The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 10, 1995 - 13
Discontent reported
for Ward, Mitchell
By PAUL BARGER
Daily Basketball Writer
According to separate reports re-
leased this week, two freshmen on the
Michigan men's basketball team are
considering leaving Ann Arbor.
The Detroit News reported that
forward Jerod Ward has had a very
difficult time since coming to Michi-
gan. The story discussed a fight the
Clinton, Miss. native had with team-
mate Makhtar Ndiaye and went on to
say that "Ward's frustrations are fes-
tering."
Even more alarming for coach
Steve Fisher was the News report that
a relative of Ward told a member of
the basketball program that the fresh-
man would be transferring. This came
after the Dec. 29 Michigan win over
Portland in which Ward managed only
three points.
The story caught the eye of De-
troit sportscaster Eli Zaret of WJBK-
TV, causing him to report an unre-
lated story about freshman Willie
Mitchell.
According to Zaret's telecast Sun-
day, Mitchell recently placed a tele-
phone call to Michigan State basket-
ball coach Jud Heathcote stating that
he had made a mistake in his college
selection.
"I heard it from someone up at
East Lansing who knows Jud," Zaret
said. "When I read in the News about
Jerod I thought that there might be
some discontent amongst the fresh-
men."
Mitchell has adamantly denied
ever making the phone call to
Heathcote.
'That's a lot of
garbage. I'm happy
where I am, and this Is
where I am going to
be.'
- Willie Mitchell
Michigan basketball
player
"That's a lot of garbage," Mitchell
said last night. "I'm happy where I
am, and this is where I am going to
be."
Mitchell had the best game of his
young career Sunday in the Wolver-
ines' loss to Penn State. Mitchell
poured in 15 points and led Michigan
with 15 rebounds.
Ward continued to struggle against
the Nittany Lions, hitting three shots
on 12 attempts. Ward came to Michi-
gan as the top-rated high school player
in the nation, according to recruiting
analyst Bob Gibbons.
He also won the Naismith Award
as the nation's top high school bas-
ketball player but has thus far failed to
live up to the lofty expectations that
were set for him.
Mitchell says he has no intentions
of leaving the Wolverines.
Zaret stated during his report of
Mitchell's phone call that the story
was unconfirmed.
"I tried to say on the air that it was
an unpublished and unsubstantiated
report," Zaret said.
I i
DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily
Willie Mitchell and fellow freshman Jerod Ward have struggled thus far this year.
HOCKEY
* Continued from page 11
since day one. At no point has Michi-
gan needed to mix up its top two
defensive pairings because they
weren't effective.
That same strength, however, is
the entire defensive unit's lone
weakness. Despite having five other
defensemen, the Wolverines have
been unable to find a third line that
*they can stick with. Alan Sinclair
and Chris Frescoln have seen the
most ice time.
The Sinclair-Frescoln pairing has
yet to emerge as the third defensive
line since the remaining four play-
let's reiterate that the Michigan
power play is good - very good.
One reason for this success is the
number of explosive forwards that
comprise the Wolverine power play.
In extra-man situations, the team's
two power-play units have netted
35 of 116 chances this season.
As remarkable aportrait the over-
all statistics may paint, the power
play just isn't as much of a guaran-
tee as it has been in past seasons.
Berenson has said that he is groom-
ing players to pick up slack on the
power play, especially having lost
two Hobey Baker finalists in Oliver
and Wiseman to graduation.
Midway through the season, Gor-
don is the only significant addition,
netting five goals. Both units need
to be more patient, and the second
one must provide a spark for it is
practically goal-free aside from
sophomore Mike Legg's four tal-
lies.
Many players, including Luhning
and freshmen Muckalt and Matt have
stepped up to fill in on both units; so
the depth is there. Although only a
sophomore, Botterill is a big man
who can effectively screen the goalie
and use his muscle to gain control of
deflections and rebounds.
The term power play cannot be
discussed without the mention of
Knuble. Yet after last year's na-
tional-best, 32-goal performance
with the man advantage, he has
scored only six goals this season.
Nevertheless, what cannot be over-
looked is the chemistry present be-
tween Knuble and the other attack-
ers, including Morrison and Hilton.
For the Wolverines, the only
problematic element of the man-
advantage situation is the five for-
wards which often play at one time.
One Michigan defenseman once said
that sometimes you must hold your
breath and simply pray when a for-
ward must fill a defensive role.
While Morrison (the point man) and
crew often do so adequately, danger
looms. Already, opponents have
scored four shorthanded goals (not
including Saturday's by Team
Canada) this season whereas the
Wolverines did not give up a single
one all of last year.
A number of defensemen and
senior checking forwards make up a
penalty killing squad which has an
efficiency mark of 84.9 percent and
ranks eighth in the nation. Schock
and Willis are a physical presence
that check anyone in sight who is
with or without the puck.
Even though Michigan led the
league in this category last year, its
drop to second in the 94-95 cam-
paign is insignificant. This unit is a
human obstacle to any squad and
has even netted four shorthanded
goals.
Grade: A-
GOALTENDING
This is one area in which the
Wolverines figured to suffer a big
dropoff from a year ago. After all,
they lost Steve Shields, the NCAA
recordholder for career wins by a
goaltender (111), to graduation last
spring.
While nobody is chanting "Steve
who?" quite yet, freshman Marty
Turco, however, has certainly alle-
viated Berenson's preseason con-
cerns.
"Marty Turco has gained some
valuable experience and confi-
dence," Berenson said. "He has also
helped the team feel confident in
that if they make a mistake, he's
capable of making a save."
Indeed he is.
At the midway point of the sea-
son, Turco has fashioned a 13-3
overall record in 18 appearances.
He currently ranks fifth and sixth
nationally in save percentage (.889)
and goals-against average (2.74),
respectively. In 16 starts this sea-
son, Turco has not allowed more
than four goals in any one game.
Senior Al Loges has been rel-
egated to backup duties after bat-
tling Turco for the starting job back
in October. In that role, he has been
adequate as his stats (1-1, overall)
and 3.00 (G.A.A.) indicate.
Despite seeing action in only six
contests thus far, Loges is not a
forgotten man, according to
Berenson.
"Al Loges isjust one injury away
from being our starter in goal,"
Berenson said.
A scary thought, considering the
fact that he was blitzed for seven
goals by Colorado College in a 7-4
Michigan loss Oct. 21 at Yost.
Grade: B+
-Darren Everson, Melanie
Schuman, Tom Seeley and Barry
Sollenberger compiled this report.
Find out:
The inside s to yon
Somef K. score
raising secrets.
KAPLAN Educational Center presents:
So You Want to Be A Doctor?
Join us
at the Michigan League Henderson Room.
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Wednesday, January 11th
Call 3131662-3149 to reserve your spot and
GET AN EDGE ON THE COMPETITION!
Hogan
ers continue to shuttle in and out.
With such apotent attack, the Wol-
verines haven't needed much offense
from the defensemen. Yet, the group
has accounted for 25 assists this sea-
son. Still, all of the defenders are
aware of their role, and they don't
take a lot of chances to score. How-
ever, they had better not forget com-
pletely about offense.
Grade: B
SPECIAL TEAMS
Second in the nation. First in the
league. If that doesn't say enough,
WOMEN
Continued from page 2
three minutes to go in the game and
her team in position to win.
Northwestern's Maureen Holohan
was the only star that produced, post-
*ing 17 points Sunday. Yet, Holohan
went 7-for-20 from the field and had
five turnovers.
PARTY TIME: Sunday's game saw
the appearance of, among others, the
Vlasic Pickle stork and the Nestle
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