Young Michigan Team Is Surprise Leader in Big Ten

Michigan, picked in the preseason to finish somewhere behind favorites Illinois and Indiana, is the surprise team of the Big Ten this year.

Freshman Gary Grant, teaming well with sophomore Antoine Joubert, is playing more complete basketball for Michigan than Steve Alford did for Indiana last season.

Butch Wade is a force on the boards, Richard Rellford is a proven scorer and center Roy Tarpley leads four starters averaging double figures.

All three are juniors. The only seniors on the squad are backup swingman Leslie Rockymore and former walk-on Gerard Rudy, who has missed the entire year with a foot injury.

But despite exceptional outings over what is regarded as one of the tougher conferences in the country, the experts figure Coach Bill Frieder has more of a chance to rob Fort Knox than Michigan does to win the NCAA.

That’s OK with Frieder. Last season, the sophomore-dominated Wolverines weren’t that highly regarded when they entered the National Invitation Tournament, which they won by crushing Notre Dame, 83-63, in the title game.

“Winning the NIT gave our kids a lot of confidence,” Frieder says. “At the start of the season they were talking about winning the Big Ten and going to the NCAA.”

The Wolverines, however, had lost some key personnel from last year. Gone was 6-foot-11 Tim McCormick, whose improved play late in the season made the team tough, and another key defection was guard Eric Turner, who also elected to try for the NBA.

Michigan lost only to Tennessee prior to the Big Ten season but fell apart in the second half of its conference opener, losing, 87-62, at home to Indiana.

“That game woke us up, defensively,” Frieder said. “We started playing better defense right after that.”

Michigan started the season with razor-thin reserves and somehow managed to avoid injuries to key players while building up the bench. The Wolverines also have avoided serious foul trouble in nearly every game.

Another key factor has been the emergence of 6-8 junior Robert Henderson as a capable substitute for Tarpley, Wade or Rellford. Rockymore fills in both front and back while sophomore guard Garde Thompson provides offense off the bench.

Tarpley had early problems adjusting to the absence of McCormick but now has found his niche. Frieder made a big switch when he decided to put the 6-7, 230-pound Wade on opposing centers while moving the slender Tarpley over to the competition’s No. 2 forward.

“Wade and Rellford are doing exactly what we want them to,” Frieder said. “Wade is staying in the paint and Rellford is squaring up to the basket when he shoots.”

Grant is playing tough defense in addition to leading the team in shooting percentage. Against Kansas, he hit 9 straight shots in the first half -- all from long range. He showed exceptional poise in the second half by taking just two shots.

Logic says Michigan can’t possibly win the NCAA Tournament. No depth, no dominating center and not enough power at the forward spots. Yet the Wolverines match up with most of the teams who figure to be the favorites in the 64-team tournament, so who knows?