Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 27

SECTION CLASSIFIED STOCK LISTINGS THE STATE JOURNAL May 1, 1973 Cavs Bet Heavily on Brewer Sports "I think he's the man to do the job," said Bill Fitch, "and Jim thinks he's the man to do the joh and that's even more important. By MICHAEL A. VERESPEG CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) If Jim Brewer can play basketball as well as the man he idolized when he was a younster, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have solved one of their major problems. Brewer, signed Monday by the Cavs to a multi-year million-dollar contract, said he looked up to former Boston Celtics great Bill Russell, because "he did everything you needed to do to win." THE SIGNING of the two-time Ail-American from the University of Minnesota climaxes several weeks of negotiations in which the Cavaliers first outbid 14 rival National Basketball Association clubs and then the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association to obtain the 6-foot-9, 220-pound pivotman. "Jim has the intangible knew he would consider my accomplishments." BREWER ALSO said that he chose the NBA, because it's "a more established league it's first-class." Brewer, labeled by Fitch as "an unselfish player who goes hard at both ends of the court," said he felt he could contribute most to the Cavaliers with his "defense and rebounding.

"I have to believe I can start," Brewer said. "But I expect to have to win the job. I'm looking forward to learning a lot and facing the challenge." BREWER SAID that rebounding is "80 per cent hard work and 20 per cent know-how," and that he drives himself to perfection in this area by "getting mad every-time I miss one." "I'm ready to play," said Brewer. "I want to start earning my salary." "I think he's the man to do the job for us," aid Fitch, "and Jim thinks he's the man to do the job and that's even more important." BREWER'S MAIN attorney, Louis Schaffel, said Brewer has "already walked through the door" to becoming a millionaire and that the contract, in excess of three years, "is the best contract there will be this year." "No one wil approach it," said Schaffel. "I should hope Bill Walton (UCLA's heralded center) would do as well." Brewer said he chose to play with the Cavaliers, because "I know more about Bill Fitch than I would about any other coach.

I know and trust him. I qualities all winners have," said Cavs Coach-General Manager Bill Fitch. "With him in the lineup, you'll get a lot of rebounds." Fitch, who recruited Brewer out of high school for Minnesota, gambled he could sign the muscular college player last week when he traded starters John Johnson anl center Rick Roberson to the Portland Trail Blazers for the chance to draft Brewer. THE CAVALIERS paid a steep price, both in players and money, for Brewer, but Fitch said "if a player's worth the money" he should get it. "No matter how many dollars you give Jim," said Fitch, "you can't spoil him.

Signs 'Best Contract Jim Brewer (center), 6-foot-9 center from the University of Minnesota, signed a contract Monday with the Cleveland Cavaliers, one his attorney said "is the best tontraci there will I be this year." He was welcomed by Bill Fitch (left), Cavs' coach and general manager, and Cavs' owner Nick Mileti (right) in Cleveland. -A Baggett at QB Controls Home Defense Is Niesen strengthen a position that we considered weak. B4GGETT, WHO hails from Fayetteville, N.C. and wa? a neighbor of MSU assistant coach Jimmy Raye. went to the University of North Carolina in his freshman year and then transferred to State last fall.

He'll be a junior in the fall with two years of eligibility remaining. "Charlie has shown us that he can run the Stolz said. "He has a good arm and is a better than average runner. He also has the size and intelligence to be a good quarterback." Stolz said that he will re-evaluate the quarterback situation when spring drills end in two weeks. SERVING AS backup quarterback to Basgett the rest of the spring will be Tyrone Willingham, a 5-7, 145-pound sophomore from Jacksonville, N.C.

"WE DON'T have that many outstanding athletes on the team and we couldn't see having two players of the ability of Baggett and Niesen at one position," Stolz said. "We're very happy with the play of both at quarterback, but Mark was the natural choice to move to a different position." Niesen was a regular in the defensive secondary as a sophomore, and started the 72 season there before moving to quarterback for the Notre Dame game. He'll continue to work some at quarterback but will concentrate on defensive halfback. "It's a gamble, but we feel Charlie has shown us enough this spring that he can handle the job and we want to give him the next two weeks to gain more experience," Stolz said. "Switching Mark back to defense also helps By FRED STABLEY JR.

Staff Writer Mark Nicsen's back "home." The 5-11, 175-pound senior from Manistee would never openly admit it, but ever since he became Michigan State's No. 1 quarterback last fall his heart was still in the defensive backfield. AND, MONDAY afternoon he got his wish. In an attempt to get as many good athletes into the lineup at once, Michigan State football coach Denny Stolz moved Niesen back to defense. That leaves the job as top signal-caller for the Spartans in the capable but inexperienced hands of 6-1, 190 pound junior Charlie "Rifleman" Baggett.

II STf 1 flf 1 I U.S. Cagers Lack Muscle, Lose. 78-76 1 vtm iliil tit i 1 iffrrffi iWti'rf- EM Charles Baggctt Albuquerque and Wednesday night's third game. Before 13,895 fans in the Sports Arena, the deciding ED SENYCZKO By JACK STEVENSON SAN DIEGO (AP) "I'm an old alley fighter but I want equal muscle," declared Coach Bob Cousy of the U.S. national team after Russia squared their series in a rough basketball battle.

On the other hand, Russia's coach Vladimir Kandrashin declared through an interpreter, "Swen Nater is a dirtv player," and he made New Look About MFL that's all right with me." Nater's teammate, Bobby Jones of North Carolina, who left the game with five fouls, commented: "SWEN'S THE most meek guy on the team. He'd never hurt anybody. The Russians have some guys who really sneak blows." Although Cousy seeks more muscle, his team missed good scoring opportunities in the final two minutes and Nater missed his first five shots. Bad passes proved costly in the late going. Ernie Di-Gregorio of Providence and George Karl of North Carolina each threw the ball away.

AND WITH one second to go West Point's Jim Oxley missed a 12-footer and the game was over. Oxley, who entered the game with seven minutes to See U.S., Pg. C-2, Col. 3 points came with one minute 52 seconds remaining when Jack Salumets sank two free throws. SEVENTEEN SECONDS earlier, Aleksandcr Boloshcv had tipped in a field goal to tie the count.

All told, the lead changed hands 20 times. The second confrontation saw three Russians foul out, one U.S.A. player foul out, another thrown out and Cousy get charged with a technical foul for overzealous objections. RON BEHAGEN of Minnesota was the man banned when referee Martti HuhtamM of Finland charged him with elbowing. Aleksander Belov, the man best known in America as the Russian who sank the final field goal in the 1972 Olympic finals won 51-50 by the Russians, was the player involved.

"I KIND of used my elbow motions with his elbow. THE RUSSLVNS had just beaten the Yanks, 78-76 in the second game in their series of six after the opener in Los Angeles went to the Americans convincingly, 83-65. Bill Walton, the National Collegiate Player of the Year the past two seasons, missed the second game because of a knee injury suffered in the first one. His UCLA understudy, Nater, was the starter in San Diego. Cousy fumed again, "It's organized mayhem under the basket.

Outside fouls are called closely, but the criterion under the basketball under the basket seems to be blood." THE COACH of the Kansas City-Omaha National Basket-bail Association club declared he wanted to add a center and "muscular forwards" to his national team which currently depends on finesse. The teams head for USSR 7t I 04 5 J-4 5- 3 0-1 6 4-6 Dvorni Salmtt Belov Edstiko Salnikv USA 74 Sndn Jones Nater DeGrgro Hendrsn McFrlnd Behagen Karl Lee Oxley 1 0-0 7 3- i 1-2 5-4 3 2-4 7 0-0 3 1-2 4 4 4 1 0-0 4 0-0 Zrmkmdvl 0-0 Gncharv 0 0-0 Korkva 7 1-2 Boloshv 7 04 Snkshin 0 OO 30 U-22 74 Totali Totlll .33 11-1171 This One Is Mine ussr USA as a lever to get around said Behagen after the game, "but I didn't elbow him." Cousy defended the 7-foot Nater saying, "I wish he could play 40 per cent more aggressively, and if that means 40 per cent dirtier, Belov, out-Dvorni, Korkiya. Fouled Center Swan Nater of UCLA pulls in a rebound with the Soviet Union's Jake Salumets applying pressure in the U.S.-Russian basketball game Monday night in San Diego. The Soviets won, 78-76 to even the series at 1-1. Jones Total fouls-USSR 35, USA 30.

Technical toul-USA, Coach Cousy. Ailing Athletics There's an air of confidence stirring about the office of the Lansing All Stars these days. That confidence is surfacing to the extent that All Stars' president Dr. Tom Jamieson, and other Midwest football league officials are forecasting 1973 as the year the MFL grows up. Rather than the helter-skelter, live-out-of-the-pocket existence by which MFL teams had been known to operate in the past, now there's an indication of a solid business venture.

"We've been in contact with many, many players," says All Stars' business manager Bill Laverty. "We've signed a few to come to our camp, and we're trying to arrange jobs in the Lansing area for others. We're serious about being competitive in the League. We want to be able to play with the likes of Columbus, Youngs-town and Indianapolis." Agreement With Argos The latest development to indicate Jamieson and coach Ed Dubaj are serious about the MFL and the All Stars is the announcement that the All Stars and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League have worked out a player exchange agreement. "What the agreement with Toronto means is that they'll send us a couple, maybe, five or six players they're really interested in, but aren't positive they're ready to play in the CLF," Dubaj said.

"The Argos are opening their rookie camp on May 19 and we expect to be up there to look at the squad. We've been working with Greg Barton (former Detroit Lions' quarterback, who played out his option and played for the Argos), who is their player personnel director now." "We don't know just what we can expect from Toronto," Laverty explained. "There are so many things that still have to be worked out, and there are legal aspects to be considered, really we're still in the talking stage." Response Encouraging Dubaj brought up the fact that Youngstown has such a working agreement with the Cleveland Browns of the NFL and that last season the Browns sent them a number of exceptional players. Such attempts to improve the caliber of the league, speaks well of MFL officials and club owners who want to see the league develop into something more than just a place where a group of one-time pretty fair football players, (now for the most part out-of-shape) get together to bang helmets for fun, a few bucks and beer. Junior High Seasons Are Too Short Ief'aotfeA The kids are better off playing Pop Warner football in ninth grade rather than Junior High football ings in Centennial or Memorial Field for a change," Powers said.

"This would give the kids another day of good practice, plus a little incentive if they played in a big stadium." By playing games on Fridays and Saturdays, it would also give the varsity coaches a chance to see their future grid-ders. As it stands now, the varsity coaches are busy with Lansing prep sports teams suffered through one of their worst fall and winter seasons in 1972-73. Staff Writer Fred Stabley Jr. digs into the reasons in a five-part series. Today's third part considers the shortcomings of the junior high program.

By FRED STABLEY JR. Staff Writer An exploratory education In athletics is one thing, but a program that is spread so thin that fundamentals are slighted that's another. And, that's the general feeling of varsity coaches in Lansing concerning the junior high athletic program. "EIGHT WEEKS is not enough for a season, I don't care what sport it is," said Doug sity ball each season is set aside for basic fundamentals. Many of the kids we get don't know what a proper stance is." Powers also criticized the junior high football program for using Thursday as its game day.

Monday and Tuesday are hard practice days during the season, they cut back on Wednesdays, play games on Thursday and often need Fridays to recuperate. "I'D LIKE to see games moved back to Friday, or even let them play Saturday morn and play a four-game schedule. THERE ARE five junior highs in Lansing Otto, Rich, French, Gardner and Patten-gill ana each school has two football teams, divided equally from the number of boys who turn out. There are three coaches for the two teams. "What can one coach do with 25-30 players but concentrate on team football?" Everett High football coach Paul Powers questioned.

"The first week of high school junior var Herner, Sexton High head basketball coach and assistant football coach. "The kids are better off playing Pop Warner football in ninth grade rather than junior high football." Each of the eight head coaches in Lansing quizzed agreed that the seasons are simply too short for a boy to learn the fundamentals. The junior high football season starts the first day of school in the fall, and by the end of October the season is over. In that time, they have three weeks of initial drills school does. "If you'd see our first JV game of the season with East Lansing each year, you'd see the difference," said Eastern High football coach Dick Flynn.

"How can we catch up in three weeks what they've had for one year and three weeks? It's pretty hard." East Lansing is a four-year high school and has a full See JUNIOR, Pg. C-7, Col. their own team on Thursday afternoons. "I'd like to see the season extended by a couple of more weeks if they won't let the season start before school opens," said Sexton football coach Ted Nixon. "I don't see why they can't start in August like we do in high school." THERE IS a rule in the Lansing junior highs that football practice can't start before.