0 Thursday November 14, 2002 michigandaily.com sportsdesk@umich.edu SPORTS I 8A . ..... ... . . Morgan eats less but takes care of slump By Joe Smith Daily Sports Editor Courtney Morgan admittedly suffers a letdown when he tries to take advantage of an all-you- can-eat buffet. The 6-foot-3, 298-pound offensive tackle said his eating skills aren't even on the same level as fellow lineman David Baas, whom Morgan said last week downed 13 slabs of prime rib and two plates of FOOTBALL crab legs in one sitting. "All-you-can-eat places aren't Notebook too good for me because before I go I'll be really excited and happy, but then I'll have two plates and I'll be full," Morgan said with a sigh. "It's disappointing." But more so than his eating, Morgan was disap- pointed in his play midway through this season, as he said he lost focus and got sloppy in his tech- nique. His holding penalty in the end zone during the Notre Dame game led to a safety, which ulti- mately was the difference in the Wolverines' first loss. After his struggles continued the following week against Utah, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr benched him the next two games in favor of red- shirt freshman Adam Stenavich. It got so bad for Morgan that he didn't even see the field in Michigan's dramatic overtime victory over Penn State at the Big House. "It was very frustrating," Morgan said. "It was tough to watch from the sidelines, but I was sup- portive of my teammates." But just a few days later, Stenavich suffered an undisclosed injury in practice that has kept him out of the past four games and subsequently gave Morgan a second chance. "I also looked at it as do or die for me because I did not want to let my team down," Morgan said. "I was the next one in there and if I didn't play well, I had to stay in there because Adam was hurt. I was really focused, because if I let the team down, that would have hurt more than anything." And despite getting beat frequently in the Iowa game - which Morgan said he's erased from his mind - the junior has played admirably in the past two games despite being moved to the right tackle position. And Morgan didn't disappoint, making a state- ment that he isn't ready to give up his startfng' spot again to a now-healthy Stenavich. "Courtney had his best game on Saturday," Carr said. "He's another guy that is an extremely good athlete that has great feet and is very tough. When he came here, he was too heavy and not JOE SMITH Fab Five legacy not as disposable as banners Markus Curry's inconsistent play as Michigan's punt returner - including a critical fumble against Iowa - has coach Lloyd Carr preparing Jermaine Gonzales and Ron Bellamy to fill the role. strong enough but was a guy in our camp that had wonderful athletic ability. He played very well, and hopefully he will continue to do that." SPECIAL CHANGES: After Carr said he's not satis- fied with the number of mental errors committed on punt returns by sophomore Markus Curry, expect receivers Jermaine Gonzales and Ron Bellamy to see some action as they've been practicing returns the past few weeks. In Michigan's 34-9 loss to Iowa three weeks ago, Curry fumbled a critical punt that would have given the Wolverines the ball back down just 10-9. Instead, his turnover led to a tremendous change in momentum and one of the Hawkeyes' four straight scores. Last week against Minnesota, another blunder by Curry came when he called for a fair catch on Michigan's 3-yard line. But that wasn't his worst mistake{according to Carr. "The one that probably bothered me more was the one earlier when he felt he should have gone and caught the ball and he didn't and the ball rolled 15 yards," Carr said. SNAKEBITTEN: Carr reaffirmed Monday that jun- ior linebacker Zach Kaufman is out for the year after he injured his left knee against Minnesota. Kaufman is the third Michigan linebacker to be sidelined for the season, joining Lawrence Reid and Roy Manning. "I thought it was a run read so I ran forward, and it was a pass so I ran back," Kaufman said. "The running back came to block me and I jumped over him and landed on my leg wrong." INJURY UPDATE: An already depleted Michigan secondary may finally get some good news on Saturday as Carr expects safety Ernest Shazor will be fully recovered from a turf toe injury suf- fered last Tuesday at the team's first practice at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse this year. Three of Michi- gan's other top defensive backs - Cato June, Julius Curry and Zia Combs - have all been banged up, with June the only one close to returning. Carr said a statement should be released next week on the status of Combs. Junior defensive lineman Alain Kashama missed the Minnesota game with an injury and his status is unknown for Saturday. Some people are just hard to let go. The University has stripped down banners and forfeited 113 games. But it hasn't publicly disasso- ciated itself with Chris Webber, the Fab Five or any other player who "embarrassed" the school by taking money. And maybe it never will. Michigan associate athletic director for media relations Bruce Madej said yesterday that he's participated in three meetings on the subject but mentioned that the University is weeks - if not months - from making a final decision on when and if the school will disassoci- ate itself from them completely. Despite all the wrongdoings players like Webber and the Fab Five commit- ted in their years donning the maize and blue, their accomplishments and legacy have done so much for the bas- ketball program -and still will - that I wouldn't be surprised if Michi- gan officials never banish them. They already had the perfect oppor- tunity. On one of Michigan's "darkest days," Athletic Director Bill Martin almost broke down in tears last week as he announced the self-imposed sanctions and tearing down of ban- ners. But when asked if the University would welcome back the culpable players that have caused the school so much shame, he shied away: "That's a tough question. Let's put it this way, I'm not going to send them a Thanksgiving turkey, if that's what you mean. I will have to let the passage of time answer that one." Why is a public disassociation of Webber and the Fab Five so tough? Probably because their legacies remain so important to Michigan, and the University doesn't want to risk alienat- ing any former players or future recruits if it doesn't have to. After all, the basketball program rode the wave of the Fab Five's rock-and-roll star appeal for nearly a decade through de facto probation - where the Wolver- ines still managed to capture top recruiting classes and remain competi- tive in the Big Ten (until the Ellerbe years). Why stop milking them now? The Fab Five was considered the greatest recruiting class ever assem- bled, trendsetters that changed the face of college basketball on and off the Caekmbrosari DOES SOMETHING LOOK WRONG HERE? CORRECTIONS@UMICH.EDU court and one of the most intriguing stories in sports in the early '90s. The players were also called trash- talking, cocky and immature kids who were successful and weren't afraid to let anyone know about it. Now they're called a "disgrace" and "embarrassment" by former adminis- trators such as Don Canham. "We worked 100 years to do it the right way, but then you bring the 'Fab Five' in and it ruins everything," Can- ham said. But some would argue the contrary. Webber helped put Michigan basket- ball on the national map. Kids from all over the country admired Webber & Co., hanging posters of them in their room and purchasing the baggy shorts with the block "M" on the side. And believe me, recruits in the decade after the Fab Five didn't mar- vel at Sean Higgins' short-shorts or Terry Mills sweet jumper - although those two were members of the last Michigan national title team in 1989. They remembered, and probably still revere Webber and the Fab Five - despite the indictments, forfeitures or fallen banners. Just ask the crown jewel of coach Tommy Amaker's 2003 recruiting class, guard Dion Harris. "Dion grew up watching the Fab Five and was a big fan of theirs," said Harris' high school coach Derrick McDowell. "I think that was a big part of his initial attraction to Michigan." Harris was close to eight years old when Webber played his first game at Michigan, yet that's the long-lasting memory he has of Michigan basketball. Removed banners and forfeiting games may hurt guys like Dugan Fife, James Voskuil and Rob Pelinka. That was their 15 minutes of fame. Webber, Rose, Taylor, Traylor and Bullock are doing just fine making their big bucks in either the NBA or overseas. They couldn't probably care less if their photo is up on the wall at Crisler Arena or in the media guide. But if the school banishes these players from the school - much like it did to "booster" Ed Martin - there probably will be no more appearances for Juwan Howard and Jimmy King at basketball camps because of guilt by association. There will be no more using the exploits and exposure of Webber & Co. in recruiting visits. And the Uni- versity will try to force the memory of such Michigan legends out of kids' memory, instead of letting them slow- ly fade away into the sunset. Maybe Bill Martin is right. Let the "passage of time" decide. The University has let plenty of time pass already. Joe Smith can be reached at josephms@umich.edu. Davis and Bollinger expected to return MADISON (AP) - Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger and running back Anthony Davis are ready to come back from injuries and play Saturday against Michigan. Both missed last week's game with Illinois - Bollinger had a head injury andi Davis had a stab wound in his leg. Bollinger was cleared to play Tuesday after missing the 37-20 loss. He was hurt during a 20-3 loss to Iowa on Nov. 2. Jvlon -Thur fri 7am 7am - 12am - 10.pm - 10pm - 12am (1-41, by 0./ Sat 8am Sun 8am Cat Do you H ave Acne? If you have acne you may qualify for an investigational study at the University of Michigan Department of Dermatology. ยข You may also receive compensation for your participation. 5 If you are interested in participating, call the University. of Michigan Department of Dermatology to find out more. The number is : (734) 764-DERM - Across from [ickeCs Arcade . . stop by before or after the game! 4 Women's Basketball Saturday, Nov. 16 Michigan vs. Dominican Republic National Team (ex.) 7 p.m. Crisler Arena Free admission if you show your ticket stub from the Michigan-Wisconsin football game! Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children & senior citizens. U-M Volleyball Friday, Nov. 15 Michigan vs. #7 Minnesota 7 p.m. Food Drive Receive half-price admission ($21$1) if you bring a non-perishable food item. All food will be donated to Food Gatherers in Ann Arbor. #6 Michigan vs. Lake Superior State Friday, Nov. 15 7:35 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 7:35 p.m. Yost Ice Arena Saturday, Nov. 16 Michigan vs. Iowa 7 p.m. (7e lIsed onFox Spqxts Chicago) Wrestling I I i I