BACK TO BACK? Michigan will face a tough test to repeat. Here's a look. Champions Following Ye.arRecord Indiana '76 Missed toumement 0-0 Marqutte '77 Lost first game to Miami (OH) 0-1 Kentucky '78 Missed tournament 0-0 Michigan State '79 Missed tournament 0-0 * Lousiville '80 Lost first game to Arkansas 0-1 Indiana '81 Lost second game to UAB 1-1 North Carolina '82 Lost region final to Georgia 2-1 N.C. State '83 Missed tournament 0-0 Georgetown '84 Lost final to Villanova 5-1 Villanova '85 Lost second game to Georgia Tech 1-1 Indiana '87 Lost first game to Richmond 0-1 Kansas '88 On probation A 0-0 74c ;Zac4 Row The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 16, 1990 - Page 11 'The regular season might have went by and you might have thought 'hey, is this what college basketball is all about?' It's not. 'This is what it's all about.' -Michigan co-captain Terry Mills To COLOR&ADO i 'Going back to Call' Taylor Lincoln Slumping Higgins looks 'M' to find proof in NCAA pudding Eight games into the Big Ten season, Michigan trailed Purdue by two games in the standings. "We must win," coach Steve Fisher said of the impending match-up with the Boilermakers. Purdue stormed into Crisler and won by 18 points. Despite the defeat, and a later set-back at Ohio State, the Wolverines were granted a reprieve. With four games left they were back in position to win conference title. "We want to win the Big Ten title in the worst way," Terry Mills said at the time, as the Wolverines prepared for Michigan State and Purdue. They lost both games. Now Michigan's players are now talking about what a motivating factor the one-game elimination aspect of the national tournament provides. "The fact that this is a do-or-die type of situation is going to help our team," Loy Vaught said. In light of the fact that the Wolverines have faced two previous "do-or-die" situations and have "died" both times, it seems doubtful that they'll suddenly find the right antidote and come to life. Despite this, nobody is willing to write the Wolverines off. Troubled? Inconsistent? Streaky? Yes. Washed up? Not until somebody beats them. "We've lost some games that maybe we should have won but we're dangerous," Vaught added. Dangerous, yes, and also cocky. You get the feeling that last year's tournament success has left the Michigan players with the attitude that they belong to a select group of elite national teams - even if they're not one of the elite teams in their own conference. "Sowe finished third in the locals," they seem to say, "That's OK, we'll win nationals." Mills mentioned at Monday's press conference that he had told first-year players Michael Talley and Tony Tolbert that they haven't seen what the season is all about yet - the tournament is what you play for. It's a risky prospect to put all your marbles in a one-game elimination tournament. But that is exactly what Michigan has done. Last year's national championship answered a lot of questions, but it also increased expectations for this year to an even higher level than in the past. If they bow out early in the tournament, the Wol- verines will go down in NCAA basketball history as a great enigma. They'll be remembered as a confed- eracy of all-everything players who managed to bond together under the brazing torch of adversity for six glorious games sandwiched between consecutive third place finishes in their own conference. But if they get to the Final Four this year, or perhaps win the tournament, they will have answered their critics, smugly and emphatically. Michigan would then be seen as a super-team, bored by the regular season and only capable of achieving at its level when put in the most challenging of situations. That would be quite exceptional, indeed. In a way, Rumeal Robinson is a caricature of the team as a whole. Robinson rarely plays merely steady basketball. Instead, he is a volatile player who vac- illates. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes out of control. Perhaps unintentionally, Vaught recently artic- ulated the situation very well. "Part of the reason why (Robinson) is such a great player is because he's so focused on how he wants to do things,"Vaught said. "At times that may have gotten in the way with coaching... maybe." Maybe what? Maybe I shouldn't be saying this? Or, maybe Robinson is too explosive to mesh into the systems college coaches try to father? Too regimented an offense would take away Robinson's edge. In the closing minutes of the win at Minnesota - Michigan's biggest road win of the season - he made shots down the stretch that were unbelievable. I particularly remember a turn-around shot from just inside the three-point line. Merely that he took the shot was astounding. When it went in, all net, it left you gaping. What can a coach, or anybody, say to that? There's only one thing "When Rumeal's got it go-ing, roll the dice and let him go." That's all you can say for Rumeal or for the rest of the team. Let them fly high and hope they don't crash, because they're too good to have normal reigns put around them. Three of Michigan's seniors hope to soon play in a high stakes league which doesn't have any reigns at all -the NBA. For better or worse, each time they take the floor during the tournament they will be thinking about the pros. "It's no secret that if you have a good tournament that will help your chances out, we saw what happened with (Glen) Rice." Vaught said. But then he added a questionable addendum. "All that goes to benefit the team as a whole because every little factor that will help you play better will help by Steven Cohen Daily Basketball Writer In the immortal words of L.L. Cool J., Sean Higgins has gone back to Cali. Michigan's first-round placement into the West regional in Long Beach, California, has provided the Los Angeles native the opportunity to play a college game in California for the first time. "I'm definitely looking forward to it," Higgins said before the team left on Wednesday. "It's good to get out of the cold even though it was nice today." The warm weather may also serve to heat up Higgins' offensive production, which tailed off after the stress-fracture of his left foot on Jan.31 Since his return on March 2, Higgins scored a total of only 28 points in the team's final four games. His decreased lack of production is due in part to his coming off the bench as the team's sixth man and Michigan's increased emphasis on the inside game since his absence. And though he parted on frigid terms with some California basketball fans who desperately wanted him to go to UCLA, Higgins should not be the victim of those with long memories. "Higgins was viewed as one of those players who was important to keep here," recalled Sean Waters, the high school basketball writer for the Los Angeles Times. "Losing Sean Higgins was another black eye for west coast basketball." Higgins, a Parade and McDonalds high school All-American, was pursued intensely by west coast schools. "He was the most dominating player here in a while and UCLA wanted him very badly," Waters said. "(People) were very disappointed that he chose Michigan over UCLA and that was one of the things that led to (former UCLA coach) Walt Hazard's undoing. forward to homecoming "I think the fact that UCLA has a new basketball coach and three years have passed has lessened it (the degree of emotion over Higgins), so it's not as important now as it was. " In an area that included such top players such as Syracuse's Stevie Thompson and LeRon Ellis, North Carolina's Scott Williams, UNLV's Stacey Augmon, and Arizona's Chris Mills, Higgins was the only player who had commited to stay in California. His decision to spurn UCLA at the eleventh hour caused some people in California to take out the frustration of losing all of those players on Higgins. Higgins' high school coach, Harvey Kitana, feels that his former star player will receive a warm welcome. "A lot of the people here at school have been talking about going over the game," Kitana said. "He's got to be excited coming here, his first time in California coming to play. A lot of the people interested in basketball out here will probably go out to watch him. " "I think a lot of the faculty still see him as g:a good person," Kitana said. "He's gotten a label with the controversy and all but he did all the things for school as far as attending all the functions and conducting himself in a good fashion." Kitana termed Higgins "the most explosive offensive player" he's had. Higgins, though admittedly excited about returning home, said he was intent on focusing upon the upcoming games, and didn't care' to dwell too much on the past. Those seekirng JOSE .UaRi"one-liners", he said, should seek oot Sean Higgins needs to put his recent slump behind him as he headsadE tyWolverine walk-on guard Mark Koenig, who the land where he grew up, California. The Wolverines face Illinois State played his high school basketball at University tonight in the first round of the NCAA tournament. High School in Los Angeles. g0 Predicting Michigan in the NCAA The Daily Basketball Writers have different perspectives on how Michigan will do in the tournmant. Here are their observations and predictions. Taylor Lincoln Among the dozen or so teams that have a legitimate chance to win the tournament, Michigan is the most likely to lose in the early rounds. Trying to make a prediction about this team is risky buisness. Their players are far too talented to dismiss, but too spotty to put faith in. But conventional wisdom says that a team which finishes slowly takes an early exit. Michigan was 3-3 down the stretch, losing all three road games and notching wins against the eight, ninth and tenth place teams in the conference. Look for the party to end by the regional semi-finals. Mike Gill The scenario of scenarios. This has deja vu all over it. Steve Fisher feels the pressure and on the eve of the tournament and suffers a heart attack, a Ia Bo Schembechler in 1969. Michigan 92 Illinois State 79. Mike Boyd, now controlling the team as an interim coach, introduces himself before each press conference by saying, "In case you don't know me, my name is Mike Boyd and..." a la Steve Fisher in 1989. Michigan 148 Loyola Marymont 138. Fisher tells the team from his hospital bed, "Go out there and win one for the Fisher," a a Ronald Reagan from 1980-1989. Michigan 89 Arizona 86. Mike Boyd leaves the team after receiving a great offer, including his own television show, to become Bill Frieder's top assistant at Arizona State (a la Frieder in 1989). He offers to coach the team through the remainder of the tournament butAthletic Director Jack Weidenbach pronounces he wants a "Michigan man to coach a Michigan team." California resident and Michigan man Gerald Ford offers to coach the team since they're in Oakland. Michigan 78 UNLV 75. Gerald Ford pardons Terry Mills (a la Nixon in 1974) for fouling out then leads Michigan to another win in the Final Four. Following the game Brent Musberger presses Weidenbach to name Ford permanent coach. Weidenbach resists, citing Fisher might have a relapse if he hears that. Michigan 92 Missouri 87 Ford slips and falls in the team shower (a ala 1920-present) the Sunday before the championship. Weidenbach asks former coach Bo Schembechler to coach the team since Bo previously had said, "Hell I could have coached that team," referring to last year. Schembechler suffers his first basketball defeat on a disputed foul call, sending him into a post-game ti-rade. He loses the big one, a ia the Rose Bowl in 1970, '72, '77, '78, '79, '83, '87, '90. Georgetown 88 Michigan 82. Then again, they might lose tonight. Steven Cohen My prognostication is a little more mundane than Senor Gill's. The record of success for NCAA champions the year after winning the tournament has been remarkably lackluster. In addition, Michigan's 22-7 regular season record and third place Big Ten finish is also not awe-inspiring. Nonetheless. I feel if Michiaan can aet by New Mexico State. they will reach All of a sudden, Char Durand and the Wolverines eye a national tile. : : _ f . f, . ve*r ,. . . _ !t VanDeWege and women complete turnaround by Phil Green Daily Basketball Writer Women's basketball has officially arrived at the University of Michigan. Not only did the Wolverines win their first-ever NCAA game Wednesday night over Oklahoma State in front of over 6300 Cowgirl rooters, but they reached the 20-win plateau for the first time ever as well. Three seasons ago, during the 1986-87 season, the team's record almost hit the magical 20, compiling a 9-19 final record. That season was coach Bud VanDeWege's third at the helm, and he had just garnered what he believed to be an extremely strong recruiting class. Now, three years later VanDeWege, along with his players, has matured and improved. This year's squad surpassed everyone's expectations but its own. While the Big Ten coaches picked the Wolverines to finish 8th in a preseason poll, the Wolverines believed they could enter the conference's upper division, and possessed one main goal - to mnir th. he A A tnmmnm.. ballhandling to break every press thrown at her. Szczechowski and Powell, though, didn't do it all themselves. Val Hall and Trish Andrew showed flashes of brilliance against Michigan State, Leslie Spicer came on strong during the second half of the season to become the team's second leading scorer. Michigan's greatest attribute is that they use their assets to the greatest advantage. The Wolverines employ their tremendous front line (three players over sir feet)'to consistently outrebound their opponents, including a 39-33 advantage over the favored Cowgirls Wednesday night. The Wolverines other strong point is their depth. They go nine players deep while most teams usually utilize only seven players. This allows Michigan to tire many of their opponents out down the stretch. The key to it all, however, could be VanDeWege, this season's Big Ten Coach of the Year. He isn't flashy, but after five dismal and mediocre seasons, his team is finally winning. #/nn:ra .nn. en{n r*tn ~'