01 Volleyball vs. Marquette Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m. Keen Arena The Michigan Daily ____ SPORTS Women's Cross Country MSU Invitational Tomorrow, TBA East Lansing Thursday, September 19,1991 y Page 10 le2 'M' Lax aims for Big Ten tit Men's lacrosse prepares for spring season with fall exhibitions JL AL *.F AL %-.F by Bruce Inosencio With the return of coach Bob DiGiovanni and many returning starters, the Michigan men's lacrosse team looks to capture its third straight Big Ten Club Lacrosse League title. The prepara- tion will begin with a fall exhibi- tion season that will stress condi- tioning. DiGiovanni has been gone for a year, as he started a program at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, but he is back at the helm of an experienced team at Michigan. The coach is confident of the team's ability, yet unsure how it will fare against other Big Ten schools. "The fall will be impor- tant for me to assess the potential of the team," DiGiovanni said. "I am, however, hopeful that we will be able to compete for the Big Ten Club Lacrosse Championship." For fall tune-up games, a home matchup against Western Michigan has been confirmed and the team will also be playing either Bowling Green or Toledo. There are also ten- tative plans to travel to a weekend tournament. Although there are only a few fall games scheduled, the three weekly practices will help new players as well as veterans sharpen their stick skills and fun- damentals. Defensive players Ken Nick, Aaron Axel, Bill Kolakowski, and Tony Martinez have handled the de- fensive responsibilities effectively the past few years, as the Wolver- ines have usually taken a tenacious approach toward defense. Whereas many Big Ten teams jean toward a defense that is some- what lackadaisical on ground balls and in-bounds plays, Michigan tightens up and applies pressure. The Wolverines' swarming defense has been tough to score on in past years, and this year should be no different. A strong defense, however, will not win games without an offense. The six foot by six foot goal should be shot at frequently by attackmen Tony DiGiovanni, Ian Laing, and Marc Silbergeld. Senior Silbergeld has anchored this area of the squad for the past three years, and his experience on the field is going to be a big part of the Michigan scoring attack. The offensive midfield is just as strong as its defensive counterparts. The quick ball movement of John; Paul, Dave Morath, Ranjiv Advani, and Adam Levy will prove to be in- strumental throughout the season. Hustle is another aspect of the, . game in which Michigan has risen above its competition in past years.' Junior Ivan Frank, recipient of last . season's Mr. Hustle award, willa lead the charge once again. This is the 28th season for men's lacrosse, making it one of the oldest club teams at Michigan. Undoubt- edly this group has the ability and experience necessary to win three ; Big Ten titles in a row. The team be- gins its season with a mass meeting Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. in 1250 CCRB. The men's lacrosse team, two-time defending Big Ten Champions, opens its fall exhibition season today in preparation for the spring campaign. " 'Iowa snares top RECRUITING NOTEBOOK Michigan recru pit i 's %-.OF by Albert Lin Daily Basketball Writer The rich will not get richer, at least not for the moment. The Wolverines lost out on the top basketball recruit in Michigan yesterday when Battle Creek Central senior Kenyon Murray announced his intentions to attend Iowa. He listed Iowa's academic programs and coach Tom Davis' style of play as two factors in his decision. The 6-foot-7 senior had narrowed his choices down to two, eventually electing the Hawkeyes over Michigan. His original list of schools also included Kentucky, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Ohio State, and UCLA. LaPorte (Ind.) Herald-Argus sports editor Dave Krider, who runs a summer camp and ranks players and teams for several national publica- tions, said that everyone he had spoke with in Michigan considered Murray the state's top player. "He is a real good small forward," Krider said. "He has good quickness, good jumping abil- ity, good shooting ability. The question is whether he'll move over and be a big guard. I think he's fluent and athletic enough (to make the transition)." In addition, Murray's team is one of the best in the country, and will be ranked in USA To- day's preseason poll. Michigan already has received a verbal com- mitment from Clarkston senior Dugan Fife, who is also considered among the state's top five. A 6-foot-2 guard, Fife will follow in the footsteps of his father, Dan, who played for Michigan from 1968-1971, captaining the squad during his senior year. NO KIDD-ING: Alameda (Calif.) St. Joseph Notre Dame senior Jason Kidd also announced yesterday his college plans. Kidd will stay at home and attend California. Kidd is almost unanimously regarded as the best player in the country. Some experts even felt that last year, he was the top player in the United States regardless of class. The 6-foot-4 Kidd is a do-it-all guard. "He can beat you with his defense, his passing," Krider said. "He's not a tremendous shooter, but he gets a lot of points. He can score off steals, off re- bounds, or just plain shooting. "He plays so hard, and brings his teammates to another level. When your superstar is out there playing his butt off, the rest of the team has to follow." "He's looked up to so much by the younger kids.; If he was playing with aG third-grader who had a better shot than him, he would give up the ball. Hek is so unselfish and has a, lot of charisma.". Bob Gibbons of All-' Star Sports wrote last year that "some Westr Coast coaches believe (Kidd) will bypass col- Kidd lege and go directly to the NBA." The few athletes who have gone to the NBA without playing in high school all have been big men, with the ability to physically dominate inside. It appears that Kidd will go to school for at least one or two years, but "his biggest hurdle is he's got to get eligible (under Proposition 48)," Krider said. If he does not score high enough, he may still decide to turn pro. THE TOP FIVE: In addition to Kidd, the players generally considered the best in the coun- try include three other swingmen. Rodrick Rhodes is a 6-foot-7 forward at Jer- sey City (N.J.) St. Anthony's. He is an incredible athlete, and is expected to be turned loose this year by coach Bob Hurley. He has played behind the likes of Bobby Hurley, Jerry Walker, Terry Dehere, and Danny Hurley as an underclassman, and this is his year to shine. Rhodes reduced his school list to five in the spring. Seton Hall, with former teammates Walker, Dehere and Danny Hurley, may be the leader. Steve Edwards, a 6-foot-5 swingman out of Miami Senior, is an outstanding offensive player. "He has to work on his guard skills, handling the ball and protecting the ball," Krider said. "As a shooter, he's right up there with the big guys. He just has to learn how to handle the smaller, quicker guards." The brother of Florida State forward Doug Edwards, Steve has said he will not attend the same school as his brother, also a former high- school All-American. Othello Harrington is the best big man in the country. At 6-foot-9, he is an incredible re- bounder and top-notch shotblocker. Krider said the competition in Mississippi is not up to par with the rest of the country, and whether or not he can perform well against quality opposition is the big question mark with Harrington. He attends the same high school, Jackson (Miss.) Murrah, that produced Alabama sopho- more James "Hollywood" Robinson. Corliss Williamson is also a 6-foot-7 for- ward. He is a strong offensive player, but if he is to play forward in college, he will have to bulk up and crash the boards more, according to Krider. A senior at Russellville High, Williamson is expected to stay in-state and play for Nolan Richardson at Arkansas. P !a !a P s a" t rt F? 5+ r t a# a a r! as # _ Fa Fg ! ;iW F F t !a " !a tt" a' !r i P r ,,n s E "e a t . F? Fe n FF rk P1 rt+ j§ tk F a a, M Adbk Michigan's Magic Running Wild Michigan's Desmond Howard earns national attention as he is captured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Hitting newsstands yesterday, this week's Sports Illustrated has extensive coverage of Saturday's victory over Notre Dame. E CHIGANI& ILY Join our staff! Call 764-0552 for more information :. ... .... .. .iY I.: ~ 3 f~.............I U MSA NEEDS YOU! MSA is presently taking applications for University faculty/student committees. Interested students should pick up an application in the MSA chambers, 3rd floor of the Michigan Union. 0.4 I -I