0 Page 8-Wednesday, January 19, 1983-The Michigan Daily HENDERSON HEADY AND STEADY Frosh rebounds after slow start Daily Photo by JEFF SCHRIER Freshman Rob Henderson is all emotion in an early season victory against Nor- thern Michigan. Since that early-season game, Henderson has broken into the star- ting lineup and is one of the Wolverines' best rebounders. By JESSE BARKIN An ear-to-ear smile enveloped Robert Henderson's face as he headed down- court, searching for a teammate's hand to slap. He had just swished a 12-foot jumper from the left side which stretched Michigan's lead over Wisconsin to 58- 52, last Saturday. The Wolverines won the game 62-57, but it was a basket he never should have made. IF COACH Bill Frieder had his druthers, he would not have let the 6-9 freshman play at all that evening. Hen- derson, normally a starter, was recuperating from a sprained knee he had incurred the game before, and Frieder did not want to risk further in- jury to the forward by playing him. But when the Wolverines went into the lockerroom down six points to the out-matched Badgers, Frieder decided he needed Henderson. "We needed his steadiness and con- sistency on the boards," said Frieder. And the forward responded by playing the entire second half, grabbing five rebounds and scoring four points. Missing on the stat sheet, though, was the life he seemed to instill into his listless team. His enthusiasm and emotion-filled gestures are a crowd pleaser. "WHEN something big happens to the team I feel really good and I start jumping around," said Henderson. "I just get that adrenaline flowing and feel real good." Jumping around and feeling good has been easy for the freshman cornerman lately. He is second on the team in rebounding with a 6.4 average and, more importantly, has earned a star- ting job on the Wolverine front line. "I think he's done an excellent job," said Frieder. "He's steady - he's got all the tools to become a great one.'' But it hasn't all been easy for Hen- derson. In fact, at the season's outset, the East Lansing native found himself seriously questioning his ability and even his place on the team. PRIOR TO opening day, Frieder seemed very high on Henderson, and it appeared he would step in and con- tribute right away. But he looked sluggish during the first few games and played as if he just didn't know what he was supposed to do. "Lost was the word," said Hender- son. "I just wasn't sure of myself and I wasn't shooting well. It was like whatever I did, it turned out wrong.. Every shot I put up I knew was going to miss. I was unhappy, but I was trying not to get down on myself. "Preseason took a lot out of me. And I didn't have my legs or anything. For a few weeks there I didn't have any kind of energy whatsoever." You're Needed All Over the World. Ask Peace Corps volunteers why their ingenuity and flexibility are as vital as their degrees. They'll tell you they are helping the world's poorest peoples attain self sufficiency in the areas of food production, energy conservoton, education, economic development and healthservices. And they'll tell you about the rewords of hands on career experience overseas. They'll tell you it's the toughest job you'll ever love. January 18th, 19th and 20th. Interviews at Career Placement & Planning. Sign up today., Detroit Office 1-226-7928 PEACE CORPS BUT AS much as he wanted simply to' ride out the slump, he couldn't help thinking about other alternatives. "There were times when I thought about just quitting and being a regular student. But I talked to my parents, the coaches and some friends - Kim (his girlfriend) - and they just told me to hang in there. They gave me a lot of positive reinforcement. "He (Frieder) told me it'd be just a matter of time, things will get better. It's basically what everybody tried to do. I just didn't know how long before I started playing better," he said. IT WASN'T that he was playing terribly, tentatively is a better word. He did not know when to pass or when to shoot. He had lost his confidence and needed something to break him out of it. That break came in the sixth game of the season, against Detroit. Henderson played well throughout the game, and with the score tied at 63 and only 12 seconds remaining in the game, Detroit fouled Henderson and sent him to the foul line for a one-and-one. The fresh- man sank both ends and Michigan held on for the victory. Those two free throws meant more than a nonconference victory; they may have turned the season around for Henderson. "It gave me confidence in my ability. From there things got gradually better for me," he said. AFTER THE Detroit game, Hender- son began asserting himself. At the Toledo Blade Glass City Classic, Hen- derson scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for two games, earning him a place on the all-tournament team. Plus, he earned a starting position he has not given up. "I just started playing better. I was starting to get used to all the running. My legs were coming back to me and I was getting a little bit of my quickness back," he said. "I started doing the things that we need to win. "I guess it's the freshman syn- drome," he said, analyzing his early- season doubts. "So many things can go wrong, and at that time it just seemed like everything did." HENDERSON, though, has come a long way since those days back in November. He is a fine rebounder and has an added dimension for a 6-9 for- ward - he can shoot from the outside. His jump shot has a slow wind-up release, but the ball comes off the fingertips smoothly and accurately. After 14 games this season he is averaging 6.6 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. He said he must improve on his percen- tage, but part of the problem is due to a sprained finger on his shooting hand. UPI Top Twenty 1. UCLA.............. 16 1-1 565 2. Indiana .............. 18 12-1 550 3. tie Memphis St........1 12-1 413 North Carolina......... 1 12-3 413 5. Arkansas............. 3 13-0 397 6. Virginia .............. 12-2 383 7. St. John's............ 14-1 374 8. Louisville ............. 1 13-2 340 9. Nevada Las Vegas.... 1 14-0 295 10. Iowa................. 11-2 201 11. Missouri.. 12-2 178 12. Houston............. 13-2 160 13. Kentucky............ 11-3 128 14. Vilanova............. 10-2 117 15. Syracuse............ 12-2 83 16. Georgetown.......... 11-4 51 17. Illinois St............ -12-1 50 18. Minnesota........... 11-2 48 19. Oklahoma St......... 12-1 28 20. tie N.C. St............ 8-3 19 Tennessee.............10-3 19 Blue Lines 't7 Christmas on ice. .. ... Giordano gets presents By CHUCK JAFFE IF THE MICHIGAN hockey team is playing steady, tight-checking, defensive hockey this must be Christmas. After all, Michigan coach John Giordano said his young and inexperienced team would be competitive by the December holiday. The fans spent the early season wondering if he meant Christmas 1984. But a recent 7-4 surge has helped the Wolverines overcome a dismal 1-8 start and they now appear ready to move into the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's upper echelon. But don't let the team's recent riseto playoff contention catch you by sur- prise. It is the result of the icers' maturation on defense, games against lower-level competition, and fine individual efforts. These elements have given Giordano his Christmas presents, albeit a month too late, and these donations to the "Give-John Giordano-a-Happy-Holiday Fund" deserve mention. " From Co-captains Brad Tippett and Ted Speers- Giordano got the leadership-both on and off the ice-that kept the team together during the early going. Speers' shift to defense and Tippett's never-ending hustle helped lead the team out of the doldrums and hopefully into the playoffs. " From freshman Chris Seychel - Giordano got goals, in bunches, which kept media attention focused on the offense and gave the defense a chance to quietly mature. " From goaltenders Jon Elliott and Mark Chiamp - Giordano got someone willing to stand in the net. At the start of the season, playing in the Michigan goal was like running through a minefield. With all the shots the youthful defense gave up, it was a miracle that the two didn't surrender. Now, they have given Giordano steady improvement and solid goaltending. " From junior transfer student Ray Dries - Giordiano gave Dries the notice that he was cut from the team-twice. Then he relented and gave the 5-7, 165-pound center another= chance. Now Dries has given Giordano the steadiest hockey of his career. " From freshman defensemen Pat Goff and Todd Carlile-Giordano has been truly gifted by this pair. They have given the coach two blue-liners in the mold of the departed Steve Richmond and Tim Manning. In addition, they have put the power back in the Wolverine power-play, with smart passing and strong slap shots. " From sophomore defensemen Mike Neff and Doug May, and freshman Bill Brauer-These three have given Giordano steady, heady and strong defense, mucking it out in the corners and quietly contributing to the offense. When Giordano wants flashes of brilliance he can turn to Goff and Carlile, but no one has been more steady than Doug May. Big Mac attacks " From junior right wing Jim McCauley - Giordano has gotten much more than he could have hoped for from the 5-10, 175-pounder. Big Mac has scored more points in 21 games this season than he scored in -his first two seasons at Michigan. " From. the CCHA schedule-makers - Giordano's gift from the league in- cluded playing the top five teams in 10 of the season's first 12 games. This baptism-by-fire enabled all the players to mature quickly, and also instilled the confidence that enable them to beat up on the weaker teams in recent weeks. " From assistant coach Mike Turner - Giordano got one of his best presents from Turner. The second-year assistant helped Giordano to one of Michigan's best recruiting years ever, and is keeping his present of this year's recruits under wraps, " From Giordano to himself - The coach instilled patience within himself, and the end result was that his long wait for the team to mature has ended in success. Indeed, if Christmas is really here for the Michigan icers, it is only because John Giordano played Santa Claus and made it happen. Yes, the Michigan hockey team is a tight-checking, hard-hitting, defensive oriented unit, and, no, it isn't ready to win the CCHA. But the Wolverines have brought their own season to life, and John Giordano is hoping that Christmas lasts all year long. Regardless, he has improved tremendously all-around since the early season and much of his physical improvement can be attributed to the intense competition he encounters in practice. Last season Henderson ear- ned the title "Mr. Basketball" as Michigan's premier player after averaging 24 points and 14 rebounds at Lansing Eastern. But his numbers and honors guaranteed him nothing in the way of playing time because Frieder went out and landed four other blue- chippers - and all were big men. "AT FIRST I thought it would be real bad, more competition," Henderson said about facing the other recruits in practice. "But I realized it would make me work harder. . . and be better for the team as a whole. It's the advantage I of having them make you push yourself. "I think it's helped me play near my poetntial. If I just came in and started I doubt I would have worked as hard. When you look at the whole situation I really needed the competition. Sometimes we get in arguments, we get mad at each other for a while, but then we realize it's good for you. You're just gonna have to get in there and fight for everything and get prepared for the games." For now, "the games" are in the forefront of Henderson's mind. "I'd like us to get a post-season tournament bid. If we play well I know we have the ability to finish in the top five or six." Lack of confidence is no longer a problem. E Announcing Taat aycve, INC. 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