w w w w w w w w w . lqw- w -W I Relil By STEVE WISE4 Ask the casual observer which player 1 typifies Michigan basketball in 1985. He'll tell you all about Roy Tarpley, An- toine Joubert and Gary Grant. But the casual observer, like most people, overlooks Richard Rellford, a player whose achievements, like those of his team, have not been given much 1 nationwide notice. EVEN PROFESSIONAL observers seem ignorant of the flying Floridian and his accomplishments. During the Michigan State game three weeks ago, for example, ESPN commentators lauded the play of Wolverine Robert Rellford. And while Michigan as a team has 1 climbed steadily in the national polls,I one of the Big Ten's better forwards1 basks in seemingly eternal anonymity. "Richard Rellford right now is one of the most underrated players on this team and possibly in the league," said Michigan coach Bill Frieder. "HE'S IN THE top five in field goal percentage in the conference, top five in free throw percentage in the con- ference, his rebounds have been steady ~ordgets and his defense (against Wisconsin and because...I ju Northwestern) was as good as the boards, r anybody's on the team." ' get? If I just But Rellford's 58.5 percent field goal end up with shooting and 82.3 percent mark from Ohio State).. the line don't show up on conference ONE REA lists because he is seven-tenths below climbing no required average shots-per-game in season, Rellf both categories. over too mu "I worked on (my shooting) real slack off-seas hard this summer and I came out this "I took a b season shooting the ball real well," Rellford said. "I would be leading the league in shooting if I took enough shots." RELLFORD HAS taken enough shots to boost his average to 11.4 points per game, about four more than his career figure. In the last six regular-season games, he's done even better, averaging closer to 14 per contest. The 6-6 junior's rebounding numbers, a little more than four per game in both league and overall play, are also im- proved from last year. Rellford caught about 6.5 caroms in each of his last fivey games. "I'm even starting to rebound," said Rellford. "That's just blown my mind it done ust thought, 'If I just go to how many rebounds can I go and don't leave.' And I eight last night (against . because I went for 'em." ASON the statistics are w is that earlier in the ford's was a case of mind ih matter, the result of a son training schedule. reak after the NIT," ex- plained the former 230-pounder, who has trimmed to about 220. "I felt like a champion and felt like I could sit back and do nothing." "The problem with Rellford," said Frieder, "is that he doesn't' work .har d in the off-season. 'As Rellford has worked to condition himself during the season, his team- See RELLFORD, Page 11 Reliford (Continued from Page' 0 mates have worked on him to help him improve. "THIS SEASON," he said, "everybody on the leam made me a better player because I think everybody checked me: 'Toine, Rock, Butch, Rob, Roy (all) made me a better player." The high school All-American says the assistance is part of the team's family feeling and that he does what he can to return the help. "Say Roy gets beat, Butch gets beat, they know somebody's going to help them." "I got beat one time, but Roy blocked the shot. I went down the floor and told him, 'That's why we got you."' RELLFORD ALSO got Tarpley for a roomie this year, something he credits partially for his motivation. "I heard somebody say that the best thing coach Frieder could have done was rooming me and Roy together," Rellford said, "because if someone's roommate is playing well, he's gonna have to play well or he can't live there." So far Rellford hasn't been kicked out of the house. And, while he feels the pressure to perform, Rellford's con- fident easygoing nature keeps him from worrying about media attention or statistics. "The publicity doesn't get it (for me) as much as playing with the guys,'' he said. "If (people) see them, they're gonna see me too because I'm gonna be on the floor doing the same thing they're doing." I For Reliford, tournament could be roundball reunion Richard Rellford and Roy Tarpley team up in grabbing a rebound in action earlier this season. Of team up throughout the school year as roommates. People around the country may not know who Richard Rellford is, but he knows them and not just from watching television either. Though he went to high school inl Riviera Beach, Fla., Rellford spent his summers battling some of the nation's best players on two summer league teams in New York City, his original home. DWAYNE "PEARL" Washington was one player with Rellford on a team called the Gauchos. Another familiar name player on that team was a fierce rebounding forward out of Boston named Mark "Butch" Wade. Though both Wade and Rellford even- tually chose the Maize and Blue, neither knew of the other's collegiate destination at the time. "We ,didn't even know," Rellford said. "We hadn't decided on school yet. We were just juniors, (but) we were killin' teams." THE KILLING continued for the young Rellford on a team called the Hawks out of Riverside Church. That college all-star-to-be team included Walter Berry, now at St. John's, Kenny Smith (North Carolina), Ernie Myers (N.C. State), Bruce Dalrymple (Georgia Tech) and Tommy Sheehey (Virginia). "Whoever was anybody at that period of time would have played in the AAU championships," many of them for Riverside, according to Ernie Lorch, the Hawks' coach for 25 years. Rellford also has ties to St. John's and its star, All-American Chris Mullin, whom Rellford calls a "good friend." "Me and (St. John's coach) Louie (Carnesecca), we're real good frien- ds...," said Rellford, whose brother Cecil played two years for the Redmen. "They wanted me to go to school out there. Louie sent me my first college letter." If Michigan and St. John's meet in the tournament final, Rellford could add a postscript to his answer. -STEVE WISE Michigan Basketball Statistics G-ST FG/FGA Pct FT/FTA Pet RBS/AVG Ast Pts Avg Tarpley ........................ 28-28 210/397 52.9 121/156 77.6 287/10.3 47 541 19.3 (Big Ten) ...................... 18-18 129/261 49.4 89/106 79.2 178/9.9 29 342 19.0 Joubert ........................ 27-26 153/336 45.5 69/95 72.6 84/3.1 156 375 13.9 18-17 107/233 45.9 37/51 72.5 49/2.7 93 251 13.9 Grant.......................28-27 166/295 56.3 49/60 81.7 73/2.6 133 381 13.6 - 18-17 104/193 53.9 34/41 82.9 51/2.8 91 242 13.4 Rellford ........................ 28-28 124/215 57.7 72/90 80:0 120/4.3 8 320 11.4 18-18 79/135 58.5 42/51 82.3 74/4.1 6 200 11.1 Wade ...................... . 28-28 75/154 48.7 34/66 51.5 199/7.1 17 184 6.6 18-18 40/84 47.6 19/39 48.7 120/6.7 11 99 5.5 Rockymore.................... 26-1 60/109 55.0 33/45 73.3 41/1.6 29 153 5.9 16-1 34/56 60.7 15/19 78.9 20/1.3 10 83 5.2 Henderson....................27-0 51/112 45.5 32/49 65.3 113/4.2 12 134 5.0 18-0 31/72 43.1 23/35 65.7 71/3.9 8 85 4.7 Thompson ..................... 28-2 48/93 51.6 30/41 73.2 40/1.4 32 126 4.5 18-1 30/59 50.8 14/22 63.6 24/1.3 30 74 4.1 Stoyko ........................ 18-0 5/11 45.5 7/12 58.3 11/0.6 17 17 0.9 10-0 2/2 1.00 2/3 66.7 3/0.3 1 6 0.6 Gibas.......................8-0 1/6 16.7 0/0 00.0 1/0.1 1 2 0.3 4-0 1/4 25.0 0/0 00.0 1/0.3 1 2 0.5 Rudy .......................... 1-0 0/0 00.0 0/0 00.0 1/1.0 0 0 0.0 1-0 0/0 00.0 0/0 00.0 1/1.0 0- 0 0.0 DeGlopper .................... 5-0 0/1 00.0 0/0 00.0 0/0.0 0 0 0.0 14. 0/0 00.0 0/0 00.0 0/0.0 0 0 0.0 MICHIGAN ................... 28 - 893/1729 51.6 447/614 72.8 1038/37.1 464 2233 79.8 (Big Ten). .................. 18 557/1099 50.7 270/367 76.6 628/35.4 280 134 76.9 1,48.'M'in the NCAA Holy Cross 63, MICHIGAN 45 MICHIGAN 66, Columbia 49 1964: MICHIGAN 84, Loyola 80 MICHIGAN 69, Ohio 57 Duke 91, MICHIGAN 80 MICHIGAN 100, Kansas State 90 (3rd place) 1965: MICHIGAN 98, Dayton 71 MICHIGAN 87, Vanderbilt 85 MICHIGAN 93, Princeton 76 UCLA 91, MICHIGAN 80 (2nd place) 1966: MICHIGAN 80, Western Kentucky 79 Kentucky 84, MICHIGAN 77 1974: MICHIGAN 77, Notre Dame 68 Marquette 72, MICHIGAN 70 1975: UCLA 103, MICHIGAN 91 (OT) 1976: MICHIGAN 74, Wichita State 73 MICHIGAN 80,. Notre Dame 76 MICHIGAN 95, Missouri 88 MICHIGAN 86, Rutgers 70 Indiana 86, MICHIGAN 68 (2nd place) 1977: MICHIGAN 92,Holy Cross 81 MICHIGAN 86, Detroit 81 N.C.-Charlotte 75, MICHIGAN 68 Acth FACTi TEAM SC U' 41 2 BEACON ST. CREAMERY 1//z_ ICE CREAM Special This Week FA TPA TSUNDAE A Fresh Waffle Dish Filled with Peppermint Ice Cream, Topped with Hot Fudge, Whipped Cream, Creme de Menthe, and a Big Irish Gum Drop $1,95 March 15-21 Only / Hours 11:30 a.m. - 12Midnight S. University at Church Daily Photo by DAN HABIB Forward Richard Rellford drives to the hoop against Georgia's Horace Mc- Millan (22) and Richard Corhen (31) in the Wolverines' 63-37 win over the Bulldogs in December. COA CHANoFOUR HAIR STYLING & BARBER SHOP " Convenient Location and Hours The * Reasonable Rates . All " Personal and Distinctive Styling Sports Shop Appointments Available 806 S. State St. Open Tues.- Fri. 8:30.5:30 Mon. & Wed. 8:30-8:00 Bet. Hill and Packard Saturdays 8:30.5:00 ~oo o o oo o o o ooo 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000o o o o o o o KEEP YOUR TAN * The Michigan Union Bo( or *Salutes GET TAN NOW THE BIG 10 CHAMP safe * private * OVRN convenient parking-*WOLVERINE CALL FOR DETAILS BASKETBALL TEA ALLAN CO *Good Luck in the HE GNCAA Tournament HAIR DESIGN -' THE MICHIGAN UNION BO( free consultation for cuts, perms, and color 530 South State Street 218 W. HURON J*Ann Arbor, MI 48109 995-0292 .* 995-8877 Weekend/Friday, I 6 Weekend/Fridayd March 15 1985