe" here still gives hope that Manny Harris will return to Michigan for his senior season to regain his "fresh" form. Without Harris' friend and stud teammate DeShawn Sims, it could be a tough road. But if Harris gets honest feedback about his draft position and the NBA does not come calling as I believe it will not, Harris will have no choice but to accept the challenge of turning around a sub-500 Wolverines basketball team.

My greatest fear, however, is that Harris will have poor draft prospects, declare for the draft anyway, not be drafted, and never make the big money that he has worked hard for his entire life. I would hate to see Harris in Europe or as a mainstay in the NBA development league.

For a kid with such high potential, it would be a shame to not watch him at least attempt one more year of college, where I strongly believe he can only improve his draft position and capitalize on the monetary award that will come with the draft position improvement.

Thoughts? Feel free to share you views about the future of Manny Harris in the "comments" section.

Game of the Week Tonight

Call-in to Game of the Week on 88.3 WCBN-FM Ann Arbor from 7-10 P.M. tonight at 734-763-3500.

We'll be discussing March Madness, recapping home-openers for Michgan baseball and softball, and previewing the NCAA Fort Wayne Regional.

Michigan Softball Home Opener

Check out Michigan Softball's Home Opener vs. Bowling Green tomorrow at 3:00 P.M. on the WCBN Sports Stream and MGoBlue.com!

Michigan Softball is #5 in the nation entering play, fresh off a 4-1 effort at the Judi Garman classic. Bowling Green, out of the MAC, features junior pitcher Zada Lines, who tossed her first career no-hitter earlier this season in a 3-0 win over Dartmouth.

2010 CCHA Tournament Finals

LISTEN HERE to WCBN's call of the CCHA Tournament Finals, as Michigan seeks an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Hockey Tournament against Northern Michigan. With a win, the Wolverines would extend their streak to 20 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and become the first team with a seed worse than #4 to win the CCHA Tournament.

2010 WCBN March Madness Picks

WCBN Sports' Podcast

Michigan-LSSU Game Two Highlights

WCBN Sports' Podcast

CCHA First Round Continues Tonight

Listen live to WCBN Sports as the Michigan Wolverines hope to finish off a first round sweep of the Lake Superior State Lakers in the CCHA Tournament tonight at Yost. Use the link in the post below or go to WCBN.org and navigate to the WCBN Sports Stream.

Game Time: 7:35
Venue: Yost Ice Arena
Broadcast: WCBN Sports Stream

Listen: CCHA Playoffs First Round - Michigan Hockey vs. Lake Superior State

We are LIVE at Yost for tonight's Hockey game between Michigan and Lake Superior State. Michigan swept the Lakers over Halloween weekend in the Soo and look to repeat that performance starting tonight in the first round of the CCHA playoffs. Michigan will be playing in the first weekend of the CCHA playoffs for the first time EVER, with a trip to Munn as a reward assuming no upsets of UNO or Alaska by the two worst teams in the CCHA.

Listen Live HERE on WCBN.org's sports stream.

Andrew Seid and Jeremy Kreisberg on the call.

Go Blue!

CCHA Standings Update (2/25)

After a feel-good night at Yost featuring the final regular season home game for five Michigan seniors and a shutout performance from Shawn Hunwick (not a typo), Michigan is one win closer to a first-round bye in the CCHA Tournament...

Current Standings

1. Miami: 26 GP, 66 Pts., 20 W

2. Ferris St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

2. Michigan St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

4. Alaska: 28 GP, 45 Pts., 11 W

5. Nebraska-Omaha: 28 GP, 44 Pts., 13 W

6. Michigan: 27 GP, 43 Pts., 14 W

7. Northern Michigan: 26 GP, 42 Pts., 11 W

8. Ohio State

9. Lake Superior

10. Notre Dame

11. Bowling Green

12. Western Michigan

Michigan Hockey Begins Push Towards CCHA Title

It begins tonight. Michigan Hockey has one more shot at lengthening its streak of 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances -- the longest in the sport. We are still one week away from raising the curtains on the 2010 CCHA Tournament, which represents Michigan's lone opportunity to qualify for a tournament that will surely not afford an at-large bid to this year's group of Wolverines. But it begins tonight. Michigan welcomes Notre Dame to Yost Ice Arena in the first of a two-game, three-day home-and-home to finish the regular season. In order to receive a bye in the first round of the CCHA Tournament and a home series in the Quarterfinals, Michigan will need to win twice and get some help...

Current Standings

1. Miami: 26 GP, 66 Pts., 20 W

2. Ferris St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

2. Michigan St.: 26 GP, 46 Pts., 13 W

4. Alaska: 28 GP, 45 Pts., 11 W

5. Nebraska-Omaha: 28 GP, 44 Pts., 13 W

6. Northern Michigan: 26 GP, 42 Pts., 11 W

7. Michigan: 26 GP, 40 Pts., 13 W

8. Ohio State

9. Lake Superior

10. Notre Dame

11. Bowling Green

12. Western Michigan

Tiebreakers: 1. Conference Wins; 2. Head-to-Head Record; 3. Head-to-Head Goal Differential

CCHA Series' This Weekend: Notre Dame vs. Michigan, Bowling Green vs. Michigan State, Western Michigan vs. Ferris State, Lake Superior at Northern Michigan, Ohio State vs. Miami

So, what does this mean for everyone else?

1. Miami has the top spot locked up

2. Michigan State and Ferris State are playing this weekend for the number two seed. If their respective series' this weekend don't settle things, Ferris State will get the number two seed by virtue of a 6-4 goal differential in the teams' only series (played last weekend).

3. Alaska and UNO are done playing CCHA games - UNO cannot get a first-round bye, and Alaska would be the beneficiary of failures from Northern Michigan and Michigan

4. Northern Michigan can clinch the #4 seed with five points this weekend at home against the Lakers

What does Michigan need for the #4 seed?

1. Two wins - In order to jump Alaska and UNO, Michigan needs five points. Michigan would win a tiebreaker over Alaska by virtue of Michigan's 13 conference wins, so Michigan could receive the #4 seed with one regulation win and one shootout win

2. NMU must lose at least one game - if Michigan picks up all six points available to them against Notre Dame, NMU would be forced to gain at least five points against Lake Superior, as Michigan owns the conference-wins tiebreaker over the Wildcats. If Michigan wins once in regulation and once in a shootout (five points), NMU would need four points (one regulation win and one shootout loss or two shootout losses).

And then we're in?

Not even close. But, in order to have a chance at making a run in the CCHA Tournament, Michigan would be greatly aided by a first-round bye and a home series in the Quarterfinals. If Michigan can get to the Semis, they'll need two wins in front of a favorable crowd at Joe Louis Arena in order to extend their streak of consecutive tournament appearances to 20.

It won't be easy, and it's far from likely. Miami is one of the best teams in the country, and Michigan has been tremendously inconsistent this season. But this is a talented team with the best coach in the country, and our job, as fans, is to keep hope alive.

Soccer Facility Update

Via Twitter, a new set of photos popped up online today that show some progress on the new soccer facility being constructed and slated to open in Fall 2010.

New soccer facility set to open Fall 2010

The coolest thing about the new facility, though, is the inclusion of a new press box. With wireless internet, this press box would potentially allow WCBN to begin broadcasting UofM soccer and tap into a whole new audience. We'll stay with this developing story and certainly do our best to be bringing you Michigan soccer in Fall 2010.

Who Dat?

As Tracy Porter raced 74 yards for a Pick-6 with a little over 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter, you knew the game was over. You could feel the excitement all the way down in the French Quarter. These Saints are 'Aints no more: the New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl champions. Drew Brees earned the MVP honor by completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns to tie the Super Bowl record for completions. Peyton Manning had a good game of his own, going 31 out of 45 for 333 yards and a TD, but his one mistake cost the Colts the game. Does this end the discussion of Peyton Manning being the greatest QB of all time, at least for now? Did Sean Payton have the greatest Super Bowl coaching performance in history? Does Drew Brees now belong in the same echelon of QBs as Tom Brady and Manning? Who are the favorites for 2010? Listen in to Extra Points at 6:00 pm tonight as we analyze Super Bowl 44 in vivid detail.

So Rich...who exactly is this negative recruiter?

During today's football press conference, when asked about the difficulty of recruiting this year in contrast to the the past, Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez brought up the topic of negative recruiting. Negative recruiting, characterized by insulting other schools as a means of promoting one's own program, is something that is consistently present in only one school in the Big Ten, according to Rodriguez. When asked what school he was referring to later in the press conference, Rodriguez wisely responded, "I'm not gonna tell you." He then retracted his statement with, "You mean the one in the Big Ten?", he paused and smirked, "I'm not gonna tell you."

So who was it? Currently there are 9 possibilities, as Rodriguez was adamant that he was not talking about Ohio State. Too bad... there's always room for more bad blood in that rivalry. Nonetheless, there are still nine candidates to think about, and with some common sense, it's plausible to narrow it down.

Rodriguez claimed that he heard about this school recruiting negatively through the recruits that he was pursuing.And if Michigan was in the running for the same recruits as this other school, then the program must be decent. Let's face it- Michigan doesn't exactly recruit along the same lines as Indiana, Illinois, and Northwestern.

Down to 6.

There are two other clues:

1) The first, and it's an admitted stretch, is that Rodriguez, based on his hesitation and simply the fact that he brought up the topic of negative recruiting, seemed like deep down he wanted to tell the media who the school was, but knew it wasn't in his best interest. And if he wanted to tell the media, then he probably had negative feelings toward this school.

2) Rodriguez mentioned later in the press conference that there are "guys" that complain that he's trying to steal guys that are already committed.

Conclusion: Purdue

Purdue is a solid football program that has been at odds with Rodriguez ever since he "stole" Roy Roundtree from then Purdue head coach Joe Tiller in his first recruiting season with the Wolverines. Not to mention the incident last November when head coach Danny Hope approached Rich Rodriguez at midfield after the football game and confronted Rodriguez for being responsible for getting one of his players suspended.

A good program + negative feelings on both sides= a likely candidate


Please feel free to theorize any other schools that coach Rodriguez was targeting by posting your ideas in the "comments" section.

Demar Dorsey commits to Michigan

Safety Demar Dorsey has faxed his letter of intent to the University of Michigan. He is the number 2 rated safety according to ESPN. With Dorsey's commitment, Michigan's class is now complete. For a more in-depth look at Michigan's class of 2010, listen in to WCBN today at 5:15 for a special signing-day version of the Daily Sports Report.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/18960/michigan-gets-huge-boost-with-dorsey

UPDATE:

WCBN Sports would like to take this opportunity to introduce the "DREAD the DREADS" campaign. With eight players on the roster with dreadlocks - including Dorsey, Denard Robinson, and Vincent Smith - it's time Michigan built up a dreadlocks cult. I want to see this phrase on t-shirts, posters, and I want to see the Michigan Stadium student section complete with scattered dreadlocks wigs. We all know dreadlocks are a sign of superior athletic ability and general awesomeness, and it's time Michigan supports its dreadlocked demons. When opponents step onto the field at Michigan Stadium on Saturday afternoons, they WILL DREAD THE DREADS.

- Andrew G

Rashad Knight to choose Rutgers over Michigan

According to Sports Illustrated.com, FL S Rashad Knight will sign a letter of intent to play with Rutgers, after narrowing his field to Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights and Rich Rodriguez's Michigan Wolverines. Rashad Knight, a four-star defensive back, is the highest-ranked recruit from the state of Florida to commit to Rutgers. Knight is ranked as the 19th best safety in the country and the 46th best prospect in the state of Florida.

...but the real issue at stake is whether we want a player who is quoted as saying this...

"I really like what they're doing there and how they do things," Knight said about Rutgers. "I like coach Pinkham and coach Schiano a lot. In fact, coach Schiano reminds me a lot of my mom."

...and do we really want a coach who posits himself as a motherly influence on our recruits? i think i'll pass. two more cracks at a top safety come tomorrow with california's sean parker and florida's demar dorsey...

The SI.com story reads as follows:

One of the top remaining uncommitted prospects from Florida, Rashad Knight, will sign a letter of intent for Rutgers, SI.com has learned. A 5-foot-10 and 181-pound safety for Trinity Christian in Jacksonville, Knight is rated as a four-star player by Rivals.com. Knight will choose Rutgers over Michigan, where he took official visits. He also made an official visit to Auburn in December.

"I sat down with my family and talked about it -- I called the coach at Michigan to let him know," Knight said. "I just felt too comfortable at Rutgers to not go there."

Knight played safety in high school but says that Rutgers envisions him as a cornerback. Among his many offers were Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Purdue and West Virginia. He said that the recent trend of Rutgers producing NFL players helped sell him on the program. It didn't start very well, however, for the Scarlet Knights in trying to land Knight.

"A lot of coaches from a bunch of schools called here and there, but he [Rutgers' secondary coach Ed Pinkham] kept calling me so much, it started to get annoying," Knight said. "Then, after awhile, I began to feel real comfortable with him and what he was saying and our talks."

Listen: Highlights of Last Night's Classic at the Joe

A new chapter was added to college hockey's fiercest rivalry last night, as Michigan and Michigan State fought to the finish at Joe Louis Arena. After State took a 4-3 lead with four unanswered goals, Michigan had six minutes to save their season...

Listen to the highlights from WCBN Sports!

Michigan Vs. Iowa

Good afternoon boys and girls! Adam Brewster and I will be liveblogging this afternoon's game between the Wolverines and the Hawkeyes starting at tipoff at 4:35 pm. Can Michigan recover and end their three game losing streak? Follow along to find out:

Laval Lucas Perry and Aaron Fuller each hit layups to close out the game. Michigan wins! 60-46 improving to 11-10 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. Their next game is Tuesday at 7:00 pm at Northwestern. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims lead all scorers with 20 apiece. Good evening and Go Blue!!

Manny Harris hit both his free throws to give him 20 points also. Harris and Sims both left the game, and were replaced by Matt Vogrich and Zack Gibson. 58-44 Michigan.

Aaron Fuller hit layups on Iowa's last two possessions to make the score 56-42 with only two minutes remaining.

Before the final TV timeout Aaron Fuller hit a layup, score now 56-38 Michigan with 3:40 left in the game.

John Lickliter drilled a long three. Darius Morris was fouled on the following possession an knocked down both of his free throws. 56-36 Michigan.

Fuller got one of two from the line. 54-33 Michigan.

After Eric May hit a lay up, Zack Novak picked up his fourth foul on the following Iowa possession which will send Aaron Fuller to the line after the TV timeout. 54-32 Michigan.

Iowa's Eric May picked up his fourth foul after tripping Manny Harris. Harris hit both his free throws and has 15 on the game. Aaron Fuller got his ninth point of the half on the following possession. Harris responded with a pull up triple. 54-30 Michigan. 7 minutes remaining.

DeShawn Sims got a rebound off his own miss, giving him 20 points and 10 rebounds for the game. 49-28 Michigan.

Iowa's Eric May ended their scoring drought with a layup. On the following Iowa possession Anthony Wright fouled Aaron Fuller who hit both his free throws. The score now 47-28 Michigan halfway through the second half.

Zack Gibson got an offensive rebound on Manny Harris' missed three and hit the layup to give Michigan a 47-24 lead. Iowa calls timeout with 11:36 remaining in the game.

Harris drilled a pull up triple, increasing Michigan's lead to 21 with the score now 45-24 Michigan. 12:20 left in the half.

DeShawn Sims missed a reverse layup, but grabbed his own rebound, hitting an easy layup to give him 18 points for the game.

Manny Harris drew the foul driving towards the basket and completed the three point play, hitting his free throw. Harris now has ten points.

Aaron Fuller picked up his fourth foul of the game and has since headed to the bench. DeShawn Sims was fouled going up for an offensive board on Stu Douglass's desperation three. Sims went 1-2 at the line.

Iowa's Aaron Fuller has scored Iowa's last five points, all coming in the second half. Making the score 36-22 Michigan at the first TV timeout of the half.

Zack Novak picked up his third foul, giving him more fouls than baskets. Iowa's Aaron fuller his one of two from the line.

Zack Novak drills a long three pointer as the shot clock was expiring to give Michigan a 34-17 lead two minutes into the second half.

Sims got his thirteenth point of the game with an assist from Manny Harris to start second half scoring. Zack Novak picked up his second foul.

Second Half Begins! Laval Lucas-Perry to inbound for the Wolverines to begin the half. Lucas Perry missed a three to start the half and DeShawn Sims was fouled on the offensive rebound.

And Iowa's Eric May throws it down to end the first half, Michigan is up 29-17. High scorer for Michigan is Deshawn Sims with 11 points, for Iowa it's Cully Payne with 4. We'll be back in 15 minutes with the live blog for the second half!

And Manny Harris instead commits his fifth turnover of the game, so with 7.9 seconds left in the game, Iowa will take the last shot of the first half. Iowa has called a timeout to draw a play.

And Michigan takes a timeout with 25.3 seconds remaining to plan as they will have the last shot of the half, barring a turnover. After an Iowa layup and a Zack Novak 3, the score stands at Michigan 29 Iowa 15.

Time out Iowa after a beautiful no look pass from Darius Morris gives Sims a wide-open layup. Michigan now up 26-13 with 1:53 remaining in the first half.

And the 6-9 255 lb. Brennan Cougill drills a three pointer to make the score 24-13 Michigan. 2:10 remaining.

LLP knocks down two free throws to push Michigan's lead to 14 with four minutes remaining.

Manny misses three layups in a row, now 22-10 Michigan with 5 minutes remaining.

Timeout on the floor with 7:12 left, Michigan up 22-5 after a 3 from Manny Harris. Michigan's defense continues to force turnovers with a startling frequency.

8:06 left in the first half, foul against Iowa Aaron Fuller, that's his third foul. 19-5 Michigan.

With 10:34 left in the half, Iowa hits it's first FG: a 3-pointer from Devan Bawinkel. 17-5 Michigan.

A tv timeout with 11:36 left in the half, Michigan up 16-2 after another Douglass 3. Iowa still does not have a field goal.

Blocking foul against Novak, Iowa now at the line. Eric May drills both freethrows to finally put Iowa on the board. 13-2 Michigan with 13 minutes left.

14:44 left, still 9-0 as the Ref's check the monitor to see if Iowa's Matt Gatens hit the rim on his three point attempt. Michigan's defense has been tenacious so far this afternoon.

Michigan up 9-0, layup by Manny a three by Douglass, and another Sims layup. Defense holding up well so far. Timeout Iowa with 16:37 remaining.

Tip won by Michigan, the game has officially begun! Sims takes it in the post for the first basket, assist by Douglass. 19:30 left in the first

Starters are Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, Manny Harris, Laval Lucas-Perry, and Deshawn Sims for Michigan. For Iowa, the starters are Cully Payne, Matt Gatens, Aaron Fuller, Eric May, and Jarryd Cole. Almost tip time here in Crisler!