UJiz OMi'igan ailg New Student Edition Section Thursday, September 8, 1994 1r High hopes, expectations await new 5 f,, K, so the guy with the 0 goatee is Howard. And that's Webber?" "Yeah, he's the best one." "Oh. So who's this one again?"1 "That's Jackson - he's from Texas.h' @nd so's King, he's that one." " And next to him?" BRETT "Rose. He's FORREST real tall." Forrest "Huh ... So Fires these guys are the best class ever?" "That's what they say. I guess *e',ll find out." That was the first time I ever saw the Fab Five in one of the now- prosaic portraits. My guide to the quintet was a fellow freshman. He was from Michigan. This was fitting, as at the time there were only a handful of people who could name the members of the 1991 Michigan men's basketball recruits. That distinct ability zlonged to either college hoops junkies or residents of the state the five would call home for the next few years. Oh, how that would change over the ensuing months as the Fab Five - all freshmen - started their first game and won at Notre Dame, beat Indiana at Crisler Arena, and started together in the NCAA *lampionship against Duke. Well, get ready, because it looks as if it could happen all over again. The members of the Fab Five II, as everyone seems to be calling the 1994 recruiting class, will surely become known to the most pedestrian of sports enthusiasts. Maceo Baston Travis Conlan Willie Mitchell Maurice Taylor Jerod Ward This is the next generation of Michigan basketball - a difficult promise to fulfill. And it becomes especially unfair given the accomplishments of the group to which this one will eternally be compared. It is highly likely the Fab Five II @ill never accomplish feats the staqre of those made legendary by the o ginal Fab Five. But if the See FoRmsT, Page 6F Wolverines land top recruiting class; flashbacks of Fab 5 By CHAD A. SAFRAN Daily Basketball Writer When Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose and Chris Webber came to Michigan in 1991, they were considered one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time. For two years the Fab Five dominated college basketball headlines not only for their exceptional play, but for their extraordinary actions as well. Many said there would never be another class like that again. Michigan men's basketball coach Steve Fisher is trying to prove them wrong, as he once again brings the nation's top recruiting class to Ann Arbor. Jerod Ward tops the list of blue chips joining the Wol- verines. Winner of the Naismith Award as the national high school player of the year, Ward was rated by many recruit- ing analysts as the nations top prep senior. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound swingman narrowed his choices down to Cali- fornia and Michigan. He told the press conference on the day of his 18th birthday that he was going to be playing for the Golden Bears this coming season before he went to bed the previous evening. The Clinton, Miss. native, however, said that he could not get Michigan out of his head. At Clinton High School, Ward averaged 29 points and 10 rebounds en route to earning first team All-American honors from USA Today and Parade magazine. He also was a member of the McDonald's All-America team. While many coaches would love to have just one McDonald's all-star, a few can snare two. Fisher is one of those few: Detroit Pershing star Willie Mitchell will also come to Michigan in the fall. Mitchell averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals and 6 blocked shots per game in leading the Pershing to the Class A basketball finals this year. His efforts earned him Michigan's Mr. Basketball Award for the 93-94 sea- son. Before deciding to play at MichiganMitchell narrowed his choices down to the Wolverines and Michigan State. Despite pleas from Magic Johnson-who coached Mitchell at Magic's Roundball Classic in April--the 6-6 forward chose Michigan. Maurice Taylor gave Mitchell plenty ofcompetition for the state's Mr. Basketball trophy, averaging 29.9 points, 16.5 rebounds and 8.2 blocked shots per contest at Detroit Henry Ford High School. Taylor committed to the Wolverines during the early signing period in November 1993. Two others followed Taylor to sign with the Wolverines last fall--Maceo Baston from Dallas and Travis Conlan from St. Clair Shores. Baston continues a line of Fisher's Texas recruits that began with Rich McIver (who later transferred to Texas), continued with Jackson and King, and extended to guard Bobby Crawford in 1992. Baston netted 25 points per game in addition to chipping in 11 rebounds in his senior year at Spruce High School. He teamed with Mitchell and Taylor on the West team at the Roundball Classic, scoring 13 points (including 10 on dunks) and grabbing 11 boards. Taylor earned MVP honors in that game with 22 points. The third early recruit was Travis Conlan, a 6-4 guard from St. Clair Shores. He completes the Michigan trifecta for the Wolverine coaching staff as he joined Taylor and Mitchell on the Dream Teams of both the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. His 21.5 points, 8.5 steals (best in the state) and 7.5 assists, helped the Lake Shore Shorians to a 28-0 season and the Class B state title. While this group may or may not have the impact of the Fab Five, it already lacks something its predecessors had - a catchy nickname. But don't worry, the players and fans have all summer to come up with one. EVAN PETRIE/Daily Jimmy King, dunking, and Ray Jackson are now the only remaining members of Michigan's highly touted 1991 recruiting class. As the Fab Five moves toward the NBA, a group of five highly acclaimed freshmen have arrived looking to have the same immediate impact. INSIDE, Wheatley postpones NFL for fourth year glory BASEBALL 4F Comeback from 1989 probation capped by second place finish at last season's Big Ten tournament. The Wolverines fell just short against Ohio State in the championship game, 9-7. By Ryan White. GENDER EQUITY 2F The athletic department planned to eliminate the men's gymnastics team t& reach gender equity in athletics, but the team fought back. By Josh Karp. GUIDE TO SPORTS AT MICHIGAN 8F A must-read for both the sports and non-sports fan. By Brent McIntosh and Ryan White. : - --° By KEN SUGIURA Daily Football Writer Like he has done so many times before, Tyrone Wheatley turned the routine into the astounding. In a move startling just about ev- eryone save the teammates and coaches he had informed earlier, the star tailback announced his intention to return next fall for his senior year, postponing his plans to enter the NFL draft. Wheatley made the announce- ment at a press conference at Schembechler Hall in early January following the Wolverines' win in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa, Fla. "What I think is best for me is to stay here at Michigan," said Wheatley in his opening statement, setting of f a GYMNASTICS 7F Beth Wymer led the women's gymnastics team to a fourth place. finish at last season's NCAA i in his opening statement. setting off a >41k JIM