THE MICHIGAN DAILY
.4 M AiY.... R1
THE MICHIGAN DAILY FRIDAY. VEER
7 - -
BOSTONIAN MOCCASINS
HAND SEWN - Assures you foot-hugging fit
Icers Meet Denver;
Open Western Swing
Matmen Face Rough Scheduk
A Moccasin that stays on.
come, try a pair and
see!
15 95
By STAN KUKLA
In five days the Michigan hock-
ey team will know whether it
still has a chance-albeit slim-
to make the play-offs org it must
play the role made famous gy
those scourges of the National
Hockey League Boston Bruins-
the role of the spoiler.
Mired deep in the Western Col-
legiate Hockey League standings,
the Wolverines meet Denver to-
night and tomorrow night at
Broadmoor World Arena, in Den-
ver, and then travel to Colorado
Springs, Colo., to play the Colo-
rado College Tigers in two games
on Monday and Tuesday nights.
The Blue sextet then returns
home for another two-day series
against the Minnesota Gophers on
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and
9.
Bottled Up
The Wolverines, not being able
to find a way to pop the cork
on their winning potential, have
kept it bottled up against their
WCHA opponents, winning only
one-a 5-4 decision over Denver-
dropping six, and battling to a
3-3 tie with Minnesota at Min-
neapolis.
Gordie Wilkie does not seem
able to overcome the second-year
jinx. Last year he was named
Sophomore-of-the-Year in the
WCHA. So far this year, Wilkie
has only scored two goals in
WCHA play, those coming against
Michigan Tech in the last game
the Wolverines played.
Captain Larry Babcock is an-
other-disappointment so far this
season. He hasn't scored a goal
and has only assisted on four tal-
lies. Last season, Babcock turned
on the red light behind opposing
goalies 16 times and garnered 29
assists for 45 points.
Line Changes
Coach Al Renfrew, unable to
explain why his team has not
jelled, will move Babcock to he
first line with Wilkie and Gary
Butler. Ron Coristine, originally
on the first line, will be shifted
to the second line to play center
between Tom Pendlebury and Jack
Cole.
Renfrew has had several pleas-
ant surprises this year. One of
them has been Dave Butts, who
was mistakenly fingered for a
misplay against Tech. Butts al-
ternated at the goalie position last
year with Bob Gray. However,
Renfrew decided that he would
go all the way this season with
Gray and shifted Butts to wing.
John McConigal was another
great surprise. McGonigal had al-
ways been a mediocre player for
the Wolverines, but this season
has blossomed into a real star.
Fills Bill
Adversity usually brings out the
best in one and when Gray strain-
ed some ligaments in his left
knee Bill Bieber came in to take
his place and proved that he was
a capable WCHA goalie.
Gray was hurt when he slid to
his left to make a save. Somehow
he twisted the knee. An explora-
tory operation was performed but
nothing was found amiss. Gray
may see action before the end of
the season.
The Wolverines met Denver
earlier in the season and split
the series. Michigan won the first
game 5-4, holding off a third-
period Pioneer rally. The next
night, Denver had to go into over-
time to down the Wolverines 3-2.
BLACK
BROWN
BLACK
BRONZE
WINE
Open Mon. Eves. till 8:30
CAMPUS BOOTERY
304 South
State Street.
By JIM BERGER
Finally breaking into the con-
ference schedule, the Michigan
wrestling team looms brighter and
brighter as a potential Big Ten
champion.
Beginning the season with four
sophomores among the eight start-
ers, Michigan lost their first two
dual meets. The Wolverines then
chalked up a second place in the
Wilkes College Tourney.
The big break came when Mich-
igan defeated tough Northwestern,
18-10 in their first Conference
dual meet of the season. Tomorrow
Michigan takes on Minnesota at
Minneapolis and Monday it will be
Purdue at Lafayette.
The Wolverines return home to
play four successive meets with
Ohio State, Wisconsin, Indiana,
and Michigan State. They travel
to Iowa a week before the Confer-
ence Championships to be held at
Evanston, Ill.
An assistant coach was added
to the team this year. Doug Blu-
baugh, former national and Olym-
pic champion from Oklahoma
State is aiding Coach Cliff Keen,
now in his 38th year as Michigan's
wrestling coach.
Michigan's graduation losses
were heavy. Gone were Don Cor-
riere and Fritz Kellermann, both
conference champions. O n 1 y
heavyweight Jack Barden, second
at 177-lbs. last year, was the only
returnee with any credentials.
Gary Wilcox, a sophomore last
year with an impressive dual meet
record, but who did not place in
the Conference meet, did not en-
ter school in the fall. Wilcox is
registered for the spring semester
and will aid the team. Another re-
turnee, Wayne Miller at 157-lbs.,
had an impressive sophomore rec-
ord but didn't place in the cham-
pionships, returned to the fold this'
season.
Keen has gotten some outstand-
ing performances from his sopho-
mores. Dave Dozeman at 137-lbs.,
Lee Dietrick at 147-lbs., Rick Bay
at 167-lbs., and Chris Stowell at
177-lbs. have carried a heavy load
this season and have done it well.
Dietrick won his title at the
Wilkes tournament as well as an
important victory against North-
western. Bay has a 1-1-1 record,
showing improvement with every
match. Stowell got Michigan's first
fall of the season and insured the
victory over Northwestern.
Barden is undefeated in the
heavyweight class, and appears to
be heading for his first Big Ten
title. Against Northwestern he de-
feated Al Jaklich, also a senior,
and Barden's chief rival through-
out his college career. Barden had
lost four previous matches in two
years and three were to North-
western's Jaklich. Barden also
scored second in the Pan-Ameri-
can Games tryouts at Stillwater,
Okla., during Christmas vacation.
In the same tryouts, Dennis
Fitzgerald, a former Michigan cap-
tain and thrice Big Ten champion,
defeated five former national
champions to win the right to de-
fend the United States in the
Games.
Thesvictory against Northwest-
COEDS:
It's Hairstyling
Galore.
" No Appointment Needed
" expert Cutting
The Dascola Barbers
Near Michigan Theatre
ern showed that the team had fin-
ally begun to jell. Keen had main-
tained that Michigan had a solid
team that only lacked experience
and with the necessary experience
would be a top contender.
Against Northwestern, who ear-
lier in the season had defeated
Michigan State and Minnesota,
two top contenders, the Wolver-
ines showed that necessary exper-
ience as well as team balance.
Michigan won four of the matches,
lost two and tied two.
WINKS THINKS
By Jan Winkelman
Keen rates Iowa, the defend]
Big Ten champion, again as V
top contender. Minnesota a
Michigan State were also cons:
ered by Keen as "teams to bea
The Wolverines will get a gc
look at the conference this seaso
as they wrestle all the Big 'i
teams except one, Illinois, in di
meets.
Michigan has finished second
the Big Ten for the past two se
sons. Three years ago they we
titlists.
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T RU E QU ALITY§
4
True Quality is never attained by chance. It is realized through §
determined planning and uncompromising devotion to high principles.§
Our soft, natural tailoring of clothing and our fine selections of
furnishings quietly attracts attention wherever they are worn, and reflects
on the inherent good taste of the wearer
Since 1921, we have had one goal the finest quality at a fair price
,i
Splendorin the Grass?
WTITH A MIND to basketball statistics, I decided to check through
the Big Ten record books. One is apt to discover some impressive
facts.
For instance, Michigan took 15 out of 19 swimming championships
from 1927 to 1945. Slightly sidetracked from my original purposes, but
still with an eye toward basketball I continued checking the records.
There were the years of 1901-1904 and 1937-1940 when Wolverine
track men copped titles four years running. From 194-1w40 the Maize
and Blue sprinted to seven consecutive indoor track crowns. Michi-
gan dominated Big Ten golf from 1932 to 1936, taking all five titles in
that period. Most recently, the Wolverines have put together some-
thing of a dynasty in tennis, with the exception of the year 1958, when
Iowa was conference champ. 'M' netmen netted every Big Ten title
from 1955 through the present.
The outdoor track, hockey, and gymnastics teams have taken
championships the past two years. "Hope springs eternal in the
human breast," I guess. However, pursuing my original point,
basketball, I could not discover even the vestiges of a dynasty in
the books. In fact, even through careful scrutiny, I could not find
what I was looking for.
What was I looking for? I was interested in a precedent. Without
being able to come up with a Michigan basketball dynasty, I did lo-
cate a few facts that were of interest.
The Lean Years...*
THME BIG TEN has been announcing a basketball champion since
1906. Michigan first began competing in 1909, but discontinued the
sport between 1910 and 1918. That leaves 45 years of Michigan compe-
tition in basketball. A purely mathematical way of figuring the way
the Maize and Blue should normally perform would be to divide by
the ten teams in the league, thereby assuming four and a half titles
to be about par for the course.
In point of fact, Michigan has been statistically slightly less
than respectable by anyone's standards.
In 45 years, the Wolverines have come across with two outright
Big Ten champions: in 1927 and 1948. In 1921, 1926, and 1929, Michi-
gan shared the title with a total of six other schools; three-ninths of
three championships could theoretically constitute another title. OK,
three titles in 45 years.
Yet nobody complains about the past. Let bygones be bygones I
always say. Wordsworth put it nicely:
".. . though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in
the grass, of glory in the flower, grieve not: rather find strength
in what remains behind . ..
As far as the above quote pertains, current basketball Coach Dave
Strack has nothing to fear. There has been no splendor in the grass
for Michigan basketball.
About the closest the Wolverines have come was in 1948 under
Osborne "Cazzie" Cowles when Michigan went to the NCAA champion-
ships with a:17-3 record under their belt. Instrumental in the confer-
ence championship team of that year was a diminutive guard by the
name of Pete Elliott whose specialty was defense. However, in the
first round Michigan was eliminated by a sensational Holy Cross
quintet featuring a dribbling whiz named Bob Cousy.
In 1949 the Maize and Blue had a new basketball coach, Ernie
McCoy. Premature thoughts of a dynasty crumbled with him. Current
Coach Dave Strack took over from his predecessor Bill Perigo in 1960,
and has been able to boost the Wolverines from a cellar-dwelling
group to last year's 5-9 conference mark.
Records are sometimes misleading. Even names like Buntin, Tre-
goning, Darden, Russell, Thomson, Clawson, and Myers don't spell a
dynasty. Looking through the record books has shown me one thing
at least: you have to have a beginning before you get to the middle.
, . ,
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