Wednesday, April 2, 1975
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Seven
I
GOOD PITCH, NO HIT?
I
..... 20-20 Hindsight
th.:
By JEFF SCHILLER
'Dumb jocks' .. .
Batsmen
S
By RICK BONINO
As any Michigan resident
knows, those spring snowstorms
can mean only one thing-a new
baseball season is about to be-
* 0 * IA'I"UI' t'GN/ELLTL4..' /11 / ILC4.'gin.
Coach Moby Benedict doesn't
"Bruce has a 3.7 grade average in high school, and is appear to have any Bill Free-
interested in business administration. I think he'd be best off hans or Elliott Maddoxes on his
at Michigan; the business school is one of the finest in the 13th Michigan squad. What
country." Benedict does have is a deep,
relatively young team that could
MOUNDS LIKE a high school counselor, doesn't it? In fact, themake a real run at the Big Ten
speaker is- assistant Michigan basketball coach Bill Frieder, W L V E R I N E title hopes
and the aforementioned "Bruce" is none other than high school largely depend on the pitching
AllAmerican center Bruce Flowers from Berkley. staff.
"Good pitching will get the
Of course, Frieder cites numerous "athletic" reasons for good hitters out," Benedict
Flowers to enroll at the Big U. The fact remains, however, that claims. "With a good pitching
Michigan is using its academic reputation as a major part of the staff you'll win more than you
bait they hope will lure him. lose."
If this year's returnees match
Nor is Flowers an isolated example. Ferndale guard Tom last year's performances, Bene-
Staton, a 3.6 student interested in either pre-law or pre-med; is dict will have little to complain
getting the full story about Michigan's outstanding professional about. Michigan finished 18-16
schools in those areas. Ken Ferdinand, a 6-8 forward from Ur- last year due to its 3.00 team
bana, Illinois, is interested in attending Michigan largely because, ERA, not its .248 team batting
in Frieder's words, "His parents are very impressed with the average.
school academically."
CHUCK ROGERS, last year's
Big Ten pitching leader, heads
the Wolverine mound corps.
However, the junior had a dis-
appointing Florida tour and
Benedict says he'll have to "get
it back together." !
Craig Forhan, Lary Sorenson!
and Mark Weber round out I
Benedict's rotation. Both For- I
han and Sorenson started last
year, while Weber earned his
spot with a fine Florida show-
ing.
Benedict may be at a loss
when his starters fail, though.1
He admits real concern about
his bullpen, and depth is a must
with two or three doubleheaders
every week.
THIS YEAR the Wolverines
may score enough runs to back
up their pitching. Hitting pro-
vided a bright spot down South.
However, the Blue batsmen may
find home a big change after
sunny Florida, and not just!
weather-wise.
"We play in a pitcher's ball-
Stto cm
park," Benedict said. "The'
fences are deep and the wind
blows in during the spring."
Wolverine power should be
much improved this season.
Catcher Ted Mahan, last year's
leading slugger, will get some
help from new first baseman
Randy Hackney. Hackney, a
Central Michigan transfer, pac-
ed the club in homers and RBI
in Florida.
HACKNEY and returning sec-
ond sacker Dick Walterhouse
(.281 last year) anchor a solid
right side of the infield. The left
side sports some new faces,
with freshman Jim Berra mov-
ing in at short and last year's
third base sub, Jeff James,
taking over a starting spot.
The outfield appears solid,
with speedsters Pete Ross and
M a r k Grenkowski flanking
strong-armed Dan Damiani.
Ross hit .269 as the regular
first baseman last year while
Grenkowski led the squad in
hitting in Florida.
"
Benedict plans to platoon
designated hitters. Freshman
Bob Waslewski looms as the
regular, and may occasionallyI
switch duties with Mahan.C
Other possibilities i n c lu d e
speedy sophomore Jacob Has-
lerig and freshman Mike Par-
ker.
MICHIGAN'S team speed con-
tributes to the overall defense,
'with Walterhouse, Ross and
Grenkowski all able to reach
the ball quickly. Benedict also
expects his catchers to throw
adequately, if not with the
authority pf previous Blue
catchers like Freehan and John
Lonchar.
The Wolverines end their pre-
season practice with twin bills
against Detroit on Thursday and:
Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
Their Big Ten season opens with
an April 11 doubleheader at
Illinois.
"Both Iowa and Minnesota
look tough in the conference,"
Benedict said, "but we should
be a contender, too."
APRIL 4,
5,6
Asian
Black
Chicano
ARTEHIT
RECEPTION:
FRI. 8-10 P.M.-SAT.-SUN. 2-5 P.M.
Co-sponsored by UAC Minority Affairs
MOSHER JORDAN
BLACK CULTURAL LOUNGE
..
SMARTHA COOK BLG
SPRING HALF TERM
May 4-June 28, 1975
ROOM and BOARD $368.88
INCLUDES PRIVATE ROOM AND
1 2 MEALS PER WEEK
Gracious living, dining on the terrace,
tennis court, indoor bike shelter.
Apply at Martha Cook Building
beginning NOW
906 S. University at Tappan 769-3290
I
1
For years, people have joked about or decried the no-work
courses some athletes take to get through school. Some, less
concerned with education, have even complained because
Michigan doesn't have enough "cake courses" to ensure good
marks for the jocks.
But who gains when a college recruits athletes who can'tj
cut it academically?E
Not the athletes. Many of them don't get enough credits to
graduate. If they fail in pro sports, they're left with nothing but
memories to show for their college experience.-
Not the University. Lowering standards to admit unqualified
students downgrades the academic reputation of the school.]
Eventually, top-rank high school graduates and the better profs
go elsewhere.
Not the other students. Often they understandably resent=
having to work for their grades, while scholarship athletes get
preferential treatment.
And maybe not even the program. For every "dumb jock"
who can help a team win, there exists an intelligent one who
can and should be turned off by an environment that dis-
courages serious study.
After all, the nation's two best centers of recent memory,
Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, were bona-fide B+
students, majoring in History and Psychology, respectively.
There weren't many better forwards last year than Mary-
land's Rhodes Scholar Tom McMillan, nor quarterbacks more
prolific than Pat Haden of USC, also a Rhodes Scholar.
Other stars, such as Indiana's Steve Green, Illinois' Rick
Schmidt and Michigan's Steve Grote, have won all- academic
honors. They, and countless others whose grades are perfectly
respectable (if not so flashy) reap the benefits of a good college
education, as well as top-flight athletic competition.
Finally, those players who go to school for no other reason
than to play ball, are the most likely to give up years of
eligibility to turn pro. When they do, the morale and workings
of the. program suffer enormously.
As athletic department operating margins continue to shrink-
or. disappear-recruiters will be forced to become more selective.
Programs with only a handful of available scholarships can't
afford to risk them on people who probably won't make it in
class.
When, inevitably, such a situation becomes universal, those
schools which refused to lower standards in the past will reap a
just and substantial reward.
Blue recruiting effort Billboard
The Intramural Relays for
"
_9
aims tU
By AL HRAPSKY
With spring scarcely a week
old and the recruiting season
in full swing, Johnny Orr and
Michigan since Campy Russell.
that "April showers bring May
flowers." But the fl o w e r sj
they're after isn't a blossoming
orchid or Morning Glory- he's
high school all-American Bruce
Flowers of Berkley, Michigan.
Flowers, at 6-8 and 215 pounds,
the most sought-after basket-
ball player from the state of
his coaching staff are hopeful
He is being graciously received
on the Michigan campus today
and tomorrow by the Wolverine,
coaching staff.
A superlative scorer who
averaged 28 points and 20 re-
bounds pergame last year, and
once scored 42 points on 21 of
22 shots from the floor in a
single game, Flowers heads a
list of some 17 players that
TL Tnn 71
pick Flowers
all divisions will be held on
Wednesday, April 2, beginning
at 6:30 p.m.
Michigan is courting this month.
Orr says the Berkley star
has narrowed his collegiate
choices down to Michigan,
Notre Dame and Indiana, and
that Notre Dame is the
strongest alternative to Michi-
gan. The Wolverine coaches
indicate that Flowers will be
able to step right into a start-
ing position and the results
will be instantaneous.
"Flowers is the key to our
recruiting," Orr stated. "I think
he's the best player in the Mid-
west."
"Flowers can start right away
for us," claims Michigan's main
recruiter, Bill Freider, "with
him we can be national conten-
ders next year."
Flowers recently turned down
an opportunity to play in the
High School All-American game
in Dayton, Ohio in order to com-
pete in the shotput and high
jump for the Berkley track
team. His versatility also car-
ries over to the academic field,
as he sports a 3.7 grade point
average.
O t h e r hly sought-after
Michigan talents are Tom Sta-
ton of Ferndale and Alan Hardy
of Detroit Northwestern.
A 6-3 guard who averagesd
I22 points and 15 rebounds and
five assists a game, Staton
played all three positions for
Ferndale this past season.
Frieder describes Staton as a
tremendous individual and
athlete who "could become
better than QuinnBuckner."
Staton boasts a 3.6 grade
point average and wants to
major in pre-med or pre-law.
He's considering Indiana and
Wake Forest in addition to
Michigan and he will visit Ann
Arbor Friday.
The Wolverines are also hop-
ing to corale Hardy, a 6-5 for-
ward who was voted the most
improved player in the Detroit
Public School League last sea-
son. This season Hardy scored
22 points per game, while haul-
ing down 15 caroms and block-
ing an average of five shots.
Although Frieder predicts
that he would make an excel-
lent college forward, Orr ex-
pressed some doubt about his
attitude.
"We're a little concerned with
Hardy's desire," he said.
"Sometimes he does a lot of
t hi n gs and sometimes he
doesn't. He's a little erratic but
he's a good kid."
The Northwestern star is also
looking westward to Arizona and
Washington State for a possible
college career.
Tomorrow: a look at out of
state recruits.
I e* . w
By The Associated Press
1. UCLA (451,) 28-3
2. Kentucky 26-5
3. Indiana (21) 31-1
4. Louisville 28-3
5. Maryland 24-5
6. Syracuse (1) 2:3-9
7. N. Carolina St. 22-6
8. Arizona State 25-4
9. N. Carolina 23-8
10. Alabama 22-5
11. Marquette 23-4
12. Princeton 122-8
13. Cincinnati 23-6
14. Notre Dame 19-10
15. Kansas State 20-9
16. Drake 20-10
17. Nev-Las Vegas 24-5
18. Oregon State 18-12
19. MICHIGAN 19-8
20. Providence 17-10
969
830
787
762
525
443
403
377
295
246
210
127
124
110
69
67
41
40
36
27
We're looking for certain majors
to become Lieutenants.
KNICKS ELUDE SIXERS:
Milwaukee
trips
Pistons
From Wire Service Rors
anti rpcprvp fnrwgrd Minkev , '
York comeback that helaed the I
ti"L.--- -.---I--nC W; U - m S LJa V VAk '.1 £Yj.&SL .MU y ..... .-.- -5 -.. 1 11 G M -
MILWAUKEE - The Mil- Davis led the Bucks to an eight- Knicks beat Philadelphia 99-95
waukee Bucks held the Detroit point string that gave Milwau- last night, enhancing their Na-
Pistons without a point for three kee a 92-85 lead. tional Basketball Association
minutes late in the fourth quar- After George Thompson hit playoff chances.
ter and kept their slim playoff the first basket, Davis hit a The victory gave the Knicks
hopes alive by beating the Pis- side jumper, fed Jon McGloc- a 39-40 record and a one-half
tons 98-91 last night. klin for a fast break basket game lead over idle Cleveland
The Bucks have three games and then drove to the basket in the battle for the fifth and
remaining and must win them, for a layup. final playoff spot in the Eastern
all, while Detroit must lose itsI Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored Conference. New York has three
two remaining games for the 27 points to lead the Bucks and games remaining and, could
Bucks to earn a wild card berth Thompson added 18. Bob Lanier
in the playoffs. had 19 for the. Pistons.
Milwaukee has games against Detroit is now 39-41 and the S C O R E S
Detroit, New York and Chicago Bucks 36-43. The Pistons lead
remaining, while the Pistons the Bucks by 2 games in the
play Chicago tonight and then scrap for third place in the k ,NBA
the Bucks. NBA's Midwest Division. Chicago 98, Buffalo 93
The Bucks led 72-67 going * * * New York 99, Philadelphia 95
into the final quarter, but De- Houston 113, Atlanta 104
unit mill. nd. d dal R - Pearl shines washington 110, New Orleans 101
fr
5
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ff(
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.
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clinch a playoff berth by beat-
ing the Cavaliers at Cleveland
Thursday night. Cleveland has
two games left.
* *
Bulls close in
BUFFALO-The Chicago Bulls
moved a notch closer to wrap-
ping up the Midwest Division
championship in the National
Basketball Association last night
with a 98-93 victory over the
Buffalo Braves.
The Bulls got a 24-point per-
formance from Chet Walker and
a clutch tip-in by Tom Boer-
winkle in the last two minutes
to snap a three-game losing
streak and end Buffalo's five-
game winning streak.
MAY
GRADUATE?
if you plan to attend
the May 3 commence-
ment, you must order
a cap & gown by Fri-
day, April 4, 1975.
University Cellar
769-7940
hrt pu eu aneau anu ue . i
84 with 5:33-remaining. For the
next three minutes the Bucks
held Detroit without a basket
NEW YORK - Earl Monroe
and Walt Frazier combined forI
47 points and triggered a New
Sport(s of The Dal
Bartow to UCLA?
The "Who will coach UCLA?" question continues to boil
around the country. Yesterday the Memphis Press-Scimitar re-
ported that Fighting Illini coach Gene Bartow had "the inside l
track" to the position being vacated by the retiring John
Wooden.
UCLA has made no announcement.
Bartow compiled an 82-32 record at Memphis State before
moving to Illinois last year.!
NHL
Buffalo 3, Boston 1
Atlanta 2, N. Y. Islanders 2
Kansas City 3, Los Angeles 1
St. Louis 7, Minnesota 3
ABA
Denver 126, Indiana 115
St. Louis 122, Utah 109
Memphis 121, Virginia 102
San Antonio 130, San Diego 113
wHA
New England 5, Phoenix 2
Minnesota 5, Vancouver 2
Chicago 3, Cleveland 2 (OT)
Toronto 7, Indianapolis 1
k7
.I
University Housing Council
.UHC reps needed from every
Mechanical and civil engineering
majors ... aerospace and aeronautical
engineering majors. . . majors in elec-
tronics ... computer science. . . mathe-
matics.
The Air Force needs people ... many
with the above academic majors. And
A ETDT h-c o - _cr-if f-_o rt rn- .
offering full scholarships. All offering
$100 a month allowance during the last
two years of the program. Flying oppor-
tunities. And all leading to an Air Force
officer's commission, plus advanced
education.
If you'd like to cash in on these Air
Fnrrphpnpit- -,tb.Iniinsinn h
I
,