From: steve@nova.eng.wayne.edu (Steve Phillips)
Subject: Re: Ohio State - Michigan B-Ball
Keywords: Big Ten Champs
Organization: Engineering Computer Center
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:02:08 GMT

|> >Oh sure, it'll be easy for teams in the Big Ten to stop Michigan.
|> >All you have to do is figure out a way to stop Webber, and Rose, and
|> >King, and Howard, and somehow out-coach Steve Fisher.  An easy task.  Not.
|> 
|> One of the above statements does not belong with the others.  Which is is?
|> 
|> [clue - it has to do with out-coaching somebody.  Yes, I know this is an
|> aaaaaaack-whumph thread, but somehow I don't relate Fischer's coaching
|> ability with the other's talents]

The bottom line is that he wins when it counts.  Ask Randy Ayers.
 
|> On a player note, you do not even know your own damn team.  Michigan
|> started playing more consistently well when Ray Jackson (the unheralded 5th
|> member of the 5) started playing good defense.  But if you are trying to
|> say that stopping all 5 at once may be difficult, I agree.  I don't think
|> it's inconcievable that on a given night that Robinson or Henderson could
|> outplay Webber, or Earl outplay Howard, or Respert or Webster outplay Rose,
|> or Bailey (gag) or Finley outplay King.

I don't think it's inconceivable either, just unlikely.  It happened a good
number of times last year, with Calbert Cheaney and Laettner being prime
examples.  Ray Jackson is not an offensive threat, at least not right now,
and that`s why he wasn't mentioned with the others, who do carry most of
the scoring load.  I do agree (since I saw every game of theirs last year)
that they did improve themselves when Jackson began to get more and more
playing time.

|> You better watch your woofing.  There will be a lot of people going "what
|> happenned?" every time Michigan loses, now.  I'm sure you'll have good
|> excuses, too.

So what else is new?  That's been a constant drone in their ears since they
won back-to-back Big 10 titles in the mid-80's under Frieder.  "What
happened?" after a loss is something they've gotten used to by now.

|> Prediction:  Michigan, at best, will go 14-4 in the Big 10 this year.

I think that would be fantastic, especially with the nice little scheduling
quirk that cuts an Indiana-Michigan State game, while cutting Michigan games
with Northwestern and one other non-contending team.  Of course, most people
will expect more than that, but there is plenty of talent to go around in the
Big 10, and there will be some beating-up within the conference, to be sure.
Winning on the road will be more difficult than ever, so 14-4 doesn't sound
too bad at this point.

-- 
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|Steve Phillips                               Engineering Computer Center |
|System Administrator                         College of Engineering      |
|Supervisor, Macintosh Group                  Wayne State University      |
|Internet: steve@nova.eng.wayne.edu           5050 Anthony Wayne Drive    |
|Phone: (313) 577-1812                        Detroit, Michigan 48202     |
|FAX #: (313) 577-5969                        U.S.A.                      |
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college,rec.sport.basketball.pro