i....s . ... ... .

Wrestling
vs. Northwestern
Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Crisler Arena

SPORTS

Hockey
vs. Illinois-Chicago
Friday, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Yost Ice Arena


The Michigan Daily
'M'I

Thursday, January 8, 1987

Page 9

set

to

play

Nutcracker

with

osU

By JEFF RUSH
Back at the Big Ten basketball media day in
November, many people were snickering at the Ohio
State Buckeyes' chances for having a successful
basketball season.
The Ohio State administration, after all, had refused
to honor former coach Eldon Miller's request for a
multiyear contract. The lame duck Miller then coached
his team to an NIT championship before saying
goodbye to his Buckeyes. Exit Miller, who took the
Buckeyes to four NCAA tournaments.
Exit also the Big Ten's third leading scorer of a year
ago, center Brad Sellers, who is now playing for the
NBA's Chicago Bulls.
And finally, exit the chance for the Buckeyes to
replace the big man, Sellers. Ohio State wasn't able to
bring in any new recruits for this season.
NEW COACH Gary Williams showed up at the Big
Ten basketball media day with a roster of eight - an
uncomfortably small number of players for the rough
style of play in the 18-game Big Ten season.
As if that weren't enough, Williams had injuries to
contend with.
Center John Anderson is coming
off a stress fracture to his leg and a
broken hand. Center Keith Wesson
underwent knee surgery in 1985,
and while the operation was a
success, he still has not regained
full mobility. Forward Joe Dumas
underwent back surgery last
summer to correct a herniated disk.
And guard Jay Burson suffered'
two concussions and a broken
collarbone in a period of five
seconds during a pickup basketball
6game last May. The first ,
concussion came when he collided
with an opponents's elbow, which
caused him to fall, resulting in the
second concussion and the broken Wil
collarbone. ... concern
An athletic trainer administered mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation, and after a critical 72-hour period in
intensive care at the Ohio State University Hospital,
Burson responded positively.
A MEMORY LOSS had family, friends, and
teammates concerned, but it gradually returned, clearing
his way to return to college and resume playing
basketball.
"We were deeply concerned about his future after the
injury and I am not referring to basketball," said
Williams. "Thankfully, Jay has fully recovered."
At media day, Williams tried to make light of his
team's situation.
"We had tryouts on campus," said the former Boston
College coach. "We got about 75 guys for tryouts,
which was impressive, but by the time we cut the guys
who wore black socks to the tryouts, we didn't have
that many guys left to choose from."
Everybody in the audience snickered.
After Ohio State won its first six games, upset
Florida and nationally-ranked Kansas, and scared
nationally-ranked Indiana, the snickering stopped.

LAUGHING LEAST are the 8-5 (0-2 in the Big
Ten) Michigan Wolverines, who face the 9-4 (0-1)
Buckeyes at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Crisler Arena.
"We've had some good wins, there's no doubt about
that," said Williams. "But we're the type of team that
we have to play really well every time we go on the
court because our only player with outstanding ability
is (Dennis) Hopson."
Hopson, a 6-5 swingman, leads the Buckeyes in
scoring at 28 points per game. The senior had been
averaging 30 before Sunday's game against Indiana,
but, hampered by the flu and a stomach full of Mexican
food, scored only four in that contest. Despite that, he
still is averaging 28 ppg.
That much was expected from the senior, who is
recovered from the flu and expected to start tonight.
After all, he finished fifth in the Big Ten in scoring
last year, led his team in scoring and steals and finished
second on the team in rebounding.
"I've been really pleasantly surprised with Dennis
Hopson's ability," said Williams at media day. "I knew
Dennis could score, but he also handles the ball pretty
well, sees the open man when he is
double teamed, and is a good team
player. He tries to include everyone
in the offense.
"I told Dennis all he has to do
for us this year is rebound, play
defense, score, and handle the ball,
and other than that, he won't be
called on to do too much for us."
WITHOUT HOPSON doing
any of that against Indiana, the
team lost 92-80, but was very
impressive.
Most impressive against the
Hoosiers were starting guards
Wilson (15.9 ppg), who scored a
career-high 30 points, and Burson
ams. (13.6 ppg), who clearly showed that
with injuries if he remembers nothing else, he
remembers how to play basketball.
"They've gotten the opportunity to play this year
and responded well," said Williams.
Williams worried about how they would fare against
the Wolverines guards.
"Going against (Antoine) Joubert, Gary Grant, and
Garde Thompson, that's a pretty good set of guards,"
said Williams.
Starting in the forecourt with Hopson will be
sophomore forward Jerry Francis (11.9 ppg) and either
Anderson (7.2 ppg) or Wesson (4.6 ppg) at center,
depending on how Anderson's bruised knee feels at
game time.
Williams said he considers Ohio State's largely
inexperienced frontline to be, "pretty even" with
Michigan's.
"John Anderson played only 100 minutes last year
and he's our starting center," said Williams.
Joubert, Grant, Thompson, Glen Rice, and Mark
Hughes will probably start for the Wolverines.

l
ed i

Daily photo by SCOTT IITUC
Wolverine swingman Antoine Joubert stretches around Central Michigan's Jim Murray while looking to com-
plete a pass. Joubert hopes to raise his 23 point average in the Big Ten during Michigan's game against Ohio
State tonight.

IY-


'I

MARK MY WORDS
By Mark Boro wsky

Big Ten champions ...
...gluttons for punishment

Pistons knock Knicks

I t has been said that art imitates life, and
conversely. After witnessing another Big Ten
loss in the land where movies are made, I've
been pondering a script based on recent football
events.
Imagine coming home from break with
straight As. "Good job, son," dad says. "We're
so proud of you," mommy coos.
They have an early Christmas gift, an airline
ticket to Los Angeles. The beach is wonderful.
The weather is gorgeous. Nothing but pleasure.
On New Year's Day, however, as you lie on the
beach, an 800-foot tall West Coast Monster
arises from the ocean, picks you up, and hurls
you 50 miles or so from Malibu to Pasadena.
"It's like, I'm sorry to the max," the lavander-
scaled thing apologizes. All the locals cheer
this event.
Amazingly, you survive, suffering only
mental anguish for a month or so. The next
year it happens again.
Some people would suggest staying home
over break. They try to figure why you can't
deal with the beast. "Stay home? No way," you
snap. As the movie ends, you conclude, "It's
tradition. Wouldn't have it any other way."

The Big Ten apparently won't have it any
other way, either. The team with the best record
gets a charter flight out to Pasadena, hits the
beach, and Jan. 1, the monster known as the
Pac-10 tosses them like garbage. That has been
the script the last six Rose Bowls, and 11 of
the last 12.
You would think that the winner of the Big
Ten gets a reward for its efforts. No siree Bo.
Oh sure, the trip is fun, especially if you have
to spend eight months of the year at Ohio State
or Illinois.
Then they have to play, and usually lose.
Scores like 45-9 (UCLA over Illinois in 1984).
Or 45-28 (UCLA over Iowa last year). Fun
stuff for masochists.
Michigan lost 22-15 this year, and it really
wasn't that close. Bo Schembechler is 1-7 in
the Rose Bowl. But Ann Arbor's version of
Rambo would probably make you watch all of
Sylvester Stallone's movies if you suggested
the big guy stop aiming for Pasadena.
So I, like Ford Motor Co., have a better
idea. Several, in fact, which the Big Ten should
consider before sacrificing its eldest son in
1988.

1. Call it quits after the Michigan-Ohio
State game. In fact, the conference could make a
bowl game out of it, complete with a parade
through the streets of Ann Arbor when the
game is played here. When the game is at Ohio
State, they would have a parade through
Columbus...perhaps we'll forget the parade.
2. The Cherry Rose Bowl. First there was
cherry pie. Then there was Cherry Coke. Now
comes the Cherry Rose Bowl. Resurrect the
Cherry Bowl, and alternate sites between
California and Pontiac. But no parade.
3. The Bronx Bowl. Have the winner of the
Big Ten play the winner of a local high school
league in Yankee Stadium. Since the Giants and
Jets play in New Jersey, the game should be a
sellout. And since it's in New York, the Big
Ten team won't want to leave until the day
before the game. And certainly no parade.
Something tells me that the junkets for pain
out to Pasadena by the Big Ten aren't about to
end, however, which probably brings smiles to
Pac-10 teams. And until the Big Ten gets as
many tickets as the Pac-10, or learns to play on
grass, or maybe just gets better, the Pac-10 will
be smiling - and laughing.

PONTIAC (AP) - Isiah
Thomas scored 33 points and the
Detroit Pistons held off a fourth-
quarter rally by the New York
,Knicks for a 122-111 NBA victory
last night.
The win, coupled with losses by
Atlanta and Milwaukee, moved the
Pistons into a tie for second, two
games behind the Hawks.
Bill Laimbeer finished with 24
points. Sidney Green added 16.
Chuck Nevitt, a 7-5 reserve center,
scored a career-high 12 points for

Detroit. Thomas also had 19
assists.
Patrick Ewing led the Knicks
with 30 points.
New York, which had won five
of its previous six, is 2-15 in road
games this season.
The Knicks, down 100-79 in the
opening moments of the fourth
quarter, outscored Detroit 16-2,
closing to within 102-95 on Trent
Tucker's three-point field goal with
6:32 to play. Tucker led the rally
with seven points.


NCAA may reduce sports

ONEMSTOP
COPY SHOP
We copy, collate, bind, staple, fold, cut,
drill, and pad.
We make enlargements, reductions,
transparencies, and overlays.
We have typewriters, layout facilities, and
design assistance.
We take passport and I.D. photos.
We sell paper, pens, tape, and other office
supplies.
We are open early, open late, and open
weekends.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The
powerful Presidents Commission
announced as expected yesterday
that the NCAA will have a special
convention in June to vote on far-
reaching and possibly bitterly
contested measures to reduce major-
college sports.
"I find it incomprehensible that
we would have in place a structure

that lets a freshman football player
play two games before he ever
attends a class," Maryland
Chancellor John Slaughter, the
commission chairman, said at a
news conference.
Specific proposals will not be
written until April. The special
convention will be June 29-30 in
Dallas.

Committee for the Graduation announces the first
Senior T-Shirt Design Contest
Winning design will be used on Senior Swing-Out t-shirts
for 1987, and worn by UM Seniors everywhere!
Be creative and turn in your design to the Student Alumni
Council, 200 Fletcher St. by January 23, before 5pm.

I.

U


I I

1