SPORTS
Page 8
Thursday, February 5, 1981
The Michigan Daily
STATE BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE LINE
Michigan 17-game statistics
Spartans sct
By MARK FISCHER highly unpredictable this season.
As if it were following the example of The Spartan cagers finished 6-12 for a
the topsy-turvy Big Ten, the Michigan ninth-place in the Big Ten last season,
State basketball team has proved to be and after losing their first three con-
ire
Frieder
Cagers' Corner
1
MICHIGAN (5-3, 14-3)
40-Mike McGee, 6-5 Sr. (22.0)
45-Thad Garner, 6-7 Jr. (9.4)
15--Paul Heuerman, 6-8 Sr. (7.5)
34-John Johnson, 6-4 Sr. (15.4)
24-Marty Bodnar, 6-3 Sr. (7.1)
F
F
C
G
G
MICHIGAN STATE (3-5, 9-8)
31-Jay Vincent, 6-8 Sr. (22.9)
20-Ben Tower, 6-8 Fr. (5.9)
41-Derek Perry, 6-6 So. (4.8)
12-Mike Brkovick, 6-4 Sr. (7.3)
5-Kevin Smith, 6-2 Jr. (18.0)
GAME TIME: 8:05 p.m., Crisler Arena
TV/RADIO: WKBD (Channel 50), WWJ-950, WAAM-1600, WPAG-l050, WJJX-650, WUOM-91.7 (FM)
EXPECTED CROWD: 13,609 (sellout)
Ticket Availability; As of noon yesterday, some 50 tickets were unsold. For more information,
call the Michigan Athletic Department at 764-0247
.-THE SPARTANS...- are coming off a major home victory over Ohio State. Despite standing
" eighth in the Big Ten, they remain within striking distance of the conference's elite.
,STRENGTHS: Vincent does it all for Michigan State, leading the Big Ten in scoring and ranking
fifth in. rebounding. Last year he scored 22 and 36 points against Michigan, the latter figure
coining during the Spartans' 82-74 win at East Lansing.r
WEAKNESSES: Lack of experience, size and scoring punch in front line (except for Vincent).
TAKE THE LEAD
Help New Students Discover
the Diversity of Michigan
BE A FALL
ORIENTATION
LEADER
Pick up applications at the
Orientation Office (2530 SAB) or call
764-6290 for further information.
* an affirmative action non-discriminatory employer *
Applications Due Tuesday, February 10
ference games by an average of ten
points apiece this year, they looked like
they were going nowhere fast.
SINCE THEN, however, things have
changed quite a bit for the hoopsters
from East Lansing, who will meet
Michigan tonight at Crisler Arena. The
Spartans have won three of their last
five - with their latest victory coming
against Ohio State - and only lost by
one point in each of their two setbacks
during that stretch.
Michigan coach Bill Frieder is by no
means ignorant of the MSU im-
provement. "Michigan State, right
now, is one of the better teams in the
league," he said. "In (junior guard)
Kevin Smith, they definitely have the
best guard in the league right now. In
(6-8 senior center) Jay Vincent, they
have what they believe to be the best
forward in the conference."
"They are a sound basketball team
which concerns me very much,"
conluded the Wolverine skipper.
Yet in response to Frieder's high
praise, MSU coach Jud Heathcote
quipped: "When I read in the news
Monday that Frieder doesn't think he
can beat us, and that we're one of the
top five teams in the country, I was
beginning to wonder if he were on
drugs, or if he got mixed up
geographically and thought we were in
the wrong country."
ALL JOKING aside, even Heathcote
admits that his 3-5 team will be in the
game the whole way against the 5-3
Wolverines.
"I know we'll go in as underdogs but
we have the feeling that we can go in
and win," Heathcote said. "It'll be a
close, hard fought game like most of the
ones these two teams have had in the
past four or five years. And it may well
be won by a key play or two at the end."
If recent Michigan-MSU clashes
mean anything, Heathcote isn't lying
when he says the game may be close.
Last year, State nipped the Wolverines
in overtime, 59-58, on a Jay Vincent free
throw. And two years ago at Crisler,
Michigan's Keith Smith sank a charity
toss after time had expired to lead his
team to a 49-48 victory over Earvin
Johnson's NCAA champs-to-be.
THIS YEAR, State is led by Vincent
(see profile this page), who is currently
the Big Ten's leading scorer for the
second year in a row. Vincent's fellow
starters include Smith, 6-6 sophomore
forward Derek Perry, senior sharp-
shooting guard and co-captain Mike
"The Golden Arm" Brkovich, and Ben
Tower, a highly touted 6-8 freshman
forward from Saranac, Michigan.
Tower and Smith, who has averaged
22 points an outing in the last five
games, have recently given the Spar-
tans "a little more offensive punch" ac-
cording to Heathcote, which the Spar-
tan skipper cited as the major reason
for his team's recent upswing.
Player
McGee
Johnson
Garner
Ileuerman
Bodnar, Mt
McCormick
Bodnar, Mk
Ja mies
Hopson
Person
Burton
Pelekoudas
Antonides
Brown
Team Rebounds
TOTALS
Opponents
GS
17-17
17-17
17-17
17-17
17-9
17-0
17-8
16-0
8-0
10-0
11-0
7-0
7-0
IFG/A1
167-323
118-205
64-122
39-83
49-88
29-68
24-46
14-31
4-16
9-17
6-17
3-6
2-3
2-7
Pct. FT/A=
.517 65-97
.576 26-34
.525 32-48
.470 50-62
.557 22-27
.426 32-39
.522 15-19
.452 3-5
.250 7-1
.529 6-9
.353 2-8
.500 3-7
.667 1-4
.286 0-1
.670
.765
.667
.806
.815
.821
.789
.600
.6'23
.667
.250
.429
.250
.000
84
67
85
89
40
77
17
16
8
12
13
2
9
20-0
40-0
52-3
30-0
49-2
17-0
11-0
7-0
24-0
8-0
1:1-
7-0
6-0
63
43
28
43
10
46
7
2
7
2
0
0
Pct. Reb. PF-D A TO BLK Pts. Avg. HI
4s-2 20 46
1 399 23.5 35
34
19
29
25
29
22
7
8
7
8
:17
17 530-1032 .514 264-371 .712 599 317-7 247 276 29 1324 77.9 102
17 476-1025 .464 192-297 .646 592 323-7 212 290 51 1144 67.3 84
4
6
6
0
0
0
0
0
U
0
0
262
160
128
120
90
63
311
15
24
14
9
4
4
15.4
9.4
7.5
7.1
5.3
3.7
1.9
1.9
1.6
1.4
0.8
0.7
0.6
Vincent, MSU ...
McGee, MICH ...
Gregory, WIS....
Kellogg, OSU....
Smith, MSU .....
SCORING
G FG/A Pet.
8 77-152 .507
8 72-154 .468
8 58-116 .500
8 62-125 .496
8 57-98 .582
FT/A Pct.
29-44 .659
32-49 .653
49-62 .790
30-32 .937
30-39 .769
Avg.
11.9
10.4
9.0
8.8
7.9
REBOUNDING
No.
Kellogg, OSU............
Gregory, WIS..............
Williams, OSU...........
Vincent, MSU..........
Petty, WIS .............
31
16
18
16
15
17
6
6
5
4
4
21
95
83
72
70
631
Avg.
22.9
22.0
20.6
19.2
18.0
17
17
11
16
16
1
7
11
9
9
Pct.
.681
.625
.5x2
.573
.558
Big Ten
Standings
Indiana ..........
MICHIGAN........
Illinois .............
Iowa ............
Ohio State ..........
Minnesota ..........
Purdue...........
Michigan State .....
Wisconsin ..........
Northwestern......
2
3
3
3
3
4
4'
5
6
7
13
14
13
13
10
12
11
9
8
7
7
3
4
4
7
5
6
8
8
10
Conference Overall
W L W L
0
ASSISTS
Walker, PUR...........
HarperI...l.............
Arnold, IOWA .............
Smith, MSU ...............
Thomas, IND..............
No.
56
431
40
36
34
Avg.
7.0
5.4
5.0
4.5
4.3
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
FG A
Tolbert, IND .............. 49 ' 72
Hall, MINN ................ 50 80
Smith, MSU............... 57 98
Morris ,PUR .............. 431 75
Breuer, MINN ............. 43 77
Tonight's Games
Michigan State at MICHIGAN
Iowa at Northwestern
Minnesota at Purdue
Ohio State at Illinois
Wisconsin at Indiana
MSU FORWARD FACES McGEE TONIGHT:
Vincent recalls Spartan
By SCOTT M. LEWIS
It was April, 1979. The Michigan State
Spartans had\ just defeated Indiana
State, 75-64, to claim the first NCAA
basketball title in their history. Tens of
thousands of fans lined the streets of the
state capital to celebrate with Magic
Johnson, Gregory Kelser, head coach
Jud Heathcote, and the rest of their
heroes.
Among the "rest" was Jay Vincent.
Vincent, then a sophomore, had
averaged almost 13 points per game
during that triumphant season and was
a main cog in the team's successful
CONCERT of i.S. BACH And P.D.Q. BACH
Friday, February 6-8:00 p.m.
Hill Auditorium-
The Universit1 Chamber Choir
FINALISTS IN THIS AR'S GRAMMY AWARDS
with THOMAS HILBISH, conductor
free admission
matching zone defense. A cross-town
rival of Johnson's during high school,
the Lansing native was one of the Spar-
tans' most popular players, along with
Keiser and, of course, Johnson.
But Vincent could not share in the
merriment as fully as did his team-
mates. During Michigan State's quar-
terfinal NCAA game against Lamar,
Vincent injured his right foot and went
tumbling to the floor, writhing in pain.
The injury, a stress fracture, was
severe enough to keep him on the bench
during much of the remaining two tour-
nament games and, according to Vin-
cent, curtailed his effectiveness last'
season.
Instead of contributing directly to the
NCAA victory, Vincent was able only to
cheer from the sidelines. Instead of
tasting the exhiliration of triumph, he
found himself detached. Isolated.
Depressed.
"I hate thinking about it," he said in
an interview published earlier in the
season. "I remember sitting on the
bench in those games while we walked
through the tournament, trying to root,
especially when they were introducing
the starting five. I got over it, but I still
feel the wounds."
It is now February, 1981. For almost
two full seasons, Michigan State has
been near the bottom of the Big Ten.
The championship banner which hangs
in Jenison Field House and the
photographs of the 1978-79 season are
memories of what used to be, and what
may never be again.
But Jay Vincent is still
around-healthier and happier than
he's been since receiving his injury.
And playing as well as at any stage
during his college career.
Entering tonight's game against
Michigan, Vincent is leading the Big
Ten in scoring for the second straight
season. In addition, he's hauling in
almost nine rebounds per contest, good
enough for fourth in the conference.
Heathcote calls him, "quite simply, the
best forward in the conference."
Michigan coach Bill Frieder would
probably press the case of Mike McGee,
the second leading scorer in Wolverine
history whose 22.0 average trails only
Vincent's 22.9. The two seniors will be
squared against each other this evening
in what promises to be a spirited affair.
Both McGee and Vincent are expec-
ted to be selected very early in the NBA
draft, perhaps as early as the first
round. Both are counted on heavily by
their coaches to bear the bulk of the of-
fensive burden.
But while their credentials are
glory1
much larger and stronger than McGee,
displays a variety of power moves on
offense which, when parlayed with a
fine shooting touch from intermediate
range, make him one of the conferen-
ce's most respected players.
No one dares doubt McGee's impor-
tance to his team. The Wolverines
wouldn't be near the top without his
scoring and leadership. But without
Vincent, the Spartans are lost. As
Heathcote would put it, "Any success
we have rests on Jay's shoulders."
Actually, Vincent has received some
help on offense from Kevin Smith, a 6-2
guard who is averaging 18 points per
game. It's no secret, however, that the
key to stopping the Spartans is con-
taining Vincent.
After being slighted last season, Vin-
cent has finally won the attention and
admiration of scouts throughout the
country. The husky senior admits that
gaining national recognition has been a
problem.
"Most coaches didn't know much
about me. until late last season," he
said. "You take a good player and put
him on a losing team, and nobody
knows him. It's like the old saying,
'everybody knows a winner.'
"When Earvin Johnson was here, he
had a super supporting cast. Being on a
winning team helps tremendously. Ex-
posure dropped off a lot last year."
Unless the Spartans make a sudden
turnaround and earn a post-season
tournament bid, they won't be
receiving too much national exposure
during the remainder of the current
campaign. But Vincent need not worry
about toiling in obscurity. Come June,
the NBA will be knocking at his door,
and he will be ready to answer.
"Sure, it (the NBA) does'excite me,"
Vincent said. "You figure I've played
with these guys and here's Earvin
making $600,000, or Greg Kelser. You
find yourself saying, 'Hey, I blocked
this guy's shot one day.' "
ideolo y The Event:
- The
k Gargoyle
Gargojie Ie
Vincent
... scoring king
similarly impressive, their styles are in
marked contrast. McGee's forte, as
Wolverine followers know so well, is
great quickness, particularly near the
basket. His points come quickly, almost
unnoticeably.
Vincent, who at 6-8 and 230 pounds is
IM SCORES
MONDAY
Basketball
Independent (competitive)
Big Dods 79, Irradicators 45
Foul Outs 89, ASCE Basketeers 41
D.A.'s Office 42, Old Gang 39
Ann Arbor Bushmen 42, Wizards 25
Durameters 45. MASH 41
Late Entry 37, Wham Jammers 32
Mad Cats 83, Natidnwides 55
"Y' SUMMER CAMPS
The Ann Arbor Y is now accept-
ing applications for staff posi-
tions at the following camps:
CAMP AL-GON-QUIAN; a resident
camp for boys and girls located on Burt Lake in
northern Mich. Camp dates are June 22 to August
8. Senior staff positions, ages 18 and above are
available in the following areas: horseback rid-
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tor, archery, nature, woodworking, riflery, land
sports, swimming and water skiing. Salary plus
room and board.
Ten years have passed since four
Kent State University students
were killed and nine wounded at
the hands of the Ohio National
Guard.
There have been other books-
some good, some bad. Not one
has told the complete story of
both the shootings and the mis-
carriage of justice.
The Kent State Coverup by
New York trial lawyer Joseph
Originally published in hard-
cover at $15, this new $6.95 high-
quality 306-page -documented
paperback names names and
shows photographic evidence.
"Will haunt our memories for a
long time to come. The facts,
grippingly reconstructed as in a
good detective story, are unfolded
before an uncaring American
courtroom...the reader is caught
up, involved, outraged," says
New York Supreme Court Justice
I
i
ad