fb idti,1grn : 9ailug Sports Desk: 647-3336 -~<1 Y. - A a ? U \ \ t Vii, M 1 Are you ready for some football? Michigan isn't yet By John Leroi Daily Sports Editor It was business as usual for Lloyd Carr fo Thursdays ago when he met the press at higan's annual media day, marking the beginning of fall practice. Business as usual, of course, except for the fact that the Wolverines were starting practice on Aug. 21 - a late date by Carr's estimation. Just two. seasons ago, Michigan had a game on Aug. 25. But NCAA rules mandate that a school can only conduct 29 practices before its first game -a Sept. 13 matchup at home against -Colorado. So with two-a-days and a late to the season, that means a late start to practice. "I think that gives our first opponents a huge advantage, but those are the rules," For the first time in University history, freshmen will receive split-season tickets to Michigan home football games. Story, Page 1A. Carr said. "I'd rather start 29 practices before your first opponent's first game:' Carr also spent a lot of time dismissing a quarterback controversy and hedging on questions about Michigan's treacherous schedule - a taboo topic around Schembechler Hall. But, Carr had plenty of praise for the freshmen -who began workouts three days earlier -' and his returning players. And though he refused to name a starting quar- terback, he said there was plenty of healthy competition at the position. "lf you could have seen our mile-and-a- half run this morning, we had Brian Griese and Scott Dreisbach in the same heat and they finished 1-2," Carr said. "It was a thrill to watch these two guys compete." Carr had said he would pick a starting quarterback by now, but he won't announce his decision until at least a week before the Colorado game. Though Carr said all four quarterbacks -- Griese, Dreisbach, sopho- more Tom Brady and redshirt freshman Jasoh Kapsner -are in the hunt, all indica- tions are that Griese and Dreisbach are on the top of the depth chart with a slight edge going to Griese. Dreisbach was the starter for most of last season, but Griese, one of only five fifth- year seniors on the team, took over for an injured Dreisbach in the second-half of the Ohio State game, Behind a 69-yard touch- down toss to Tai Streets, Griese led Michigan to a win over Ohio State for the second-straight season. Griese also got the nod in the Outback Bov L turning in a solid performance marred only by a late-game interception that Dwayne Rudd ieturned for the game-'win- ning touchdown. Thatsname is where Griese got anoppor- tunityiand made a lot of it," Carr said. "He carte tii in one of the most pressurized situ- ations I can remember and was stellar. But who ends up under center isn't Carr's only questionable area. Promising sopho- more fullback John Anes left school for what Carr termed personal reasons.:The 6- foot-2, 225-pound Anes was expected to See FOOTBALL Page 18A Junior All- Everything Charles Woodson, a Heisman Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award hopeful was recently named a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top receiver. FILE PHOTO/Deity VanBuskirk won't join Michigan frosh class Botterill inks deal with NHLs Stars Kevin Kasiborsi y ySports Writer Nine departed seniors are replace- able. The national championship expe- rience they take with them isn't. The Michigan hockey team said good-bye to nine players last spring, and a nine-member freshman class has arrived this fall to take its place. The Wolverines' first challenge this year will be learning everybody's name. Originally there were 10 recruits, d 10 names to learn. But, Ryan Vanouskirk, a 6-foot-I, 190-pound defenseman from St. Clair Shores, has backed out of his commitment to play for Michigan this fall. He instead signed with the Sarnia Sting, a major junior team in the Ontario Hockey League. Michigan coach Red Berenson said that VanBuskirk informed him of his ision through an agent. Berenson's *(mpts to talk to VanBuskirk since then have been unsuccessful. "I got the impression," Berenson said, "that like a lot of kids, he got this message from agents that it's a short- cut to pro hockey to play junior hockey. I think the kid weakened, and his par- ents weakened, and I think he made a serious error." Berenson said most of the kids in his program have to deal with the lure of Dior hockey. When Berenson was Bruited to play at Michigan 30years See HOCKEY, Page 17A CCHA boss Beatgan to 9~l it qu1its. By Sharat Raju Daily Sports Writer After overseeing the daily operations of the conference for the past 12 sea- sons, CCHA commissioner Bill Beaan is retiring. "I can think of no place on this plan- et that I would have sooner spent the past 12 years,' Beagan said. ~ eagan announced his retirement on B.18 and it wvill be effective June 30, 1998, after the conclusion of the hock- ey season. Although he isn't stepping down immediately, a search committee has already been organized and is currently investigating possible successors. No candidates have been disclosed, but the next commissioner will undoubtedly have to live up to the high standards set Beagan. "Since he's been commissioner we've had Notre Dame, Alaska- Fairbanks and Northern Michigan come back," CCHA assistant commis- sioner Jeff Weiss said. "That kind of thing is very important in college hock- ey -- to save programs and help pro- oramc alano" ew mission BYU guard Reid transfers to Michigan Point gard to fill void left by Hughes' departure By James Goldstein and Mark Snyder Daily Sports Xriters After a summer where subtraction was the theme for the Michigan basketball team, the Wolverines finally received some good news in late August. Michigan got much-needed help at the point guard position when Robbie Reid, a transfer from Brigham Young, made his decision to join the Wolverines. Reid, son of fired BYU coach Roger Reid, told school officials last spring that he would not be returning to play for the Cougars after completing a two-year Mormon Church mission in Greece. Reid returned to the United States on July 11 and immediately received calls from schools across the: nation. Reid visited Ann Arbor on July 24 and 25 and spoke with Michigan coach Steve Fisher. He narrowed his choices to Utah, Virginia, Illinois and Michigan in early August. Illini coach Lon Kruger heavily recruited the 6-foot-2 point guard, but to no avail. On August 24, Reid picked the Wolverines. His father, Roger who coached BYU in Robbie'sfresh- man and sophomore years, said that it wasn't just the ath- letic program that impressed Robbie. "The overall package means so much," Reid said. "When you get down to the schools that Robbie had a chance to go to, all of them had a place for him and basi- cally said that you're our guy who is going to run our ball club. When it came down to the overall situation, Robbie had a good feel about his visit to Michigan." The 6-foot-2 point guard played the first two seasons under his father, averaging 10.1 points, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals in the 1994-95 season. In that same year, he was also named to the All-Western Athletic Conference Defensive First Team. But it was another sport that pulled Reid closer to Michigan - baseball. Reid is a ballplayer, who had 31 victories as a left-handed prep pitcher and who platooned in the outfield at BYU. He was also drafted by the San Diego Padres. Michigan baseball coach Geoff Zahn spoke to Reid as well and told the junior he could play on the Michigan baseball team - a deciding factor in his choice of schools. Reid, who was the valedictorian of his high school See REID, Page 15A FILE PHOTO/Daily Michigan men's basketball coach Steve Fisher has been tolling in a hurricane of media scrutiny during the last several months, after alleged NCAA rules violations. But Fisher was still able to convince former BYU point guard Robbie Reid to transfer to Michigan. Bollinger to announce law firm's findings Monday By Heather Kamins Daily Staff Reporter University President Lee Bollinger is sched- uled to announce Sept. 8 the results of an inyes- tigation into numerous allegations made against the men's basketball team. In the beginning of March, through a seven- month joint investigation with the Big Ten con- ference, the University discovered that the bas- ketball program had committed two minor NCAA violations through contact with Detroit- area basketball booster Ed Martin. The acknowledgement of the violations set off a chain reaction in the press, leading to an onslaught of allegations of impropriety against theitem tigate the claims and present a complete report to the University. "Any time there is a credible allegation, we will investigate it' "Bollinger said. "We have to have a goal of no violations. We cannot have a policy of no minor violations. We should be scrupulous and energetic in investigating any plausible allegations." Sources say the firm has had difficulty inves- tigating the validity of the claims because many allegations came from unnamed sources who have refused to publicly come forward. Michigan guard Travis Conlan said the recent controversies surrounding the program have been hard on the team, but the players mitigate the nreccne y tOiLino onpther The initial confessions Two confirmed NCAA violations were detect- ed during an investigation into events surround- ing an automobile accident in February 1996, when a Ford Explorer - carrying several Michigan players and a potential recruit - dri- ven by former Michigan forward Maurice Taylor, rolled over and crashed. Questions about how Taylor came to possess the vehicle highlighted problems regarding Martin's involvement with Michigan players. Martin was described in a report released by the University as "someone who derives some sort of satisfaction from forming close ties with highly talented aothletes " Martin was nresent at The other violation occurred when Martin presented a player with a birthday cake. These incidents are classified as NCAA infractions because, although the University did not sanction these interactions, Martin is consid- ered as "a non-traditional representative of the University's ... athletic interests." Martin also attempted to provide players and their families with more sizable benefits, includ- ing the payment of security deposits on several players' apartments and the purchase of airline tickets. When Fisher received knowledge of these transactions, he prevented them from occurring and avoided the accumulation of further viola- tions. I I