+ 11- 9 4
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UNLV
claims
preseason
top spot
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada-
Las Vegas coach Jerry Tarkanian
finally received some good news
Monday.
UNLV starts the preseason
where they began last season: No.
1 in the college basketball poll. -
Michigan received 16 points,
which placed the Wolverines No.
47 in the nation.
A panel of 65 sports writers
and broadcasters picked UNLV
No. 1, followed by Arkansas,
Arizona, Michigan State and
North Carolina.
Rounding out the Top 10 in
the preseason poll were Duke,
Alabama, Indiana, Georgetown
and Ohio State.
The poll's Second Ten starts
with UCLA, followed by
Pittsburgh, Syracuse, LSU,
Oklahoma, Georgia Tech,
Connecticut, Virginia, Temple
and Missouri.
MICHIGAN
The Best in Sports
Deserves the Best in Sportswear
GEAR
AP Top 25 Preseason Poll
Team (No. 1 Votes) Last Season Points'
1. UNLV (50) 35-5 1,601
2. Arkansas (5) 30-4 1,506
3. Arizona (5) 25-7 1,488
4. Michigan St. 28-6 1,302
5. North Carolina 21-13 1,282
6. Duke{2) 29-9 1,162
7. Alabama 26-9 1,110
8. Indiana 18-11 1,089
9. Georgetown (2) 24-7 1,054
10. Ohio St. 17-13 887
11. UCLA 22-11 874
12. Pittsburgh 12-17 812
13. Syracuse 26-7 791
14. LSU 23-9 726
15. Oklahoma 27-5 670
16. Georgia Tech 28-7 640
17. Connecticut 31-6 630
18. Virginia 20-12 540
19. Temple 20-11 300
20. Missouri 26-6 282
21. Georgia 20-9 280
22. Texas 24-9 254
23. Louisville 27-8 252
24. Southern Miss. 20-12 238.
25. St.John's 24-10 213
Last season, anything short of
a national championship repeat
was a disappointment for the
Michigan basketball team. It's a
good thing this year's squad
doesn't have to live up to
impossible expectations like that.
But now, as Wolverine fans
descend back to reality, they
insist on sinking to the other end
of the preseason totem pole.
Before Michigan has taken its
first NCAA tipoff this season,
everyone is questioning why it
should even take the court at all.
It seems like there should be
some happy medium between the
two, and not simply because
loyal fanship warrants it. It's
because the team warrants it.
After Michigan State and
Purdue scurried to the top of the
standings last year, fans learned
one of many things: that
preseason rankings are about as
accurate as a cheap tabloid cover
story.
"We're going to have an
effective team this year,
sophomore guard Michael Talley
said. "You have to make the
chance for yourselves."
But people must give them a
chance to excel as well. The
likelihood of Michigan turning its
fan's collective head is great, with
three major variables deciding the
team's fate: the Wolverines are
surfing waves of maybe and
probably in a sea of uncertainties.
Uncertainty: Who will play the
low post?
Eric Riley stands as
Michigan's only proven big man,
and even that is debatable. At 6-
foot-11, 205 pounds, Riley has the
height, but not the size.
According to coach Steve Fisher,
other Big Ten centers have the
size, but not the speed. That
could be a rationalization, but it
could also be true given
Michigan's new fast-paced
attack.
FormerJ
Wolverine power
forward Loy Sheran
Vaught, for
whom Riley
provided an
occasional
breather last
season, asserts
that Fisher may
have a valid
point.
"I think speed
can make up for T
size in Eric's case," Vaught said.
"A lot of people don't realize how
good Easy-E can be. I'm going on
the record and saying that Eric
Riley will be an NBA player."
But the question as to who else
can wipe the glass still remains.
The possible answers are:
Chip Armer? The Florida juco
transfer is here for that reason -
defensive rebounding. He's 6-foot-
11 also, with a 20-pound
advantage over Riley.
Rich McIver? At 6-foot-9,
McIver is an attractive prospect
for power forward. But Fisher
told reporters one sunny
afternoon, "the only good thing
for Rich right now is the
weather." He'll come around, but
don't expect any qoick fixes.
Chris Seter? He's also 6-foot-9,
and Fisher has been impressed
with Seter's uncharacteristic
toughness this season. Fisher
added that Seter has a good feel for
complementing Riley both
offensively and defensively.
Sam Mitchell? Riley was
impressed with Mitchell's
offensive moves. The 6-foot-9
forward envisions himself as a
perimeter player. But when
forced to play inside, Mitchell
will adjust and be a big asset, no
pun intended.
The Wolverines made their
mark on Mitchell as well. "I was
underestimating the talent at this
school when I thought I'd be a
starter right away," Mitchell
conceded. "There's a great deal of
talent here, and I have to work
my way in."
Maybe: Fisher, whether or not
by choice, will implement the
three-guard offense. He used the
lineup sparingly last season, and
it yielded fairly effective results.
But in Fisher's own words, "we
have different guards than last
year." Actually, Steve, you're
only missing one guard from last
year - but we get the point.
Michigan will need to control
the tempo and hit its shots if its
smaller, swifter players are to
contend with their opponents.
But they can do that; marksmen
like Demetrius Calip, Jason
Bossard, Rob Pelinka, and James
Voskuil can supposedly hit the
nets better than bad tennis
players.
Probably: What the
Wolverines then need is a point
guard who can run the floor
Give this team a chance
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