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COLUMBUS - You keep hearing that Robert
Traylor's arrival at Michigan is the most
overrated basketball event since Shawn Bradley's
selection in the NBA draft.
You hear derision of Traylor from opposing fans when
the Wolverines go on the road. "Fat boy!" they shout. "Go
get a burger!" You hear it from those stodgy types that
hated the enthusiasm Jalen Rose and Chris Webber
brought to the game. You hear it from the people who
whine because "players these days
are all talk and no game."
He's too fat, these people keep
saying, and he 's too slow, and he's
too foul-prone, and he 's too emo-
tional, and he 's just not going to be a
force in the Big Ten this year.
It's time to turn to the boorish guy
I next to you - the one who just can't
B NT see past Traylor's waistline to the
McINTOSH 300-pound center's game - and
Mcintosh point out politely, in your best Oh-
Classics but-I-beg-to-differ voice, that Traylor
is already a force in the Big Ten. Not
next year. Not once he drops some
rnds. Right now.
Certainly he's not headed for this year's All-Big Ten
first team. He's npt even the main drive of Michigan's
offensive engine. But to say Traylor's not a force in the
Big Ten is folly.
He's too fat and slow.
Opponents barely have time to say that as he spins past
them on the baseline to dunk or dump the ball to Maceo
Baston for a jam of his own. Traylor is quick: not "quick
for a man his size," but flat-out quick. His post moves are
well-developed for a freshman - especially since young
men rarely develop those moves in high school, where
they often can dominate games through strength alone,
despite a lack of technique. Traylor spins well in the lane,
finding shots for himself or open teammates when he
draws a double-team.
More often than not, though, he gets called for charging
on that play.
This is a valid criticism of the freshman. He does get
caught charging a time or two every game, and blocking
See McINTOSH, Page 58
Wolverines halt
skid in Columbus
Cagers quash Buckeye rally, 77-58
I
By Michael Rosenberg
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS - While you were
busy putting off studying late last week,
the Michigan men's basketball players
did something far more impressive.
They became Purdue.
Just three days after getting crushed
by Purdue, the Wolverines whipped
Ohio State, 77-58, Saturday night be-
fore 13,276 at St. John Arena. The Buck-
eyes never came within seven points of
Michigan in the game's final 32 min-
utes.
The Boilermakers had beaten the
Wolverines, 80-59, Wednesday at
Crisler Arena. Purdue jumped out to a
44-22 halftime lead on the way to, in
Michigan coach Steve Fisher's words,
"manhandling," "humiliating" and "em-
barrassing" the Wolverines.
Fisher decided that if Ohio State was
going to similarly blow out the Wolver-
ines, it would be a different set of Wol-
verines. Fisher replaced three of his
starters in the lineup.
In-Robert Traylor, Willie Mitchell,
Dugan Fife.
Out - Maceo Baston, Albert White,
Travis Conlan.
Down and out - Ohio State.
"It's the same old story for us," Ohio
State coach Randy Ayers said. "We
turned the ball over way too many
times."
Way too many, in this case, was 26.
This time, it was Michigan doing the
manhandling, the humiliating and the
embarrassing.
Not to mention the open-heart sur-
gery.
"This was a game for us to plug an
artery that was bleeding profusely,"
Fisher said. "We didn't have time to see
a doctor. Sometimes you don't have a
chance to do that."
Michigan jumped out to early leads
of 12-4, 18-8, 25-12, 37-18 and 45-22.
The Wolverines (5-4 Big Ten, 15-7
overall) were so dominant, the first half
turned into a Pick the Most Ridiculous
Stat Contest:
Every one of Michigan's starters
outscored his Ohio State counterpart.
Ohio State had more turnovers (15)
than field goals (11).
The Buckeyes' top two scorers,
Damon Stringer and Rick Yudt, were a
combined 2 for 6 for 8 points.
Despite all that, Ohio State (2-7,9-9)
still managed a comeback of sorts. The
Buckeyes scored the last eight points of
the half to make it 45-30, then stayed
hot to start the second half. Jermaine
Tate hit a layup. Damon Stringer hit a
three. Everything seemed to be going
right for Ohio State; on the next posses-
sion, with just three seconds left on the
shot clock, Shaun Stonerook dropped
in a bucket from eight feet.
But that's all the streak was -a drop
in the bucket. Ohio State was still down
eight, and Michigan would soon regain
control of its offense and the game.
Willie Mitchell hit a 15-foot jump
shot, the first Wolverine basket in more
than seven minutes. After Rick Yudt
nailed an 18-footer for Ohio State, Louis
Bullock hit a 3-pointer to start a6-0 run
for Michigan.
The Buckeyes were buried again -
See BASKETBALL, ge 5B
WALKER VANDYKE/Daily
Maurice Taylor and Michigan were head and shoulders above Ohio State Saturday, winning, 77-58.
Ohio State comes back to steal
point from icers after blowout
By Alan Goldenbach
Daily Sports Writer
News from the office of the CCHA.
*e conference playoffs don't begin
until March 8.
That's too bad, because it seems that
Michigan and Ohio State are either late
in receiving the word or a bit antsy to
get the postseason rolling.
The No.4 Wolverines (16-4-2 CCHA,
21-5-2 overall) and the cellar-dwelling
Buckeyes (3-14-5, 5-14-5) played any-
thing but a typical pair of midseason
mes between a national powerhouse
a conference patsy.
Friday Michigan took it to Ohio State,
7-0, in what could have been seen as a
revenge of sorts for the surprising 4-4
tie that the Buckeyes gave the Wolver-
ines last week in Columbus.
But Saturday, Ohio State proved that
its performance of a week ago was no
fluke as the Buckeyes tied Michigan
again, this time by the count of 2-2.
The four combined goals Saturday
matched the lowest output of any Wol-
verine contest this season. Michigan
played both games without injured cen-
ter, Brendan Morrison, whose absence
from the lineup undoubtedly had an
effect on his team's scoring output.
However, the play of Buckeye
goaltender Tom Askey Saturday night
was the story of the weekend. The se-
nior, who seemed to thrive off the jeers
of the Yost Ice Arena crowd, stopped
50 of the Wolverines' 52 shots on goal
and was absolutely brilliant throughout
the contest.
Not as flashy, but equally as stingy in
net, was Michigan goalie, Gregg
Malicke, making the first start of his
career as a Wolverine. Malicke turned
aside 22 Ohio State shots and seemed to
have the confidence of a seasoned vet-
eran right from the start.
"As the game went on, I was feeling
a bit more comfortable," Malicke said.
"I wasn't nervous at all. I knew I had to
do a job."
Askey and Malicke put on a
goaltending clinic for the first two peri-
ods, holding their respective opponents
scoreless. But that's not to say that each
team didn't have its chances.
Ohio State had the first golden op-
portunity, coming about nine minutes
into the game. The Buckeyes had a 5-
on-3 man advantage for 1:53, as they
drew penalties on Michigan defensemen
Steven Halko and Blake Sloan seven
seconds apart.
But the Wolverines' penalty killing
unit, led by the tremendous work of
Bobby Hayes, John Arnold and Kevin
See ICERS,_Page 4B
q
( - I
cea c'rI ILLWIP~I'n/LJEY
SARA STILLMAN/Daily
Michigan defenseman Chris Fox clears the
puck from his own end in the Wolverines' 2-2 tie with Ohio State.
lue doubles
upBucks on
way to sweepF
By Chris Murphy
ly Sports Writer
nstead of facing the same Big Ten schedule year in
and year out, the Michigan women's swimming and
diving team has the privilege of travelling around the
country and competing in many different locales.
Fortunately for the Wolverines, they still have the
privilege of facing teams like Indiana and Ohio State at
home.
Buckeyes get better of series with M
While hockey games
against Ohio State might
not seem like a huge event
to people at Michigan, the folks in
Columbus look at them much
differently. Only when the Wolver-
ines come to town does Ohio State
sell out its rink - and the capacity is
a mere 1,400.
Ohio State enjoys playing Michi-
gan. And although it might seem that
would mean the Buckeyes like getting
trampled - they haven't came away
with a win in the past 28 games - it
actually has more to do with the
excitement of playing its biggest rival.
Any game with the Wolverines is a
fight, and this year, the Buckeyes
,. . .
stomping. But as cliched as it may be,
the Buckeyes stole away the moral
victory, tying
Michigan, 2-2,
Saturday after
the two teams
played to a 4-4
deadlock last
. weekend.
Even more
impressive, the
JOHN Buckeyes came
LEROI from behind to
Out of tie the Wolver-
Bounds ines in rowdy
Yost Ice Arena.
Ohio State coach
John Markell pumped bothfists in the
.,... .nriw n rrcr Rn.a -
aside 50 shots, bowed to the crowd
after his amazing performance.
"The bottom line is Askey played'
incredibly. He was just standing on
his head," Michigan center John
Madden said. "He kept them in the
game."
Although Askie played exception-
ally well, the real bottom line is that
Ohio State stole a point from the
Wolverines this weekend. And the
Buckeyes swiped one last weekend
too.
So while pair of ties and a loss
may not seem like a great series,
you'd better believe the Buckeyes'
ride home from Ann Arbor was an
enjoyable one.
Ohi.o . Cna s a. ia fr .a lvnf
WALKER VAN DYKE/Daily
Swimmers make a splash!
The Michigan women's swimming and diving
team got in on the Buckeye beating,
trouncing Ohio State 73-
I