The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, March 6, 1995 -3 Q&A: FORMER WOLVERINE CAZZIE RUSSELL -I Russell . Michigan basketball legend discusses prestigious career If you look up to the rafters of CrislerArena, you willsee the number 33 hanging amongst the many Michi- gan championship banners. Thatnum- ber was worn by Cazzie Lee Russell, perhaps the greatest player in Michi- gan basketballhistory. From 1963-66, Russell dazzled the Wolverine fans, attracting crowds so large the Univer- sity built Crisler Arena to hold the crowds Yost Fieldhouse could no longer contain. Russell led Michigan to three con- secutive Big Ten titles, to the NCAA finals in his junior year and to the semifinals in his sophomore year. In his senioryear, he averaged30.8points per game and was named National Player of the Year. After his great senior season, Cazzie was drafted first in the 1966 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. The 6-foot-5 guard played in the NBA for 12 seasons, playing for the Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and finally the Chi- cago Bulls before retiring in 1978. Russell was named to the NBA All- Star team once and was a key player on the '69-'70 NBA Champion New York Knicks. After his professional playing career, Russell spent time as an NBA assistant coach with the At- lanta Hawks, and was a head coach in the CBA fora total of eight years. Daily Sports Writer Brett Krasnove recently spoke to Russell, who now lives in Columbus. Daily: What are you presently do- ing? Russell: I'm teaching and coach- ing, high school (basketball), both varsity and junior varsity. D: What made you change to high school after all the coaching in the NBA and CBA? R: My contract ended with Co- lumbus (of theCBA) and they wanted to move the team. I wanted to stay in Columbus, so I decided to pursue high school. D: Are you happy there? R: It's a good situation for me at this time. D: What's the difference in coach- ing high school players after coach- ing NBA and CBA players? R: Oh, there's a big difference. D: What was your first reaction when you heard your number was going to be retired? R: I really didn't know how to react. I know that it's something that happens, but when it comes to you, it's almost like someone has to pinch you because they don't have to do that. There are a lot of great players. There are a lot of great basketball play- ers. There are a lot of great athletes and to pick me out ... it is a very, very touching honor and ahumblinghonor. I don't really have the words to describe it. I don't know what I could say'but thank God and thank the Uni- versity for bestowing this honor upon me. As this was happening I (was pleased with my former teammates) coming back to share in that honor, because Cazzie Russell sure didn't do it by himself. You don't win three consecutive Big Ten championships by yourself. You do it with the cooperation of the players who are willing to make that commitment and the guys made that commitment. I surely hope they will feel as loved as I feel loved in terms of having the number retired. I hope they feel as much a part of that as I do. D: So it's more like "the team" number was retired? R: I would have to say so. I mean, if someone were to ask me, I would surely say that. I look back at the late Bill Buntin and him saying goodbye and asking me, as I was thinking of becoming abasketball coach, ifIcould D: What would you say is the high- light of your NBA career? R: I would say that the highlight would be when I was part of the (New school. I was found in a P.E. class. D: Just because of your height? R: I would imagine. I was at that time about 6-foot-21/2 and I probably Of course, we missed him the game before when Wilt (Chamberlain of the Knicks' opponent L.A. Lakers) got 45, but that had to be a great honor to play on that team. That was a very gutsy performance to come out and to endeavor to play. D: Is there any player around now that reminds you of yourself? R: Well, I don't know if I would say that. I know a lot of people have men- tioned to me certain players play a certain way and they say certain play- ers shoot or run like you. You kind of laugh, but you don't really sit around and say "oh, that guy plays like me." D: How do you feel about the amount of Michigan players in the NBA right now? Do you think you started something when you were drafted No. 1? R: Well, I think these kids are there because they're good. I don't know if it's because Cazzie Russell was drafted No. 1, but I do know that a lot of them are there because they can flat play and that's a credit to them. D: Do you have any thoughts on Michigan? Do you come back to visit often? R: Well I try to come back as much as I can. I'm very, very fortu- nate and I feel very honored to have gone to the University of Michigan and I surely hope that I will always be a credit to the University. There were some tough times and there have been some good times. It's a class university and I hope they will always respect the fact that I am proud to have attended there. The fact that they retired my number. The fact that I have my degree. There are a lot of wonderful things. There are a lot of people who were happy that I stuck it out. So maybe, one day, who knows, down the line maybe I could get the chance to coach Michigan basketball. BRETT FORREST Forrest Fires Fisher has been main man for 'M' this year y choice for this year's Michigan basketball Most Valuable Player: Steve Fisher. The coach has faced possibly his toughest season at Michigan's helm this year. The '90-'91 season -- the last time Michigan missed the NCAA tournament - had its difficulties, but little was expected from that team. This year, though, many looked for Michigan to grow into a position of dominance as the year progressed. But the Wolverines will do well to even grab a spot in the 64-team asylum of March Madness. The failures of this team must give Fisher stomach pains. But he has remained calm while clocking his finest coaching performance in Ann Arbor. Yet he receives little credit. Take a look at Michigan's defense. When the team couldn't throwthe ball in the ocean early in the season, Fisher decided to take care of his own end first. The result: Michigan is holding its opponents to the lowest shooting percentage in the Big Ten. Little in the defensive scheme is new this season. The team just executes it better than in past years. The Wolverines unleash a fierce double-team whenever the ball goes inside. What makes this work is the speed with which Michigan surrounds the ballhandler. Fisher has made this a priority with his club and it has earned the team a measure of respect in the conference after limping into the Big Ten schedule. Michigan lost to Washington, Pennsylvania and a weak St. John's team this season, but Fisher has held the squad together. Things were tough for the Wolverines in the early-going as players searched for their identities on a team filled with top-caliber athletes. It has taken time, but Fisher has defined those roles, plugging players into an accepted system. He has tinkered little with the starting lineup. While some observers may call this a weakness of Fisher's, a lesser coach would have panicked when things went against him, pulling players from the opening five faster than Duke retires aplayer'sjersey. Fisher has provided stability for his team. The coach must have known well before the season began that his nationally-ranked No. I recruiting class would be quite unlike Michigan's 1991 ingenuds. The freshmen have needed much more time to acclimate this time around. Fisher recognized that, giving increased playing time to each player as he earned it. First Maurice Taylor, then Jerod Ward, then Maceo Baston, then Willie Mitchell, then Travis Conlan. But Fisher also realized when he pushed things a little too hard. Ward has had a tremendously troubled time adapting to the college game. As a result, Fisher pulled back on the reins. The coach also brought along Baston at the perfect rate of speed, allowing the forward a chance to shine but also room to breath. Fisher has had to deal with several unexpected developments as well. Senior Jimmy King has been a distinguished disappointment this year. But fellow senior Ray Jackson stepped up his game more than a notch to compensate. Junior Dugan Fife has often reverted to the form that netted him zero baskets in his freshman campaign. When Fife looks at the hoop he usually performs well, but too many times this year, he has been gun-shy from beyond the arc. And the coach lost a big spark off the bench when Olivier Saint-Jean transferred to San Jose State. The Frenchman was never mistaken for basketball's equivalent of Jean-Claude Killy, but he would have given this See FORREST, Page 5 DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily York Knicks) World Championship team of '69-'70. Ijust came back from the 25th anniversary (celebration). The '69-'70 team won 18 straight that year, then won the champion- ship. I think that's great. And then to be drafted No. 1. I look back over those two highlights and I've got to feel really blessed. Themore theyears passed, the more I realized how blessed I was to be on that team and also to be drafted No. I when they had 12 or 14 rounds, where you now only have two. As amatterof fact, I'vegottopinch myself. I didn't know how to play basketball until my first year in high ended up 6-foot-3 1/2 by the end of my sophomore year. (I was) 14 years old. D: About the Knicks champion- ship team. Willis Reed (center on '69- '70 team)-would you say there's any player around like him today or could there be anybody that disciplined a player or as gutsy? R: Well, that's a tough question because I don't know. Personally, I don't know if anybody could answer that. I happen to know Willis Reed displayed some kind of[courage to come out and drag that hip (in the seventh game of the 1970NBA Finals). He hit those first two shots, I mean that was really tremendous. T The Psychology Peer Advisors Present T FOCUS GROUPS Winter 1995 APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PSYCHOLOGY Writing the Personal Statement Monday March 6, 7:30-9:30 pm, Ostafin Room*, West Quad * Refreshments will be served at all events. " Faculty members and graduate students will be available to answer your questions and discuss these issues. 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