Page 10-Friday, November 11, 1977-The Michigan Daily
TEAM AGREES IT'S READY:
Memory o loss
psyches Blue
lem getting up mentally," said
quarterback Rick Leach. "Our team
is peaking now and will be ready to
play against Purdue."
"I'm looking forward to going
down there," said co-captain Dwight
Hicks. "It will by no means be an
easy win. We gotta go down mentally
prepared and play our best game."
"This is our biggest game now,"
Schembechler said. "We've got to
win this one. Losing last year will
give us the incentive to really go
after them."
ONE CASUALTY from the aggres-
sive week of practice was starting
tight end Gene Johnson. The junior
from Flint stretched ligaments in his
left knee on the first play of practice
Tuesday and is a doubtful starter to-
morrow.
"Johnson was really coming on
strong," Schembechler said. "He
had a great game last weekend
against Northwestern."
Johnson, a starter since his fresh-
man year, has '13 pass receptions on
the year for 187 yards and three
touchdowns. Junior Mark Schmerge,
who just recovered from a foot
injury, will nove into the starting
line-up against Purdue. Sophomore
Doug Marsh will share playing time
with Schmerge.
THE TEAM leaves for West La-
fayette this morning and Schembech-
ler will have a few more players
along than he anticipated.
Running backs Lawrence Reid,
Roosevelt Smith and Kevin King all
practiced this week and will dress for
the game. Senior tackle Mike Kenn
practiced Wednesday and should
start. Kenn is coming off a brief bout
with mononucleosis.
Defensive tackles Curtis Greer and
Chris Godfrey have also recovered
from injuries. Greer, who has eight
sacks and 70 tackles this year, had a
mild concussion and Godfrey was
benched with pneumonia.
Michigan, 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the
conference, will be after the 85th win
of Schembechler's Michigan coach-
ing career tomorrow.
SPORTS OF THE DAILY:
Fi*drych flies again
full court
VPRESS
Cagers must rebound,..
.. Thompson in pivot
By HENRY ENGELHARDT
At yesterday's basketball press luncheon, Johnny Orr ended starting
lineup speculation. Joel Thompson, the slinky-legged senior, will start at
center. He has proven himself better than his competition, Orr said.
But perhaps there is some metaphysical power that doesn't like
Michigan centers. Thompson, Mike Robinson and Paul Heuerman all went
up for a post-luncheon rebound late in practice and Thompson came down on
somebody's foot, turning one of his own ankles.
Team physician Dr. Gerald O'Connor (you know things are bad then the
tream'physician starts to become a household name) said it was just a sprain
and that the lean leaper should be back soon. But the omen is bad.
The team's previous pivtman, Phil Hubbard, of wounded knee fame,
came to the picture-taking session which accompanied the luncheon. Hub-
bard has more basketball talent in his removed cartilage than some teams
have on their entire roster.
Underneath the smiles and the polite answers is a frustrated Ohioan. He
posed for cameras - TV ones, still ones; it mattered not, he answered
questions and watched his teammates go to it.I
"Pretty sbon the cast will be off and then pretty soon I'll be back
playing," said Hubbard. "I'm just going to go to school and make the best of
it."
Somebody asked him how it felt. Hubbard's hands moved nervously into
a folded, almost prayer-like position underneath his chin. "It's depressing,"
he said.
He sat in a chair at the corner of the gym and every once in a while one of
his sweat-drenched mates would look over and nod to him or just smile. And
Hub, his abilities clothed in blue sweats and a dry t-shirt, his encased leg
helpless at his side, would rearrange his hands and smile or nod. "You
frustrated Hub?" He said nothing for a moment, his eyes never leaving the
practice. "Sometimes," commented the former Olympian.
Ligaments. Pleasant bands of tissue unless stretched or torn. One can
almost taste the animosity in such words. You see, Hub not only ripped his
cartilage but also had to have some of his coarse bundles of dense, white
fibrous tissues (ligaments) tied up.
It is the ligament damage that will keep Hub in a cast for up to six weeks
and another six to eight weeks in rehabilitation. Johnny Orr -probably does
not care for such things as star-center-hobbling ligaments.
Orr repeated yesterday that with Hubbard he would have his best team
ever. A team that would race coyotes from baseline to baseline, a team that
would resemble the Mafia in its straight shooting, a team with sparkplugs
that would put Champion to shame. They would have been good.
Mike McGee, only a freshman, is at one forward. lie's super-quick and a
super shooter. "He doesn't know the offense yet," said Orr, "but when he
does something wrong he usually scores." (Shakespearean pause.) "We're
thinking of changing the offense."
The rest of the starters are familiar: Tom Staton, Dave Baxter and Alan
Hardy. Talented? Definitely. Proven? Ya gotta start somewhere, right?
"Aha!" You cry, "What about that thundering giant, the center that'
scores and rebounds like we walk and chew gum! ?" Mike Robinson, I
presume. "He's slow," Orr said. "He has to push himself more. If I don't
take him on a trip maybe he'll understand." Orr claims he had a talk with
Rob on this matter, but it might take this non-verbal communique for the
idea to sink in.
Messages, omens, lousy ligaments, frustration, freshmen and unproven
vets-might make a nice TV show.
Wrestlers rebuilding
with eager freshmen
Daily Photo
MICHIGAN MIDDLE GUARD Steve Graves puts the pressure on Texas A&M
quarterback David Walker. The Wolverines will hope for more defensive perform-
ances like this one when they take on standout Mark Herrmann and the Boiler-
makers tomorrow.
GO BLUE! Burn The Boilermakers!
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By The Associated Press
DETROIT - Mark "The Bird"
Fidrych flew to Detroit after another
successful pitching performance yes-
terday at the Detroit Tigers' Florida
Instructional League baseball camp
in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Fidrych, American League Rookie
of the Year in 1976, has been slowly
rounding into form after sitting out
much of last season with tendonitis in
his right arm.
He pitched three scoreless innings
yesterday against Baltimore's In-
structional League squad. The Tigers
said Fidrych reported no pain. He
threw 45 pitches, 30 fast balls and 15
breaking balls.
The Orioles managed only two
infield singles off Fidrych, who
struck out two and didn't walk
anyone.
It was his second performance in
league play, the other being a
two-inning stint in which he didn't
give up a-run.
Medich moves on-
ARLINGTON, Texas - George
"Doc" Medich, who pitched for three
major league teams last season,
signed a four-year contract yester-
day with the Texas Rangers, team
majority owner Brad Corbett said.
Medich, 12-6 this past season,
began the year with the Oakland A's,
moved to the Seattle Mariners and
finished with the New York Mets.
The financial terms of his contract
were not disclosed.
Medich, a right-hander with a
career record of 69-58, began his
major' league career with the New
York Yankees with whom he won 19
games and lost 15 in 1974.
Medich joins Richie Zisk, a former
Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh
Pirate outfielder, as the two free
agents signed by the Rangers this
week.
Hondo benched
BOSTON-Fed up with his team's
losing ways, Celtics' Coach Tom Hein-
sohn has replaced team captain John
Havlicek with rookie forward Cedric
"Cornbread" Maxwell in the starting
lineup for tonight's game against the
Buffalo Braves at the Boston Garden.
A team spokesman said the benched
Havlicek, sometimes known as "Mr.
Basketball," in Boston, will probably
be the team's sixth man, Maxwell is a
1977 first-round draft pick from the
University of North Carolina at
Charlotte, the team that knocked off
Michigan last March.
The benched Havlicek, 37, after 15
years as a star, is Boston's steadiest
soldier. He needs only 13 points to
become the NBA's third highest career
scorer, eclipsing Jerry West.
For Basketball Ticket
Distribution Information,
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Michigan v. Purdue,
Tomorrow at 1:15 EST
Last year the Boilermakers
defeated the Wolverines in
a surprise upset. They
meet again tomorrow at
Purdue.
Join Tom Hemingway
and Tom Slade for the
most accurate play-by-play
on the air.
Follow all the action on
The University of
Michigan public radio
station.
.WUOM
91.7 FM Ann Arbor
By GEOFF LARCOM
It looks like a long, dark road to
travel. At the end, however, is some
light. The Michigan, wrestling team
will go the rebuilding route this year,,
fielding a squad dominated by under-
classmen in seeking to mold a future
contender for the Big Ten title.
GIVEN THE talent of this year's
group of freshmen and sophomores,
coach Bill Johannesen thinks he can
see that shining light.
"We lack experience, no doubt
about that," said Johannesen. "Yet
in the group we have now I see
athletes who-should be national cali-
ber wrestlers in a couple of years."
Repeating the performance of last
year's senior-laden team won't be
easy as they finished fourth in the Big
Ten and ninth in the NCAA. Johanne-
sen realizes this and has set his
season goals accordingly.
"THIS YEAR our underclassmen
form the basis of our team; they have
to develop for us to succeed," said
Johannesen. "We'll experiment
around more than usual to get as
many freshmen in the lineup as
possible."
The Wolverines will rely on the
experience of returning starters
Mark Churella, Todd Schneider,
Brad Holman and Karl Briggs.
An NCAA titlist at 150 pounds last
year, Churella expects continued
success after winning a gold medal in
the Junior World Games last sum-
mer.
"IT'S CHURELLA'S desire that
makes him such a champion," as-
serted Johannesen. "He is totally
dedicated and thrives on competi-
tion. You'll find many strong
wrestlers and also quick ones, but no
surgery on last year and Lubell has
dropped wrestling to concentrate on
his studies.
COMPOUNDING the .problem are
injuries to promising freshmen Kirk
Arndt and, Jim Mathias with sophs
Lee Joseph and Bill Evashevski also
hurting.
Michigan needs youthful enthusi-
asm this year as the Big Ten
continues to be a most competitive
conference.
"The Big Ten meet (in Ann Arbor
this year) continues to be our tough-
est meet," stated Johannesen. "We
all kill ourselves in conference meets
before we even get to the nationals."
Nevertheless, Big Ten teams have
retained enough stamina to produce
two of tpe last three NCAA cham-
pions along with seven teams finish-
ing in the top 20last year.
"IOWA, WISCONSIN and Minne-
sota will be the frontrunners,"
predicted Johannesen. "I see us in a
battle with Northwestern and Michi-
gan State for fourth."
A battle is right. Michigan State
returns 15 of 18 lettermen while the
Wildcats are expecting to improve on
last year's fifth-place finish.
"We'll be hard-pressed to win dual
meets," said the Michigan mentor.
"It all depends on how we develop.
Our attitude is excellent, which is a
must against the type of competition
we'll face."
IOWA WILL BE seeking its fifth
straight Big Ten title and should get
it, losing only three wrestlers from
last year's team, which placed third
in the NCAA meet.
Right in the Hawkeyes' tracks is
Minnesota, coming off its best re-
cruiting season in 25 years, and the,
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