Big changes or more big losses ahead

CHAMPAIGN - Brian Ellerbe's team is suffering - the obvious.

From the coach to his players to Crisler's pre-teen sweat moppers, everyone is aware that Michigan can't continue to get pulverized so routinely without hearing the swelling discontent from the University community.

The losses - 29 points to Illinois, 20 to Purdue, 43 to Duke and 31 to Maryland. There's trouble a-brewin' for this program on a number of levels if Michigan can't change its pattern of behavior.

Arriving at this realization is simple. Enabling this team to play better basketball and spinning the season into a moral victory will be Ellerbe's staunch task.

Michigan's composition logically places them in the "a year away" category, with four contributing freshmen, one senior and another good recruiting class on the horizon. But with three years of mostly black eyes, the team has exhausted its leeway.

Ellerbe said last week that the answer wasn't alterations in basketball strategy and that a young team will make young mistakes. It would be wise to reconsider.

The areas where Michigan struggled against Illinois have been trouble spots all season. Rotten 3-point shooting, traveling violations, foul trouble, charges and poorly-run fast breaks have facilitated these double-digit debacles.

Michigan needs to curb the outlandish statistics - 27 percent shooting against Illinois or 4-of-19 3-point shooting against Purdue - it is putting up in these grotesque losses, before this season becomes utter toilet material. Ellerbe must try changing the X's and O's and form schemes to make these chronic problems less lethal.

Suggestion 1: Slow the game down to a Wisconsin-like pace, because any speed has been disastrous. Fast breaks usually end in wild shots or turnovers. Drives by Bernard Robinson and Avery Queen, probably the two quickest players on the team, often end in charges and blocked shots respectively.

Michigan's successful moments almost always occur on the blocks. Stop simply trying to dominate the post and make a commitment to feed the post on every single possession.

As Illinois coach Bill Self said, Chris Young, Josh Moore and Josh Asselin get great interior position, and they'll garner respect from referees as they continue to improve.

Win or lose the game inside, but don't bury yourself by turning the ball over and missing outside shots.

Suggestion 2: Work the ball through LaVell Blanchard on each possession. Michigan's best player hasn't shown the confidence to take over a game yet, but that may be because his role on the team seems undefined. As a great passer and probably the team's best spot-up shooter, Blanchard is Michigan's best option to feed the post. Queen, Maurice Searight and Leon Jones should bring the ball over half court, but at that point, run the offense through LaVell and see if the team's shots improve.

Suggestion 3: Put the clamps on the post trio when they aren't in the middle of the offense and defense. Stupid fouls are devouring the Wolverines. Of course the big men will pick up fouls in the bump and grind of post play, but it's ridiculous to have them diving recklessly for loose balls or flying over backs for unattainable rebounds. Ellerbe has to force his three big men to be more cautious.

These solutions may not be the brainwork of a basketball scholar, but Ellerbe cannot resist immediate and drastic change. Otherwise Michigan's last 14 games will be sullied with more humiliating losses, and the entire program will appear complacent to Michigan fans.

The

Outsider

Dan

Williams