Saturday, March 17, 1973 THE MICHIGAN DAILY page even SaturdQy, March 17, 1973 THE MICHIGAN DAILY page ~,even oft SeeI3 9 ..Sten Michigan basketball .. . ... More Baaaad bounces Dan Borus - " VWHO ARE THEY," Fielding Yost once asked, "that they should beat a Michigan team." In Big Ten basketball this past campaign they turned out to be just about the entire con- ference. While no basketball fan who rationally considered the matter thought that the Wolverines were going to march through the basketball tough Big Ten gauntlet like Sherman marched through the South, basketball expectations around here were definitely sunnyside up. But the 6-8 conference log the Wolverines brought home were not the sort of waves everyone expected the squad to make. The collapse of the highly touted Maize and Blue was a painful and mystifying spectacle to witness. At times the Ann Arbor sixth graders who played at every home game half-time looked more enthusiastic about playing. Passes gone astray, foolish turnovers, poor play selection, and the lack of team de- fense in the second half of the season marked the Wolverine demise. Surfacely it was the inabjilty to play as a coordinated unit that marred the season that was supposed to bring basketball back to Ann Arbor. But that key cause, that one answer that will explain the entire season, that cause is something Ann Arbor cage fans are still puzzling out. Everyone has his own pet theory. The explanations are varied and range from the complex to the simplistic. Basically they revolve around three focal points: the players, the outside pressures of public and press and the coaching. While the answer might never be fully ascertained, now, before the season is mercifully put to rest, is an appropriate time to explore the theories. As stated by some, the "player" theory has three basic tenets-the players were vastly over-rated in the initial preseason advances, they lacked that will to win and they were too disorganized to play winning basketball. It is certainly correct that the Wolverines lacked a floor leader a la Danny Fife. Joe Johnson and Wayman Britt, al- though showing flashes of brilliance, lacked the experience to direct the high power offense. The shots that a quarterback on a basketball team sets up did not develop for the Michigan offense. However, blame for the demise should not be heaped upon the shoulders of the two backcourtmen. The defense, too, lacked a certain sort of cohesiveness. The zone defense which was once the talk of the Big Ten had by the middle and end of the season deteriorated to five men running around with their hands up and the second half statistics bear this out. In the last 11 games, in which the Wolverines could manage but a 3-8 mark, they allowed the opposition a 83.5 points per game, as compared with a 72.3 average in their first 13 contests. It is hard to believe however that individually the talents on the Michigan basketball squad were tremendously overrated. Though the talents may have been exaggerated a bit, based on past performance all in all they were not bad. While Campy Russell is not the greatest individual to lace up a pair of Converse lowtops, as he was once touted to be, he has proven to be a relatively good forward and promises to be an even better one. Orr himself thought the team would do well, "Michigan will be flying, both literally and figuratively" he wrote in pre-season predictions. "With Campy," he crowed, "the defenses can't concentrate on Henry,"' he stated. And though the rest of team was not mentioned in overly glowing terms, it is fair to say that Orr thought his team would do extremely well. It is fair to say that on paper the team looked like one of the teams to' beat for the crown. But as everyone knows paper does not a champion make. Hard to accurately evaluate is the players' will to win. True they played with a good deal of lackluster, and failed to hussle at key times, but one can not be sure whether the players were numbed by insecurity or apathy. If it is the former then the team needed stronger guidance. If it was the latter, then Mich- igan was doomed to finish in the lower half of the conference from the start. At the Basketball Bust Monday (an awkwardly but sadly appropriate name for the affair) the players looked just a little shamed, like they had expected or wanted more. At odd times, even the most adverse, their play was gutsy. Wilmore, who frankly hurt the squad at times when he tried to do it all, did just that-try to do it all. He did not stop trying. And Ernie Johnson never really gave up. Weighed as evidence must be the team's performance at Illinois. Though the crowd was hostile, its Big Ten chances all but gone, and the Illini about to break the game open, the Maize and Blue came back. They shot 70 per cent from the floor in the second half and closed the gap to one before finally succumbing. Maybe they tried too hard. Even harder to evaluate is the effect the pressure the fans and press exerted on the Wolverines. To believe that fans are not front runners, to feel that the press will praise a team with public relations copy, or to feel that the pressure will not exert itself are rather naive notions and any player who comes to basketball with them is sadly mistaken. A coach who does not persuade players of these facts has misled them. True, Michigan fans expected a great deal too much and were tremendous booers. Joe Johnson was quite correct when he stated that Michigan does not have a home court advantage. But pressure is part of this game as it is part of America. It is American as apple pie and every team that steps on a basketball court had better expect it to be there and fight to overcome it. UCLA must face tremendous pressure and yet somehow it seems to carry off a well-disciplined game, even when their game is off. The final responsibility for a team's performance must come down, somewhat unfairly, somewhat appropriately, on the coach. Although he does not do the shooting, passing or playing the defense, he does coordinate those activities. More importantly, he must insure the correct and proper operation of those aspects by his squad. He, therefore, must work to relieve inter-group tension. He must shield his players psychologically from the omnipresent pressure that can be so crippling. All successful coaches have managed to discipline their teams in such a manner so that they do not get rattled. Wooden See BORUS, This Page, Column 8 PISTONS SHOCK BRAVES: *~ * r Jruin s clip By The Associated Press DETROIT-Doug Roberts' fourth goal of the season in the final minute of play gave the Boston Bruins a 5-4 victory over the De- troit Red Wings in a nationally televised National Hockey League game last night. The victory pushed the Bruins into sole possession of second place in the NHL East, two points ahead of the New York Rangers. Detroit remained in fourth, one point in front of Buffalo. Wayne Cashman paced the Bos- ton attack with his 27th and 28th goals of the season. Ken Hodge and Don Marcotte scored one goal apiece for Boston. Henry Boucha, Guy Charron, Thommie Bergman and Mickey Redmond scored for the Wings. Goalie Ross Brooks extended his undefeated streak to 13 games, with 10 victories and three ties for the Bruins. * * * Pistons pop DETROIT-Forward Don Adams scored a career-high 36 points last! night, leading the Detroit Pistons to a 121-100 National Basketball Association victory over the Buf- falo Braves. Adams, who set his previous NBA high of 33 points with the former' San Diego Rockets, hit for 19 points in the first half when the Pistons moved ahead 55-44. Buffalo managed to cut the gap to five points with five minutes left in the third period before two baskets by Dave Bing and another daily sports NIGHT EDITORS: THERESA SWEDO ROBIN WAGNER 'I I r Wing9K Chenier scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth period after the Cel- tics had rallied from a 57-40 deficit to within 75-71. Dave Cowens sparked the Celtics in the second half with 15 of his 23 points and pulled down 19 re- bounds. The Bullets also got 17 pointsa from Mike Riordan and 14 from Archie Clark as they beat Boston for the first time in five tries. John Havlicek chipped in with 22 for te Cetics. spark the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114 09 victory over the Kansas City Onmaha Kings in a National Basket5,all Association game Ia a night. T ,e Cavaliers opened up a 14- poim lead in the first quarter, Irut the KR.gs came back to tie t-e score at 32-all early in the seKonI period. BORUS 5-4 by Curtis Rowe started a flurry which restored the Pistons to an 11-point lead. Buffalo again rallied to within five points before the Pistons broke loose in the final period to post their 24th home victory of the sea- son and tie a club record set two years ago. The Pistons had five other play- ers in double figures, including Bob Lanier with 19 points and Bing with 18. Bing also had seven assists 'o raise his season total to 561, break- ing his own team record of 546 set four years ago. Rookie Bob McAdoo, with 28 points, and Bob Kauffman, with 22, topped the Braves, who have now lost eight of their last 10 games. The game was marked by 66 turnovers-40 of them by Buffalo, including 17 in the last quarter. E* Celts creamed BALTIMORE- Second-half heroics by Elvin Hayes and Phil Chenier paced the Baltimore Bul- lets to a 103-97 National Basketball Association victory over Boston last night that snapped the Celtics' eight-game winning streak. Hayes scored 12 of his game- high 29 points in the third quarterl and hauled down 17 rebounds while The Bullets outscored Boston 12-4 of UCLA, Musselman of Minnesota, early in the fourth quarter to gain until he somewhat mysteriously an 87-73 edge that the Celtics deserted them by talking about could only cut down to 99-93 with the Florida head coaching job, 1. 43 left. Driessel of Maryland all keep their * * * squad together and though they may not win every game they do Suns Sunk stay close. Their style is branded ATLANTA--Lou Hudson and Pete on their teams. Michigan lacked Maravich combined for 63 points that brand. as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Maybe the players did not want Phoenix Suns 135-127 in a National to win badly enough, maybe the Basketball Association game last press and the fans were just too n~lit. critical, maybe the talent was not Hudson poured in 38 points anJ all there, maybe one more player Maravich added 25 to hand the would have made the difference, Sunr their fifth defeat in the last maybe that on point loss to Purdue six games. was just too disheartening for any Atlanta led most of the way but coach to bring his boys back. the Suns grabbed narrow advant- Those are a lot of maybes. They ages twice in the first half. The could all be correct. But the nag- Hawks held a 76-67 lead at inter, ging suspicion remains that this mission. basketball squad could have done Eariy in the fourth quarter, a lot more. Atlanta spurted to a 22-point lea, 116.94. Phoenix chipped away and - pulledi within seven points with .I 2:tT remaining in the contest, but S COv E could come no closer. _______ Cnarlie Scott scored 29 points for the Suns while Dick Van Ars- NBA dale zdded 23. Detroit 121, Buffalo 100 AP Photo Tumbling records MARTHA WATSON OF LONG BEACH, Calif., set a new American record for the women's indoor long jump last night. Performing in the second annual U.S.-Russian AAU sponsored track meet in Richmond, Va., she jumped 21 feet, 4 inches. IN AAU TRACK FEUD Player injunction thwarts NCAA ^' j_* * * Baltimore 103, Boston 97 Atlanta 135, Phoenix 127 Cavs crush Milwaukee 99, Chicago 91, overtime CLEVELAND - Reserve Bobby ABA 'Bingo" Smith scored 21 points to ! rIndiana 98, New York 89 Virginia 123, Carolina 118 San Diego 113, Dallas 107 I ?,JNCAA College Hocnkey By The Associated Press The National Collegiate Athletic Association was barred temporar- ily yesterday from taking any ac- tion against member athletes com- peting in last night's USSR-USA' indoor dual track meet. At a hastily called news con- ference in Richmond, Va., the AAU said the order was issued earlier in the day after a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Albert V. Bryan Jr. in the case of two athletes who had announced they, would defy NCAA threats of penal- ties. The order is effective until March 20, when Bryan will hear arguments on either a temporary or permanent injunction to pre- 'vent penalties against pentath- lon competitor Fred Samara of Pennsylvania and middle dis- tance runner Dennis Walker of Adelphi. Samara and Walker brought Friday's action against the NCAA in behalf of themselves and any' assisasss sass ssiimisais mas other collegiate athletes affected.I Six other collegians who had been named to the American team dropped out of the meet, however, after the NCAA threatened penal- ties against them and their schools because it contended the AAU had not sought certification for the meet against the Russians. The Amateur Athletic Union, governing body of most Olympic-! type amateur sports in America,t had arranged a track and fieldt meet with the Russians in Rich-j mond, Va., tonight and a basket-I ball series with the Soviet Union's Olympic champion team later. To present a good show against ts big international sports rival, the United States needs all the help it can get, including top col- lege athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, which governs ther sports programs of some 700 col- leges and universities, refused the use of its athletes until the AAU applies for NCAA certification-in other words, until the AAU says, "please." The AAU argues it doesn't have. to, under arbitrary agreements$ hammered out first by the late1 Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1963 and later in 1968 by a special five-+ man committee empaneled by Vice1 President Hubert Humphrey. Al McGuire of Marquette Uni- versity was invited to coach the U.S. basketball team in the series against Russia this spring. He was told by the NCAA that he couldn't do it. Also, the NCAA sent out a directive that college players also would be denied the right to play. This left the United States with the prospect of an inferior team to meet the team that beat the Americans out of a gold medal in Munich in a wild, controversial finish. The NCAA explanation was that it did not want its basketball play- ers competing out of season and at a period when they should be devoting themselves to their books. The AAU argued it has jurisdic- tion over international events and refused to ask the NCAA to certify the meet. The AAU also pointed out the meet had not been certified last year. In the case of the six athletes who dropped off the team, the AAU said it now was too late to bring them to Alexandria, Va., for the meet. Two others, triple jump- er Barry McClure of Middle Ten- nessee and shot putter Jesse Stuart of Western Kentucky, had been here but left. Yanks offer DiMaggio job; Harvard's hoop mentor fired By The Associated PressI * SAN FRANCISCO-Joe DiMaggio said yesterday he is consider- ing a front office job with the New York Yankees, the team with which he earned a place in baseball's Hall of Fame. DiMaggio, 59, said he talked with the new co-owners of the Yankees, Michael Burke and George Steinbrenner, in New York recently and had another meeting with them coming up soon. DiMaggio said he would decide about the Yankee job "when I find out in writing and when all details are clear in, my mind." * * * * CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-Harvard University, Friday, fired its head basketball coach, Robert W. Harrison. Athletic Director Robert B. Watson said he believed the change "is in the best long range interests of the program. It was a par- ticularly difficult step to take because Coach Harrison is such an admirable person." Harrison, a Michigan gradue and Harvard's head coach the past five years, compiled a 59-70 record. Harvard was 45-33 over the past three .seasons, the university's first winning basketball campaign since 1927-1928. " IRVINE, Calif.-Bill Toomey, the all-around athlete who won the 1968 decathlon Olympic title for the United States, has been appointed track and field coach of the University of California at Irvine. Toomey, now 34, also set a world record of 8,417 points which stood until the 1972 Olympic Games at Munich. He has been a television sports commentator, a member of the President's sports group and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. "I've been so excited, I find it difficult to stop thinking about coaching long enough to sleep at night," Toomey said. * * * * FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Sparky Lyle, ace New York Yankee relief pitcher, ended his holdout yesterday and signed his 1973 contract for an estimated $75,000. Agreement between Lyle, his agent Harold Meizler, and Yanks general manager Lee MacPhail came after a prolonged session. Wisconsin 6, Cornell 5, overtime NHL Boston 5, Detroit 4 High School Basketball Class A Ann Arbor Pioneer 61, Kalamazoo Central 55 Detroit Northwestern 67, Detroit Catholic 57 Detroit southwestern 81, Romulus 69 Detroit Murray-Wright 83, Livonia Churchill 47 Grand Rapids Christian 66, Muskegon 61 Class B Dearborn Divine Child 58, Marysville 43 Hudson Unity Christian 76, Grand Rapids South Christian 65 Class C Byron Center 90, Ravenna 79 Battle Creek St. Philip 78, Eau Claire 61' Class D Ann Arbor St. Thomas 54,- Grosse Point University Liggett 53 Flint Holy Rosary 92, Caseville 56 Bost( New Buff, Phil Balt Atla Hlous Clev Milw Chi lDett K.C. Los Gold Pho ESeati Portl Cleve New Pet' Pro Standings NBA not including last night's games Eastern Conference Atlantic Division WV 11iPct. GiB ton 64) 13 .822 - York 55 22 .714 7 alo 21 51 .292 381% adelphia 9 67 .118 52,z Central Division iimore 46 27 .630 - nta 42 32 .568 47. iston 30) 44 .405 16z' eland 26 46 .361 191/ Western Conference Midwest Division xaukee 52 22 .703 - ago 48 26 .649 4 oil 33 441 .452 18' -Omaha 34 42 .447 19 Pacific Division . Angeles 55 19 .743 - den State 44 30 .595 11 enix 34 41 .453 21% the 24 51 .320(1?' land 17 57 .230 38 Today's Games veland at Buffalo imore at Philadelphia York at Golden State roit at Chicago 3. I C e ,r ._', v4 I i f Final Michigan B-Ball stats (24 games-Thru-3-12-73) G FG-FGA FT-FTA Wilmore Russell Brady 'Johnson, E Johnson, J Kupec Lockard Britt Buss Kantner Whitten Tyler Ayler Schinnerer Rogers Kuzma r. 24 24 24 24 24 22 13 11 7 8 6 4 6 3 4 1 24 24 203-456 117-148 177-404 88-121 131-247 49-75 124-224 43-69 65-163 31-44 39-92 30-42 14-29 11-15 14-36 4-6 6-11 1-4 4-12 4-7 2-3 2-2 2-4 0-2 3-8 1-4 1-1 0-0 1-4 1-4 0-0 0-0 786-1694 382-543 777-1766 305-439 Rbs Pts 144 523 231 442 221 311 183 291 32 161 69 108 25 39 19 32 2 13 6 12 5 6 1 4 5 7 0 2 3 3 0 0 1134 1954 1056 1859 t .I r ., i kl rE i E i t .I r ., i kl rE i E i Book Sale Tomorrow . At your University Cellar 9-10 P.M. WEEKDAYS/11-5 P.M. WEEKENDS NHL East W L .T GA 9 1581 Pts (,F Montreal N.Y. Rangers Boston {IDetroit Buffalo Toronto Vancouver N.Y. Islanders Chicago Minnesota Philadelphia St. Louis Los Angeles Pittsburgh Atlanta California 47 9 14 108 289 44 18 45 20 A* 24 33 25 24 36 19 43 9 58 West 39 23 34 27 33 27 30 29 28 32 28 35 24 32 11 44 7 5 11 12 9 8 5 9 10 11 11 7 14 15 95 95 79 78 57 46 23 86 77 76 71 67 63 61 37 271 292 229 230 212 205 147 179 MICHIGAN 207 Opponents 193 - - - - 233 307 321 r r- 254 201 I 234 204 255 232 205 215 208 224 225 232' 175 201 180 295 GOT THEM OLD HOUSING BLUES? MISSED OUR FIRST RUSH? Today's Games Boston at Detroit, afternoon Buffalorat Montreal New York Rangers at Toronto St. Louis at New York Islanders SPittsburgh at Vancouver Chicago at Atlanta Minnesota at Los Angeles P I DEL A THETA MIDNIGHT MEG ILLA READING Invites You To An Open House SUNDAY, MARCH 18-7-10 P.M.