14 -The Michigan Daily -ipoff 195-190 - Thursday, November 16, 1995 The Michigan Daily - TIPOF Dugan FIFE Height: 6-3 Weight: 185 Year: Senior Position: Guard Hometown: Clarkston High School: Clarkston Strengths: The most experienced Wolverine. Can hit the outside shot. Question Marks: Lacks confidence. Doesn't take charge as point guard should.- Stee FISHER Born: March 24, 1945 High School: Herrin H.S., Herrin, Ill. Wife: Angie Children: Mark and Jonathan College: Illinois State rIF Coaching Career: 1971-79: Head Coach - Rich East HS, Park Forest, 1ll. Record: 141-70 1979-82: Assistant Coach - Western Michigan 1982-89: Assistant Coach - Michigan 198%-present: Head Coach - Michigan .59 (seven years) Big Ten: 69-39 (six years) hey spent years feeding meals and ideals to Robert Traylor. There was his mother, Lenora Traylor, and his grandmother, Jessie Carter. He would eagerly anticipate each morsel. "Hold your head up high." ''Have some macaroni and cheese"~ "As you grow up, respect older people." They gave all -they could to Robert, and the child eagerly grasped what he was given. "Have some peach cobbler." "The more you listen, the more you will get the information you want. If you talk too much, you might miss it." He ate it all up. Year . 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 Totals Games FG pct. Steals 20 28 31 79 00.0 0.4 44. 32.0 37.7 1.5 1.2 1.1 Blocks APG RPG PPG 0.0 0.7 0.9 0.5 Record at Michigan: 140- 0.1 2.4 2.5 6.5 0 0.0 1.9 1.8 3.4 a .06 1.8 1.8 3.8 LL ,,. Willie MITCHELL Height: 6-8 Weight: 217 Year: Soph Positin: Forward/Guard Hometow: Detroit High Schoo l:i Pershing Strengths:Exlosive to the basket. Vocal leader of ndofW h cut. Question Marks: Very streaky shooter with bad shot selection. Year 1994-95 Totals Garaes 31 31 FG pct. Steals 36.0 0.8 36.0 0.8 Blocks APG RPG PPG 0.4 0.6 0.3 5.3 0.4 0.6 0.3 5.3 Neal MORTON ..:w;::: q ; r :.. !, ;:;; Height: 6-5 Year Senio Weight: 200 Position: ;.Guard/Forward Hometow: nArbor High School: CvAbrieO Richard Strengths:fVery good outside Shooter. True team play. Question Marks: Has seen only nine minutes of play as a Wolverine. .Perhaps he ate a little too much. The food, that is. By his senior year at Detroit's Murray-Wright High School, he had ballooned to 340 pounds. When you are that big, you need to deal with a lot of jokes. He'~s so big, his stomach has to get to pructice five minutes early just to make sure his butt arrives on time. Ha, ha, ha. He gives new meaning to feeding a gui' in the post. Ha, ha. He 's a true McDonald 's All-Ameri- Ha. In high school they called him Baby Shaq, but that described his game, not his frame. Shaquille O'Neal is five inches taller than Traylor, but he weighs in at a mere 300 pounds. A few weeks ago, Michigan assistant coach Brian Dutcher saw Traylor stand- ing next to 6-9, 210-pound forward Maceo Baston in the lockerroom and dubbed them "Thick and Thin."~ "'He's a monster," says Thin. "We call him Baby Shaq, King Kong." Traylor has heard all the nicknames. He offers none of his own. "It's something I'm trying to get rid of," Traylor says. "Shaq is going to be Shaq and Robert is going to try to be Robert." Being Robert worked just fine in high school, thank you. Traylor was named Michigan's Mr. Basketball last season as the top player in the state, de- spite being 65 pounds overweight. "I never played against him in high school, but I saw him play," Taylor says. "He was a man among boys." And even when Traylor was a boy, he was a man. Imagine: Baston played at 200 pounds last season. Traylor used to weigh 200 pounds - in the sixth grade. But don't think that the Big Ten will be too much for the Big Ton. Traylor possesses remarkable quickness for a man his size. His footwork is outstand- ing. It's hard to find a naysayer among those who have seen him play. His skills are obvious. "He's probably one of the most physically gifted athletes I have ever seen," Taylor says. "For someone to move like that at his size is amazing. On top of all that, he's a good player. He's very .intimidating. He has a real soft touch with the basketball. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor." The natural tendency is to expect a man this large to dominate conversation, .as .though pthere is a certain words-per- pound ratio that we all must follow. But in fact, Traylor is relaxed and quiet - shy, even. "I have always been the type of per- son that can listen to people and take ad- vice," Traylor says. "Just listening and learning, that's been the biggest thing. It's easy for a person to say, I know ev- erything.' but it's harder for a person to sit down and listen and learn." The bigger they are, the harder they listen, apparently. Traylor tiptoes around conversation, as though he might crush you with too many words. He talks like he doesn't want to get in people's way. "He knows he has a lot to learn, so he is always asking questions," Taylor says. This is a surprise to people who only know him as Robert Traylor, basketball player. On the court, he not only comes barreling down the court - a tractor Traylor - but he doesn't mind talking trash - oral Robert. He will probably always be known for his dunks, which are best measured by seismologists. And he does enjoy the dunks. But that's not what really excites Traylor on the court. "I like setting picks," Traylor says. " I just like the contact. Setting picks and getting my teammates open. Dunking is something that's going to be there. Ev- erybody can do that now. But a lot of people don't go setting picks to get their teammates open." Opposing players generally can't fight through a 300-pound pick. No mat- ter how fast they are running, Traylor stops them in their tracks. On the court, Robert Traylor doesn't mind getting in people's way. People who see Robert Traylor on the street are surprised at his size, but to those who know, his size is hardly a sur- prise. The Traylors aren't likely to win any Family Limbo Contests any time soon. Robert's grandmother is 6-3. His aunt, Lydia Johnson, is 6-3. His cousin, Chicago Bears defensive lineman Alonzo Spellman, is 6-4. His uncle, Ri- chard Johnson, is 7-1. This is what you would call a large family. On Thanksgiving, while most families eat turkey, the Traylors eat Tur- key. "Robert would eat a whole box of cereal," his mother says. "He'll eat five or six pieces of chicken. His grand- mother is a real good cook. He's used to eating very big meals." Robert admits that he misses that home cooking. He also misses that home pushing. "Off the court, my biggest fear would be not getting my grades," Traylor says. Year 1994-95 Totals Games 7 7 FG pct. Steals Blocks APG R .000 0. 0 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 LPG PPG 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 Travis CO'N LAN Heighf 6-5 Weight: 190 Year. Sodh.Posit-on: Guard Hometow: St. Clair Shores Hih School:sLie Shore Strengths: .ursanding defender who played well inkey r:g +ut:e>>s Question Marks: Decision making and scoring ability. Ron OLIVIER Height: 6-0 Year: 'Frosh Positin: Guard Hometown: Little Rock, Ark. The Scoop: Oliver was recruited by smalr schools but those to walk on at Michigan. Frier SZYNDLAR Height: 6-7. Year: Frys Posiion: Forwar Hometow:'Belleville The Sco:Syndr vwAlkdon after scing 14 3 poirs a game as a senior. Pronounced SHIND-lar.. "It's not like being at home where you are at home and you got someone breath- ing down your back, that parental figure. For me, it was my grandmother, my mother and also my aunt. With those three, it was, "You don't get your grades, you're not going to play." That was not an easy threat for his family to make. Traylor's aunt and uncle both played professional basketball in Europe. It was clear from the start: If Robert was big, he would be a basketball player. He quickly answered any questions about whether he would be big. "He was born at 10 pounds, 11 ounces," his mother says. "They wanted to know why he was so big. They thought there might have been some- thing wrong. They wanted to run tests." Some of Robert Traylor's collegiate opponents will undoubtedly want to know why he is so big. They will know there is something wrong. They may want to run away. It usually takes freshmen a while to adjust to the college game. And it will take Traylor a while to adjust. The most obvious adjustment, of course, is in his waistline. Traylor has been dieting since April. "We might be eating somewhere and he'll have a salad, and I'll say, You know you want more than that. You knoN says Basl idea Ten phei noui tend defy two imp{ opti+ Rob in tv~ NB Tral was goir not himr lear you forri mol then ,,,,... Year 1994-95 Totals Games FG pct. Steals B"o 27 27 35.1 35.1 0-.6 0.6 ocks APG RPG PPG High School Highlights: Bullock was named "Mr. Basketball" for the 0.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 Washington, D.C., area and McDonald's All-American after scoring 25.7. 0.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 points, 8.7 assists, nine rebounds, and six steals his senior. Bullock had a four-year high-school varsity record of 116-19 at The Canterbury School and Laurel Baptist. t.v. .,