Page 4-The Michigan Daily- Sports Monday - March 25, 1991 Roses are Blue; prep to play for Michigan by Theodore Cox Daily Basketball Writer AUBURN HILLS - The an- nouncement that Detroit South- western forward and top 10 recruit Jalen Rose will play for Michigan next year was a perfect example of why reporters sometimes ask questions when they don't expect an answer. In the middle of the press con- ference after the Michigan High School Class A Finals at the Palace, Jalen Rose was asked by a reporter, "A good friend of yours, Chris Webber, announced today that he was going to be a Wolverine. Have you set a timetable -yet for when you're going to give your decision?" "Yes, I'm going to follow what Chris did," Rose said with little expression. There was a pause as everyone tried to figure out what he meant. Finally his coach, Perry Watson, said, "He's going to be a Wolverine." What was strange about the whole scene was that Rose had said earlier in the week that he wasn't going to make his decision for a week or two. "I decided I was going to go to Michigan in the last seven days," Rose said.' He also added that he hadn' talked with ei, ther Michigan coach Steve Fish- er or Webber a-" }hbout the decision' ' Rose is 6- foot-8 and can play either the j . % forward or guard position. During his senior year he averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds per game on what many consider the No. 1 high school basketball team in the country. "I couldn't find anything out- side the state that wasn't inside the state," Rose said of Michigan. "It would have been hard for me to leave." As Rose began to think about what he was saying, his enthusiasm on the subject grew, until at the end he had a big smile on his face con- cerning his decision. Rose's teammate and highly re- cruited guard Voshon Lenard was also questioned about where he would spend his college days. However, he still hasn't made up his mind. His top two choices are Minnesota and Michigan, in order of preference. He does not know if he will reach his decision before the April 10th signing date. Theodore Cox Webber, Rose put 'M'0 program on upswing AUBURN HILLS - For all of you who said Michigan coach Steve Fisher couldn't recruit - hop down from your bandwagon, and join the one going the opposite way. With the high school championships taking place this weekend, local' fans were able to catch a glimpse of the latest two prep stars to commit to the Wolverines. On Friday, Detroit Country Day's Chris Webber got a chance to test out the playing surface at Crisler Arena a little early. In case you've been locked up in the UGLI all semester, Webber is considered the best high school basketball player in the country. Against Bridgeport in the' Michigan High School Class B semifinals, the 6-foot-10 center scored 25 points (including six dunks and three triples), grabbed nine rebounds, and blocked seven shots in the 78-44 victory. And none of his efforts seemed to strain him in the least - it truly was a man playing among boys. It is no wonder college coaches have drooled over him since the ninth grade. He can dribble with the ease of a guard. HeI can pass with the precision of a quarterback. And he only shot 85 percent. But most of all, he can jump. His hang time rivals NBA players. This enables him to glide to the basket, pump-fake the ball, and end up with a dunk or easy lay-in. And he makes it look so easy. Many times Friday he was making silly faces and giving sarcastic smiles to his teammates on the court. It appeared as if he wasn't working at all, but rather trying to keep himself amused. In the Class B finals at the Palace the next day, Webber had 27 points,' 22 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Much of this came after he had to be carried off the court in the first quarter because of a mild sprain to his ankle. There is little question Webber will make a big impact next year. Michigan is lacking at the forward position and he is quick enough to work the ball inside. The only thing he needs to work on is his post-up game. Saturday night, Detroit Southwestern's less celebrated Jalen Rose produced similar statistics. He finished the game with 25 points, 18 rebounds, and a state championship title. Although the 6-foot-8 forward is not as strong or as quick as Webber, he is still considered one of the top ten high school players in the nation. More of a shooter, Rose would probably end up playing the second guard at Michigan; he can dribble and pass even better than Webber. The best thing about his game, however, is that he is a team player. During the press conference after the Prospectors won the Michigan Class A Championship, he took time to point out that the team was not only No. 1 in the state, but in the country - and few are disputing his claim. Rarely did anyone on Southwestern score without getting a teammate's pass first. Rose should make an impact next season, but how much is hard to say. He is thin and needs to put on some weight in order to battle in the Big Ten. The signing of these two players, along with forward Juwan Howard (No. 3 in the country), guard Jimmy King (top 15) and Ray Jackson (top 100), gives Fisher undeniably the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. And although this group has a strong chance to give Fisher another national championship down the road, don't expect things to turn around overnight.. Two years ago, Indiana had the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big Ten, and the Hoosiers finished only seventh in the conference a year ago. Keep in mind, these are just high school players with a wealth of potential and no college experience. Expect Fisher to blend with this group very well. Both Webber and Rose said they chose Michigan largely because Fisher isn't a coach who, rants and raves. Instead he encourages the players. That is the type of coach a team with several superstars needs. Players of Webber's caliber don't need to be drilled on the fundamentals of basketball - they must be able to experiment with their superior skills. And just a side note to all the reports that went out all year long claiming to know where Webber was going: "For all those people who lucked out and guessed what school I was going to, they didn't know jack," Webber said. Up until Saturday afternoon, only Webber and his immediate family knew what his choice was. This was evidenced by the fact both Michigan: State coach Jud Heathcote and Detroit Mercy coach Ricky Birdsong attended some of Webber's games this week. On Friday, Fisher didn't even know about the press conference Webber had called. Webber pointed out that he didn't really make up his mind until about a week ago. Rose didn't let anybody know about his decision until Saturday either He had told Fisher he would probably announce his decision this week. Rose didn't even give any indication that he was going to make his decision public at the Palace. "It would have been a big thing where it would have overshadowed what we had going (Southwestern's title)," Rose said, "and I didn't want that to happen." Future Michigan Wolverine Chris Webber logs some serious airtime in the Class B semifinals last weekend. To Webber, who makes the game of basketball look like the game of nerf ball, the move is old hat. But Bridgeport's Jimmy Young (#13), is wishing for a hard hat. The young guard will tell his grandchildren that Webber dunked over him, but he's not alone. Webber threw down 11 slams during the high school Final Four. Watson undecided about 'M' job by Theodore Cox Daily Basketball Writer AUBURN HILLS - With the key Michigan recruits finally decid- ing to attend Michigan, the biggest question in the Wolverine basket- ball camp is whether Detroit Southwestern coach Perry Watson will join the staff next season as an assistant coach. Michigan coach Steve Fisher has told Watson that the job is his if he wants it. He has also given Watson the freedom of taking his time to make up his mind - and the Prospectors coach will take full ad- vantage of the privilege. "I've wanted to focus my atten- tion on this team (Southwestern)," Watson said. "I'm not a 17, 18-year- old single guy. I have a family and I can't just pick up and move. I'm go- ing to sit down and consider it now that the season's over. Coach Fisher has been kind enough not to put any pressure on me.... I probably won't know by the end of the college bas- ketball season." Watson has been with South- western for 13 years, compiling a 302-34 record. He has lead the Prospectors to two straight Class A state basketball titles, and his team has been in the finals nine of the last 10 years. "I've put a lot of sacrifice and hard work into this program," Watson said. Michigan Wolverine basketball recruits This is a scouting report on Michigan's five basketball recruits. All information is from Bob Gibbons' All Star Sports recruiting magazine. Juwan Howard, 6-10, power forward; Vocational High School, Chicago, Ill. Howard was the third rated preseason prospect by All Star Sports. His 230-pound frame should allow him to play in the paint. His playing style resembles former Duke star Alaa Abdelnaby. Howard is a partial quali- fier under Proposition 48 thus far; he has a 17 on the ACT, and awaits scores from a recent test. He has two attempts remaining after the incoming scores to achieve the required 18. Ray Jackson, 6-5, swingman; L.B. Johnson High School, Austin Texas. Jackson is rated in the top 100 preps by All Star Sports. Jimmy King, 6-4, off-guard; East High School, Plano Texas. All Star Sports rates King as one of the nation's 20 best preps and the No. 1 player in Texas. King's strengths include three-point shooting, rebounding, passing, and especially slam dunks. He has unlimited hang time, and some of his dunks remind people of Michael Jordan. Jalen Rose, 6-7, swingman; Detroit Southwestern, Detroit. Rose was the 10th rated preseason prospect by All Star Sports. The lefthander is regarded as the nation's premier swingman and three-point shooter. Rose has the ball-handling and passing skills to play two-guard, and the size to play small forward. Chris Webber, 6-10, power forward; Detroit Country Day, Birmingham. All Star Sports rated Webber the No. 2 preseason prospect behind Glenn Robinson, who is headed to Purdue. While they say Webber has more potential than anyone else, they say he sometimes tries to do too much. However, Webber did win Parade's high school player of the year award, and Michigan's Mr. Basketball trophy. Duke, UNC, UNLV, and Kansas all in Final Four Associated Press North Carolina and Duke, whose campuses are just a long jog apart, will be sharing a new neighborhood next weekend in Indianapolis. The Atlantic Coast Conference rivals advanced to the Final Four on Sunday, giving the league half of the NCAA semifinal field for the sec- oand straight year. North Carolina held off tena- cious Temple 75-72 for the East Regional championship, ending Dean Smith's longest absence from the Final Four and making him the first coach to get there in four different decades. Duke defeated St. John's 78-61 for the Midwest title, joining UCLA and Cincinnati as the only wrh nk to make frf ennmentiv Williams. The Final Four also had two ACC teams last year, Duke and Georgia Tech. King Rice hit four free throws in the last 22 seconds and Temple's Mark Macon missed a potential, game-tying 3-pointer with four sec- onds left, putting North Carolina in the Final Four for the first time since winning the national title in 1982. "Maybe now I won't get any letters asking why I hadn't been to the Final Four," said Smith, who lost four consecutive regional finals after winning his first seven. "I can hardly remember the last time we made it. I'm pleased for the seniors who haven't been there before." Althmnah hic tt-.m lct Maonn attempt. Smith moved into a tie with UCLA's John Wooden for most ca- reer victories in the NCAA tour- nament. Smith's tourney record is 47-21; Wooden was 47-18. Rick Fox and Hubert Davis led North Carolina with 19 points each. Mik Gilgore had 18 for Temple (24- 10). A 12-3 run by Temple pulled the Owls within two points with 11:47 remaining, but the Tar Heels coun- tered with a 9-3 spurt to extend the lead to 61-53. Temple, trying to join 11th- seeded LSU in 1986 as the only dou- ble-digit seeds to reach the Final Four, stayed close down the stretch but could never overtake North rnar1 nn all the way. That's a record for Final Four futility. UCLA made 10 straight Final Four appearances from .1967-76, winning eight times, and Cincinnati was there five straight years from 1959-63, winning twice. Duke raced to a 40-27 halftime lead Sunday and was never threat- ened. The Blue Devils are 28-0 this season when leading at halftime. Hurley made 6 of 10 shots from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3- point range. The 6-foot sophomore also had four assists and four steals with only one turnover and even led his team in rebounding with seven. Christian Laettner scored 19 ruNinte n r P Thnr mhleslik 411,Can I ~ '~- -