Michiganensian. [1923]

I II-2Y"Y~P_-4111~"~

RS

* ELY BIRKS
"Gil" was placed at center on the first all-Conference With "Hoppy" at guard, the enemy was forced to try
team. He was the best center in the West, if not in the many long shots as opposing forwards found difficulty
whole country. in getting the ball past him.
REVIEW OF SEASON
Prospects for a Conference basketball championship being brought to Ann Arbor were never
brighter than when "Skipper" Mather issued the initial cal- for practice in the fall of 1922. When
it was least expected and from the most unthought of quarter came the clammy claw of "Old Man
Jinx" chilling and killing the chances.
Five letter men, Captain Ely, Kipke, Paper, Miller, and Birks remained as a nucleus from last
year's team. Cappon, a player of known ability, together with a bright constellation of sophomore
luminaries were also available for work.
The season opened with Notre Dame at Ann Arbor on December 8. Michigan won easily
by a score of 4I-23. Miller at forward covered himself with glory scoring seven goals from the
field and dropping in fourteen out of a possible nineteen foul throws. Haggerty, a member of the
1925 freshmen team gave indications of developing into a very valuable player. At the beginning
of the second half, "The Skipper" injected an entire substitute team into the fray but the score
continued to mount in alarming fashion.
After Christmas vacation M. A. C. appeared first on the schedule for the night of January 3.
The score of 33-II does not tell the story of the game. Michigan repeatedly worked the ball
under the Aggie basket but for some reason had great difficulty in getting the spheroid to drop into
i the meshes. M. A. C.'s offensive was pitifully at the disposal of Cappon and Paper and at no time
i j" during the contest was the outcome doubtful.;~ i Coach Mather now pointed his charges for their first real test, the game with Illinois on January
"; i, 6. Illinois, with a green team and a coach new in Conference circles, was largely an unknown quantity. January 6, however, proved the superiority of Mather's men in every department of the game,
i! and the Wolverines won 33-13. The Illini were able to register but once from the field in the first
i ii half. Ely, Haggerty and Miller were the offensive stars of the game and managed at all times to
j keep Michigan well in the lead.
J I Michigan started her first road trip with a 32-II win over the inexperienced Minnesota team at
Minneapolis on January 13. That the Michigan defense was as impenetrable as it had been in
J; the previous contests is demonstrated by the fact that at half time the score stood, Michigan i8,
iTwo Hundred Sixty-tre
e r L. Two Hundred Sixty-three

p
I,
v
1
1
I

_=