The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, February 11, 1981-Page 9 'M' grad basketballing in Britain AIP Top Twenty By BUDDY MOOREHOUSE College basketball in England is played pretty much the same way that it is here - five men on a side, two poin- ts for a field goal, one point for a free throw, and so on. But as George Ken- dall has discovered, that's where the similarity ends. Kendall is a 1980 Michigan graduate currently working toward an M.A. degree in Shakespeare Studies at the University of Birmingham, one of *England's largest universities. To keep himself occupied, he is also a forward on the school's basketball team. And he has seen first-hand that basketball in England is not quite the same as it is in the States. "ALL COLLEGE sports in England are much less important to the student, public, and news media than they are back home," says Kendall. "Few to zero people come to watch our games." Prior to enrolling at Birmingham, Kendall says that his basketball ex- *perience consisted of "a few years ex- perience on junior and senior high basketball teams. I also played IM basketball, ice hockey, football and volleyball at Michigan," he says. Ken- dall also spent four years as a member of the Michigan Marching Band. Despite his lack of big-time basket- ball experience, however, Kendall has been a starter in three of Birmingham's first 16 games. "My scoring average is *almost too embarrasing to mention (two points per game, he admits)," says Kendall, "although I did score six points in one half once." BUT WHILE STARTING for a college basketball team might seem like quite an accomplishment to some, Kendall is quick topoint out that it isn't all that impressive. "There isn't one British university basketball team that wages. "There are no spectators for college sports here, so there isn't an athletic department or any revenue from admission prices," explains Ken- dall. Once a student is a member of the Athletic Union, he still must be selected {^}ii:";"y{.;;tle. v.". r{. .r v.v::.ryy{. :",'fi'v. 'i.}Y.'i :Y"iYiv :i ::v 'r. ",k_,e,.. ........::;ryy . :n . - w::":::: s::::::::r::.w''"i:irii+. .+ ... r ...' .. v. (%: i :{'+.: \'..y .. fvi. i+i i"v .tia? v. ... v, . : v h }"-i'"iY: i:": :+. : iiii". "; }i'J:: w. n. :. .{,..h ..l .'x..: iii.'v. .. ?":: :rir ";'i';}y 'v;:iiji: ' ' <{{t'. :: : :'{ii'Y }i .{%i:iv:;:;:;i...::.4: "::: : :: ::::{:v .....:.....:::nv:".a..r of "r!.. .' .. J. }n%.. .t 1. ... ....}"i:>.>.ti:j::ti .",'.v", r:.. :?: x. .x::::::.v{,.,v.:.:++fv:? :' }ti: {''n:' F::::r.:?,v:?.7.'iy{r;:.:y-:ti v::{,+".:: ": Yi .S;'iiY:;.,?u. ..,xti n. ....S,..v .J: {":r .:' :v. ..}3:iiv:{mss?:"n:w:......" {' ,ti., + :f:.l....r.... ,.:i..:..:::: h :ti13:i%:": i:h iiii::.:....:: 'All college sports in England are much less important to the students, public, -and news media than they are back home. Few to zero people come to watch our games.' -George Kendall I leagues. "The first is a league of local university and non-university teams called the West Midlands League,': says Kendall. "The other league we play in is the University Athletic Union, which consists of only university teams and plays on a tournament-style basis. If your team wins at least two of the fir- st four games, then you advance to the second round." He said that Bir- mingham made it to the second round before being eliminated. At 6-0 and 165 pounds, Kendall says that he is about average in stature among British players. "All of the teams we've played so far have averaged about six feet in height, with, only a few taller player," he says. "Our best player, who averages about 25 points a game, is only six feet tall, too." Kendall notes that the laid-back British lifestyle carries over to the basketball team. "We only practice on- ce a week," he says. "And we often stop at a pub on the way home from an away game." But although that might seem like an appealing way to relax after a game, it's doubtful that the idea will catch on with Bill Frieder or any other American coach. Michigan, tri-leader in the Big Ten, moved up to the thirteenth spot in this week's AP poll (last week they were fourteenth). The Wolverines are currently the highest ranked Big Ten team in both the AP and UPI polls. Once again, Virginia and Oregon State shared top honors, as the Cavaliers topped the AP poll, while Oregon State garnered the UPI's top spot on Monday.. 5. Arizona St............. 6. Utah .................. 7. Wake Forest ....... 8. UCLA ...............". 9. Tennessee ......... 10. North Carolina...... 11. Kentucky ............. 12. Notre Dame ........ 13. MICHIGAN......... 14. Iowa ............. 15. Brigham Young....... 16. Wichita St............. 17. Illinois............ 18. South Alabama..... 19. Maryland ............. 20. Indiana ............... 18-2 20-1 19-2 14-4 16-4 18-5 16-4 16-4 16-3 15-4 17-4 18-2 14-5 19-3 15-6 14-8 1. Virginia (43) .......... 2. Oregon State (18)..... 3. DePaul................ 4. Louisiana St. (1)..... 20-0 1,221 19-0 1,193 21-1 1,096 21-1 1,071 945 882 881 692 634 628 596 534 533 513 340 262 163 160 136 133 Budget cuts They 're going to get you, MASS MEETING for all Wed. Feb. 11, Michigan Hall, at 9:00 p.m. too concerned people. Union Assembly " "::..:Y..1........v :;;::: :; : v{..{;r: