A framed photo of the Maize Rage leaned on the floor against the wall in a corner of Michigan coach John Beilein's office late last June. It's the perfect place for the men's basketball student section to be displayed - established, but not yet venerated.

In the post-Tommy Amaker era, Beilein has his work cut out for him in order to regain the support of students for the basketball program. The bleachers were noticeably less full last season than previous years under Amaker. And a second-half collapse against Iowa in January really put the Maize and Blue faithful in a tailspin.

"I think the crowd is just basically looking for anything to cheer for right now," Maize Rage president Steve Wolters said. "They're looking for little things to get excited about."

And that's all they may get. Beilein stressed his team is very young and fans should come to games because it will be interesting to see the team develop. He wants fans to have a vested interest in doing so.

"We want the students to come and see their friends play, not to see the team come play," Beilein said.

Wolters met with Beilein during the summer to discuss gameday enhancements. Ideas such as stage smoke machines, turning the lights off for introductions and a pizza dinner for Maize Ragers before weekday games were thrown out. Wolters said Beilein would push for every idea, no matter how far outside the box.

"He's not going to be one of those quiet soldiers," Wolters said. "He's going to go out there and fight for what he needs to get the basketball program back on the map."

Beilein isn't exactly sure which changes he will support. Obviously, he is primarily concerned with making his team better, but improving the Crisler Arena environment is another of his goals.

"You hear all about the Duke crowds," Beilein said. "We can create similar atmospheres here, without question."
Amaker, who spent nine years under Coach K at Duke, worked hard to do just that.

Duke's Cameron Crazies are famous for being next to the court, and when Amaker came to Ann Arbor, he pushed for courtside bleachers for the students. Beilein is trying to follow the same model.