THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Nine THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Nine Blue BY GEORGE! _____ I4 George Hastings New Detroit attack h... *.. old Chicago court THIS SATURDAY afternoon when they turn on their TV sets, a lot of basketball fans across the nation who haven't kept up on NBA standings are going to be in for a shock. For on the tube Saturday before a nationwide audience, a new team will participate in the National Basketball Association playoffs-the Detroit Pistons. Over the past several years, the first round of the NBA play- offs have settled into a rut. It seems that every year the Knicks take on the Bullets, the Celtics maul the Hawks, the Lakers stop the Bulls, and the Bucks and Warriors skirmish. But this year there are going to be a couple of new teams in the running. At long last the Pistons have crashed the NBA's elite, along with the Buffalo Braves, and the result will be some new match-ups to add some spice to pro basketball's "second season." . The match-up which will be of most interest to Detroit fans will be that tof the Pistons against the Chicago Bulls. When the Pistons take the floor in Chicago for the opening game, it will mark their first appearance in post-season play since 1969. Detroit retains only one player from those 1969 playoffs. Dave Bing was finishing his third season in the NBA then, and he put on a fantastic show as the Detroiters surprised everyone that'year by winning two of their first three games against Bill Russell and the Celtics. Playoff fever gripped the Motor City after that second win against Boston, and there were mob scenes outside Cobo Arena in Detroit as fans desperately tried to get tickets for the fourth game of that series. But Russell & Co., en route to their last NBA championship, established who was the better basketball team and went on to eliminate the Pistons in six games. Ever since that loss to Boston, loyal Detroit rooters have waited patiently for another chance. This year coach Ray Scott and his charges have finally rewarded them by coming up with the Pistons' greatest season ever. Detroit won 52 games and lost only 30 this year, good enough for the fourth best mark in the whole league, but only third position in the rugged Midwest division. As a result, the Pistons are thrown in the first round against the team with the third-top record in the loop, the Bulls, who finished two games ahead of the Detroiters in season play. More ominous for Detroit, though, is the fact that Chicago defeated them five out of seven times during the regular season. Scott, however, insists that the losing record to Chicago during the year is not that important. "The playoffs are a whole new year," says the Detroit mentor. "What happened dur- ing the season doesn't count anymore. Besides, of the five we lost to Chicago, four of them were close games that could have gone either way." The greatest weapon Scott has, of course, is his 6-11 center, Bob Lanier. Ranked among the league leaders in scoring, shooting, rebounding, and blocked shots, he finished third in the balloting for Most Valuable Player this season. Detroit's only clear advantage will be in the pivot, where Lanier ranks head- and-shoulders above the Bulls' Clifford Ray, who is a strong rebounding but nothing special on offense. At guard, neither team seems to be much better off than the other. Bing, already voted to several all-NBA teams this season, will be the best backourt man on the floor, but none of the other Detroit guards have been especially con- sistent. Chicago's Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier are both tenacious defenders, good balhandlers, and adequate shoot- ers, and Bob Weiss in reserve makes them a tough three- man unit. The Pistons may be hurting, though, at the forward match- ups, where the Bulls' Chet Walker and Bob Love are both of all-star ability. But Scott feels that his group of Curtis Rowe, Don Adams, and George Trapp is more physical and will be effective under its new more forward-oriented offense. In this series, however, individual match-ups could easily be over-rated. Both these teams got into the playoffs by playing co-ordinated team basketball, and the team that plays better in that respect will win. Two factors working against the Pistons will be their lack of playoff experience and the fact that four of the seven pos- sible games will be in Chicago. Scott admits that he doesn't know yet whether either of those factors will make a difference in the series. But he does acknowledge that the first game in Chicago is very important. "How well we play the first game will be the key-win or lose," he explains. "We have to play our game and estab- lish ourselves for the rest of the series." No matter what happens, of course, the basketball season will have been a success for Detroit. "We had a good year," asserts Scott. "Nothing can change what we've already done." But if the Pistons can regain the form they displayed for two heady months in January and February when they played the best ball in the league, the season could last a few weeks longer for those long-awaiting fans in Detroit. netters chase YCAA best record. Senich, Miller, Karzan have worse records, each has beaten players who h better records. In general, the By JEFF SCHILLER ence is Alex (Sandy) Mayer. He What goals do you set for an ath- was a semi-finalist at Wimbleton letic team which scored 159 of 162 last year, and has beaten twenty possible points in last year's con- or twenty-five players of interna- ference championship meet, re- tional caliber over the past three turns five of its top six players, years. He gives Stanford a defi- including the top four, and posses- nite advantage." ses in addition, a freshman who may well surpass most if not all of NONETHELESS, EISNER is them? If you're Brian Eisner and predicting great things for the you coach the Michigan tennis Wolverine netters, and it's easy to team, you aim for the national see why. The talent on this squad championship. And with the talent is so strong and so deep, that on this Wolverine squad, you just many of the toughest matches the might get it. netmen will play will be in inter- THIS YEAR'S Michigan team is squad competition. Consider the ranked between fifth and seventh awesome array that Eisner has nationally in preseason ratings. brought together. Eisner thinks they are better than * Leading t h e returnees is that. 1sophomere 6-5 lefty Vic Amaya, "USC is rated second in all the last year's Big Ten number one polls and UCLA is third in many, singles champion and a national but I'll be very disappointed if we quarterfinalist. Amaya recently don't beat both of them," the Mich- captured the Western Indoor title igan mentor commented. "We'll (Michigan incidentally closed out definitely be contenders for the the semis) and was a finalist in a national title and we might win it." World Invitational Tournament for "The team to beat is Stanford," players twenty-one and under held Eisner continued, "And the differ-! in London. Eisner gushes about Freddie DeJesus Amaya's talent and claims that "Victor is one of only two players in college today who could beat Sandy Mayer, if Vic was at the top of his game. He's so strong, I think he'd just overpower him." 1 Two years ago Freddie De- Jesus was the most sought after junior player around. At various times, he had been top ranked in three age groups, and was a mem- ber of the U.S. Junior Davis Cup squad. But the Puerto Rican suf- fered through a disappointing sea- son of injuries last year, and is working to regain his previously invincible form. Eisner thinks he'll make it. "Freddie is back in excellent physical shape," the coach com- mented, "And I'm extremely pleased with the way he's been playing the last few weeks. He re- cently made the finals of the South American Championships playing for Puerto Rico, and it looks like BRUINS WIN he'll perform the way we know he can." * The Wolverines' prize recruit I is New Jersey lefty Peter Flem- ing, the eleventh ranked eighteen and under player in the country last season. Eisner feels the rat- irg was fair on the record but ar- gued that, "In terms of talent, Pet- er was actually closer to number five." Fleming and DeJesus reach- ed the national twenty-one and un- I der doubles final last year, and beat USC's top doubles team in the process. O Last year's Big Ten singles champ at the number two position is sophomore returnee Eric Fried- ler. Friedler compiled an impres- sive 20-4 match record in his fresh- man season alternating between the number two and three spots, and extended Mexican Davis Cup- per Paul Ramirez to the limit be- fore bowing 7-6, 6-2 at the na- tionals. Though Friedler's forte is amazing quickness, Eisner is also impressed with his strength claim- ing, "Pound for pound, Eric is stronger than anyone on thet squad." Friedler also teamed with" the graduated Dick Raverby to! capture the Big Ten number two! doubles crown last season. 0 Another player who suffered through an injury shortened cam- paign last year was Jerry Karzan but Karzan's injury was of a dif- ferent type; he had mononucle- osis. However Jerry rebounded to place second in the Big Ten at the number three singles position and; teamed with Amaya to win at number one doubles. ! To demonstrate the depth this team had last year, Jeff Miller, the 1972 number two Big Ten sin- gles champ (as a freshman) could not crack last season's starting lineup. Eisner claims that Miller is playing much better this season, and will definitely contend for an important role. , * The Wolverine's captain and the only senior in the top seven is the defending Big Ten champ at the number five singles position, Kevin Senich. Senich, who extend- ed Amaya to three sets beforet succumbing in the semis of the Western Indoors, compiled a 17-7 match-record last year. He posses- ses great power and his perform- ance this year will be a key fac- tor in determining how far' the: Wolverines go. AS CAN BE INFERRED, no po- sitions have been set as yet. In' team challenge matches, Amaya is undefeated while Friedler, Flem- ing, and DeJesus all have five losses apiece to tie for the next title and tersquad competition has produced but very strong competition. ave As Eisner put it, "Right now in- we're way ahead of where we were at a comparable point last season. We've done more condi- tioning and added weight training, and the results seem good." Eisner has -also been experi- menting with various doubles com- binations. He leans to matching power with quickness and present- jy has Fleming paired with De- Jesus and Amaya with Friedler. Captain Senich has called Amaya- Friedler, " .. . the best doubles combination on the squad," but Eisner hedges claiming the two are roughly equal. He does think that both have the potential "...to at least make it to the NCAA semi- finals and maybe to win it all." Brian Eisner has problems too. < But they're primarily a question of how to keep what, quite possi- bly, are the seven best tennis players in the Big Ten happy and give all of them enough playing time. It's a problem most coaches would love to have. Capt. Kevin Senich Attention Graduate Students The Pilot Program is seeking graduate students for Resident Fellow positions. We need creative people committed to personal and social change, who want to teach and participate in an experimental education program. Room and board plus GSTA stipend. Apply through April 15, 1974 CALL 764-7521 ALICE LLOYD HALL Victor Amaya By The Associated Press DETROIT - Defenseman Jack Lynch scored a power-play goal early in the °third period to snap a 1-1 tie and the Detroit Red Wings went on to beat the Buf- falo Sabres, 3-1, in a National Hockey League game last night. The defeat virtually eliminated the Sabres from a playoff berth in the NHL Eastern Division. The victory was the first of the season in six tries for the Wings over Buffalo. Lynch, who was traded by Pittsburgh to Detroit in January for Ron Stackhouse, got his op- portunity when Buffalo defense- man Jim Schoenfeld was penal- ized for hooking Mickey Red- mond at 3:17. Lynch took a pass by team- mate Nick Libett behind the Sa- bres' net and jammed the puck past goalie Gary Bromley into the right corner at 4:48 for his second goal in 30 games wit:h the Wings. Guy Charron scored an insur- ance goal with 4:48 left in the game when he stole the puck from Buffalo's Jerry Karab in front of Bromley and beat t1-e goaltender with a backhander. Gerry Meehan gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with a goal at 5:19 of the first period, but Detroit rookie Bill Hogaboam sent a soft shot past a sprawled Bromley at 4:10 of the second period to tie the game and set the stage for the Wings' winning stare. triuimphat Bruins held off a frantic New in 00 York rally for the triumph. Eric Friedler sports NIGHT EDITORS: JEFF SCHILLER MARCIA MERKER Rangers reek NEW YORK-Johnny Bucyk's 29th goal of the season at 14:14 of the second period lifted the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 National Hockey League victory over the New York Rangers last night. After first - period goals by Bobby S ch mau t z and Terry O'Reilly had given the Bruins a 2-1 lead, Bucyk slapped a 15- footer past goalie Ed Giacomin to put Boston ahead 3-1. Walt Tkaczuk had given the Rangers their only lead at 7:23 of the first period with the first of two power-play goals. Tkac- zuk, playing with a helmet and face mask, to protect a broken jaw, sent a 10-foot shot past Ross Brooks.. Then Schmautz blasted a 30- footer past Giacomin at 8:17 of the first period, and O'Reilly scored on a breakaway eight minutes later. Tkaczuk cut the margin to 3-2 with 7:51 remaining, but the Stars fade PITTSBURGH - Lowell Mac- Donald scored three consecutive goals as the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame a three-goalwdeficit and salvaged a 3-3~ tie with the Minnesota North Stars last night in a National Hockey League game. The Stars took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Jean Paul Parise and Buster Harvey, and stretched the margin to 3-0 in the second period on a goal by Danny Grant. Then P itt s b urgh made its comeback w i t h MacDonald's three goals, assisted by Syl Apps all three times. * * * Flyers fly ST. LOUIS - Left wing Ross Lonsberry scored his 26th goal and chipped in two assists as the Philadelphia Flyers skated to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League last night. "FOOLISH AND FIENDISH" EMU PLAYERS SERIES IS PROUD TO PRESENT Harold Pinter's COMEDY OF MENACE THE BIRTHDAY PARTY Mar. 20,30, 31 Apr. 3,4,5, 6 QUIRK AUDITORIUM 8:00 P.M. $2.00 Dial 487-1221 for reservations BOX OFFICE OPEN: 11:45-4:30 NOON-8:30 (performance dates) Celts lose PHILADELPHIA (P-Fred Car- ter dropped in 31 points, 16 in the! third period, to pace the Philadel- phia 76ers to a 117-108 win over the Boston Celtics in a National Bas- ketball , Association game at the Spectrum last night. The win came in Philadelphia's last game of the season and was the 76ers' first victory over Boston this season. The score was knotted at 22-all at the end of the first quarter but trPhiladelphia, paced by 10 second- period points from Larry Cannon, finished the half with a 59-48 ad- vantage. -o il U $100 except Fri., Sot., Sun., $1.50 I LSCIOES NBA Philadelphia 117, Boston 108 NHLf Philadelphia 6, St. Louis 2 Boston 3, New York 2 Detroit 3, Buffalo 1 Pittsburgh 3, Minnesota 3 Art 1 ends Tues., Apr. 2 "Funny Car Summer" Weekdays. 7,. 9; Fri., Sat., 7, 9. 11; Sun., 3, 5, 7, 9-rated G IArt\2 ends Tues., Apr. 2 FOREST- TERRACE 1001 SOUTH FOREST _I r i I i I I 'I. ei I . 0. e 1 VALUABLE COUPON WORTH $1.39 ONE BIG delicious MR. TONY SUB with purchase of a 14" Pizza and this coupon SUBMARINES & PIZZA 1327 S. University FREE, ~ A I FAST DELIVERY!! Offer good for pickup, dine-in, or FREE DELIVERY at 1327 S. University location only. Coupon expires April 3, 1974 Fall Rentals Modern Two-Bedroom Apts. * fully furnished & carpeted t each apt. equipped with its own burglar alarm systemI " private parking-free * garbage disposals * 24 hr. emergency maintenance service * live in resident manager * Cable TV-free * 8 or 12 month lease available See Randy or Andy Young Apt. 211, 769-6374 DERANGED rated R Week, 7:15, 9; Fri., Sat., 7:15, 9, 10:45; Sun., 3:30, 5:30, 7:15, 9:00 1 31 N. Washington Ypsilanti 482-3300 " _ _. I rI needs Next Year s PRODUCERS1. Musket 2. Soph Show central 1. Future Worlds committee 2. UAC Travel . ~ . - *.... .; .& I t ,: : .