The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/52988
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sitting Down With Former U-M Basketball Great Cazzie Russell Several former Michigan basketball players accepted invi- tations to return to Ann Arbor for the dedication of Crisler Arena (now called Crisler Center) and the Player Develop- ment Center Jan. 8. Recently minted College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Cazzie Russell was among them. He sat down for questions before watching the Wolverines knock off No. 18 Wisconsin 59-41. The Wolverine: What's it like to be inducted into the Col- lege Basketball Hall Of Fame? Russell: "That's very humbling, especially when you think about the gift God gave me to play, and here I am now, be- ing inducted. "It's good to feel like you've had some impact on the game. You look back over and see all these pictures and say, 'Oh yeah, I was in shape back then.'" The Wolverine: You're here today, as well as other former Wolverines, like Daniel Horton and Chris Hunter. Is it nice to see former players around the program? Russell: "It's a real blessing. I was sharing that with athlet- ics director [Dave] Brandon and Coach [John] Beilein. I don't know if they had a revelation of something, but I've been asked these questions for years: 'Why don't we come back?' 'Why don't we have camps in the summer when we can get together and talk about the '60s and '70s and '80s?' 'What was it like when you played?' and 'Who was your coach?' This is a long time coming. I think it's great that they've reached out. "I was really moved to come back. Maybe this will help fuel the desire to come back [for more former players] and know that they are interested in reminding us that we're part of this great tradition and history. "For me, it's more than just about the Crisler renovations. This was about bridging the gap and networking, them let- ting us know, 'We still remember you as a part of this rich tradition.'" The Wolverine: What's you relationship with Michigan head coach John Beilein like? Russell: "My relationship with Coach Beilein is pretty good. He called me to congratulate me on the Hall of Fame, and he said he would be there. Unfortunately it was at the same time as the Maui Invitational, so I told him I didn't expect him to choose Kansas City over Maui [laughs]. "He's a straight shooter. I've met coaches who aren't par- ticularly straight shooters, and you see right through them. I'm praying for his success, because he really is a genuine guy who is concerned with this rich tradition and history. It seems like he's on course to bridge that gap and bring guys back." The Wolverine: What do you think of the current resur- gence of the program? Russell: "It's good to see them back, good to see them playing well. Michigan needs to be near the top because of the kind of tradition and history we have. We're used to be- ing up there. It's no fun being at the bottom. I'm a terrible, terrible loser. But I've tried to smile. But I want to beat your brains out if you've got on a different color uniform. That's what you've got to have." The Wolverine: What do you think of the renovations to Russell, a recent College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, returned to Ann Arbor for the dedication of Crisler Arena (now called Crisler Center) and the Player Development Center Jan. 8. PHOTO COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION Crisler and the new Player Development Center? Russell: "You can see how it's updated and more contem- porary now. The players have great locker rooms, chairs, lounging room where you can study. The whirlpool and the ice pool. We had something like that, but it was like, 'Go take a hot shower,' and then [then-Michigan trainer James Hunt] would take the fire hose and put the cold water on you. It served the same purpose, relaxed the muscles if you'd been on the road. It was great. "This is great. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but if they could throw the time back a few years, and we could have this, oh boy, that'd be fun. But this is good to see. I think it's a long time coming, and we're happy to be a part of it." FEBRUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 17