Men's basketball
vs. Central Michigan
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Crisler Arena
SPORTS
Men's basketball
vs. Utah
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Crisler Arena
The Michigan Daily
l '
Tuesday, November 27, 1990
Page 9
LCOURT =a
Easy-E takes center
stage for Wolverines
by Theodore Cox
,Paily Basketball Writer
AUBURN HILLS - Instead of getting fully dressed after beating
Athletes in Action last Wednesday, Eric Riley went over to the Detroit
Pistons' play board and started reviewing the team's strategy. He then
tinkered with the stereo system and studied the Pistons' big-screen T.V.
It could be the last time the Michigan center ever is in an NBA locker-
room. But then again, he might have been getting just a taste of what is
to come.
The 6-foot-l, 215 pound junior is in his second year of college play.
He was redshirted two seasons ago, and last year he only averaged 2.7
points and 3.3 rebounds a game. But this year is different; so far he has
had 25 points in each of the Wolverines' exhibition games and has also
had 13 and 10 rebounds respectively.
"He's without question our most improved player between this year
and last year," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said. "Riley now is playing
poised. Riley now feels that he is a pretty good player. He doesn't feel
Moeller
content with co-title
Michigan coach takes a breather after Saturday's victory
by Mike Gill
Daily Football Writer
The afterglow of Michigan's 16-
13 win at Ohio State has yet to fade
for Gary Moeller. And how did the
coach celebrate the win and subse-
quent Big Ten Championship?
A day off work. Moeller returned
from filming his TV show Saturday
night around 11:00 and spent Sunday
watching pro football.
Sure, almost half the conference
will wear 1990 championship rings,
but to Moeller and his players, a
championship is a championship -
and Michigan is the only team not
to have lost a conference game on
the road. Michigan, Michigan State,
Illinois, and Rose Bowl-bound Iowa,
all attained 6-2 conference marks.
"It's a funny feeling," Moeller
said. "You are so emotionally
drained from the game and so ex-
cited. You go home and the world's
stopped. It's a funny feeling - but a
good funny feeling. That was a great
win."
For now, Moeller is savoring the
moment - and looking toward the
future.
The team still needs to finalize
travel arrangements for its January 1
Gator Bowl date. But more impor-
tantly, Michigan still needs an op-
ponent. It will know whether it will
face Mississippi, Tennessee,
Auburn, or Alabama at the conclu-
sion of SEC games this weekend.
Mississippi tends to be the most
likely opponent, and was scouted
this past weekend by a Wolverine
graduate assistant. Michigan will
likely scout the games of other pos-
sible opponents this weekend, too.
Moeller said the team will proba-
bly leave for Jacksonville on
Christmas or the day after. After tak-
ing a break from practice, the
Wolverines will begin working out
again around December 12-14, and
practice at night during finals week.
For the long term, recruiting now
becomes an intense concern for the
coaching staff. Many recruits will be
visiting campus during the weekend
of December 15-16. Moeller does
not know how much travelling he
will do during this period, because
coaches are only allowed one off-
campus recruiting visit.
Linemen will be the primary fo-
cus of Michigan's recruiting efforts.
NOTES: Tripp Welborne under-
went knee surgery yesterday, because
of an injury suffered against Min-
nesota. Moeller had faith that Wel-
borne would succeed in rehabilitation
and return to play football again.
"My guess is that he'll play be-
cause of the person he is," Moeller
said. .'If that's what he wants he can
do it."
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SPORTING VIEWS
by David Kraft
Daily Sports Writer
JOSE JUAREZuaily
that he is a token sub for three minutes for (Terry) Mills or (Loy) Vaught.
He feels like he has to be out there and play, and play well for us to be
successful."
' Riley can't afford to foul out either. Michigan only has four other true
big men: Sam Mitchell, Chip Armer, Chris Seter and Rich McIver. Both
..Mitchell and McIver are first-year players, and it shows. Armer has yet to
"see action because of academic credits that haven't transferred yet,
although he should be able to play tomorrow. That leaves Seter, who can
only play the forward position.
Every time Riley came out of the game, AIA outscored the Wolver-
ines. With Riley playing most of the first half, Michigan out-rebounded
AIA, 21 to 14. In the second half, Riley picked up his fourth foul and had
to sit on the bench for nine and a half minutes. AIA out-rebounded the
Wolverines, 26 to 17.
"I felt I played a little more physical," Riley said. "I want to average
12 or 13 rebounds a game this year. I don't want to go in trying to score.
I just want to concentrate on rebounding more."
Being physical will be Riley's biggest weakness. Riley is as thin as a
pencil; he tried to bulk up, but only gained ten pounds over the summer.
However, he has made up for his weakness with quickness and long
arms that can wind around opponents.
"Whenever you have that big guy out in the middle and you
compliment that in three-point shooting, you just can't sag on them as
much as you would like to do," AIA player/coach Lorenzo Romar said.
"He's probably going to get a lot of one-on-one coverage. If he puts the
ball in the basket like he did tonight, they'll be fine."
Fisher is very high on Riley and knows he is the key to the
Wolverines' season, but he also knows Riley has the potential to be
much better.
One thing is for sure - this is not the same 'Easy-E' that opponents
saw last year. After all, last year he was easy to ignore.
According to the boys in Washington, if there is no Iraqi withdrawal by
New Year's Day, it is likely that our troops will see their first military
action. Consequently, many Americans will begin 1991 crying of the
injustice of war.
As important as the confrontation may be worldwide, it will not be the
only major political injustice of New Year's Day. January 1 will also mark
the return of major bowl games, the outcomes of which are supposed to
decide the nation's No. 1 college gridiron team.
The results of these games will stir unsubstantiated subjectivity, massive
confusion and resentment. What they will not produce for the second consec-
utive year is a true national champion.
The NCAA can play with schedules all they want, but until a playoff
system is implemented, the chaotic guessing-game also known as the AP
and UPI rankings will continue to decide the mythical national champion.
In proposing the following system, I do not attempt to create the perfect
solution - any reasonable format will have its flaws. I simply intend to
suggest a more appropriate method for selecting a national champion.
Instead of waiting until January to start the playoff when the players lose
intensity and the NFL post season dominates the major television networks,
let the NCAA playoffs begin the weekend after the regular season.
The biggest gripe about this proposal is that the season would last too
long. But by reducing the schedule one game and beginning the season one
week earlier, the additional playoff games would not extend the season
significantly.
The winners of the seven major conferences and the top major in-
dependent would receive byes, while 16 more teams would face off in a
qualifying round to decide the eight other spots.
Three of the 16 teams in this round would be the winners of the Mid-
American, Big Sky and Big West conferences. The teams that finish second
to those that earn byes would also receive bids. The remaining five spots
would be decided by the polls.
The top half of the sixteen teams would be seeded based on record, giving
them the home field advantage against the bottom half.
The following week would begin a 16 team, single elimination tourna-
Nebulous bowl process
begs for playoff reform
ment with each game representing a bowl. The top eight teams would be
randomly pitted against the winners of the qualifying round.
This process would commence in early December. An adversary to the
playoff system would be quick to argue that players would tire from playing
too long of a season. In fact, only four of the 24 teams would compete in a
lengthier season than bowl-bound teams do now.
After three weeks of tournament competition, there would be a vacant?
week for the final four teams to prepare for exams. The week off would also;
accommodate the media, who could hype the upcoming semi-finals and
finals as with basketball's NCAA Final Four.
It amazes me why division 1-A football cannot follow the fine examples
of division 1-AA, division II and division III, all of whom have established
playoff systems that determine their respective champions.
This system could do no worse than the current system that is, at best,
arbitrarily ridiculous.
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