Page 10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 9, 1988
The Schef's Specialty
BY ADAM SCHEFTER
-A
Frieder out to show that
his critics are off the mark
On Monday, I decided to attend basketball practice to see how Michigan
coach Bill Frieder and his players were doing.
The players looked good.
I'm still wondering about Frieder.
My friend and I sat in the stands watching swishes and misses, slams
and jams. We had seen enough.
We removed ourselves from the seats and headed toward the exit. As we
walked up the tunnel, a voice sounded off in back of us.
"Wait, wait. I gotta show you boys something." It was Frieder speaking
as he grabbed a hold of my shoulder.
"What's that, the new book?" I asked thinking he was plugging his
soon-to-be released autobiography, Basket Case.
"No, follow me," said a cackling Frieder.
He led us into the locker room.
"Look at that," he ordered.
I GLANCED to the left - the coaches' office. Straight ahead -
some lockers filled with sneakers and jerseys. To the right - more lockers.
"What?" I questioned, turning back to Frieder.
"That," said Frieder, directing our attention to the side.
Silence.
Standing no more than 15 feet away was a baby-faced, slender, seven-
foot individual. In front of him was a distinguished-looking woman, seated
at a desk, with a folder full of notes.
After a few seconds, a soft voice broke the silence.
"Today, I would like to pay tribute to my high school basketball coach,
Mike Moran. He taught me dedication, commitment and perseverence.
Through him I learned how to..."
Eric Riley, the first-year basketball player from St. Joseph High School
in Cleveland, continued practicing his speech for his tutor.
"SEE THAT," Frieder said. "I don't think there's another coach in
America that would pull his players out of practice to make them work on
their school work instead. I want people to know that."
It's easy to understand that Frieder is anxious to get the point across.
But he's more than anxious. He's paranoid.
He had to endure ex-Wolverine Leslie Rockymore's shoplifting arrest.
He had to answer to Glen Rice punching a residence staff member. He had to
face the revelations of Roy Tarpley's drug use while at Michigan. He had to
confront Proposition 48 when it sidelined Terry Mills and Rumeal
Robinson.
Last year, he had to deal with first-year players Sean Higgins and
Demetrius Calip being declared academically ineligible and later, Higgins
being charged with assault and battery after striking an individual in a pick-
up basketball game.
Frieder, a blackjack wiz, has learned something about being dealt a bad
hand. He knows that he must stay on top of his players to avoid going over.
IN THE PAST, Frieder may not have been so inquisitive. Frieder
said he used to check up on his players on a week-to-week basis. It's now
day-to-day. If a younger player now needs to miss a practice, fine. If he
needs extra help, fine.
If the player doesn't come forward with his academic troubles, Frieder
can't help him - or himself. Double trouble.
There's added pressure from the Privacy Act which outlaws Frieder from
calling a instructor to check a player's progress in the classroom. Frieder
needs the word of the players that they will be honest with him - and you
saw what happened with Higgins.
Even more pressure is on Frieder since basketball is the only sport
where the players have to be recertified in January with a 2.0 grade-point
average. Frieder has become just as wary of a test for a player as he is a test
of his team.
BEFORE PRACTICE, he assembled his team at halfcourt. He told
his players to make sure of their standing in class. He informed them that
the season, including a tournament in Hawaii, is coming up and he wants
everyone at the luau.
It takes more than winning to be a successful college basketball coach.
Frieder, as illustrated, is making efforts away from the court. He has
graduated 21 of his 26 players. Due to his previous problems, however,
Frieder is frantic to point out his work.
You don't see Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Aikman of UCLA going
around after each game, grabbing writers to say what a great game he played.
Or Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz applauding his team's high
graduation rate. Their actions speak for themselves.
Frieder's might also. But it should come naturally.
That way, in the future, I could chase Frieder down in the tunnel, grab
his shoulder, and say, "hey coach, I gotta tell you something. I don't think
there's another coach in America doing the job you're doing."
a
ROSIN LOZNAK/Daily
Senior Mats Nygren helped the Wolverines to a victory over Bowling Green yesterday afternoon with a first-place
fin ish in the 1000-yard freestyle.
Swimmers
BY KAREN GROMALA
The Bowling Green Falcons
proved to be no match for the men's
swimming team yesterday. Despite
the fact that the Wolverines were
tired due to recent rigorous
workouts, they defeated the Falcons,
139-69.
Coach Jon Urbanchek gave his
swimmers a chance to compete in
different events than they usually do
against the weaker Falcon team. "I
tried to move some people around,"
said Urbanchek. "I wanted to make it
competitive."
Despite this change in line-up,
the Wolverines still managed to take
first in all but two events.
In two events, the 200-yard
butterfly, and the 500-yard freestyle,
Michigan scored first, second, and
third place finishes.
First-year Wolverine swimmer,
Eric Namesnik played a major role
in these finishes by placing first in
four individual events and a relay.
"Namesnik is everything that I
expected and more," said Urbanchek.
"He has a tremendous attitude for
work."
Namesnik won the 200-yard
freestyle with a time of 1:42.72. Eric
Bailey had a strong second place
finish of1:44.22.
In the 200-yard butterfly,
Namesnik won the race with a time
of 1:53.60. Teammates Sean
Gallagher and Zeb Esselstyn placed
second and third respectively with
times of 1:57.78 and 1:58.66.
topBGSU
"This meet was kind of like a fourth .(2:17.14) in the 200-yard
quality practice for me," said breaststroke, an event that he doesn't
Namesnik. "I approach every meet usually swim.
like it is the best meet of the season Senior Mats Nygren and first-year
no matter who it is against." swimmer Eric. Wunderlich also
In the 200-yard backstroke, swam outstanding rapes for
Namesnik took first place honors Michigan. Nygren, a distance
again with a time of 1:54.78. freestyler, placed first in the 1000-
The 500-yard freestyle race proved yard freestyle.
to be another victory for Namesnick. Wunderlich contributed to the
Steve Pancratz touched in second at Michigan victory by winning the
4:43.97 followed by Gallagher with 500-freestyle in 4:42.36. He also
a third place finish of 4:48.02. finished third in the 1000-yard
The 200-yard breastsroke was the freestyle.
fourth individual event in which "The season is progressing the
Namesnik was the victor. Senior way that it is supposed to," said
Dan Dewhurst captured the third Urbanchek. "Everything is right on
place spot. target. We will have a good
Jim O'Donnell, a freestyle and challenge Friday against Michigan
individual medley specialist, took State."
44
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Soup & Sandwich
Lunch Special
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served Tuesday-Friday 11:30-2:00
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996-9191
BY MIKE GILL
-First-year goalie Tim Keough may see action again this weekend. Last
week coach Red Berenson said that in the future he hoped to slip Keough
into action in a one-sided game. Berenson instead put him into the crazy
affair at Bowling Green but rationalized, "It was a no-lose situation, the
momentum had turned against us. You don't plan on it. He came in and
gave us some big saves and the team played well behind him."
Keough was a KO, with 18 saves. Due to that performance, Berenson
plans to use him more frequently, but said it was too early to decide if he
would start either game against Ferris State this weekend.
- Michigan faces an interesting numbers game this weekend. Five people
are ineligible for Friday's game against Ferris State due to the brawl last
Saturday at Bowling Green. They can play Saturday though. The problem is
that Michigan can only take 22 of its 25 players on a road trip. Twenty can
dress for a game.
Michigan will probably dress less than 20 players for Friday's game, so
they will have room on the roster for at least some of the suspended player's
on Saturday. "It is a dilemma that we'll have to somehow workout," said
Berenson. "We want to ice our best team on Friday but be ready to for
Saturday."
Berenson said he never had a problem like this before, but does remember
a few years ago when half the team was sick in Chicago.
- Michigan continues to lead the league in penalty-killing. They have
allowed only seven power play goals in 50 chances. The Wolverines had
stopped 23 chances in a row, before the Falcons Joe Quinn scored in the
first period Saturday.
- Alex Roberts seems to be an integral part to killing the power play.
Bowling Green scored four power play goals Saturday, three of them while
Roberts was sitting in the penalty box. He spent a total of 10 minutes in
solitary confinement.
- Michigan has now moved up to ninth place in the coaches poll. Michigan
State is the new top-ranked team.
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