The Michigan Daily-Thursday, February 9, 1978-Page 9
MICHIGAN SEEK
LELAYED Hot and cold Bh
u By ERNIE DUNBAR staying in the wild Big Ten conference
Along with the Michigan basketball race, they certainly must improve on
rE A C T I'O Nteam's recent victories, there's been an the way they played in its nine point
ingredient of high shooting percentages loss to Ohio state in Columbus.
\SLwaccompanying the winning scores.
BysCo ewZs And when the Wolverines take on ALONG WJTH their poor shooting
Ohio State tonight at 8:05 in Crisler night, the Wolverines committed 20
Arena, they'll have to improve on the turnovers with Ohio State turning the
inconsistency in the shooting depar- ball over 22 times as a result of a
tment which has plagued the team in its Michigan zone press. .
*aurslosing efforts. "It's a game where we have to play
l s"ms tWHAT MAKES this game even more "i11uch better than we did in Columbus,"
interesting is that, with an Ohio State said Michigan coach Johnny Orr. "I'm
victory, the Buckeyes (5-5) could tie sure Eldon Miller (Ohio State's coach)
IT'S ALL TOO OFTEN THAT the average college sports observer must Michigan (6-4) in the Big Ten stan- thinks his team can play a lot better. It
be pelted with assdrted quotes from NCAA-hired broadcasters like the dings. (the first meeting) was sort of a sloppy
following: Since dropping an 80-71 road game game."
"There's 22 young men out there who are giving 200% for their school. to the Buckeyes two weeks ago, WHAT STOOD out most in the game
No individual accomplishments will stand in the way of their devotion to the Michigan has split four games, in Columbus, besides the turnovers and
team." defeating Indiana and Michigan State, poor shooting, was the success of Ohio
"Isn't it wonderful how college athletics exhibits such excitement? while losing twice to Purdue. The State's zone defense. Immediately after
Theres nothing else in the world which can match the aura of teamwork, Wolverines shot 63 percent against In- switching to the zone, the Buckeyes
sportsmanship and determination that these student-athletes are showing diana and 54 against MSU, but hit just reeled off ten consecutive points and
out here today." 37 percent in their first meeting with opened up a six point advantage from
"This is what it's all about folks. Two teams battling it out to gain Purdue and 38 in the second. which Michigan failed to recover.
prestige for their school. It makes you wonder what could motivate these If Michigan has any hope at all of But when asked whether his team
youngsters to play with the intepsity they're exuding today. And they're
amateurs, no less."
Yes, if you think about it, these absurdities abound on college football
and basketball broadcasts all the time. It seems that the broadcasters are
doing no more than dishing out propaganda for college athletics, rather than MICHIGAN OHIO S TA TE
extolling the real virtues of the game-that it's a sport, and the average M
sports fan watches it as just that. Mike McGee (6-5) . . ........... F .............. Ken Page (6-3)
Alan Hardy (6-6) . ...............F-........... .. Jim Smith (6-8)
Who is the NCAA trying to fool by hiring the dolts who make inane Joel Thompson (6-8) ........C ......... Herb Williams (6-11)
statements like the above? It doesn't take the most perceptive person to Tom Staton (6-3) ..............G Mike Cline (6-4)
realize that college athletics contains about as much brotherhood and good Dave"'Baxter"(6-3)"G '... Kelvin RMne(6-)
will as Anwar Sadat's "holy mission" to Israel. Dave Baxter (6-3) .............. G .......... Kelvin Ransey (6-1)
It's sad to think that the NCAA could be pulling the jersey over sportst
fans' eyes by attempting to perpetuate the myth that big-time college
f athletics (football and basketball, that is) is the zenith of amateur sports.Wo m en c aers im -
One step below pros into league title meet
The truth is, it is nothing more than one small step lower than the
professional level. By BILLY NEFF
By BLLY EFFhere,"' Plotzke said.
Fresh off an upset loss to a mediocre
Nobody can deny that the college athlete, especially here at Michigan, is Bowling Green team, the women's Meanwhile, on yet a more damaging
merely a part of a big business operation, a fact which totally opposes the basketball team will, journey to West nenwrile, th team red ng
premise that college sports is for both the athlete and the perpetuation of Lafayette, Indiana, for the Big Ten- note, Currier, the teamis leadig scorer
amateurismn in this country gminhps ra opeiinde and rebounder, has sprained an ankle
amaturim i thi contr. . championships. Great competition does and might not be at 100 percent. Last
Two striking examples of this hypocrisy come from events which took indeed await them, night, Currier did not play much due to
place last fall at Michigan. The Wolverines will first tangle with th ur.
" In spite of qualifying for the NCAA tournament by finishing second in Illinois, whom they edged last Saturday the ijury.
the district meet, the cross country team was told by athletic director Don 81-76, behind outstanding perfomances Plotzk looks to first seed North
Canham that their fourth place finish in the Big Ten meet didn't warrant a from senior co-captain Terry Conlin western to be the class team in the
trip to the NCAAs. and freshwoman center Abby Currier. tournament while second seed Ohio
If they knock off the Fighting Illini State (who earlier ripped Michigan, 94-
It sure would be rough for Canham to tell Johnny Orr's cagers, should once again, they must confront third 47), Michigan State and Minnesota to
they finish third or fourth in the Big Ten this year, that they didn't deserve a seeded arch-rival Michigan State. challenge. She says the strategy of her
post-season tournament opportunity, such as the NIT, for the same reason. "If we really play well, we can upset Wolverines will be to "work on what we
" The women's basketball team was forced to finish its tight game Michigan State; we'd love to upset have already and go after some teams.
against Louisville on running time, just so that the men's teams could have Michigan State," asserted assistant But we'll have to set the pace, unlike we
sufficient time to warm up before their own game. women's coach Margo Plotzker. did against Bowling Green."
Since the men's game was to be televised, which meant money for the Unfortunately for them, the cagers
schools, the women had to abruptly finish up. The fact that their game meant will be competing at less than full
as much to the women as the other game meant to the men was obviously not strength. Co-captain Linda Gardner
taken into account. has had bronchial problems and will We specialize in
Collegeathletics exists for the sake of the athletes, they say? miss the remainder of the season. ladies's and children's
From the viewpoint of amateurism, college athletes receive benefits Sheila Butler has academic problems hairstyling
from the universities and their alumni which quite often outweighs the star- and starting forward Karen Gilhooley DASCOLA STYLSTS
ting salaries of most minor league baseball players. To let actual money be left the team due to lack of playing - AS L TYLISTS
the only criterion which differentiates the amateur and the professional is time. - 615 E. Lierty-66B-9329
absurd. "It's' always tough for kids to under- * 3739 Washtenaw-971-9975
Any high school athlete would be remiss to turn down the offers that he stand that they may not play; that's one * 611 E. Universty-662-0354
receives from various colleges, even if he has no intention of going on into of the things we're trying to teach
professional sports.
Rich get richer Trd of your
-From this standpoint, it sure sounds foolish to speak of a college football
or basketball player as a "student athlete," who puts in the time with his
respective sport for the pure enjoyment of it.
Rather, the realistic situation is that a college purchases an athlete toBs
further its own prestige and financial situation (via gate receipts and alumni
contributions). In return, the athlete must put in the time at his sport, plus
"go to school" and maintain a less-than-meager grade point average.. reat izza &
Doesn't it sound nice to receive free room, boArd, tuition and extra spen-gp
ding money, just to play football or basketball for four years and attend agd
few token classes?
At Michigan, the story is further perplexing, because the athletic depar- S. State & Packard
tment is financially independent of the educational institution.
Thus, the athletic department can use the school's academic reputation 995-0232
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don't have to pay tuition to be allowed to root for the Wolverines.
The hypocrisy culminates in the chauvinism toward athletics that
abounds, especially at Michigan.
Consider how you felt when the Yankees signed all those free agents.
The "rich get richer syndrome,",right? But is there a difference between It's A SUPER SALE
that, and the signing of top-notch blue-chippers by Bo Schembechler year-
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S SWEE T REVENGE
ue face Buckeyes
t
t
r
l
t
t
i
would use the zone again tonight, Miller
said simply "I'm not sure what defense
we'll use. We have a variety of defen-
ses."
DESPITE THE CHANCE of a tie in
the conference standings with an Ohio
State victory, Miller doesn't feel his
team will be any more fired up for the
contest than usual.
"Hopefully it's incentive enough just
to play the game," the second year
coach commented.
But while Miller looks upon the game
with a rather nonchalant attitude, Orr
is taking the Buckeyes quite seriously.
"OHIO STATE is one of the finer
teams in the country and I think they're
one of the great young teams in the
country," Orr said, referring "to, the
squad's six freshmen.
"In the future they're going to be an
outstanding, outstanding basketball
team. They have so many wonderful
young players that they're being heard
of now and they'll continue to be heard
of," added Orr.
The most prominent of Ohio State's
freshman contingent is 6-11 center,
Herb Williams. Hitting at a 16.5 scoring
average, Williams managed only six
points against the Wolverines. He'll be
a definite threat under the boards,
having collected rebounds at an 11.1
rate:
SOPHOMORE Kelvin Ransey runs the
Buckeyes' 1-2-2 offense from his guard
slot. The 6-1 Ransey is the fire power in
the backcourt for OSU, popping in 15.6
points per game. He'll be joined by 6-4
senior Mike Cline (8.2 ppg) at the other
guard spot.
Ken Page, a 6-3 freshman, is the
team's leading scorer from the front
court with a 12.0 average. Page was a
sore point for the Wolverines last time
out, netting 18 points for team honors.
Completing the all freshman forward
duo will be 6-8 Jim Smith, who's
managed 6.1 points per contest.py
IN UTILIZING a free flow of players'a
in and out of the game, Miller should
send in 6-2 freshman Carter Scott at
guard and 6-7 Jim Ellinghausen at a
forward as the first substitutes off the
bench. Scott was a teammate of
Wolverines Mark and Marty Bodnar in
Barberton, Ohio, while Ellinghausen is
a sophomore from Michigan's
Plymouth Salem high school
If history comes into play at all,'the
Wolverines may be in for a bit of
trouble. Back in the 1972-73 season,
Michigan was also 6-4 heading into their
11th Big Ten game. they proceeded
to lose their next four in a row and
finished in sixth place in the conference
with a record of 6-8.
WOLVERINE TALES: Michigan has
won the last four games against Ohio
State inCrisler Arena. Freshman for-
ward Mike McGee is fourth in the Big
Ten in scoring with an 18.6 conference
mark.
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