The Michigan Daily - Monday, January 16, 1989 - Page 19 Adam's Rib BY ADAM SCHRAGER ROBIN LOZNAK/Daily Rumeal Robinson, as hard as he tried with this no-look pass, couldn't fake out Illinois by himself on Saturday. The Wolverines dropped their first Big Ten game of the year to the Fighting Illini, 96-84. *Burson and boys in W Frieder's boy, Vitale. Ann Proposition 48 has gone too far CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After Illinois' 96-84 victory over Michigan, conversation strangely did not address the game. It did not cover Illinois' Kendall Gill's 26 points on national television, nor Michigan's Glen Rice's 30 points, but instead, the latest tightening of the Proposition 48 rule affecting college athletics. "After we have proven that this rule has worked, we decided to go and change it and take away an athlete's chance," said Michigan coach Bill Frieder early in his post-game press conference. "It's going to lead to cheating, bribes, and boosters paying kids' ways. We had a good thing going...Why change it?" The rule, which previously stated that athletes who did not meet particular academic requirements, specifically achieving a 700 on their SAT, would be unable to practice, work, or play with their respective teams their first year at school. Last week's tightening at the annual NCAA convention states that these athletes now cannot receive any financial aid during the year that they are ineligible starting in 1990. IN SATURDAY'S Georgetown-Boston College game, Georgetown head coach John Thompson walked off the court following the tipoff in protest of the new rule, leaving his assistants the coaching duties. While Saturday's coaches may not have been as actively against the rule as Thomson, the feeling for his cause was definitely sympathetic. "I don't blame him," said Illinois head coach Lou Henson. "Someone needs to show that what is taking place is wrong. I'm talking about the chancellors and presidents around the country because you won't find a coach with this revision." The fight for Proposition 48 has been championed by many people, including myself, but this time the NCAA has gone too far with their rule adaptations. To say that the rule specifically does not affect minority athletes more than majority athletes would be naive. "It will affect 90 percent of the kids from the inner-city," said Illinois' Nick Anderson, a Prop 48 victim two years ago. "I know that I wouldn't have been able to afford Illinois if I hadn't had aid. The people who passed this rule should come live in my neighborhood (Chicago's South Side) and then pass a rule as stupid as this. I'll tell you what...that would never happen." The only thing that this can lead to is the rise of the junior and community colleges in this country. But the Big Ten's recent rule forcing junior and community college transfers to sit out a year before playing will put the chibosh on recruits attending Big Ten schools. So with all the hullaballoo surrounding yesterday's Big Ten game, the surrounding message was that administrators and chancellors returning home should not expect an apple on their desks, but a banana peel in the doorway. BY STEVE BLONDER The sign in the Michigan locker room states one of ill Frieder's goals for this year's team: "To beat every dam from Ohio and Michigan." t So far, the Wolverines have played their role well, easily knocking off Youngstown State and the various saite schools. But 14-2 Michigan will have its hands foll tonight against an Ohio State team that some say has yet to reach its potential. "Ohio State is a very dangerous team, but I think they could be a year away," ESPN analyst Dick Vitale said at the Big Ten Basketball Media Day in November. -FOR MICHIGAN, which suffered its first conference loss Saturday at Illinois, the game is a must win if the Wolverines expect to compete for the conference title. "We need to be ready to play Ohio State at home Monday night. If you want to contend for the Big Ten &itle, you have to win all of your games at home," *Rieder said. Ohio State has not won in Crisler Arena since 1984, but that doesn't bother Buckeye coach Gary Williams. "I'm tired of hearing about that. We've got five guys and they've got five guys. We've just got to go out and play," Williams said. WILLIAMS, who feels Michigan is "the most talented team in the Big Ten" as far as high school accomplishments, thinks his team can beat the Wolverines by keeping the ball away from Glen Rice. "If Glen Rice gets the ball 17-feet from the basket, he's going to try to score," Williams said. "He's a great shooter, so we just can't let him get to where he feels comfortable. We're going to have to work hard to keep him from getting the ball, if we are going to win." Ohio State returns four starters from last years' 20- 13 squad, including preseason all-Big Ten candidate Jay Burson, who is averaging over 24 points per game. "Jay Burson is past the point of being a novelty. He is one of the best in the country," Williams said of his senior guard. Sophomore center Perry Carter will be expected to neutralize the Michigan frontline which has contributed to the Wolverines' 641-303 rebounding edge this season. Last year, Carter averaged over seven rebounds per game. Arbor today ESPN basketball guru Dick Vitale will be in Ann Arbor* signing copies of his new 'book,Vitale: Just your average bald, one-eyed basketball wackoa wha beat the ziggy and became a Vitale will be at Comnmunt Newscenter 1301 Souith University from 12-1 today. Basketball nuts can also listen to Vitale broadcast the Michigan game tonight at 9:34 on ESPN. - Steve Rtondqr Illini ices game from the line Woastin ntinued from Page 1 THE WOLVERINES got a me high 30 points and nine bounds from Glen Rice. Loy ught scored 22 off the bench, while Rumeal Robinson tossed in 15 eints and handed out eight assists. But where was everyone else? Terry Mills, the 6-foot-10 forward mainaged just 10 points and three rebounds. Sean Higgins was 1-for-9 ftm the field, finishing with five points and five turnovers. a In addition, Kirk Taylor failed to score and turned the ball over twice in only eight minutes of action. Mark Hughes made only one basket aid played just nine minutes. AS A RESULT, Michigan had trouble scoring inside and turned the ball over 17 times. "This team's going to make turnovers all year because we don't hive true guards," Frieder said. "It's a pjoblem against pressure defenses because you can't take forwards and make them guards overnight, and. that's what we've been trying to do." The absence of a ballhandler was particularly glaring when Robinson went out in the second half. . "We're getting by with Rumeal on the floor," Frieder said, "but when *he comes out we're dead. We just can't go very long without him." BUT ROBINSON may not be able to handle his full-time ballhandling responsibilities. "Rumeal was having trouble bringing the ball up," Gill said. "He was tired. I could just sense it." Other Wolverines were fatigued as well. "I could see it on their faces, the way they were breathing," Gill said. "Every time we got to the free throw line they were grabbing their shorts. That's when you could tell a ptayer is tired." After gaining a seven rebound advantage at the half, the Wolverines sputtered and allowed the Fighting "IIIini to even up the rebounds in the second half. "We felt that if we could beat them on the boards we'd win it,"1 Henson said. "We did a much better1 job of it in the second half." FORWARD Nick Anderson, who finished with seven reboundsc after corralling just one in the first half said: "In the second half I wasl moving better, going freelance andi attacking the boards." Michigan trailed by as many as 101 in the first half, but battled back toc take a 44-43 lead on a free throw by1 Vaught.t But then the momentum shifted.t Gill; who led Illinois with 26 points,s nailed a 15-footer with seven seconds1 left to put his team ahead by one. After Taylor fumbled the inbounds pass and lost it out of bounds, Gillj hit a three-pointer buzzer-beater from the top of the key. The Fighting Illini never looked back. "We had a little momentum going and that really hurt us," Frieder said. "But it wasn't the end of the world, we just had to bounce back." THE WOLVERINES made a second-half run, but couldn't get over the hump. Down 70-56 with just under 11 minutes left in the game, the Wolverines went on an 18-8 run to make it close. Illinois came back, however, scoring on every possession down the stretch. "We had to work so hard to close it that we didn't have enough left in us to get it done," Frieder said. "Whenever we made a run, they'd come back and score. We just couldn't negate them enough." Gill added: "We never pushed the panic button. When Michigan got close to us, we were still comfortable, and that was the difference." Blue banter -Frieder was surprised that Henson did not accept the 500 dollar bet on Illinois winning the game. Frieder said: "I'll tell you, he's stupid, isn't he?" But Henson said he agreed to the bet. "I don't know whether he knew it or not, but I did accept his wager. We'll probably talk about the 500 dollars a little later on." -Referees Tom Rucker and Sam Lickliter were delayed by bad weather in Indianapolis and didn't arrive until 4:04 had elapsed in the game. Jerry Menz, the Big Ten observer of officials for games at Illinois, and high school referee Joe Tomlinson of Champaign were forced to officiate in their place. BY ADAM SCHRAGER SPECIAL TO THE DAILY CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - It was a scenario feared by the orange-clad Illinois fans: the Illini at the foul line. And with two minutes to play Illini fans' throats clogged and their minds became dizzy because Michigan had begun to foul. Illinois fans have seen it before. Their teams have been known to have Mount Olympus .crater-sized leads before blowing it in the final minutes by missing their free throws. "Teams of previous years would have pressed the panic button, but not this one," said Illinois guard Kendall Gill, who scored 26 points on the day. "We were still comfortable when they got close and we weren't going to let this one slip away. This wasn't going to be another Villanova." ILLINOIS played Villanova in the second round of the NCAA tournament last March and pulled off a choke that would have made Philadelphia Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan envious. The Fighting Illini led by ten points with three minutes to play before missing eight-of-11 foul shots, including the front end of five one-and-ones, to lose the game, 66- 63. ° There were other examples of opponents' comebacks that left the Illini crying foul play. Last season, guard Larry Smith missed four straight one-and-ones in a game against Auburn to help the Tigers erase a 27-point Illinois lead, before losing in overtime. But as Gill pointed out, Saturday's contest was not another Villanova. The Illini sank 10-of-11 foul shots in the last two minutes to increase their lead from eight to 12. Gill himself made four straight before missing with 16 seconds remaining and the game was all but over. "We showed a lot of character in making our shots at the end of the game," said Illinois coach Lou Henson. "This team is different from years past in that we are winning the close games. You ask anyone how you win the close games and they'll say, 'Make your free throws down the stretch.' We're doing this these days." While this may be true, the Illini. II Rea W1e Vaifq cCIoa5610d Gill ... 26 points are still not shooting well for the season. Their 64 percent shooting for the season is the same as last year's, when they finished last in the conference in that category. Whether or not Illinois does well in the conference and the tournament depends on their foul shooting, which as everyone knows is a stone's throw away. i :..__ h' I|r dif i- RESTAURANT '24 YEARS EXPERIENCE'" -CH EF JAN TOP GOLD MEDAL WINNER JUDGES SPECIAL AWARD SPONSORED BY MICHIGAN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION MICHIGAN CHEFS DE CUISINE ASSOCIATION BLUE RIBBON WINNER BEST CHEF AWARD lid IA I A L J iC (T/"\Ad f f THE LANGUAGE LAB PRESENTS: NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!!! Everyone is welcome to come watch the news as we recieve it in the Language Lab on the 2nd floor of the Modern Languages Building. USSR Iran srael 0 hina Mexico Austria France Italy Germany More countries to come... . t1 r. Jr.; ." yy ." J: J.1" r. ..J J::":'r J: . J J ." . Y . r. J::::: Jr:r: 'J.1'J. lr:"i .VI.YI. i".::":.:"'..'J: '..'.: ";"1 ."lJ.:". .":: '. .'. i"...:'J. ': .1.'.f 4': f ' f' 1i R1 -97 -1 1 R s v;!!I