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Alan Fanger
Confessions of a former basketball writer
I only wish that every Michigan basketball fan could get to know Paul
Heuerman and Mark and Marty Bodnar. These guys are top-flight people
both on the court and off it. And no other Big Ten team can boast of having
three players with as good an academic record ...
The season's only a week old, but I already miss Johnny Orr. This rather
soft-spoken gentleman could turn a phrase and get everybody in a room
laughing in unison. Don't expect too much from his Iowa State team this
season... Orr didn't have much time to recruit and his returning talent is
.thin...
Perhaps the normally-sedate Crisler Arena faithful will come alive with
the presence of Tim McCormick on the floor. The fans who have sat on their
hands for so many years need something to stand up and shout about ...
Big Ten pre-season mock elections: most valuable player, Indiana's
Isiah Thomas; most overrated player, Wisconsin's Claude Gregory; most
underrated player, Iowa's Kenny Arnold; team that will surprise, Min-
nesota; Team that will disappoint, Illinois; Noisiest place to play, Indiana's
Assembly Hall.
And how about some unscientific predictions on the outcome of the Big Ten
race: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Purdue,
Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin.
Seeing former Wolverine guard Steve Grote at the games make you
think that the Blue cagers were not long ago threatening to win the NCAA
tournament. But that was actually three and one-half years back ...
Bill Frieder won't be the same fella he was as an assistant UNLESS he
chews a towel while sitting on the bench. That's his trademark ...
Count two consecutive bad recruiting years for Michigan State Coach
Jud Heathcote. With Jay Vincent embarking on his final season, somebody
has got to tell 'ol Jud to start finding players who can fill Vincent's shoes a
year from now. Otherwise, the Spartans are in for even harder times.. .
The pressing questions of the 1980-81 season: Will Johnny Johnson cut
down on his attempts of low percentage shots? Will Frieder bench him if he
doesn't?
Depressing Thought Dept: Michigan could conceivably win all 10 games
in its relatively easy non-conference schedule, finish 10-8 in the Big Ten for a
total record of 20-8, and still not receive an NCAA tournament bid .-..
Al McGuire and Bob Talbert have something in common-they may not
be universally admired, but people are tuning in to them ...
The basketball band always seems to put a certain song in everyone's
mind; the late Bill Chase is the source for a couple of distinctive tunes,
"Open Up Wide" and "Get It On." They'll be regular favorites of the Crisler
crowd ...
Sad Sight Indeed:, When the women cagers play a home game right after
the men have played, hundreds of people stay through the first five or ten
minutes, and then begin drifting out of the arena. Wonder if it would continue
to happen were the Wolverine women able to play a consistent game. . .
Important Question: Will Keith Smith's departure put a severe dent in
the Wolverine fast-break attack? Right now it looks as though they're devoid
of a guard who can penetrate the lane.

Early

The-Mich gon-Daily-Satur
M foes areu

By RON POLLACK

Although Michigan has five returning
starters and a .bumper crop of fresh-
men, the key factor for the Wolverines
when they enter Big Ten play may be
neither. The most important ingredient
for success when Michigan begins Big
Ten play might be momentum, and
momentum is just what the Wolverines
should have considering the calibre of
their non-conference opposition.
Of Michigan's ten non-conference
foes, only two had records that were
more than a game over .500 last year.
Furthermore, the Wolverines over-all
record against these teams is 55-10.
THE REASON for the weakened op-
position is that two games had to be ad-
ded to the schedule much later than is
usual. Nonetheless, the early season
slate is not entirely deficient of quality
opposition.
"It's (the schedule) not as good as it
1980-81 Schedule

Non-conference slate
less taxing than usual

THE 1979-80 season marked the coming of age of Paul Heuerman on the
Michigan basketball front. He blossomed into a complete player last year,
earning the respect of teammate and foe alike. Often giving away from four
to six inches in height to rival Big Ten centers, the 6-8 Akron, Ohio senior
more than held his own against the conference's finest talents.
Big Ten Schedules
Ohio State at Wisconsin
(Continued from Page 15) February 26
February 12 Illinois at Minnesota

Illinois at Wisconsin
Iowa at Minnesota
Northwestern at Indiana
Ohio State at MICHIGAN
Purdue at Michigan State
February 14
Illinois at Ohio State
Indiana at Wisconsin
MICHIGAN at Michigan State
Northwvestern at Iowa
Purdue at Minnesota
February 19
Indiana at Iowa
MICHIGAN at Illinois
Minnesota at Ohio State
Purdue at Northwestern
Wisconsin at Michigan State
February 21
Iowa at Purdue
Michigan State at Illinois
Minnesota at Indiana
Northwestern at MICHIGAN

MICHIGAN at Iowa
Michigan State at Northwestern
Ohio State at Indiana
Wisconsin at Purdue
February 28
Illinois at Purdue
MICHIGAN at Indiana
Michigan State at Minnesota
Ohio State at Northwestern
Wisconsin at Iowa
March 5
Indiana at Illinois
Iowa at Michigan State
Minnesota at MICHIGAN
Northwestern at Wisconsin
Purdue at Ohio State
March 7
Indiana at Michigan State
Iowa at Ohio State
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Northwestern at Illinois
Purdue at MICHIGAN

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Dec. 6 ARKANSAS, 2:05 p.m.
Dec. 8 AKRON, 8:05 p.m.
Dec.10 KENT STATE, 8:05 p.m.
Dec. 13 at Dayton
Dec. 20 WESTERN MICHIGAN,
2:05 p.m.
Dec. 30 at Detroit#, 8:05 p.m.
#Joe Louis Arena
Jan. 3 Northern Michigan#, 7:05
p.m. #at Joe Louis Arena,
part of doubleheader
Jan. 5 at Purdue
Jan 10 at Minnesota
Jan. 15 INDIANA, 8:05 p.m.
Jan.17 IOWA, 4:00 p.m.
Jan. 22 ILLINOIS, 8:05 p.m.
Jan. 24 at Ohio State
Jan. 29 at Northwestern
Jan. 31 at Wisconsin
Feb. 5 MICHIGAN STATE,
8:05 p.m.
Feb. 7 WISCONSIN, 4:00 p.m.
Feb. 12 OHIO STATE, 8:05 p.m.
Feb. 14 at Michigan State,
Feb. 19 at Illinois
Feb. 21 NORTHWESTERN,
4:00 p.m;
Feb.26 at Iowa
Feb. 28 at Indiana
Mar. 5 MINNESOTA, 8:05 p.m.
Mar. 7 PURDUE, 4:00 p.m.

has been. The reason for it is our tour-
nament (in Las Vegas) fell through,
and we had to pick up two games last
May-Northern Michigan and Akron,"
said Michigan head coach Bill Frieder.
"On paper the biggest tests are Kansas
and Arkansas. Those are two that can
win their conferences."
With games against Windsor,
Eastern Michigan and Kansas now'
history, the Wolverines will encounter
Arkansas today at Crisler Arena. The
Razorbacks, who compiled a 21-8
record last season, have participated in
four straight NCAA tournaments.
THE RETURNING standouts
are 6:9 junior Scott Hastings (16.2 ppg)
and U.S. Reed (14 ppg). The Razor-
backs, who return two other starters,
will be further strengthened by JUCO
star Darrell Walker and freshman
Ricky Norton, considered to be one of
the best prep guards in the nation.
If Arkansas has a weakness it is its
lack of size, which prompted head
coach Eddie Sutton to say, "I have to be
apprehensive about our size. Reboun-
ding against a larger team could be a
problem for us . . . We don't have that
much bulk."
Following this contest, the
Wolverines take on the Akron Zips, who
return all five starters from a 10-14
team. Top performers for new head
coach Bob Rupert are the brother tan-
dem of Lance (15.3 ppg) and Wendell
(15.7 ppg) Bates. When the Zips travel
to Ann Arbor, they will be trying to
bring an end to the futility that they ex-
perienced on the road last year (they
only won twice away from home).
WHEN THE Wolverines take the
court against Kent State, it will mark
the third game in a row that they will
possess the home court advantage. The
Golden Flashes, who lost to the
Wolverines by 104 points in three
previous meetings, were 16-11 on the
court last season but forfeited six wins

because an ineligible player was found
on the roster, giving them a 10-17 mark.
Kent State's three returning starters
are Robert Kitchen (13.1 ppg), who set
the school scoring record for freshmen
last year, Kenny Howell (9.3 ppg), and
sophomore Rob Koch, who was named'
Honorable mention all-MAC last year.,
The Wolverines finally hit the road
when they take on the Dayton Flyers
(13-14), who suffered through only their
third losing season in 33 years last
season. The Flyers hope that the loss of
guard Jack Zimmerman can be over-
come by the return of the starting front
line which is led by 6-9 senior Richard
Montague (12.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg).
FOLLOWING THIS contest,
Michigan will end its non-conference
schedule with three games against

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(Continued from Page 3)
to get some help from somewhere."
That's where the freshmen and
sophomores come in. The most notable
of these is freshman Tim McCormick,
the highly sought-after recruit from
Clarkston. The 6-10 McCormiek.
probably won't be starting, but his con-
tribution as a genuine big man opens up
all kinds of interesting possibilities for
the Michigan lineup.
Among these are the opportunities to
move Heuerman to forward and McGee
to guard-two situations that were of-
ten speculated about but hardly ever
executed during their first three years.
The sophomores on the team are 6-5
Joe James, 6-7 Ike Person, and 6-8 Leo
Brown. James started three Big Ten
games last season; his height and jum-
ping ability make him suited for either
the guard or forward spots, giving

Frieder even more flexibility when he's
in the lineup.
Brown and Person are also ready,
willing and able to spell the front line
starters. Both are fine rebounders and
excellent shooters, and will add depth
under the boards.
The four less heralded freshmen on
the team are 7-2 Jon Antonides, 6-6 M.C.
Burton, 6-7 Dean Hopson, and 6-1 Dan
Pelekoudas. Frieder is realistic about
their chances for this season.
"Those four have a ways to go," says
the coach. "They are working hard and
getting better. I'm hoping one or two of
them will come along and help us out."
He'll mostly be counting on the up-_
peirclassmen to provide the firepower,
but with all the talent they have behind
them, Frieder may have the pleasant
problem of trying to find enough
playing time for all the youngsters.

MICHIGAN'S MARTY BODNAR goes up for a layup against the University
of Detroit at Joe Louis Arena. Bodnar, his brother Mark, and Paul Heuer-
man are part of a rare breed of college athletes who combine standout
athletic performance with academic excellence.

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