by Ann Arbor News

The fans get it.

U-M students have responded enthusiastically to an offer to buy 2009-10 basketball season tickets in conjunction with their football season tickets. As of late June, 2,076 tickets - four times as many as last year - had been sold.

Marty Bodnar, Michigan ticket manager, told The News that U-M also would release Maize Rage section seating on a first-come, first-served basis for most home games at Crisler Arena - so that students who arrive early enough can get this prime seating behind the team benches. The practice may help to intensify student support of the team.

Last season, the Wolverines sold out games against Duke, Michigan State and Ohio State. But demand may grow considerably after season ticket renewals go on sale in September.

The hoopla is no big surprise. U-M raised expectations in March after earning a NCAA tournament bid for the first time in 11 years, beating Clemson in the first round and finishing with a 21-14 overall season record after losing to Oklahoma in the second round.

To those who are not basketball fans, this may have little meaning. But to longtime Wolverine supporters who have made infrequent visits to Crisler in recent years as the program struggled, it's like a new dawn.

Many like not only the victories but also Beilein's approach, what some would call old-school basketball: discipline, teamwork and a focus on fundamentals.

Bringing back some big-time Crisler glory would be good for the university and the community. By filling the arena with noise, fans may help show how it's done.

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