Men's Basketball
vs. Athletes in Action
Tonight, 8:00 p.m.
The Palace of Auburn Hills
SPORTS
Ice Hockey
vs. Illinois-Chicago
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Yost Ice Arena
The Michigan Daily Thursday, November 21, 1991 Page 8
Thrifty B ig Ten gives
Hawks- a Holiday git
by Andy Stabile
Daily Sports Writer
Welcome to the final regular-season installment of Around the Big
Ten. Unfortunately, the occasion is marked (or marred) by a slate of
lackluster games. Even last week's most exciting Big Ten game came when
conference incomer Penn State beat the snot out of Notre Dame, 35-13.
Didn't that break your heart.
This week, all eyes will be on Michigan Stadium and one of college
football's greatest rivalries. They won't care much about the rest.
Minnesota (1-6 in the Big Ten, 2-8 overall) at Iowa (6-1, 9-1)
Want to hear my vote for the worst decision made in the history of Big
Ten football? How about giving the conference's second-place team an au-
tomatic bid to The Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl - the bowl that
tells the teams to come ready for fun, not football.
This season, Iowa lost only to Michigan, and is ranked No. 7 in the na-
tion. Without the automatic bid, they would play on New Year's Day, per-
haps in the Fiesta Bowl. Instead, they are sentenced to play - who else -
Brigham Young, two days earlier.
What does this mean? It means Iowa won't care if it beats Minnesota or
not - they're too distraught about Big Ten decision-making and its
subsequent terrible bowl bid. Minnesota will still find a way to lose.
Illinois (4-3, 6-4) at Michigan State (2-5, 2-8)
As the Illini have reservations in El Paso for the John Hancock Bowl,
this week the Spartans conclude their season-long trip down the toilet
bowl. Nothing more can be said about Michigan State's awful season.
Except that next year their uniforms will be pink.
Although the Illini were shut out last week, Verduzco and Co. may
still score 100 points against the Spartan (lack of) defense.
Purdue (3-4, 4-6) at Indiana (4-3, 5-4-1)
Year after year, Indiana finishes the season with a strong, but not spec-
tacular team. This year is no different. For a time, the Hoosiers were chal-
lenging for the Big Ten title. Losses to Iowa and Ohio State dropped them
from contention. However, by making their presence felt, the Hoosiers
made themselves a candidate for one of the "other" bowls without a cor-
porate sponsor in its name: The Peach Bowl.
Meanwhile, Purdue tallies wins over the basement teams in the Big Ten
every year, and winds up just under .500. Again, this year is no different.
These two teams share similar records, but the line drawn between them
separates the good from the bad in the Big Ten.
Hoosiers win, and the Boilermakers stay home for the holidays.
Northwestern (2-5, 3-7) at Wisconsin (1-6, 4-6)
The sentimental favorite has to be the Wildcats. After seeing Michigan
score 21 first-quarter points against them two weeks ago, we all felt a lit-
tle sorry for them.
But Northwestern is still enjoying its best season in recent memory, in-
cluding a victory over a then-Top 25 team, Illinois. All this and they wear
purple uniforms.
A. Wildcat victory over the Badgers, combined with a Purdue loss,
would leave Northwestern tied for sixth place in the Big Ten standings.
Wouldn't that be nice.
Sorry, Badger fans. This is a toss up, but we're pulling for the Cats.
Voskuil gets start,
Fisher's confidence
0
by David Schechter
Daily Basketball Writer
James Voskuil is getting his
chance. Again.
Michigan basketball coach Steve
Fisher will start Voskuil at small
forward for the second game of the
preseason tonight at the Palace of
Auburn Hills against Athletes in
Action. Michael Talley, Eric Riley,
Chris Webber, and Jalen Rose will
join Voskuil in the starting five for
the eight o'clock tipoff.
Voskuil is widely recognized as
the team's most dangerous outside
shooter. In the past, he has exposed a
weakness in his game. It has not been
in his hands or feet but in his head.
"At times James has a fragile
mindset... His shooting didn't even
look good when he shot it (last
week)," Fisher said.
Against the Cuban National
team, he went 0-5 from the floor,
including missing all three of his
shots from three-point range.
Still, the coach is not jumping to
any rash conclusions.
"He can shoot the basketball,"
Fisher said. "He can shoot as well as
anybody in the Big Ten, when he gets
time and gets squared up. He knows
that, and I know that. So, I'm not
worried about him."
With that in mind, the Cuban
Nationals game probably wasn't a
good indication of the new James
Voskuil.
"I think (my game) is much im-
proved from the standpoint of the
mental aspect," Voskuil said. "I've
got a lot more confidence. If a few
bad things happen, it's not gonna
bring me down to a level where I
stop playing."
In the past, Voskuil might have
stopped shooting the ball alto-
gether, but he is determined to prove
that things are different. And this
year, they have to be different.
The infusion of a talented crop ofO
new Wolverines means that few of
the spots in the starting lineup are
guaranteed, including Voskuil's.
Playing time will become even
more valuable tonight, as Fisher
said he will not substitute as liber-
ally as he did against Cuba. That
makes the starting assignment all
the more valuable.
And even though Voskui.
started several games last year, this
second start for the senior is a wel-
comed pat on the back.
"I think things work best when
I'm out there... when you got guys
behind you vying for playing time,
trying to take your spot, it's gonna
make you work that much harder,"
Voskuil said.
So far Voskuil's hard work is
paying off. This past summer, hc
toured Scandinavia on the Big Ten
All-Star team. In one game, he led
all scorers with 19 points. Now,
with that experience on his side, the
scoring load of 6.7 points per game
he carried last year may get a little
heavier.
Athletes in Action (7-7) is h
touring squad of ex-college players.
This year's squad is led by former
Washington star Lorenzo Romar,
who scored 42 points, dished out
eight assists, and had five steals in a
100-93 overtime victory at Min-
nesota.
Fisher said a few Wolverines are
nursing minor injuries, but all are
probable for tonight's contest.
ANTHONY M. CROLLUDaiIy
James Voskuil will start for the men's basketball team when it takes on
Athletes in Action at the Palace of Auburn Hills tonight at 8 p.m.
HOCKEY NOTEBOO'K
Helber sidelined with
shoulder separation
by Josh Dubow
and Rod Loewenthal
Daily Hockey Writers
In Tuesday night's 9-3 victory
over Ohio State, Michigan senior
left wing Mike Helber suffered a
slight separation of his right shoul-
der. This is the same shoulder Hel-
ber had surgery on once before.
While Helber hopes to return this
weekend, he remains slightly pes-
simistic about his chances.
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"I hope it will only be a couple
of days, but that's my hope," Helber
said. "I am very questionable for
this weekend, but we have a week
off after that."
While Michigan coach R e d
Berenson said the injury isn't
serious, he will probably use rookie
Rick Willis in Helber's place Friday
against Illinois-Chicago. Berenson
added Helber might playhSaturday.
Helber injured the shoulder
early in the second period when he
passed the puck to Cam Stewart
from the blueline. After the pass, an
Ohio State player delivered a blind-
side check into Helber's shoulder.
Helber left the game after that and
did not return.
THEY'LL BE BACK: Michigan
goalie Chris Gordon has gotten
some experience under his belt, due
in part to Steve Shield's injury suf-
fered during last weekend's series at
Miami.
"After a couple more games I'll
be a lot more comfortable out
there," Gordon said. "You just have
to do your best when you get your
chance. Steve will be back."
After working out with weights
Monday night, Berenson expects
Shields to begin skating again today.
Defenseman Doug Evans, who
missed Tuesday night's game with a
sore hip, skated yesterday and is ex-
pected to play this weekend.
"If I was a betting man, I'd bet
that I'd be playing soon," Evans
said.
WRIGHT SUSPENDED: Soph-
omore David Wright has left the
team because of academic reasons.
"It's an academic suspension," Ber-
enson said. "He's got a couple of
problems in school."
As to whether the right wing
would be back after the semester
break, Berenson was noncommital.
"If he's made progress then we'll
see," Berenson said.
by Chad Safran
Daily Sports Writer
Forget the Rose Bowl against
Washington. Forget the traditional
season-ending Big Ten battle be-
tween Michigan and Ohio State this
Saturday. Because the biggest foot-
ball action of the year has already
taken place. The Intramural Flag
Football tournaments for 1991 are
finished.
Big action occurred in the Inde-
pendent League competition. In the
AA division, the Bruisers proved
that Lethal Weapon 2 was shooting
blanks in earlier games, winning
handily, 41-6. The Sixers sent the
Morgue on an early visit to the fu-
neral home with a 12-0 blanking in
the finals of AB.
The Cashcows stayed in the
pasture and chewed up the gridiron
as they defeated TMMB, 7-6, in
Independent BA. AAA was in need
of some roadside assistance after a
thrilling 20-18 loss to the Nads, in
the BB title game.
The battle for fraternity sup-
remacy on the gridiron was fierce.
AD conquered LAE, 20-6 in the
finals of AA. The final game of AB
ended with the same score, as AAD
vanquished X'P. The No. 2 team
from EAE squeaked past ATA in the
BA championship matchup, 12-7.
The heated Greek wars continued in
BB with EX winning, 14-6, over the
second team from AEXD. 0
In the Sorority tourney, AZ came
away with a 13-7 victory over KKr
in the A division. AAA had a much
easier time than expected when it
won by forfeit against ADE.
They had their share of epic
matchups in the Residence Hall
League as well. Rumsey caught a big
one when it got hold of the Fish, 15-
8 in the last game of the AA
bracket. Bill's House notched a 28-7
victory in the AB finale, sending
Adams Co-Rec back to the Garden
of Eden quickly.
The Aardvarks came away with a
last-minute victory and BA champi-
onship when they defeated Fourth
Douglas, 20-14. In the BB finals,
Fourth Bartlett looked like the city
of London after the German air raid*
in World War II. But they did not
have Winston Churchill to give
them hope, as Luftwaffe bombed
away to the tune of a 42-12 victory.
Champs emerge from
TM flag football action
1
Tigers sign ne
DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit
Tigers have announced the radio
team that will replace Ernie
Harwell and his longtime sidekick,
Paul Carey.
Rick Rizzs, 36, the Seattle Mar-
iners announcer and a former Ohio
State football announcer, will be
named Thursday to the play-by-play
slot Harwell held for 32 seasons,
Tigers spokeswoman Connie Pio-
trowski said.
Bob Rathbun, 36, sports director
of WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Va., the
voice of the New York Mets' Triple
A affiliate in Tidewater, will be
named to the Tigers' No. 2 announc-
ing post, replacing Carey, according
to Piotrowski.
The Tigers and Detroit's WJR-
AM scheduled a joint news confer-
ence for 11:30 a.m. Thursday to an-
nounce their new sportscasters.
"This is a professional team that
we believe Tiger fans will really ap-
preciate," Tigers President Bo
Schembechler said in a statement.
w announcers
ball announcer in 1975. Before he
signed with Seattle, Rizzs broad-
casted for the New York Yankees'
Triple A affiliate in Columbus
Ohio.
In addition to handling play-by-
play in Tidewater, Rathbun served
as a back-up announcer for the
Baltimore Orioles on cable televi-
sion.
ttli e
Griddes! Drop off picks by 5
p.m. Friday at 420 Maynard for a
chance to win a $10 dollar gift
certificate to O'Sullivan's Eatery
and Pub.
1. Ohio State at Michigan
2. Miami at Boston College
3. Wash. St. at Washington
4. California at Stanford
5. Minnesota at Iowa
6. Tennessee at Kentucky
7. SMU at Texas A&M
8. East Carolinaat Cincinnati
9. Clemson at South Carolina
10. Colorado at Iowa State
11. W. Virginia at Syracuse
12. Baylor at Texas
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