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." eorg~;~h..... ...... va 411 g 4YwPig c+Te?;i ;; l"rda . 2 -^ 7. Notte Orii~ Tailback Ricky Powers' 128 yards led KENNETH SMOLLER/Dail Michigan over OSU on Saturday. 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. U~ e usa nLanguage~ 1- I * start Winter term, speak it in Moscow next summer " also, Russian Literature in English, Hu. Distr. " for information, call Slavic Dept. 764-5355 or check CRISP I., A, 4 Interested in Teaching as a Career? Come to a forum for prospective teacher education students at the University of Michigan School of Education. Learn about the new Teacher Preparation Merit Scholarships; application procedures for admissions; Every Thursday 6-9pm is STUDENT HAEPPY HOUR LIVE ' BAND! NO COVER!* Midnight Madne because elves can't make all the gifts! AT THE 25 cent beer or