Oage 8-Wednesday, February 14, 1979-The Michigan Daily
THREE-WAY TIE FOR FIRST
Showdown nears
in Big
Ten
cage race
By GEOFF LARCOM
With six games to play in the Big Ten
'basketball season, four teams remain
atop' the conference mountain, still
fighting to avoid slipping off. Only one
team can ultimately occupy the Big Teri
summit, however, and at this point, it's
still anybody's guess as to who that will
be.
Take your pick. At 9-3 are Purdue,
Iowa and Ohio State, with Michigan
State a hair's breadth behind at 8-4. And
if preseason expertise means anything,
that's three surprises out of four. At the
season's start, the Big Ten basketball
writers had picked Michigan State to
finish first, with Michigan and Indiana,
both now 6-6, selected as potential run-
ners-up.
DESPITE THEIR four Big Ten losses
the Spartans are making the prophets
look good. Jud Heathcote's cagers have
won their last four conference contests
in a row, after slipping to 4-4 early in
the season, courtesy of back-to-back
losses to Michigan and Northwestern.
But most important, the Spartans are 4-
f against the top three, with double wins
over Iowa and Ohio State to their credit,
in addition to their 52-50 road loss to
Purdue.
The second Ohio State victory was
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particularly emblematic of MSU's
resurgence, as the Spartans crushed
the Buckeyes in Columbus, 73-55.
Michigan State had struggled to top the
Bucks in overtime, 84-79, just ten days
earlier in Jenison Fieldhouse.
Michigan assistant coach Bill
Frieder, whose team has faced Iowa,
Purdue and MSU once and Ohio State
twice, feels that the Spartans will end
up on top.
"MICHIGAN STATE has the best
schedule going for it, they've played all
the contenders twice except for Pur-
due," said Frieder. "They're also the
most experienced club."
Translation: NCAA tournament ex-
perience. The Spartans were runners-
up in the Mideast Regional last year,
and four starters from that squad are
still running the show. Guards Terry
Donnelly and Earvin Johnson, along
with center Jay Vincent and forward
Greg Kelser are right at home in the
late-season Big Ten pressure cooker.
Yet the Spartans must still get by In-
diana in Bloomington, along with
Michigan and the Boilermakers at
home, before finishing up against
Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Then, for Michigan State, there's the
final problem, three teams, vastly im-
proved over last year, still above them
in the standings.
Conference
Purdue......
Iowa ........
Ohio St........
Michigan St....
Illinois ......
Illinois ......
MICHIGAN ...
Indiana.....
Minnesota .....
Wisconsin.
Northwestern.
W L
9 3
9 3
9 3
8 4
All Games
W L
19 5
16 5
14 7
16 5
OF THOSE three, Iowa has been this
year's biggest surprise. The Hawkeyes
startling rebound from'a 5-13 Big Ten
slate last year is attributable to two
things: the continued excellence of
guard Ronnie Lester and a revamped
forward line. Last year, William
Mayfield, the Hawkeyes' third leading
scorer, played but a minute of the Big
Ten season, while Kevin Boyle, second
Big 10 Standlngs
behind Lester in scoring, was still in
high school.,
"We're not as talented as some
Wteams," said Iowa Coach Lute Olson.
"It's the chemistry of our team that's
done it. We're winning'with good defen-
se, by playing together, working the
ball around and capitalizing on other's
mistakes."
In addition there's Lester, whose
quickness and shooting ability make
the Hawkeyes doubly tough down the
stretch. "A year ago, Lester would
make a good play, like make a great
pass, and we'd blow the shot from
twelve feet," said Olson. "We don't do
that now."
THE HAWKEYES are 1-3 against the
top three, having beaten Purdue at
home. The Hawkeyes must still deal
again with Purdue tomorrow night at
home, and Ohio State at St. Joh Arena
a week later\
ThenBuckeyes, 2-2 against this year's
current big boys, play Iowa 'at home
and end up with Purdue on the road.
While the Buckeyes this year couldn't
*shake their Michigan State jinx, they
have wins over Iowa, 72-67, and Purdue,
75-71, to show for their efforts. The
Buckeyes', success down the stretch
largely depends on the ability of Kelvin
Ransey and Herb Williams to sustain
their strong play.
"Williams is the main reason for
OSU's success. He's greatly im-
proved," said Frieder. "But if you sag
on Herbie, Kelvin pops them in. And if
you key on Kelvin, Williams hurts you
inside."
THE TEAM winding up the 'season
against OSU, the Boilermakers, have
possibly the roughest road ahead. Pur-
due must duel Iowa and Michigan State
on foreign ground prior to finishing up
against Indiana and then the Buckeyes
at home. The Boilermakers are the hot-
test team in the conference, having won
nine of their last ten in Big Ten play.
"Along with Iowa, Purdue plays the
best together of anybody," said for-
ward Paul Heuerman of Michigan.
"They both work the ball around well,
and take good shots."
Heuerman gives the Buckeyes the
best shot at the title however, while
fellow Wolverine :Marty Bodnar likes
the Spartans, along with Frieder.
Wolverine co-captain Tom Staton
took a different attitude. When asked
who he was most impressed with.,
Staton thought a moment. "No one,",
said the Wolverine sparkplug.
6
6
'6
8
10
11
18
12
14
9
8
5
6
8
10
12
13
16
Tomorrow night's games
Northwestern at MICHIGAN, 8 p.m.
Purdue at Iowa
Michigan State at Indiana
Ohio State at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Illinois
WARMUP FOR STA TE T OURNE Y:
Women cagers duel U-D tonight
By ELISA FRYE
The women's basketball team has come a long way
since its season opener back in December. The un-
polished squad that lost to the University of Detroit
76-69 has surpassed their pre-season hopes by
producing several outstanding young players, and by
beating teams like Notre Dame, Western Michigan
and Wayne State.
Now the women cagers have almost come full cir-
cle. As the season nears its end, there is only one
thing on their minds - the upcoming State Tour-
nament. And on their way to the SMAIAW's, they
wouldn't mind knocking off a few intra-state foe's.
The Wolverines must face Michigan State, Eastern
Michigan, Wayne State and the same Detroit team
that gave them such a tough debut.
Michigan will take on the Titans tonight at Calihan
Hall. While Detroit may have given the Wolverines a
walloping at the beginning of the year, Coach Gloria
Soluk will not be making excuses for a loss tonight.
"They (the team) know they shouldn't have lost
last time," Soluk said. And she has confidence that
the cagers will be able to upset the number one team
in the state.
"We're going to beat them (the Titans)," Soluk
stated firmly.
The SMAIAW, which starts March 1, is very impor-
tant to Soluk. As tournament time nears, she is eager
to have her team primed. "This is the most important
part of the season," said Soluk. "We're so prepared.
The biggest part of the season is the State Tour-
nament," she added.
But before the Wolverines go running headlong into
Calihan, they must first consider their overtime loss
to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament last week, 79-70.
Michigan was down by 12 points at the half. "It's
tough coming out after the half with the other team in
the lead," said Assistant Coach Margo Plotzke. "The
pressure is on you to make up the points."
But, when the overtime period started, "the
momentum was going our way.
"We overcame lopsided officiating, and I give the
kids credit for that,"said Soluk.
Plotzke concurred. "The Iowa game was great in
that we were able to make up for everything - but
then we went flat."
A bright spot for Michigan in the loss was
sophomore Abby Currier, who scored 26-points, while
teammate Diane Dietz was held to only six. "Abby is
coming along," Soluk said. "She's playing like we've
been expecting her to play all season."
Join the Daily
Sports Staff
............ . . . . ................:::....n .. .. ...-: ..
AP Top Twenty UPI Top Twenty
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Surface Division, Midland-Ross Corporation. Perhaps
you will recognize us quiCker by our previous name--
Surface Combustion.
WHAT ARE WE?
We are one of the nation's leading manufacturer's of
industrial furnaces and heat treating equipment.
WHO BUYS OUR PRODUCTS?
Almost any manufacturer who applies heat to their
product during the manufacturing process.
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Surface is in the forefront of the heat processing indus-
try in developing new technology, new products, and
new markets.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Graduating engineers with Bachelors degrees in civil,
electrical and mechanical engineering
WHO CAN I TALK TO?
Mr. Grant Barnes, our division personnel manager,
would be glad to tell you more about Surface, our
employees and our career opportunities.
WHERE CAN WE MEET?
At University Placement Office on Feb. 16, 1979.
SURFACE DIVISION
MIDLAND-ROSS
i
1. Indiana St. (43)
2. UCLA19)
3. Notre Dame
(tie) DAILY
LIBELS
4. North Carolina
5. Duke
6. Louisiana St.
7. Syracuse
8. Michigan St.
9. Louisville
10. Marquette
11. Arkansas
12. Texas
13. Purdue
14. Iowa
15. Temple
16. Georgetown
17. Ohio St.
18. Detroit
19. Vanderbilt
20. Alabama
1, n nn
23-0
18-3
17-3
20-0
17-4
17-4
20-3
20-2
16-5
21-4
17-4
18-4
18-5
19-5
16-5
19-3
18-4
14-7
18-4
18-5
15-7
1,196
1,190
1,073
1,073
973
901
895
869
795
759
749
532
507
310
309
279
223
210
197
185
124
Team
1. UCLA (15)
2. Indiana St. (25)
3. Notre Dame (2)
(tie) LIBELS (2)
4. North Carolina
5. LSU
6. Duke
7. Syracuse
8. Michigan St.
9. Louisville
10. Marquette
11. Arkansas
12. Texas
13. Purdue
14. Temple
15. Iowa
' 16. Georgetown
17. Vanderbilt
18. (tie) Ohio St.
18-3
23-0
17-3
20-0
18-4
20-3
17-4
20-2
16-5
21-4
17-4
18-4
18-5
19-5
19-3
16-5
18-4
18-5
14-7
Points
599
596
518
518'
432
379
363
338
322
306
295
172
139
89
85
78.
55
48
44
44
31
Well, the Indiana State Sycamores
finally made it to the elusive number
one ranking in college basketball, at
least in one poll.
The Sycamores, the nation's only
major undefeated team, moved into the
top spot in the Associted Press poll,
receiving 43'first place votes and 1,196
points. In one of the closest votes in the
history of the AP poll, UCLA was
second with 19 first place votes and
1,190 votes.
In the UPI poll, the Sycamores
weren't so fortunate. UCLA became the
fourth team this season to take over the
number one spot in the UPI ratings by
beating out Indiana State by a meager
three points. Four Big Ten teams
played in the Top Twenty this week;
ninth ranked Michigan State, Purdue,
Iowa and Ohio State.
18. (tie) Texas A&M 20-6
20. Detroit 18-4
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