Page 10 Thursday, November 29, 1979 The Michigan Daily The Michigan Daily-Thursday, N Part of the lob Recruiting: A coaching headache MEET THE REST OF THE 1979-80 WOLVERINES I I By GEOFF LAI('ON As the dean of Blig Ten basketball coaches, Johnny Orr has won more than his share of basketball games. He is, in fact, the winningest coach in Michigan basketball history as he begins his 12th year at the Michigan helm. So you figure that the man knows as well as any what it takes to win on the court. And Orr, along with his assistant Bill Frieder, will tell you an odd thing. You win ballgames the whole year through, not just -during the basketball season. The reason? Recruiting. rli-'"STHAT MAGIC WOR) which has caused more coaching gray hairs than any number of losses could possibly bring. It's what, along with coping with an aggressive media, most often drives coaches from the rigors of college basketball. The pressure is immense, for suc- cessful recruit ment of high school talent is the cornerstone of a top basketball program. As Orr so often says, '"Hey, if you don't have the players, no amount of good coaching will help." For example, by signing Clark Kellogg of Cleveland, easily the most sought after high school player in these parts since Earvin Johnson, Ohio State. A whole line of fine leather boots and shoes that cost plenty, and should. In this hard life, you need all the comforts you can get And nothing is more comfortable ) than new timberland handsewns. instantly vaulted into the ring of national contenders. By the same token, Michigan, which battled down to the wire with Ohio State in pursuit of Kellogg's giant talents, quickly was relegated to also-ran status by the pre-season dopesters due to the crippling recruiting loss. Who knows how many games the Buckeyes insured themselves the moment Kellogg signed his OSU letter of intent. "I'I) SAY OVEIR half the work we do as coaches revolves around recruiting, "II s like rin ninr 1>1r iI- gAM111e. It s tiIr1illrIIge.s igfliig rr plfly' - li/ke Phil I ln/lrrr r/0- (riiipi- fl'rssell is r L2gre4'II -/rill I'rill.('I about 60 percent,. said Frieder. "For Mike Boyd and Tom Kempf (assistant. coaches), it's a year-around thing. John and I concentrate mostly on the team during the season, but after that we join them in recruiting." Yet even during the season, recruiting duties permeate Orr and Frieder's crammed schedules. The two go to high school games nearly every night during the winter to scout talent and continually communicate with their assistants on what kind of progress they're making around the country. According to Frieder, recruiting is a double-edged sword. There are some satisfactions, and undoubtedly, there are annoyances galore. "It's like a ballgame. It's a challenge," Frieder said. "Signing a kid is like winning a big game. To sign a player like Phil Hubbard or Campy Russell is a great thrill. "IT'S VERY important, however," he added, "to make sure right off that the player has an interest in your school. Otherwise, you're gonna wind up wasting a lot of time and effort." Then, explains Frieder, there's the other side. Having to miss dinner con- stantly with the family because a recruit has to be shown around the campus. There's the talking to parents, hotel arrangements to worry about, the com- pliance with rules, having to miss time with relatives during the holidays, ad nauseam. "After a certain number of years, that would drive a nvbodv nuts,'' Frieder said. AD I) 'I' IA the fact that the Big Ten has become by far the most corn pet itive conference in the country, and you've established quite a coaching grind. "lecruiting has changed in the Big Ten. Everybody is working much more than before. The only coaches who were around when I started with Michigan are Bobby Knight and Orr, and the new coaches are working harder," Frieder said. "Overall, the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast coaches are working the hardest recruiting right now." And that can make it pretty rough signing talent out of your home state. A few years back, Michigan literally stole Hubbard out of Canton, Ohio, right from under former Buckeye coach Fred Taylor's nose. It's doubtful that Eldon Miller, the man who last April nabbed Kellogg, would have lost an in- state player of llulbbard's stature. It's seemingly like studying for a test you know everybody in the class has been preparing for for the last two mon- ths. You just can't let up. "YOU GO TO the tournaments for high school kids around the country, and the Big Ten coaches are always there. Most of the Big Ten coaches didn't even go to the NCAA tournament last year, including us," said Frieder. "'They were busy recruiting." And so after all was said and done last spring, the Wolverines emerged from the recruiting wars with Joe James, Ike Person, and Leo Brown forming this year's freshman class. Not a bad group, but nowhere near to mat- ching the success of Ohio State, and not enough to challenge for top conference honors this season. "What we need is a power player up front who can give us 18 points and 12 rebounds per game. We're one player away from being an excellent basket- ball team," Frieder said. But being one player away in a league like this year's Big Ten, with some 42 of 50 starters returning from last year, isn't enough. So the recruiting search for that elusive big forward goes on for the Wolverines. And it won't be easy. Nothing comes easy in Big Ten basketball recruiting nowadays. I Mark Bodnar I .,. ,;wa; , ;, 5 ' m,.. wa ..., 3 O Jun. 175 6-3 A SfTRESS fracture of the left foot set. Mark Bodnar back early last season, and he never really got his act together, seeing very limited action. Mark is at full strength for the coming year, however, and is expected to see considerable more playing time at guard. Mark is a great passer with excellent court vision, and his lefthan- ded jump shot was con- sidered better than the jumper of twin brother Marty during their high school days at Barber- ton High School in Ohio, where they led their team to 51 straight vic- tories. Mark is an ex- cellent student (with a :3.2 GPA) and wants to major in business. I li N r I Thad Garner 45F Soph 180 6-7 NE OF the keys to Michigan success this seasonhwill be the play of Thad Garner. Garner started six games last year as a freshman but never played up to the poten- tial he demonstrated as an Honorable Mention All-Ameican at Bishop Noll H.S. in Hammond, Indiana. Garner lacks a shooting touch, but he has excellent leaping 1 ability and is constantly looking to crash the boards. "He plays with reckless abandon," Orr commented. "It'll be hard for him to make it through the year without being injured." If Garner should remain healthy, he'll likely hold down the forward post opposite Mike McGee. A good year underneath the hoop for Garner could greatly improve what appears to be a weak- rebounding MIchigan team. Marty B( 24 GJun. 175 6- W HEN ASKED t name the best all around player on thi year's Michigan squad Johnny Orr thought fo a moment and replied "Marty Bodnar." Known for his tw last-second baskets tha gave the Wolverine wins over Illinois anc Johnny Johns 3 4G-F.Jun.2006-4 JOHNNY JOHNSON is one of the most potentially explosive of- fensive threats on the Michigan team. A fine performance in the Wolverines' impressive win over Notre Dame in the season finale last year thrust him into the starting picture. Johnson has gotten off \ . J) ff I 1 Keith S- G Soph. 160 6-0 25 5 M" I I Better .get Timb('rlan ds! Stubb )rn Yankee craftsmanship has made Timberland I the fastest gr< wing line Of full grain leather boots in A me(ica. \Ou can choos' f ron rugged Iwaterpirof styles insulated to well beh)w zero, to shearling linedI bo(Ots, and other ruggeol outdoor styles for m 'n an(l women. y I i - m 04C mhWO 9 i wvifed toi(if no (410 Ow t o ffapap toti ojC tfweof ompcte Qitn o - Boots and Shoes Friday-November 30, 1979 From : 10:00am to 5:30pm O U k V 17itSko I 4 '. p i 1 %I Mark Lozier 32G Sr. 185 6-3 THE ONLY senior on the Wolverine squad this season, Mark Lozier assumes a leadership role as the team's co-captain. He started the last four games of 1979 for the cagers, playing a major role in the remarkable upset of the Fighting Irish at the Silverdome. Lozier's main claim to fame for the Wolverines is a 22-foot jump shot he dropped at the buzzer in East Lansing two years ago that beat the Spar- tans, 65-63. "Every- body keeps on talking to me about that one shot," Lozier complained. "This year I'll be able to talk about something else since I was named captain." A very strong com- petitor, he plans on making a larger con- tribution this year. "Sure, it gets frustrating to sit on the bench, and that's one of the reasons I was so in- consistent in my first few years," he ex- plained. I A S IN THE case with most freshman thrust into a starting role in a big-time college program, Keith Smith's performance last year could best be described as incon- sistent. Scholastic trouble, as well as his lack of size -- -M SOPHISTICATED ART OF TRIBAL CULTURES bx 123 663- Sat 1 / WE'VE GOT EIGHT YEARS AT STEAK Daily Cut USDA Steaks - Seafood - Salads - Mexican Food Sandwiches - Homemade Onion Rings - Fried Potato Skins Bull.. 2222 Hogback Rd. 971-9570 Cocktails 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays: to 12p m. weekends U DRIVEA BARGAIN Rent a Car AT EC@NO.CAR® for local reservations call: 663-2033 438 West Huron, Ann Arbor ECONO-CAR" SILK KIMONO . 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