iiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii iiiiiii i III I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilillim iiiiiiiii 4 -- Th ichigan Daily - FoatbaItra - November 1, 1lW OTUR SPORTS 0. 0 . , .. N tmber 1, 1997 - Footbalt-y - The Michigan Ay - 9 I "ICER IGAN v v Ellerbe MicA an hoop N ew coach. New players. New schedule. "We feel like practice is going pretty well," I Same script. Ellerbe said. "The guys are all ready to play, and The Michigan men's basketball team they're ready to have a better season than last made its first official appearance yesterday at season."l Media Day, and the cliches were flowing just as Ellerbe ranked high on the cliche-meter: he freely as Robert Traylor's shorts. even managed to use the term "barking up the 1 And with all that has happened to the team wrong tree" twice during over the past year, you'd think there would be his time behind ther some interesting new conversations circulating. microphone. That wasn't the case. But much of the day's Delayed for more than two weeks - thanks focus surrounded Robbie 1 to the firing of Steve Fisher and the subsequent Reid, the 23-year-old1 search for a man to fill his position - the day Brigham Young transfer 1 began with a press conference by coach Brian guard whom many have Ellerbe, then proceeded with individual and JIM touted as the backcourt team pictures before culminating in a merry-go- ROSE general Brandun Hughes I round of player interviews. Rose was not. Ellerbe, however, Ellerbe wasted no time getting acquainted hinted that Reid's role with the media, and though he has been head Beef may be as more of al coach for only a week, he displayed full com- shooter than a point man. mand of the required cliche rhetoric (a must for "Robbie is one of the three guards," Ellerbe 1 any big-time coach or athlete). clarified. "Right now, his shooting is ahead of 4 "We're excited about getting started" after the everything else (he does)." coaching change, Ellerbe said. "It's been an Ellerbe said Reid's absence from competitive 1 adjustment, but these guys are very mature, and play - Reid recently completed a two-yeart they're very understanding ... that's where the Mormon Church mission in Greece, in which I chips fell, and we've had to deal with it. That's the final 15 months were spent without him the nature of the business we're in." even picking up a basketball - would make his After the chaos of recent weeks, the players development a slower process than some might and coaches are ready, he said, to finally start expect.I doing what they presumably do best (maybe For his part, Reid agreed that he is still mak- I even better than recite cliches): play basketball. ing the transition back into basketball mode. He "finally meet the press, had no problem, however, making the transition back into cliche mode. "I'm a very intense player, and I'm very com- petitive, and I'll do whatever it takes to win," he said, with no apparent Greek accent. "Overall, I think it will be great for me to play at a place like Michigan, where the competition is tough, night-in and night-out." One of Reid's backcourt mates, sharpshooter Louis Bullock, said Reid's adjustment has been fairly smooth. According to Bullock, Reid "has been getting comfortable with the rest of the guys." Bullock also said, not surprisingly, that it was "time for Michigan to step up and win." Bullock strayed from cliche auto-pilot only briefly - and only because his shooting prowess was called into question. Earlier in the week, Ellerbe claimed that he - Ellerbe, not Bullock - was Michigan's best shooter. "He might be," Bullock said, emerging from his interview-induced trance momentarily. "I don't know, maybe if I'm blindfolded." Even the usually animated Traylor was reserved, saying he hopes the Wolverines can make the season "the best it can be." He did, however, show some signs of life when asked why most publications have picked Michigan to finish in the lower half of the Big Ten. "Everybody has an opinion," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "We have an opinion as a team, and we think we're gonna' finish first. Nobody else can control where we finish in the Big Ten except for us, so what people say does- n't really bother me." Senior Travis Conlan, who captains the team along with Traylor, echoed his teammate's senti- ments, saying, "I haven't read a newspaper in about a year and a half." But don't count Conlan out when it comes to the art of the cliche - he's a captain for a reason. "There's a sense of urgency around here now," he said. "Every practice counts. I feel a sense of urgency myself, because I want to go out on a positive note. I want to leave Michigan a win- ner." But the undisputed King of the Cliche (at least for the day) was much-maligned forward Jerod Ward, whose injury-ridden career has met with nonstop criticism by members of the media for the past three years. So it's no surprise that he knows how to deflect a few questions here and there. "I'm not worried about how much I play, where I play or when I play," Ward said with a straight face. "Players play and coaches coach, so I'm just concerned with helping this team find a way to win. At this point, the game of basketball is more mental than physical. We're just looking to improve on last year's perfor- mance." But, as Ward might say, that's water under the bridge. They're taking it one game at a time. - Jim Rose can be reached via e-mail at jwrose@umich.edu. No. 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 11 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 17 18 18 19 20 22 23 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 34 35 36 Name Woodson, Charles** Brooks, Todd** Kornblue, Brandon Shaw, Russell* Downs, David Whitley, James Edwards, Manus Floyd, Chris*** Howard, Chris*** Parini, Ryan Johnson, DiAlo Brady, Tom Wistert, Francis*** Wistert, Albert*** Wistert, Alvin*** Dreisbach, Scott* * Kapsner, Jason Griese, Brian*** Patmon, DeWayne Williams, Dan Washington, Brent* Sargent, Cory Henman, Chad Brown, LeAundre Bergin, Mark Wright, Aaron Gold, Ian* Bryant, Kevin* Peterson, William Parachek, Scott McCall, Patrick Quinn, Terrence** Mayes, Eric** Clyne, Jason Smith, Demetrius Taylor, Daydrion* * Ray, Marcus** Weathers, Andre** Jackson, Kenneth* Thomas, Anthony Williams, Clarence** Brackins, Eric Cummings, Jason Jackson, Ray Shea, Aaron* Fraumann, Bob Anderson, Kurt Jordan, Anthony Vinson, Jason Ford, J.R. Rosel, Eric Hendricks, Tommy* Schanski, Tate* Copenhaver, Clint** Swett, Rob*** Holtry, Jeff* Petterson Darren Baker, Kraig* Oosterbaan, Bennie*** Ford, Gerald *** Feely, Jay** Johnson, Matt Crispin, David Ziemann, Chris* Williams, Maurice Jones, Dhani* Hall, James* Singletary, Chris* Renes, Rob* Brooks, Grady Miller, Nate Warner, Eric Frazier, Steve Sechler, Andy Brandt, David Adami, Zach*** Mossa, Todd Potts, Jeff* Mast, Ben Tannous, Paul Brooks, Jason Adkins, Adam Hutchinson, Steve Jansen, Jon** Parker, Noah* Backus, Jeff Tuman, Jerame** Steele, Glen*** Carpenter, Chad Johnson, Jerry Thompson, Shawn Knight, Marcus* Streets, Tai** Kramer, Ron*** Campbell, Mark** Keefer, Colby Feazell, Juaquin** Williams, Josh* Stock, Chad Sword, Sam** Roth, Chris Wilson, Eric Kratus, Pat* Del Verne, Jeff Seymour, Bill Ostrom, Lance Harmon, Tom*** Frysinger, Jake Smokevitch, Jeff Pos. Hgt. Wgt. CB 6-1 198 W R 6-1 197 PK 5-10 160 W R 6-0 186 CB 5-7 167 CB 5-11 185 RB 5-8 178 FB 6.1 231 RB 5-11 215 FS 6-2 179 FS 6-3 193 QB 6-5 223 T 1931-33 T 1940-42 T 194 7-49 QB 6-4 210 QB 6.6 234 QB 6-3 207 DB 6-0 176 QB 6-0 164 CB 6-0 191 P 6-3 199 W R 5-10 181 CB 5-10 182 QB 6-2 195 WR 6-0 174 ILB 6-1 205 WR 6-0 182 CB 6-0 193 WR 6-1 191 R B 5-10 186 WR 5-10 189 ILB 5-11 226 PK 6-3 186 FB 6-2 270 FS 6-0 197 SS 6-0 210 CB 6-1 188 CB 5-10 190 RB 6-1 225 RB 5-9 185 FB 6-2 209 RB 5-11 171 R B 6-2 207 TE 6-4 249 LB 6-3 210 LB 6-4 250 LB 6-0 206 P 6-2 191 RB 5-8 203 DB 6-3 200 SS/FS 6-2 205 RB 5-11 202 OLB 6-4 243 ILB 6-3 239 OLB 6-3 241 WR 5-10 175 PK/P 6-1 183 Yr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Elig. Hometown Jr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. So. Fremont, Ohio Freeport, Ill. Boca Raton, Fla. Los Angeles Detroit Norfolk, Va. Henderson, Nev. Detroit River Ridge, La. Grand Rapids Detroit San Mateo, Calif. mL70 m ?a T~4heRid. . .. yi w m NUMBER RETIRED NUMBER RETIRED NUMBER RETIRED Sr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Jr. So. So. So. Jr. So. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Mishawaka, Ind. Eden Prarie, Minn. Miami San Diego Temperance Inkster South Lyon Temperance Fort Worth, Texas Rochester Hills Highland Village, Texas Belleville Farmington Hills Uniontown, Penn. Temperance Carson, Calif. Flint Kalamazoo New Baltimore Calumet Park, Ill Longview, Texas Columbus, Ohio Flint Houston Winnfield, La. Detroit Pigeon Ford, Tenn. Kalamazoo Indianapolis Ottawa, Ill. Deerfield, Ill. Glenbrook, Ill. Jersey City, N.J. Troy Columbus, Ohio Liberal, Kan. Houston Perry Brighton Chalfont, Pa. Salt Lake City Flint Terre Haute, Ind. Catch the AAT The best v Avoid traffic congestion and parkin Ride the comfortable, climate-cont AATA shuttle bus. It's easy Park yOL Arbor to( the AAT/ delivere Michigal game, ti you baCk ONE WAIF approxir beginnir E C 1925-27 1932-34 NUMBER RETIRED NUMBER RETIRED PK 5-10 206 SS 5-10 180 ILB 6-1 234 OL 6-7 283 DL 6-5 281 ILB 6-2 225 DE/LB 6-3 251 LB/DE 6-2 233 NT 6-1 286 DE/LB 6-2 246 DL 6-3 277 OG 6-5 250 C/OG 6-4 288 OLB 6-1 231 OG/C 6-4 290 C/OG 6-5 296 OG 6-3 299 OT 6-7 294 OT 6-4 275 OT 6-5 289 C 6-3 291 OL 6-4 260 OG 6-5 292 OT 6-7 299 OG 6-4 299 OT 6-6 285 TE 65 249 DE 6-5 289 TE 6-4 243 WR 6-4 185 TE 6-4 227 WR 6-1 173 WR 6.4 190 E 1954-56 TE 6.6 253 TE 6-3 237 DE 6-4 275 DT 6-3 271 PK 5-10 185 ILB 6-2 242 FB 5-11 224 NT 6-4 271 DT 6-3 271 PK 5-11 216 DL/LB 6-3 235 TE 6-7 257 HB 1938-40 LB 64 243 ILB 6-0 207 Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Odessa, Fla. So. Sr. So. Fr. So. So. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. New Buffalo Dearborn Heights Aurora, Ill. Detroit Potomac, Md. New Orleans Detroit Holland Dallas Imlay City Brighton Kingwood, Texas Union City Jenison Maumelle, Ark. Darien, Conn. Three Rivers Massillon, Ohio Houston Cleveland Troy Coral Springs, Fla. Clawson Milton, Fla. Norcross, Ga. Liberal, Kan. Ligonier, Ind. Bloomington, Ind. Crowley, La. Saginaw Sylacauga, Ala. Matteson, Ill. gain The Football Ride three U-M parking structures, Michi e tir e ser Arb igan Fc NUMBER RETIRED Sr. Jr. Clawson Sr. Sr. Holly Sr. Jr. Ft. Valley, Ga Jr. So. Houston Jr. So. Temperance Sr. Jr. Saginaw So. Fr. Windsor, Ont. So. Fr. Monroe Jr. So. Rocky River, Ohio So. Fr. Sylvania, Ohio Fr. Fr. Mishawaka, Ind. Sr. Sr. Plainwell NUMBER RETIRED Fr. Fr. Grosse lIe Jr. So. Birmingham * indicates varsity letters ion ,