Page 8-The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - October 28, 1990 TOLBERT Continued from page 1 "I think there could be a time when there are three legitimate guards out there," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said. "It would make us awfully small if we go with what our three guards are - that is (Michael) Talley, (Demetrius) Calip and Tolbert. Tony's a guy that you might see us sliding in inside, and all of the sudden he's our other post player." Tolbert doesn't mind the chal- lenge. He understands that for the Wolverines to do well, he doesn't need to shoot every time he touches the ball - a trait often associated with Tolbert. "Basically, I'm just going to let the game come to me," the sopho- more said. "If the shot is there, I'm going to take it. I'm not going to go out there night in and night out thinking that I'm just the so to speak 'scorer.' My job is to do whatever it takes to win. I'm look- ing forward to the challenge." Much of this attitude developed after a season-ending injury his se- nior year in high school. After Tol- bert's heroic display in the playoffs the season before, he was touted as a contender for the Michigan Mr. Bas- ketball award (given to the best high school player in the state) along with fellow Wolverine Talley. The first game of his senior year he scored 53 points, missing only one shot in the first half. After four games he was averaging 40 points. In the fifth game of the season, Tol- bert got off to a fast start with 17 points in the first quarter. Then it happened. "It was a fastbreak," Tolbert re- called. "A guy kicked it up to me at half court. I put a little shake and bake move into it. I went up to dunk and their guy undercut me. I had an ankle brace on so my knee just popped." Tolbert was sent to Ann Arbor for Michigan's medical staff to take a look at his left knee. The doctor put Tolbert's leg in a cast for four weeks, and told him that he would have to wear a brace for the follow- ing year - the present season was over for him. Frustrated, Tolbert was forced to sit on the sidelines while then-rival Talley was named Mr. Basketball. But Tolbert didn't sulk. He worked and waited for his chance to return. The injury taught Tolbert two lessons. First, he learned the impor- tance of conditioning. "That was the one thing that we had to push at him all the time - about getting out and doing a lot of running on his own," Rachal ex- plained. "If you don't have legs, you can't play this game. I know now that he gets out and runs on his own." Second, he learned he could not carry a team on his own. "He is a lot more mature than when he was with me," Rachal said. "We're talking about a 17 year old kid, and everybody's talking like, 'Wow! You're going to get Mr. Basketball.' We weren't that good of a team. We were fair. I think Tony felt, 'Well, I've got to carry this team.' Now he doesn't feel that way, he doesn't have to carry U of M." While conditioning might have been a problem for Tolbert, practic- ing never was. The second youngest of seven boys, he has been playing basketball ever since he can remem- ber. His father had set up a rim in the basement for his children. Tol- bert played constantly and didn't stop when he was a teen. After school, he would spend up to five or six hours playing in any pick-up game he could find. Regard- less of the time of year, he still played. In high school, he worked on his jump shot. He would regularly shoot about 500 shots a day. After his ju- nior year, he decided he wanted to expand his shooting range, so he concentrated on his three-point scor- ing. "When he came back his senior year, I couldn't believe the differ- ence. He was awesome frontthree," Rachal said. When Tolbert came to Michigan, he was surrounded by NBA-caliber players, Rumeal Robinson, Terry Mills, Loy Vaught, and Sean Hig- gins. There was little root for a first-year player in the line-up. "When I came in, it was just like, wow, look who I'm playing with," Tolbert said. "These guys are who we talked about when we were in high school. I could've went somewhere else and scored 30-35 points a game, but I learned a lot from being here." Much of his education came from Higgins. He was one of the reason Tolbert chose Michigan. Their styl of play is very similar, and Tolbert would work out and practice with Higgins. "You're always going to be dis- appointed when a fella like that leaves your team, especially me," Tolbert said. "He was pretty close to myself. It was like someone from the family just leaving. I felt bad." Both players are very private of the court. Tolbert, like Higgins be- fore him, ended up moving into an apartment by himself this year. "I'm basically a person to my- self. I live by myself, I like to do a lot of things by myself," Tolbert said. "I feel that I'll stay out of trou- ble that way. I'm self-motivated. I enjoy being by myself." Tolbert saw action in only 17 games last season. But he made th most of his time by averaging 6. points. He scored ten points and doled out four assists in the Wolver- ines' home victory over Iowa. In the NCAA tournament, he nailed a ca- reer high 16 points in a losing effort to Loyola-Marymount. Tolbert will be in a fight for a starting position. Fisher has only named two definite starters, 6-foot-- 11 Eric Riley, and team captai4- Calip. But wish the Wolverines missing 78 percent of their offensive production from last year, don't be surprised to see Fisher put Tolbert in to create some instant offense. JOSE JUAREZ/Daify Tony Tolbert (right) and Wolverine first-year forward Sam Mitchell watch practice last week. 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