Page 8-Saturday, January 30, 1982-The Michigan Daily
BL UE AT ILLINOIS TODA Y
Cagers seek second straight win
By LARRY FREED
Special to the Daily
CHAMPAIGN- Now that the young
Michigan cagers have the eleven-game
losing streak monkey off their backs,
they can now concentrate on playing
competitively for the rest of the Big Ten
season.
Fortunately for Michigan, it finds it-
self facing the Fighting Illini of Illinois,
a team which mirrors many of the
Wolverines' weaknesses. However,
what -the Illini (11-5 overall, 4-3 in the
Big Ten) lack in height and depth they
make up in speed, as coach Lou Henson
continues to use his three-guard lineup
of Derek Harper, Perry Range, and
Craig Tucker.
"WE HAVE a lot of talent coming
back at guard, so naturally we want to
take, advantage of it," said Henson.
" ven though the guards might be
doing more for us this year it won't
mean we are going away from our basic
philosophy."
While Harper and company will be
dragging the Wolverines up and down
the court, front-liners James Griffin
and Bryan Leonard, both 6-10, will be
trying to control the boards.
Griffin is doing quite well at that as
evidenced by his 22 point, 10 rebound,
and three blocked-shot performance for
the Illini, who easily downed the host
Purdue Boilermakers, 63-48, on Thur-
sday night."
LIKE THE Illini, the Wolverines are
coming off an equally big victory, a 64-
62 decision in overtime over Ohio State
which gave them their first win in Big
Ten play.
"I would have to say it (the win over
Ohio State) was the best performance
of the season," a cheerful Frieder said.
"They played well in stretches at
Arkansas and California, but they
played a better overall defensive game
here."
For Michigan to extend its new win-
ning streak to two, freshman guard
sensation Eric Turner will have to con-
tend with last year's Illinois wun-
derkind, Harper. Harper has picked up
right where he left off last season when
he averaged a conference high 8.3
assists per game.0
BUT HENSON is still cautious about
his budding superstar. "There's no
doubt he could be a great one, but he
needs to improve his defense and out-
side shooting," said Henson.
Michigan coach Bill Frieder also has
reserved optimism, about his young
guard, Turner. "At times he shows
flashes of brilliance, but at other times
he still plays like a freshman," said
Frieder. .
One of those flashes of brilliance
came Thursday night against the
Buckeyes, when Turner asserted him-
self as the teams' quarterback, tallying
20 points and seven assists in
Michigan's first Big Ten victory.
Turner's backcourt mate, Dan
Pelekoudas, a native of Downers
Grove, Ill. and the hero of the Ohio
State victory, is eagerly awaiting the
return to his home state. "I'm looking
forward to playing at Illinois and if we.
win I'll have something to talk about
with my friends all summer," said
Pelekoudas.
For Pelekoudas and his teammates to
be successful, they will have to contend
with an Illinois attack featuring both a
fast break and slow-down offense, both
of which were utilized in the Illini's
road win at Purdue.
IM director Benedict
joins Montreal staff
By CHUCK JAFFE
Michigan intramural Director Moby
Benedict is returning to the coaching
ranks, but in a new uniform. Benedict,
who was Michigan's baseball coach for
17 years, will join the Montreal Expos'
y THE LINEUPS
MICHIGAN (2-13) ILLINOIS (11-
(45) Thad Garner (6-7) ...... F .. (6-10) Bryan Leonard+
(23) Dean Hopson (6-7) ..... F ...... (6-4) Perry Ranget
(52) Ike Person (6-7) ........ C .... (6-10) James Griffin+
(25) Eric Turner (6-3) ...... G ..... (6-4) Derek Harper,
(32) Dan Pelekoudas (6-1) .. G ..... (6-1) Craig Tucker+
GAME TIME & SITE: 4:05 p.m., Assembly Hall, Champaign
RADIO: WAAM-AM 1600, WWJ-AM 95, WUOM-FM 91.7
5)
(43)
(22)
(13)
(12)
(10)
Benedict
... joins Expos' farm club
organization, and will coach their Class
A team in Jamestown, N.Y.
Benedict's new job will not force the
former Michigan coach to leave the
University. Instead, he will work for
the Expos during the summer, and
head the IM program at Michigan
during the academic year.
"THIS IS a limited 'A' league,"
Benedict explained yesterday. "It runs
from June through August, and they
play about 72, 74, or 76 games. This is
not a rookie league. They'll take some
kids who aren't quite ready for a tough
'A" league and add some rookies. I'm
just very tickled to join the
organization."
The managerial position with the
New York-Perin League team marks
Benedict's return to the dugout. After
the 1979 baseball season, Benedict
stepped down as the Wolverines' coach
to become IM director.
"I got out of coaching at Michigan
with something like this in mind," the
former Detroit Tiger said. "I've been
pursuing this for a while. It's a chance
to get back into baseball doing what I
like the best, which is working with the
kids on the field.
"It works out just ideally with my job
here," he continued. "In the summer,
our job at recreational sports isn't as
hard as in the fall and winter. I think
I'll do a good job for them, and they're
looking for someone to teach. They're a
good organization, and this works out
just right for me and for them."
"Y" SUMMER CAMPS
The Ann Arbor Y is now accepting
applications for staff positions at
the following camps:
CAMP AL-GON-QUI1AN: a' resident
camp for boys and girls located on Burt lake in
northern Mich. Camp dates are June 21 to
August 7. Senior staff positions, ages 18 and
above ore available in the following areas:
horseback riding, sailing, canoeing, arts and
crafts, trips director, archery, nature, woodwork-
ing, riflery, lnd sports, swimming, water skiing,
and camp nurse. Salary plus room and board.
CAMP BIRKETT:. Aday camp for boys and
girls located on Silver Lake near Pinckney. Camp
dates are June 21-August 20. Senior staff posi-
tions, ages 18 and above are available in the
following areas: Archery, swimming, sailing.
canoeing, arts and crafts, nature, and general
counselor.
Applications ano additional infor-
mation regarding positions at
both camps may be obtained by
contacting the Ann Arbor Y, 350
South Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor,
Mich. 48104 or calling (313) 663-
0536.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Fish Tales
By MARK FISCHER
e
'No, they won?'.
... cagers hold together
MOST PEOPLE didn't believe it.
"Who won?" they asked later on Thursday night.
"Michigan," I answered.
"What did you say? Michigan? No, no, Fish, I asked you who won."
. "Michigan," I repeated.
"What did they do, get Kellogg to play for the Wolves?"
Similarly shocked reactions came from nearly everyone I told about the
game. They just couldn't believe that Michigan (2-13, 1-6 in the Big Ten),
which had lost to the likes of both Eastern and Western Michigan, had beaten
Ohio State, (13-6, 4-3 in the league). Apparently, most Michigan followers
had given up on the Blue cagers.
The only trouble is, the Wolverine hoopsters never gave up on themselves.
Sounds corny, I know, but it's true. Injury after injury, quitting player after
quitting player, loss after loss after loss, etc., the Wolverine, cagers kept on
plugging through adversity.
More than one player has used the word "family" in describing the team.
Gerard Rudy, an adopted member of that family, in that he joined the team
after eight games had already been played, said, "I can't stress enough how
supportive these guys are to one another, and how the players and the
coaches have adjusted to the (losing) situation."
"These guys have been hangin tough," said Michigan coach Bill Frieder.
"There isn't another team that could be one-and-13 and do what these guys
have been doing. They've been working hard. They're coachable. They're
super to be around."
"We've never given up in any game this year," concurred guard Dan
Pelekoudas, whose last-second 22-footer Thursday gave the Wolverines their
64-62 overtime win, and a glimpse of the light shining at the end of the long
tunnel they are in this year. "We've stayed together and worked hard all
year with no dissensions. It was ourattitudes which brought us back."
A good game by all
Victory finally came for the Wolverines Thursday night, but it didn't come
from their attitude alone. The positive attitude merely presented them with
the possibility of victory. What actually brought their first Big Ten win home
was the fact that each Michigan player-not one, not two, but every single
one of them-had a good game.
Frieder knew, as he said after the game, that "In order for us to escape
with a win, we've got to have everyone contribute." For once, that's what
happened.
"Every game we lost," junior center Ike Person said after the win,
"someone played good, but someone played bad. Today, everyone played
good, everyone contributed." Which includes Person himself, whose 10
rebounds, and 12 second-period and overtime points kept Michigan in the
ball game.
Turner almost the goat
Eric Turner, too, had perhaps his best game as a Wolverine. The back-
court half of the "Ike and take-you-to-the-cleanah Turner" duo hit for 20
points and dished off seven assists as well as controlling the tempo of the
game, especially in overtime. Turner, of course, almost turned out to be the
dog of the game when he missed two free throws with no time left in
regulation, and the scored tied at 56-56.
"I'll be honest, when Eric missed those shots, I thought we were going to
lose," said Frieder. "The biggest thing I was worried about is that maybe
they (the players) were thinking the same thing."
So even Frieder understood his team's winning attitude, their never-say-
die spirit exemplified by Turner. "I just left the misses at the line," said the
speedy frosh. "I knew we still had five minutes left to play."
The victory can only help. "I just can't describe how I feel," said an ec-
static Person after the game. "We have more confidence now, we have
motivation now, we have everything. There's a positive feeling now. From
now on it will be all right."
That's the spirit.
SCORES
College Basketball
Arkansas , Rice s
West virginia 48, Pittsburgh 45
South Alabama 75, Georgia State 50
West Carolina 58, Citadel 53
Upper Iowa 61, Dubuquesf
North Carolina A&T 62, Howard s0
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