THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1958 THE MICHIGAN DAILY
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BY JIM BAAD
Wolverines Hope To Gain
First Crown Since 1948
A Sinple Fact
UESTIONING has been fierce of late concerning a possible drop in
Sthe caliber of local football talent and on the general decline of
Michigan football in the last eight years.
The game hasn't actually gone to the dogs at Michigan, but con-
sidering the three championships in 1947-48-50, and the lack since
then, we must admit a decline. In 1951 we finished fourth, in 1952
fourth again, in 1953 we tied for fifth, in 1954 a tie for second, in
1955 a third, in 1956 another second, and in 1957 we dropped to sixth.
When performance drops off this way there are always theories
as to why. A prominent one in the last year or so has been that the
recruiting has been poor because the coach is not showing the high
powered vitality necessary these days. Bennie Oosterbaan has re-
ceived his share of this criticism and I think unfairly.
In placing a majority of blame on Oosterbaan and his recruiting
procedures, I think the critics are striking out too blindly and over-
looking a strikingly simple fact which appears to be of paramount
Importance in explaining Michigan's late tribulations in the Confer-
ence football picture. Michigan State was admitted to the Big Ten in
1949 and there our troubles began.
Prior to this event, Michigan was the only football power in the
state, the only school wljich competed in the prestige-laden Big Ten
Conference. Recruiting w thin the state could be done using this appeal
with every prospective athlete who had a sufficiently good high school
academic record to enter the University. If he could pass the entrance
requirements, ours was the closest Big Ten School a state of Michigan
athlete could attend.
1Down the Drain .. .
WITH MICHIGAN STATE'S entrance this line of persuasion went
down the drain. We were no longer alone. Not only this, but State's
entrance opened up college opportunity for a good many more athletes.
The high school academic record no longer was such a barrier, as
entrance requirements at State are not so rigid. Michigan's recruiting
picture hasn't been the same since.
Fqr example, coming out of the Michigan high schools let's say
there are 22 football players who are definitely, of Big Ten potential.
Of these, let's suppose 11 of them have performed off the field well
enough to pass the scrutinous eyes of the University of Michigan
Board of Admissions. Michigan football coaches and alumni can go to
work and diligently recruit six of these 11, allowing rival schools,
nanely Michigan State, only five.
What then is the story? Simply this. By convincing more than half
of the eligible 11 candidates that they should go to Michigan; we have
six of our state's football players, but Michigan State has 16: five plus
the 11 that couldn't get in here.
Even by holding our own in our favorite outstate recruiting
grounds, Chicago, Toledo, and Cleveland, we can't expect to maintain
a championship squad season after season with three fourths of the
home state material being scooped up at East Lansing.
Proof from the Record.. .
IN LOOKING at the record, one can see very well the difference
Michigan State has made. Using 1951 as a base year (allowing two
years for the difference in recruiting potential to take effect) one
can look forward through seven years of seconds, and thirds, and
lower; but in looking back through the pre-State days, Michigan had
five championships and three seconds from 1943 to 1951.
Michigan's academic requirements and subsequent high standing
among American universities are features of which all alumni and
undergraduates are proud. When it comes to athletics and recruiting,
however, many of these same undergraduates and alumni forget that
these academic standards exist and wonder why we don't have better
football teams and why Michigan State is now as good as we are.
It's a simple question of numbers. Some of the players who used
to go here are being lured up-to State, but all the players who gould
never have gone here are also going up to State. You can't keep
winning with a reduction in your manpower.
By DICK MINTZ
The Big Ten swin teams meet
at Iowa City tonight to attempt
to do in numbers what they have
failed to do individually - beat
Michigan.
The favored Wolverine squad
has been victorious in 16 consecu-
tive dual meets, but the last time
it won the Conference swimming
crowd was back in 1948. Since then
it's been a story of always a brides-
maid, never a bride in the Big
Ten meet.
MSU Only Threat
This year, only defending cham-
pion Michigan State stands as the
only serious threat to Michigan's
title hopes.
Coach Gus Stager states, "We
could take nine first places in the
Big Ten meet," but fears that MSU
still has greater team depth.
Points are being awarded on a
7-5-4-3-2-1 basis, with each team
having four entries in an event.
None, then, can depend only on
its individual stars to carry to a
victory, as is often the case in a
dual meet.
There are a total of 16 events
to be held, beginning tonight with
the 1,500-meter freestyle. Prelimi-
naries for the other events will be
held tomorrow, and the finals will
be completed Saturday night.
Coach Stager has kept mum
about his lineup. Because of the
versatility the Wolverines have dis-
played in past meets, it is expected
there will be. some surprises in
Stager's selections.
Fries To Enter
The 1,500-meter freestyle is not
swum in dual-meet competition,
but Pete Fries, who finished fifth
in this event in last year's Con-
ference meet, is the expected Mich-
igan entry.
Carl Woolley, a top-flight sprint-
er, is also a strong possibility for
this gruelling race. Paul Schutt
of Northwestern placed second in
the event last year, and is favored
to win tonight.
Michigan appears to be strong
in such events as the individual
medley, 200-yd. breaststroke, 220-
yd. freestyle, and 440-yd. freestyle.
PETE FRIES
...1,500-meter freestyler
Conference
Wrestlers
Seek Titles
By AL SINAI
Three talent-laden teams should
prove to be the class of the Big
Ten Conference Wrestling Cham-
pionships being held at Cham-
paign, tomorrow and Saturday.
They are Minnesota, the defend-
ing Big Ten Champion, Iowa and
Illinois. In dual meets this year,
Iowa defeated Minnesota, which
beat Illinois, which in turn won
over Iowa.
Michigan, Purdue; Michigan
State, and Ohio State can only
be conceded an outside chance, but
as Michigan proved last year by
finishing only one point behind
Minnesota, season records don't
always tell the tale.
Minnesota, which has won 27
out of 29 dual meets in the last
two seasons, has several outstand-
Ung stars in former Big Ten and
NCAA 123-lb. champion Dick
Mueller, a strong 157 lb. contender,
Ron Baker, and 167-lb. Billy
Wright. Wright has- wrestled at
177-lbs. several times this year,
and should give favorite Jack
Marchello of Michigan plenty of
trouble.
Iowa will be strongest at 137,
147, and 177 lbs. Gene Luttrell,
137 pounds; Simon Roberts, de-
fending Big Ten 147-1b. champion;
and Gary Kurdlemeier, 1957 Con-
ference 177-lb. titlist, will be
Iowa's main point-getters.
Illinois is virtually assured of
one individual championship by
heavyweight Bob Norman, defend-
ing National and Conference
champion.
Wolverine Coach' Cliff Keen
looks for a close, interesting meet,
but declined to comment exten-
sively on his team's chances, say-
ing only, "We're not going down
there to give any points away."
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Chi Phi, SAE
Win I-M Tilts
By TOM WITECKI
Chi Psi and Sigma Alpha Ep-
silon advanced into the semi-
finals of the championship play-
offs of the fraternity "B" basket-
ball league last night.
Chi Psi used a noisy aggressive
defense to gain a 44-17 victory
over Phi Gamma Delta. High
scorer for the Chi Psi's was Pat
Keefe with 18 points.
Tied with Chi Phi 12-12 at the
half, Sigma Alpha Epsilon spurt-
ed to a 24-14 advantage and went
on to win the game, 29-20.
In second place playoffs. Sigma
Alpha Mu edged Delta Sigma Phi,
26-20. Larry Solomon popped in
three straight baskets in the clos-
ing minutes to give SAM its mar-
gin of victory.
In another second place play-
off game Alpha Tau Omega
whipped Sigma Nu 18-7 in a hard
fought, low scoring game. Lead-
ing at the half, 6-4, ATO scored
eight straight points to break the
game wide open.
Phi Sigma Delta defeated Psi
Upsilon, 59-20, in an unusual
third place playoof game. What
that Psi Upsilon used only two'
players for the entire game. Rick
Lenz and Doug Spence starred
for Psi Upsilon as they held their
more numerous foes to only an
18-10 half time lead.
In other third place playoffs
Phi Kappa Psi squeaked by Tau
Delta Phi 23-19, Tau Kappa Ep-
silon walloped Phi Kappa Tau
41-8, and Delta Upsilon rolled
over Phi Kappa Sigma 26-13.
In the fourth place playoffs:
Pi Lambda Phi 26, Alpha Sigma
NHL SCORE"
Toronto 5, Chicago 2
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Duquesne 77, St. Bonaventure 54
Princeton 59, Penn 55
Yale 105, Harvard 87
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