ELIZABETH UPPMAN/Daily Maurice Taylor and the rest of the Wolverines hope to handle the Illini Sunday in Champaign. Grapplers ready for Big Tens The Michigan wrestling team will be in East Lansing March 9-40 for the Big Ten Championships. The Wolverines (6-21 Big Ten, 12-5-1 overall) are looking to dethrone 1995 national champion Iowa. That may prove to be a difficult task because the Hawkeyes have won 22 straight Big Ten titles. Friday March 1, 1996 . Wolverines on a roll as. season enters final stretch By Paul Barger oftheconferenceseason buthasplayed Wildcats are in a position to spoil Daily Sports Writer its way back into tournament conten- Michigan's season. It is amazing what a couple of victo- tion. Sunday's game against Michigan Three years ago, the Wolverinestrav ries will do. is a must-win. cled to Northwestern on the last day o Aftera monthlongslump that saw the Added incentive for the Illini is the the season with a chance to tie fort virtual collapse of the Michigan men's retirement of longtime head coach Lou Big Ten title. basketball team, there is reason for op- Henson. Henson will step down at the The Wildcats upset the Wolverines timism. in overtime enroute to an NIT AfterTuesday's thumping of berth and relegated Michigan intrastate rival Michigan State, Michigan's remaining schedule toadisappointingsecond-place the Wolverines (8-7 Big Ten, Who: Illinois, Northwestern and Wisconsin finish. 18-10 overall) are on the verge When: Sunday, 2 p.m., March 6,8 p.m. and March 9 Sincethen, Ricky Byrdsong's of their fifth straight NCAA 4:30 p.m. team has been rather unimpres- Tournament berth. Where: Champaign, Evanston and Ann Arbor sive and has been blown-out The Michigan players are three straight times by the W convinced that they deserve the veries. bid, but it's still in the hands of The most recent debacle pro- the NCAA selection commit- .:.2) duced a 83-51 Michigan win tee, which will pick the 64- on Jan 6. team field March 10. Wisconsin (7-8, 15-12) has That is the day after the been a surprise to many this year. Wolverines finish the regular Expectedtobeaconferencedoor- season at home against Wis-. ' mat after losing Michael Finley consin. and Rashard Griffith, the Bad- Before that, Michigan trav- gers have been more than re- els to Illinois Sunday and spectable all season. Northwestern March 6. The Much of the credit goes trouble that Steve Fisher's squad has end ofthe season, and his players do not freshman Sam Okey. Okey leads the had on the road makes both of these want to see his outstanding career cul- Badgers in points, blocks and rebounds games intriguing. minate in the NIT. and is a leading candidate for Big Ten If the Wolverines can win their last "This will be the first home game Freshman ofthe Year. If Wisconsin can three games, they would probably get since he made the announcement," win its last three games, it will have 18 bracketed as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed. Fisher said. "It will be extra emotional wins and an outside chance at the They would also have won their last for everybody. It will be important for NCAAs. five games, giving them a lot of mo- us to come out in control." Michigan is almost assured of an mentum. The Wolverines handled Illinois the NCAA bid, but the coming week is "If we play like we did (against first time the teams met, 83-68. But important. Michigan State), we can play with any- that was in Ann Arbor and the Illini Ifthe Wolverines lose to IllinoisS4 body in the country,"sophomore Travis were playing without their best player, day, they will have to win at least one Conlan said. "If we play like that, I starting point guard Kiwane Garris, andmaybebothgamesagainsttheWild- don't want to be the team that faces us who will be in the lineup Sunday. cats and Badgers. in the first round." Northwestern (2-14, 7-18) is strug- "I'm thinking 19(wins) will getus in, The Illini have other plans for Michi- gling once again and has shown no but 20 should definitely," Fisher sai. gan. Illinois struggled at the beginning signs of improvement. However, the "But I hope to win them all." [ichia faces Spartans at Yost. as four at-large bids for the 12-team dance, and while the No. Bowling Green netminder Mike Savard beats them. It will be 4 Wolverines aren't exactly on the proverbial bubble, they're because Michigan beats Michigan. The Wolverines have both not a lock to make it either. the Spartans and Falcons outmanned. Michigan boasts the top Seem strange? Bowling Green finished second in last four scorers in the league led by national assist leader Kevin year's title hunt, but fell in the first round of the CCHA Hilton, and two other snipers in the top nine, Michigan has playoffs and didn't get a bid. scored 43 more goals than the next highest-scoring team. "We're looking at the games to rebound from last weekend "Its good we're coming home, but we have totak advantage and for our overallrecord as wellas our league record for NCAA ofit," Berenson said. "You saw how home ice can bea big factor purposes," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "We're not out in momentum and intensity last weekend. of the woods in terms of the NCAAs It's important that we play "But if we're not playing our best hockey, it will be ove well in these games to take a step forward and get ready for the before it should be over." (CCHA) playoffs." For Arnold, Hilton, captain Steven Halko and Mark Sakala, The Wolverines find them in a precarious situation. They these next two weekends are the end. The fourseniors will play could lose both games and finish tied for second-place in the their last regular season game in Yost tomorrow against the league. Then again, they could win both games and end up in Falcons. The CCH A playoffs next weekend will be the last time third place, finding themselves in a rematch with the Falcons the group will skate at Yost. After tomorrow's game, the next weekend. Either way, Berenson knows where he'll be Wolverines will honor the four seniors for their effortswhile4t next weekend - right at home. The Wolverines haven't Michigan. played at Yost, where they have lost just one game all year, "It's really our last chance to perform in front of our crowd," since Feb. 3. Arnold said. "I consider this a whole weekend deal. Michigan And Berenson knows that if Michigan drops a pair this State, Imean, wehate them. Whoelse would weratherplay?I weekend,it won't be because Spartan speedster Anson Carter or going to be sad, but its also going to be exciting." HEY, WHY NOT a TRAE YOUR Ty of M ichigan of Music FOR m Steamroller Orchestra lable at Schoolkids Records and 764-0450) and wheelchair accessible unless THUS S . For weekly events listings, call 763-4726. The School of Music 3aits Drive, North Campus.Advertise your house or apartment in the Sublet Issue cwunoa a! Published: Wednesday, March 27 sMarch21 @4 p.m. Conference title in reach as M By John Leroi Daily Sports Editor Red Berenson couldn't have planned it better. ; Of course, he would have liked it if his Wolverines had Zken one game from Lake Superior last weekend. But .tow, ichigan will battle Michigan State with a chance at first- ace on the line. 'The Spartans could have wrapped up the league title last pight with a victory over Bowling Green at home. But the falcons, who are stuck in fifth-place, rolled out of Munn Ice Arena with a 5-1 victory over Michigan State, increasing heir shot at a possible NCAA tournament berth. LNow Spartan coach Ron Mason has to pull his troops 'gether and try to beat the Wolverines (20-6-2 CCHA, 25- =2 overall) at Yost tonight at 7, or his club will probably fall I t of first place for the first time since December. Michigan State can win its first title since the 1989-90 season if it knocks off the Wolverines tonight. If Michigan can topple the Spartans, Lake Superior will have the inside track to the title and the automatic berth to the NCAA tourney. All the Lakers have to do is win both road mes this weekend at lowly Ohio State and Miami (Ohio). If both Lake State and the Wolverines sweep, the two squads will end up deadlocked on top of the CCHA standings, but the Lakers will get the first seed in the conference tournament by virtue of a better head-to-head record. If the Lakers split, or even tie one game, and Michigan beats the Spartans tonight and Bowling Green (18-10-1, 24- 12-1) tomorrow at Yost, Berenson will have his third CCHA title in as many years. Western Michigan shot itself in the foot, dropping an 8-3 decision to Alaska-Fairbanks Wednesday night, or the Bron- cos could have had a chance to wear the conference crown. The Spartans are sure to remember the 8-1 pasting the Wolverines dealt them just two weeks ago at Joe Louis Arena and Michigan's 4-3 victory two months ago in the Great Lakes Invitational championship game. And it's a pretty safe bet that the Wolverines would love to thump the Michigan State again, for a variety of reasons. "There's a major sense of urgency; a desperation we feel. We have to win these games," senior forward John Arnold said. "Once we start jumping to conclusions or looking ahead, we're not going to get anywhere." Anywhere is the NCAA tournament. There could be as few Study Abroad at the Japan Center for Michigan Universities located on the shore of bake Biewa in likone. Shiga Prefecture. Japan Summer intensive Japanese (May 27 - August 5, 1996 ) A Academic Year in Japanese Language and Culture (Japanese language and elective courses taught in English; Fall and/or Winter semesters ) ---, Public Affairs In Japan (5 week specialized program beginning in June ) For more information contact your campus study abroad office or the JCMU Program Office MSU International Center / E. Lansing Ml 48824-1035 Ph. (517) 353-1680/ Internet: JCMU@pilot.msu.edu Mhchigan State University is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action institution. The Universit Schoolc Saturday, March 23 Revelli Scholarship Benefit Chip Davis and the Mannhei with the University SymphonyI Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. Tickets: $25, $20 and $15 avai Michigan League Box Office ( All events are freea specified otherwise the Music Hotline, is located at 1100 B 1k 1l~ "AMAZGLYENUAL! 5 Academy A ward Nona. Best Picture -- Best Actor TT ^ - J: "OfIRACC( 1-(I Y I I I 339 S. SU tc St