1?age Six
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
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Page SIx VHF MICHIGAN DAILY
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This fall rent
from a company
where tenants
come first
Available for fall
are this town's most
popular campus apartments:
ALBERT TERRACE
ALGONQUIN
THE ABBEY
DEAN APARTMENT;
THE LODGE
CARRIAGE HOUSE
THE LION
THE FORVM
And as of now
they are all managed
by Ann Arbor's newest
tenant-oriented
company ...
Maize & Blue
Management
300 S. THAYER, SUITE A
761=3131
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Tigen 1
By DAN BORUS
They were teams in a football
conference and basketball was
something they did when they
didn't want to study or when all
the phone booths had been
stuffed. But of late, the Big
Eight has shown itself to be just
as much a basketball conference
as the ACC or the Big Ten.
The current Big Eight race is
incredibly tight as only one game
separates the first and last place
squads. Every team has fielded
an extraordinary five and has
some fine players riding the
pines as well. In short this year's
performance by Big Eight squads
is entirely different from pre-
vious seasons of roundball.
Many reasons have been
brought forth for the previous
low standing of Big Eight basket-
ball. Missouri Athletic Director
Don Faurot outlines a few:
"Some conferences are just
plain football conferences. Alum-
ni support is great for football
and quite poor for basketball.
Little emphasis is placed on the
sport and starting a program is
quite difficult."
Dick Schultz of Iowa has point-
ed out that "basketball is a black
man's game."
This point has raised some
speculation about the receptivity
to blacks in the Big Eight.
"Some teams have, always re-
cruited them," says a Missouri
player who desires to be un-
identified, "and some have avoid-
ed them. Blacks are much more
conspicuous on a basketball court
than on a football field."
There are some exceptions to
that Jim Crow rule. Kansas State
under Tex Winter dominated the
conference and developed into a
national power with the help of
frighten Big
AP Photo
black guards. Bud Stallworth,
last year's all conference star
at Kansas was black. But in
general the trend has been that
less blacks play in the Big Eight
than in other conferences.
Since Big Eight country is not
urban and hence not overabun-
dant with black basketball play-
ers, those that are around face
double recruitment.
"The Missouri Valley has been
the top basketball conference
around these parts," laments
Missouri mentor Norm Stewart,"
and they used to get top pick-
ings, but we're changing that."
Stewart's club is one of the
mysteries of the season and one
of the most pleasant surprises
for the conference. Racing
through their nonconference bouts
untarnished, the eighth ranked
Tigers are 2-2 in league play.
The Tigers are anchored by
John Brown, a 6-8 Olympian who
,possesses some great moves to
and away from the bucket. "John
can do it all," says Stewart. "He.
has great range and a fine shot.
He's not afraid to crash the
boards."
Brown was instrumental in
locking up Luke Witte in the
Tigers' clash with the Buckeyes.
And since Witte, who is still no
slouch on a basketball court,
possesses a five to six inch
height advantage, Brown's play
was even more remarkable.
Brown also is a clutch player
under pressure. In a disputed
game with Texas Christian,
Brown took the rebound of a last
second desperation shot and
calmly snuffed the ball back
towards the bucket, giving the
Tigers a one-point victory.
hard finished sixth to Brown's
second in rebounding and was
eighth in field percentage from
the floor (Brown was the pre-
mier sharpshooter in the league).
Bringing the ball into the fore-
court has been Greg Flaker with
an assist from Mike Jeffries.
Although the Tigers easily
swept the Big Eight Christmas
tourney, they dropped two ball
games in season play. One was
to Kansas State, an old nemesis.
The Wildcats completely shut
down the leading rebounding
team in the Big Eight and dis-
posed of the Tigers, 79-61. The
defeat brought the spectre of last
season's late collapse back to
Columbia.
The Tigers were riding high
and needed but one victory to
clinch their first Big Eight
wreaths in a good while. But the
Wildcats beat the Tigers to the
wire, tripping the Bengals on
their own home ground.
But the season was not a com-
plete fiasco for the Tigers, for
they were awarded a berth in the
National Invitational Tourney.
Though the Tigers played credit-
ably, they eventually were down-
Eight
ed by the last second magic of
St. John's. The Redmen seem to
have a knack for winning ball-
games in the last second in New
York.
"We gave it our best," Stewart
said, "but some things you can't
do anything about."
Stewart traces the rise of Mis-
souri basketball to a game play-
ed four years ago in Columbia.
It was the traditional battle for
Missouri basketball supremacy.
The St. Louis Billikens, weaned
on basketball and contenders for
the tough Missouri Valley cham-
pionship were in Columbia.
The Tigers took the Billikens
into overtime, but eventually fell
on a late shot by a St. Louis
guard. The game cost St. Louis
Coach BuddyBrehmer his job
and gained for Stewart and his
Tigers new respect throughout
the state.
Brown jumped aboard the Co-
lumbia express next year and the
Tigers have been in business ever
since.
The race is far from settled.
And Big Eight basketball is sec-
ond fiddle to football. But it cer-
tainly is more attractive than
goldfish swallowing.
1
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Nicklaus swings . . .
Jack Nicklaus swung into an early lead yesterday in the open-
ing round of the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.
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lcers face Colorado
and Palazzari power
By CHUCK DRUKIS
The Michigan icers travel to the
Coor's Beer state tonight to douse
D~nc Pnlaar and thA T017
Joining Brown up front is 6-7 Colora llege inaneeit o
Al Eberhard. Last season Eber- solorado College in an eight point
series.
P a l a z z a r i, complimented by
Michigan mentor Al Renfrew as
' "the most exciting player in the
WCHA," returned from the injury
list Wednesday night to lead the
Black and Gold Tigers to a non-
conference victory over Air Force.
As a sophomore, Palazzari led the
WCHA in scoring last season with
57 points, third behind Minnesota's
John Mayasich and Michigan's Red
Berenson on the all-time leading
scorer list.
A nagging leg injury has slowed
down the Colorado Spring scoring
ace to date, but Tiger coach Jeff
$200Sauer is optimistic about Palaz-
zari's return.
FRI.-SAT.-SUN. Despite his inaction, Palazzari
Buddah Record's continues to lead the team in
ST EVE scoring with 36 points on 19 as-
STEVEsists and 17 goals at the end of
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764-0558
17 games. In the WCHA, he owns
21 points, on 8 assists and 13
goals.
Colorado returns to the home ice
of Broadmoor World Arena after
seven and one-half weeks of ex-
hausting road trips on which they
lost four fifths of their games.
"The Tigers have played very
well at times and have worked
hard, but have just not been able
to get back on the winning track
in the tough WCHA," Sauer com-
mented. "With our return to home
ice, we hope to improve on our
season record and give us a run
at a league playoff spot."
Last year in his rookie season,
Coach Sauer's icers also got off
to a shoddy start, but recovered
to earn a playoff berth and
WCHA Coach of the Year honors
for Sauer.
Colorado has possibly the most
potent power play in the league,
as they've converted goals in over
half of their attempts while the
other team has been short handed.
The Tigers' big problem has been
keeping the puck out of their own
net. Senior goalie Doug Schum has
been benched in favor of fresh-
man Ed Mio. Mio has shown quick
reactions in tight situations, but
still lacks the needed experience.
Senior Captain Mike Bertsch has
picked up some of the scoring
slack during Palazzari's absence.
However, with Palazzari's return
the opponents won't be able to key
on him, thus allowing Bertsch bet-
ter opportunities to score.
Last year, Michigan trounced
Colorado 7-5 and 9-6 in the Coli-
seum, but have been having their
troubles scoring this year.
Coach Renfrew surmised, "We
are improving some. We're putting
more pressure on. If the puck
bounces right, we'll win our share."
One thing that may help the
Blue is that the open date last
weekend has taken some of the
pressure off the icers. "We've
been going pretty hard for a long
time. The needed rest is sure to
help us," explained Renfrew.
Michigan has been toiling hard
in practice all week, especially
with several new drills innovated
by Renfrew.
Michigan's Rick Mallette con-
tinues to lead the Blue in scoring
with 19 points on 2 goals and 17
assists. Angie Moretto, Gary Con-
nelly, and Frank Werner are tied
for second with 13 points each.
Both games will be high scoring
events, since both goalies have
been giving up an excessive num-
bert of points (Mio 6.1 GAA, Michi-
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-II
ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS
invites you to an
ICE SKATING
PARTY
FULLER RINK (near North Campus)
FOLLOWED BY A
DUTCH TREAT SUPPER
VILLAGE GREEN CLUBHOUSE
Skate at 4--Eat a 6
(If you don't skate, come to the supper anyway)
SUNDAY, January 28
Information: 663-4129
-.- mp
AVOID CONFUSION
For Study/Travel Europe Summer'73
There is only one
CENTER for FOREIGN STUDY
in ANN ARBOR
207 Michigan Theatre Building (above Marilyn Shop)
"*Quality summer study offering at most reasonable cost
" Most diversified special courses.
* Comprehensive brochures with U-M Directors and
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