The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, March 11, 1981--Page 9 'M' RECRUIT HAS HIGH HOPES Razor Sharp By DREW SHARP NCAA tournament..; .0*4some teams don't belong T ELEVISION ANALYSTS Billy Packer and Al McGuire would have a field day discussing this matter during one of their weekly college basketball telecasts. "Al, the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) style of play is the best around," the former Wake Forest assistant coach would say. "I've said that all along, and now the NCAA has backed up my beliefs by choosing four ACC teams once again, my friend.", "Billy, Billy, put your pompoms away," McGuire would respond. "How can you gloat, when one of the biggest crimes in history has taken place-only three Big Ten teams receiving invitations?" "Al, face it, the Big Ten was overrated this season. So spare the tears." "Overrated; Billy? You think Mississippi, Long Island, and Mercer are better clubs than Purdue and Minnesota? Wake up, Billy!" .The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee should also open its eyes to the great injustice being done to the post-season extravaganza. Teams in competitive conferences with better-than-average records were passed over for teams that compiled good won-lost marks against clubs that can best be described as "bottom of the barrel," and also teams that won their con- ference's championship tournament by virtue of upset. M Because of such policy, the Big Ten, which has had more teams (five) ad- vance to the Final Four over the last five years than any other conference in the country, will only have three teams (Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois) representing it in this year's tournament. The league has a right to cry "foul." "All you have to do is look at what we've accomplished in the NCAA tour- nament the last five years," said Michigan head coach Bill Frieder, whose team accepted an NIT bid. "Maybe the NCAA'was embarrassed last year when our fourth-place team (Iowa) got to the Final Four. Our third (Purdue) and fourth-place teams both made it to the semis. "It is ridiculous. Whoever is on the selection committee didn't do a good job." Ironically, Big Ten Commissioner Wayne Duke headed the selection committee and admitted that the chosen field is not necessarily the best available. "We don't have the 48 best teams in the.country-we don't pretend to, with the presence of automatic qualifiers," said Duke. The vast amount of conference champions who automatically receive an invitation (26) and the existence of post-season conference championship tournaments are two problems which beset the Committee as it made its selections. By reducing the number of automatic conference champion qualifiers, the NCAA would rid the tournament of such dead weight as Mercer College of the Trans-America Conference and James Madison, Northeastern, and Long Island of the East Coash Athletic Conference, teams whose schedules are nothing short of bush league. The improvements made by the abolishment of the conference tour- nament would be twofold. One, major independent teams would stand a bet- ter chance of making the NCAA's due to the fact that upset tournament win- ners would not be able to waltz into a spot. Two, conference teams would be better prepared, mentally and physically, for the NCAA's because they would not have shouldered the burden of playing in the grueling conference tourneys. In all of the conference tournaments played this season, only one regular season champion-Louisville-wori the tournament. ' A 16-13 record is not worthy of NCAA tournament recognition, but that's not stopping Mississippi from taking its spot in the NCAA Midwest Regional. By some fluke of basketball fate, the Rebels won the Southeastern Conferen- ce tournament over highly ranked favorites LSU (the regular season cham- pion), Kentucky, and Tennessee. The NCAA was forced to take Mississippi and couldn't very well refuse the other three teams who, collectively, were ranked in the top 15 nationally. - Thus, good independent and conference squads like Marquette (19-10), South Alabama (23-5),Clemson (20-10), and Syracuse (18-11) were denied an invitation. The major reason for conference tournaments is that they create revenue. According to Brian Morrison, a representative of the ACC, there is no more financially rewarding, basketball-related event than the ACC tournament, outside of the NCAA title chase, of course. Other conferences decided to -jump on the bandwagon and form their own type of post-season competition in an effort to increase revenue. These leagues fail to take into consideration damage done to the players who, instead of getting ready for the NCAA's, must subject themselves to two or three more games before the tournament and risk injury in the process. These games are totally uncalled-for. If a team has proven itself in the regular season, there's no need for them to do it once again in a con- ference tournament. Sotake notes, NCAA Selection Committee, don't let this injustice occur in the future. When you advertise that your tournament features the 48 best teams in the country, make sure you choose the 48 best! Was hi By RON POLLACK "There's a lot of potential to mold him to whererer we need him. I'm not going to make a decision on him until after spring ball. This kid is an excellent athlete: big, quick, com- petitire. He could be a split end, tight end, fullback, tailback, or defensive back." -Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler on recruit Greg Washington Schembechler may not have decided where he wants to play Washington, but the Detroit Western senior knows where he'd like to line up. "I'd prefer defensive back because I like to hit and catch the ball," said Washington. He wants to play defensive back because he likes to catch the ball? An unusual statement, yes; an absurd one, no. During his senior year, Washington picked off 15 passes, one less than all the Michigan defensive backs had during the regular season in 1980. Washington returned these intercep- tions for an astounding total of 587 yar- ds. Such statistics would seem to make Schembechler's decision an easy one, but Washington possesses so much talent that he seems capable of doing anything asked of him. "GREG IS THE type of kid that could play numerous positions and do well in any of them," said Detroit Western football coach Andrew Palko. Washington has been termed by some "the best high school athlete in the nation," but this has not made him feel that his task will be any easier once he joins Schembechler's squad. "Just because I'm one of the top five players in the nation doesn't mean I'll automatically get a spot," said Washington. "It just means I'll work harder. I have to prove myself all over again." ONE INDIVIDUAL who seems to think that Washington will have no difficulty proving himself is Michigan State ngton to assistant football coach Sherman Lewis. "I think he's going to be a dominating. player who will also make other players better," said Lewis. In addition to being a promising foot- ball prospect, Washington is also a highly regarded basketball player (he is currently averaging 18 points and 17 rebounds per game). Consequently, he will attempt to participate in both spor- ts at Michigan. "I REALLY HAVE a desire to try both," he said. "It's something that I've been thinking about for a long time. If I can do both, I want to make the most of it." Such an attempt will be an ardous task for Washington, but Wolverine basketball coach Bill Frieder believes that is is not an impossibility. "It's going to be difficult for him," Frieder said. "But if someone can do it, then he's the guy. He's coming to Michigan because he wants to play both sports, and he's going to get that chan- ce," said Frieder. WASHINGTON RECOGNIZES that the overlapping schedules of football and basketball will hamper his hoop abilities. But, he quickly adds that such problems will disappear once the foot- ball season ends and he focuses his at- tention to basketball. "It'll hurt me since my shooting will be off," said Washington. "I'll be in football shape,, not basketball shape. It's not the same thing. The shooting will come around in a week or two. "I think I can have a big impact (on the basketball team) . . . Eric Turner (Michigan basketball recruit) and I should do well in the backcourt," Washington continued. "I played against him this summer. Together we can cause a lot of problems for other teams." LIKE EVERY athlete, Washington has goals, but it is difficult to name another individual whose aspirations can even come close to matching his. itry two sports "I hope to be number one in both football and basketball. As an in- dividual, I hope to make All-Big 10 and All-American. Naturally I hope to go to a pro career. As long as I can do that in the framework of the team, that would be nice. But the team comes first." Although Washington must face the rigors of playing two sports, he also in- tends to attempt to get into Michigan's Business School. "IT'S HARD WORK, that's all it is," said Washington. "I'm willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to get in the Business School." The Business School was part of the reason why Washington chose Michigan over other various colleges. "It's (the University) one of the top schools academically," said Washington. Everytime I look at the lists that rate schools, Michigan was up there, especially the Business School. I also wanted to stay near home." Besides the opportunity to play both basketball and football, the school's academic record and the nearness to " his home, Washington says there is one more reason for choosing Michigan: "I've wanted to be a Wolverine for a long time." 28 day trips, 21 days in CHINA Plus MANiLA and HONG KONG Student oriented tours, about $1,000 less than conventional tourist trips. Teachers, staff, community members, parents ... welcome, too. Two trips: MAY 21-JUNE 17: Health Care System $3156 from San Francisco JUNE 22-JULY 19: Education and Schools $3218 (about $340 add-on to fly from Detroit) Visits to Beijing, Xion, Shanghai, Guilin, and several other major tourist centers. U of M extension credit available. ACT NOWI Only nine spaces left. For information. call Prof. Robert Hefner, 763,4355 (days) or 442-1867 (eve or weekend). LBERT OLLINS 4 . ' Intramural softball programc By JEFF QUICKSILVER In a move designed to generate revenue and utilize the new intramural softball fields to their fullest, the University's Department of Recreational Sports will not offer its regular intramural softball program, as it has in the past. Instead, the Depar- tment will sponsor five different recreational leagues that will be open to all teams in the city and surrounding area. "The leagues will be of the lower competitive variety, with men's and wonien's 'C' and 'D' leagues, along with one Co-Rec league," said Bill Canning, Director of Facilities and CCRB. "THE UNIVERSITY has spent almost $250,000 in the construction of the new fields and softball building, and the new program is aimed at getting the best possible use out of these new facilities." The leagues will begin play May 11 and continue through July 31. Each team is expected to play 12 games, with men's 'C' and 'D' doubleheader leagues an ged playing 24 games. Edwards added that there was room for about 120 teams in the new program and that the different leagues will be formed on the basis of ,respective in- terest in each one. The softball program will be-directed by the current University professional sports staff, and all games will be played at Mitchell Field. A meeting of interested managers will be held tonight at 7:00 p.m. in room 1250 of the Central Campus Recreation Buildin 20% Discount SANYO WATCHES & CALCULATORS 4 a. NW. MARCH 1 IM SCORES MONDAY Basketball Residence Hall B Class A Kelsey House Roots B 51, Delta B Eagles 44 Class B 6th V-D Bursley 40, Reeves B 29 Water Polo Fraternity *Chi Phi 13, Evans Scholars 1 Lambda Chi Alpha 2, Zeta-Psi 0 (forfeit) Beta Theta Pi 16, Sigma Nu 4 Sigma Alpha Epsilon 15, Theta Delta Chi 5 SCores NBA Philadelphia 103, Indiana 102 NHL Washington 4, Colorado3 Detroit 4, Hartford 4 College Basketball arinceton 54, Penn 40 A Masters Degree in RADIATION PROTECTION at the University of Michigan Opportunities Available for: -Financial support for qualified graduate students -Research in radiation dosimetry and radiation biology -Highpaying, interesting jobs in a growing profession in which the demand for graduates far exceeds the supply. APPLICATION SHOULD BE FILED BY: MAY 15, 1981 Interested students in engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, pre-med, or any of the other physical or biological sciences should write or call: Professors A. P. Jacobson or P. A. Plato, Department of Environmental and Industrial Health, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109. Phone: (313) 764-0523. Michigan Union - 'f MASTER OrII4E E CA5ER! Anderson Rooms Thurs. March 12 9 t i l l 6 ik ,e mo f''i C. o t w w w ve G.D.D. Inc. _ 80_Collingwood-3-_981_ 611 CHURCH ST. 996-2747 m " - --- -- - + ~~' Ummer Sublet Supplement NAME ADDRESSorthe$Summer i modern house PHOWNLE thru AUG. f4 5 PHOEooms available 3edroom house. Mail ad and payment or bring inm cmpus & Arb S18 person to: -am Central Rec. I 420 Maynard Streeto Make checks payable to: Y FURNISHED The Michigan Daily lasher /Dryer & f l fishwasher- BACKYARD 1ed Igetable gorden plot oSq, FRONT PORCH O n y eryl or Bruce until I00-0000 March 23 1 Absolutely MAmd AAAA/ ( Artu...-..: 4 ,14% n rEF~UE fLEl lEhE it