: Hockey vs. Kent State Friday, 7 p.m. Yost Ice Arena S Men's Basketball vs. Purdue Tonight, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) West Lafayette Blue tries to put leash on 'Big Dawg' 4M' faces Robinson and No. 8 Purdue for first place in Big Ten By BRETT FORREST DAILY BASKETBALL WRITER When the No. 13 Michigan men's basketball team (5-2 Big Ten, 13-4 overall) faces No.8 Purdue (5-2, 17-2) tonight in West Lafayette (7:30 p.m., tSPN), the main point of contention will be how the Wolverines attempt to *ntain Glenn "Big Dawg" Robinson. The Boilermakers' junior forward has proven to be all but unstoppable this season, averaging a Division I-best 28.1 points per game to go along with his Big Ten-leading 10.7 rebounds. In four of Purdue's last five games, Robinson has tallied double figures in scoring and rebounding, including 33 points in the Boilermakers' 83-76over- a e upset win over then-eighth-ranked diana. If Michigan is to win its fourth straight game against Purdue - two straight in Mackey Arena - it will have to figure out a method for keeping Robinson under wraps. "We got to make sure we contest every shot," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said. "(We) hope that (Robinson) doesn't have a great, great shooting Robinson tied a Big Ten record by being named conference Player of the Week three times already this season. He has scored in double figures 41 straight games and owns a 30.5 points-per-game average against Michigan, his best in the conference. "He has a great ability to focus on what is at hand," Purdue coach Gene Keady said of Robinson. "He has a God-given talent that he's developed now to the point a lot of people don't get to coach in their lifetime." The Wolverines will likely double- and triple-team Robinson on the blocks, as they have done on most of the opposition's big men this year. But they want to avoid giving Purdue open looks from the outside. The Boilermakers are on pace to break the school's record for three- point field goals made (166) and at- tempted (422) in a season. Inside and outside, Purdue finds strength in forward Cuonzo Martin. The 6-foot-6junior averages 16.5points and 4.5 boards per game, and is having a great deal of success shooting from the outside. Martin has converted 17-of-33 (.515) bombs from beyond the arc in his last five games. Another junior, guard Matt Waddell, runs the backcourt for the Boilermakers, scoring 11.4 points per game, while dishing out an average of 4.6 assists. Tonight's game, the lone Big Ten contest of the evening, will be a battle for first place. Nearly halfway through the confer- ence season, three teams are tied for the league lead (Indiana joins Purdue and Michigan at the top), while four others are just one game behind. "This is what most (Big Ten coaches) thought would be the form this year in the league," Fisher said. "I think we've got seven teams that are all good; no team that can't be beaten, whether at home or away." Michigan has not had much of an opportunity to be beaten on its home court. The Wolverines areplaying their fourth road contest out of their last five games and are trying to even their road record at 3-3. Michigan has reached acritical point in its season, with the next two games on the road (tonight and Saturday vs. Michigan State), and a third at home against Indiana. "Obviously if we go 3-0, we will be in the driver's seat," Fisher said. "If we go 0-3, we'll be struggling to hope that everybody beats every- body else up." It won't help Fisher that freshman guard Bobby Crawford will miss tonight's game - his second straight contest-due to a fractured right hand. The team initially believed he would be out of action for four to six weeks, but then thought a soft cast would al- low him to return sooner. However, Fisher now says Crawford is doubtful through Saturday's contest with the Spartans and questionable for next Tuesday's game against the Hoosiers. Tonight provides Michigan with its seventh crack at a top-25 team. A vic- tory against Wisconsin Saturday im- proved the Wolverines to 2-4 against ranked foes. The Boilermakers should provide for another quality matchup. "It's going to be a hard-fought game," Michigan's Jimmy King said, "almost like a tournament game." Michigan's Jalen Rose drives through the lane against Wisconsin Saturday. Men hitters Yare thrice demed in state pride' by MELINDA ROCO DAILY SPORTS WRITER The third time is usually the charm. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case forthe Michigan men's volleyball team as it fell to Michigan State Friday night z the third confrontation this year be- een the two teams. The Wolverines have not claimed a victory over the Spartans in head- to-head competition the past three years. "State pride" matches are usually :fve-game encounters, marked by strong play from both clubs. 2 However, Friday's match was in .Michigan State's favor from the start, the Spartans made quick work of cMichigan in the first two games, 15- .7, 15-12. The Wolverines were able 4fo make a run in the final game, but :ell short, 17-16. > Michigan coach Pam Griffin ex- 'Pressed concern over her team's lack of drive and intensity. "The total problem was that we ,were not mentally prepared to play te," Griffin said. "We weren't ag- :essive at all. Anytime we got a lead, 've let our guard down and allowed State back into the game." With Spartan Dan Hobeck moved from the middle position to the strong side, the Wolverines had some trouble establishing blocks on the 6-foot-6 :hitter. Michigan setter Stan Lee said he und play at the net frustrating. ~"Dan kept hitting over us," Lee said. "All we could do was try to put up the soft block and rely on the defense to pick up the digs." However, the Wolverines also experienced problems in the back row. "Though their outside hitter was big, he wasn't killing the ball," Grif- fin said. "We should have been able dig his hits and we didn't." "The passing and defense just wasn't there to make up for the block- ing," Lee said. Michigan had just come off an impressive finish in the Indiana tour- nament the previous weekend, nearly ;,'defeating Ohio State in the finals. Yet, the Wolverines weren't able to carry that momentum into the State latch. Griffin said she had expected to see a vengeful Spartan club. "Michigan State is a well disci- plined team," Griffin said. "They lost in the quarterfinals in Indiana, and we made it to the finals. They were revved to prove themselves AIN -1 .~ ..+r 5~ g(St} 'M'9 By BARRY S DAILY SPORTS WR The slide c The No.J team lost its tf six matches S 25-15. As has b matches, the W 5-5 overall) co hole the wrest classes dug. "We lost t (weightclasses "We struggle it and we've got middle classes The Wildc, ing 16-0 lead 1 weight classe pounds) defeat 3, to open then wrestlers continue to struggle OLLENBERGER Behm (126) and juniorBryan Sosinski nothing to do with his work habits ITER (134) then dropped consecutive because he is working very hard." ontinues. matches to Tad Yeager and Tony Bahr said that the team is forced to 15 Michigan wrestling Pariano, 10-4 and 16-6, respectively. rely too much on its upper weight hird straight and fifth in Then junior Mike Ellsworth (142) classes. unday at Northwestern, was nipped by Spencer Malcolm, 3-2, "The middle guys are feeling the and senior All-American candidate pressure ouryoung guys put on them," een the case in recent Brian Harper (150) was downed, 5-3, Bahr said. "They are put in a 'have to wolverines (0-3 Big Ten, by Brent Shiver. win' situation and this puts a lot of uld not recover from the Bahr felt the losses at 142 and 150 pressure on them." lers in the early weight were especially crucial. Senior All-American Sean Bormet "We've got to get wins out of (158) finally got Michigan on the board he match at 142 and 150 Ellsworth," Bahr said. "For us to have against Northwestern by defeating s)," coach DaleBahr said. a chance of winning, he's got to come Aaron Hodges, 4-0. n the early weight classes, through, and he's the first to admit that Any hopes the Wolverines had of to turn it around in the he's struggling." making a miraculous comeback were and we didn't do it." Harper's loss was especially dis- dashed in the next two matches. ats grabbed a command- concerting considering the fact that he Northwestern built its lead to 25-3 by winning the first five is ranked No. 3 in the nation at 150. when Rohan Garder (167) pinned jun- s. Jeff Mirabella (118 "Even Brian Harper is struggling," ior Chad Biggert and shortly after- ted junior Matt Stout, 9- Bahr said. "He came back from Christ- wards, junior Kevin Williams (177), natch. Sophomore Andy mas and has been struggling. It has See GRAPPLERS, Page 10 I I Stan Lee (9) and the rest of the 'M' volleyball team were swept by MSU. ; : ?«a. e ?f # x vx .: s "; .gym"~ ,s,£:, .s ' i° $ .' t x 5 ' ate" s x z.' ' . °s thoe HOP WOOD UNDERCLASSMEN AWARDSX <$< > ': and the winners of: Academy of American Poets Bain-Swiggett Poetry Prize Roy W. Cowden Fellowship Louise and George Piranian Scholarship will be announced Reading by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet JOHN ASHBERY Author of: Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror Selected Poems Flow Chart Adoeted at Ores0hooI0 than You were, I I