SEPTEMBER x1,195

MKMM
MICHIGAN DAMN

Cagers Eke Out Sixth Place, Finish in Conft

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KRAMER STARS
Fail to Figurein Run for Big Ten Title

BY JACK HORWITZ
Associate Sports Editor
Well, it was better than last
year.
This thought echoed through
the minds of Michigan basketball
fans as they saw the end of an-
other dismal season of cage play.
Michigan's basketball fortunes
were improving, but very slightly.
For the past several years the
cagers have not been able to stay
in the thick of the Big Ten race
for even a good portion of the
season and 1954-55 was no differ-
ent.
Ending the year with a .500
average for all games and a five
won, nine lost record for con-
ference play, all that the Wolver-
ines could salvage was a four-way
tie for sixth place in the Western
Conference.
Bright Spots
There were some bright spots
and some bad falls for the cagers
as they moved through the season.
For Coach Bill Perigo, it was his
best season since coming here
three years ago. For the graduat-
ing varsity players, it was their
best season since coming to Michi-
gan.
There was the play of big center
Ron Kramer, who led the squad in
scoring and placed high - in the
conference scoring race. There was
the fine play of captain-elect Tom
Jorgenson, who finished second in
the season scoring race. And there
was also the fine rebounding work
of captain Paul Groffsky.
There was also the five game
losing streak at the end of the
season. An the loss of guard Jim
Barron, who promised to be one of
the outstand.ing players on the
Maize and Blue squad.
Five tegulars
The season looked to be bright
as Perigo started with five tried
and tested regulars in the lineup.
Groffsky and Jorgenson filled the
two forward slots, with Harvey
Williams at center. Don Eaddy and
Barron took the guard positions.
In the first six games, all non-
conference contests, the Wolver-
ines won four and dropped only
two. They opened the season at
home downing Pittsburgh and
Butler and losing to Marquette.
During the Christmas recess, tfie
cagers gained a 73-58 win over
Washington University of St. Louis
and then proceeded to set a new
scoring record for the Wolverines
against Denver University down-
ing them 104-77. They wound up

the tour losing to Brigham Young,
70-602 The hoopsters had pre-
viously set a scoring record against
Pittsburgh in the opener as they
notched 101 points' to the losers
71. 0
Winning Streak Going
The cagers came back to school
at the beginning of January raring
to keep the winning streak.going.
They traveled to Indiana and were
readily dumped by the defending
champions, 95-77. They were still
enthused, however, and went on to
down the Badgers of Wisconsin.
They climbed into the Big Ten
lead, which was short lived, as they
thrashed the Ohio State Buckeyes
in the next contest. It was in the
Indiana game that the Wolverines
lost the services of Barron, who
injured his knee.
The Wolverines finished up the
month of January with two startl-
ing defeats, 'one at the hands of
their arch-rival Michigan State
and another at the hands of
North-western, 84-82.
They opened the new semester
with a non-conference win over
Los Angeles State and followed
with a loss to Illinois, 81-80, after
leading at halftime.
Down Purdue
The close loss to Illinois was
followed a week later with a
thumping 80-70 victory over Pur-
due, sinking the Boilermakers fur-
ther into the conference cellar.
The Wolverines started to build a
winning streak by nipping North-
western, 72-70, on a late basket by
Kramer. The win was revenge for
the earlier loss to the Wildcats.
The new national television pro-
gram of the Western Conference
was the next encounter for the
Maize and Blue. A sharp Minneso-
ta five came down to trounce the
Michigan cagers 74-65 before sev-
eral million TV watchers. The
losses continued with a close bat-
tle with Ohio State. The Buckeyes
scored a 72-68 win on their home
court to give Michigan two
straight defeats.
Third in Row
The third of five losses came at
the hands of Iowa, the front-
running team in the conference.
The Hawkeyes soundly trounced
Michigan, 96-84, in a free-scoring
battle.
Losses four and five were hand-
ed the Wolverines by Illinois and
Michigan State. The fighting Il-
lini triumphed 81-75 while the
Spartans bettered the mark to
83-68.

The Wolverines picked up a fi-
nal inspiration by handing the
Conference titlist, Iowa, a sound
74-58 defeat. This was all they
could salvage out of a poor season.
Maybe Next Year?
Maybe next year will be better
was the thought in most of the
fans' minds. After all, Kramer did
place second on the Big Ten
team. And Jorgenson and Barron
are returning for this season,
along with promising sophomores
Jim Shearon, Milt Lingle, Tom
Raisor, and several reserves.
Several promising newcomers
should see plenty of action in the
1955-56 season. Pete Tillitson, six
foot, six inch sophomore, who
plays either center or forward,
and Randy Tarrier another prom-
ising forward played well in fresh-
man competition. They can be
supported by Joe Sisko, Bill
Wight, Gene Honeyman, and Bob
Sullivan, who also showed some
promise, according to freshman
coach, Dave Strack.
Ed Meads
To Captain
M' E leven
Once again the Michigan foot-
ball team has chosen a small,
hustling guard to captain the 1955
edition.
G. Edgar Meads, a converted
tackle, is another in the long line
of camparatively small linemen to
head the Wolverine eleven. Stand-
ing barely six feet and weighing
194 pounds, Meads is the ninth
lineman in ten years to take the
reigns of the gridiron fortunes.
Only quarterback Bill Putich suc-
ceeded in taking the honors in
1951.
A steady and dependable play-
er, the hustling guard hails from
Oxford, Michigan, where he played
high school ball. He is 21 years
old.
Meads succeeds another guard,
Ted Cachey, who held the helm of
the 1954 squad. The loss of Cach-
ey and another letterman, Chuck
Ritter, leaves an abundance of
guards along with Meads to see
action in the 1955 season.

PAUL GROFFSKY
... Inspiring captain

RON KRAMER
. .. starring sharpshooter

JIM BARRON
... injured star

DON EADDY
. .. driving guard

JIM SHEARON
..9 .promising junior


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