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FACEOFF!
BigTen
Continued from Page 12
"Our best player is a junior,
Steve Smith at 6'7"," Heathcote
said. "Our second best player is a
sophomore, Ken Redfield at 6'7".
Our third best player is a
sophomore, Matt Steigenga at 6'7".
"The key to our team is prhi-.
our fourth, fifth, or sixth
player, Mike Peplowski
6'10", 280 pounds, and fi
position we haven't had in a 1
time. If he cannot play we have a
doughnut - that means no center."
Senior guard Kirk Manns was
the Big Ten's best three point
shooter a year ago.
T - H - E!
UNIVERSITY
OHIO STATE
"We don't have any seniors so
we've got to get leadership out of
our three juniors Perry Carter, Treg
Lee, and Jimmy Bradley, " new
Buckeye coach Randy Ayers said.
The Buckeyes lost three key
players, Jay Burson, Jerry Francis
and Grady Mateen. After a neck
injury felled Burson last season, the
Buckeyes lost their last seven
leagueples.
Weiad a fellow sit out last
year in Mark Baker, who we feel
can step in and fill Burson's shoes,"
Ayers said. "He has the physical
capabilities."
Jimmy Jackson, the preseason
Rookie of the Year favorite, should
provide the Buckeyes with
.outstanding play at small forward.
See Big 10, Page 15
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debate the merits of a Big Ten tournament
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Big Ten coaches are debating whether they should
shorten the conference schedule to enable the debut of a
post-season tournament.
As it currently stands, the Big Ten title is awarded
to the team with the most conference wins during the
regular season 18 game, double round-robin schedule.
The Big Ten is the only conference, besides the Ivy
League, that still determines its champ in this manner.
The proposed tournament would make a team's
conference record practically irrelevant, as final
standings would only determine the tournament
pairings. This would benefit teams that, under the
current system, start the Big Ten season slowly and,
despite a strong finish, are unable to regain the lost
ground.
While there is strong opinion on the part of the
dissenters, most of the Big Ten coaches are in favor of
the proposed tournament for various reasons. Increased
revenue that a tournament would generate, as well as
the giving of all players an opportunity to participate
in a post-season tournament are the biggest arguments
in favor of the proposal.
Purdue coach Gene Keady, whose team finished
seventh in the division last season after winning it the
year before, said, "Five years ago, I was totally against
it (the tournament). Now, the Big Ten has
tremendously improved, and it would increase
enthusiasm for lower division schools.
"Probably the biggest reason I would like to see a
post-season tournament would be because of the
financial problems I think most of our programs are
going through right now. We (the Big Ten) could use
the income from that post-season tournament."
Minnesota coach Clem Haskins, whose team
advanced to the Sweet 16 in last year's NCAA
tournament despite a fifth-place finish in the
conference, said, "The tournament would provide a
post-season tournament for those who never make it to
the NCAA, and give the kids a chance to get a
championship ring."
Illinois coach Lou Henson would like to see the
tourney played at a location that would be accessible to
most Big Ten fans. This would, of course, be
advantageous to the centrally located Illini and
Hoosiers while hindering such geographic outliers as
Minnesota or Wisconsin, whose fans would have
much farther to travel.
Despite the seeming advantages to having a post-
season tournament, arguments against the tournament
remain. The Big Ten schedule would be shortened,
probably to 14 games, in order to accommodate a
tournament at the end of the season. Thus, some teams
would have easier schedules and better seedings for the
tournament.
Along with that, playing in a conference
tournament right before the NCAA tournament would
be very hectic for the coaches and players.
I would like to see us end the
season and prepare for the national
tournament play.'
-Bobby Knight
"I remain unconvinced that a post-season Big Ten
tournament is the way to go," said Indiana coach
Bobby Knight whose Hoosiers finished first in the Big
Ten last season.
"The competitive approach that basketball has
always had in the league isn't going to diminish
regardless of the post-season aspect of play, but I've
always felt, and still remain totally unconvinced, that a
post-season tournament benefits the league or teams in
the league, particularly as it pertains to those teams
that have received invitations to play in the NCAA
tournament.
"I would like to see us end the season and prepare
for the national tournament play.".
Michigan coach Steve Fisher is also against the
tournament.
"I don't want to get away from the double round-
robin but Ithink it's going to happen sooner or later,"
Fisher said.
The Perfect Gift for U-M Fans
ON SALE
Tickets are $10 and $7; Student SE
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Reg. $17.95
Sale $14.36
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LA BOI
x
Page 8
Weekend/November 17,1989
Weekend/November 11989