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. i I r.3wt :3Ailti. jiAds. _ lk 3bi" 1 , 31s 3 i ' ' sl - I s -- I -~ a'w I I .: .: .. .. IVERSITY "PPRPT FREE IR 4 S . n a T Come isityGur ROSE BOWL HEADQUARTER!' and sian uDO for A I dL 'I M* "" SO .9 00 SO a" 5' "O N, 55 "" HS f" NO N, i" a~ "5 Of "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 a . M M 3! m I ~ '~: