The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - March 10, 1997-96 BASKETBALL 4Y4 1~ { g~ Y i9,bgan forward ~ ~aurlce Taylor -'~ a~mmed home "' a4onts yee day He also pulled dow a re eamahi3 n 7 ..~ohert Traylor and the rest of ,4 the WolverInes ,1,looked onin - earnest , S A siLLMAN/Daiuy 'Wovernes fel rdeemed with come-from-behind win Ayers' future up in the air at Buckeyes'helm By Will McCahill Daily Sports Editor COLUMBUS - Speculation was rampant at St. John Arena yesterday, and Michigan's tournament fate was- n't the only topic of debate. Ohio State coach Randy Ayers has long been rumored to be on the hot seat, and the Buckeyes' 86-81 over- time loss to the Wolverines capped off Ohio State's fourth consecutive losing season. The Buckeyes finished 10-17 overall, 5-13 in the Big Ten, a record almost identical to last season's final tally. Michigan coach Steve Fisher praised Ayers in the postgame press conference, prompting one reporter to characterize his speech as a eulo- gy for the head Buckeye. "That's no eulogy," Fisher said. "Don't try to say that. "I'm stating facts that you've got a guy that's quality, and I know how it feels when you don't win. It's hard." Ayers himself sought to deflect questions about his coaching future, instead reflecting on his young squad's efforts this season. "I think everybody's made some strides (this season)," Ayers said. "I was really happy with the effort they gave." Still, Ayers was dogged by queries on his next move. Ayers said he is scheduled to meet later this week with Ohio State ath- letic director Andy Geiger and asso- ciate athletic director Miechelle Willis. "I'd love to come back (next sea- son)," Ayers said. "I've put 14 years into Ohio State, I've enjoyed it and my family's enjoyed it. "Hopefully Il be around." The Buckeyes' downward spiral has been a quick one. After taking the helm in 1989, Ayers guided Ohio State to the sec- ond round of the NCAA tournament before losing to eventual national champion UNLV. The next two seasons brought Big Ten titles to Columbus, and the 1990-91 squad earned a top seed in the Midwest region after compiling a 27-4 overall mark. Ohio State was again a top seed in '92, and Ayers' squad - led by cur- rent NBA star Jimmy Jackson - made it to the Southeast regional finals before losing to Michigan, 75- 71, in overtime. The Buckeyes' slide began the fol- lowing year. In March of '93, Ohio State found itself in the NIT with a 15-13 record. The Buckeyes hit rock bottom in '95, finishing with a 6-22 record and gar- nering a mere two victories in the Big Ten. Last season, the freshman-packed Ohio State squad finished 10-17, finishing 10th in the conference. Ayers said he wasn't sure all the speculation wasn't a distraction to his players during the course of the season. "I hope not," he said. "I don't know - I haven't really talkedwdh them about it. "I told them from day one it's not their responsibility to keep me here. I wasn't going to put that pressure on them." Asked if he deserved to be back at the head of the Ohio State bench next season, Ayers shrugged and hes- itated before answering. "My sons think I do, I'll put it that way," he said. In the end, however, Ayers' closing statements sounded som-ewhat likea farewell. "I've enjoyed it," he said of is tenure. "I really have, and like I-said, I'm looking forward-to talking 'with (Geiger and Willis)." Whether he stays at Ohio State or is thrust into the merry-go-round of college coaching firings and hirings in the coming weeks, Ayers sagi he thinks his future is secure. "Like I said, I'm going to be talon care of," he said. "I'm only 40, so hopefully I'll be taken care of."- Going into the season, Ayers was not the only coach whose head was on the chopping block. Northwestern coach Icky Byrdsong was supposedly on higvay out, and indeed was dismissed, effec- tive at the end of the season. - ,.By John Leroi coach Steve Fisher admitted his team -Vioy Sports Editor flat-out quit. -cOLUMBUS - Say what you Yesterday, that was not the case. want about the Michigan men's bas- After a 3-pointer from Neshaun :, ellall team, but that doesn't mean Coleman and two free throws from th4Vaolverines will agree. Otis Winston, Michigan was down the fans and the-media may still by-five points with just 30.5 seconds Aik the Wolverines. are under- remaining. .hIevers and quitters who didn't But the Wolverines didn't pack it deserve to get into the NCAA tour- in this time, and that, according to .-DORgent anyway, but the players say Taylor makes all the difference. ,-theyproved otherwise - at least to "No matter what's written in the t14mselves - in yesterday's come- papers or what anybody says, no rflm-behind win over Ohio State. matter what happens for the postsca- ".-tWe were down son, we proved to ourselves today five with 30 sece- .that we're not quitters" Taylor said. ends left and we "And that matters more to me than epwld have given up anything." .ight, there," 9 MAKE NO MISTAKE: Yesterday's --cigan forward lote a win is no consolation for not making Maurice Taylor the NCAA tournament, but it's "sac But we -i something the Wolverines wouldn't fosght, and I think have had a'week ago. -.t# helps us out "I hope this turns heads on the igre than anyone selection committee," Michigan for- , the selection committee. It ward Maceo Baston said. "If it does- ;,h$&red us that we can win the clos n't, that's wrong, but. the win still ,ganpes." -. feels goo(." «; 4nning the close games has been Witi. IF, STAY?: Rumors continue onething that the Wolverines have to fly that Taylor will jump ship and (one a poor job of this season. take his 10-point per game scoring Mi j igan has lost five games by five average to the NBA. poimts or less, and all but one loss When asked if he had played his ,hsvsbeen by single digits. last game as a Wolverine, Taylor said tshings got ugly for Michigan on that he had no plans of leaving Feb. 16 when they blew a 20-point Michigan, though he didn't rule the second-half lead and lost in overtime option out. toJJidiana. Taylor, who is projected by That collapse started a- five-game ESPN's Don Levenhal to be a mid- Ip tseg streak. to-late first round pick, hasn't exact- , he worst of it came last Sunday ly put up the numbers people expect- hen the Wolverines blew another ed him to this season, but it's his 6- sa ead and lost to Illinois by 19 foot-9, 250-pound frame that has rpoitts in a game that Michigan scouts drooling. BUCKEYES the final 86-81 margin. -Connued from Page 1B' The Wolverines ended the regular season with two-consecutive victo- I n, the inbounds play, junior guard ries, the first time they had accom- Travis Conlan and Hughes double- plished the feat since late January. ;ceaTed Ohio State -guard Damon The streak came on the heals of five egiger, forcing another Buckeye straight losses, however, and turnover. Michigan did not get the reward it - .onlan came up with the loose ball had been hoping for, and invitation .p pushed it ahead to Hughes for a dri- to the NCAA tournament. sving layup from the left side. Stringer Instead, the Wolverines will play .4sfould Hughes in in the NIT, .le,.act, putting which begins ,.Fthes on the T hogh Thursday line with 11.2 when 16-12 ,,sonds remain- hae Miami (Fla.) ndMichigan visits Crisler gjng toan81- finally found ! Arena. 79 ad. Still, the -lughes then way to Win it 14.e victory was a poJy nailed the relief for .fre throw to put kept our heart and M i c h i g a n, .-.gtjead at three which has lost Hlughes then our intensity, and a number of r,4paytStringer on close games , thoJine with 5.9 the breaks came over the .putds to play, course of the . the sopho- our way. season. ore hit both "We fought i b - Mtacer Baston hard, and we i.sn't enough Michigan basketball forward finally found a for the on the Win at Ohio State way to win it," ,.,Buejceyes, and Baston said. Conlan hit two free throws to put the "We kept our heart and our intensity, Wolverines up, 84-81, with 3.4 see and the breaks came our way." ands remaining. Fughes was also savoring the feel- bOhio State tried a full-court pass on ing of winning a close one. ,t,, inbounds play, but it went long and "It feels great, because we've ,opt of bounds, giving the ball back to played this hard all the time, and ichigan. Winston fouled Bullock, :hings didn't ever seem to bounce the hose two successful attempts from right way," he said. the line iced the game and provided "Finally it bounced our way." Taylor, of course, has worn black socks emblazoned with the NBA logo all year. He cautions not to read into that too much. He says he has worn the stockings for good luck ever since Michigan's Dec. 8 win over Duke in Durham, N.C. SETTING A PRECEDENT: Just a note for those of you who didn't know: Michigan wouldn't have been the first team, disappointed that it didn't make the NCAA tournament, to reject an NIT bid. Georgia Tech and Louisville have both refused to tango in the "Not Invited Tournament," with the Yellow Jackets doing so most recently - last year. POPPING BUBBLES: Somehow, that NCAA tournament bracket looks pretty vacant without Michigan's name on it somewhere. You'd also be hard-pressed to find the word Syracuse anywhere besides the site of the East Regional final. This is the first time in 14 years that neither the Wolverines nor the Orangemen were invited to the Big Dance. CAREER DAY: Michigan center Robert Traylor scored a career-high 22 points in yesterday's win. It was the first time Traylor ever had a 20-point game. BROTHERLY LOVE: Steve Fisher had someone special to savor yester- day's victory with. His older brother John was at St. John Arena to help out Detroit radio station WJR with its radio broad- cast MICHIGAN (86) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS Taylor 37 5-12 4-4 5-13 1 4 14 Basto 26 33 34 3-4 0 4 9 Traylor 34 7-11 8-15 4-8 0 4 22 Bullock 38 3-12 55 0-4 1 3 12 Conlan 39 35 2-2 1-1 3 2 8 Hughes 36 712 1-1 1-1 3 5 16 Ward 11 25 0-0 2.2 0 1 5 Streets 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Oliver 1 0-0 0-0 0.0 0 0 0 Syndlar 1 0-0 00 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 200 30-6023-317-368 24 86 FG%:.683. FT%:.742.3-point FG: 3-14, .214 (Hughes 1-3, Ward 1-3, Bullock 1-7, Conlan 0-1). Blocks: 1 (Traylor). Steals: 3 (Traylor, Bullock, Conlan). Turnovers: 20 (Hughes 5, Taylor 4, Traylor 4, Bullock 4, Baston, Conlan, Ward) Technical Fouls: none. OHIO STATE (81) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PT Winston 33 5-11 4-8 1-3 1 3 14 Jantonio 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Lumpkin 29 2-2 1-1 0-2 0 5 4 Coleman 22 7-11 1-1 0-2 0 2 16 Stringer 38 9-20 4-4 13 8 4 27 Singleton 31 4-5 0-0 2-3 4 3 8 Stonerook 38 1-5 3-7 3-6 5 5 5 Davis 11 0-1 0-0 1-1 1 1 0 Jackson 9 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 3 Eisenhard 11 1-1 2-4 2-2 0 2 4 Totals 200 30-5814-2412-26192581 FG%: .517. FT%: .583. 3-point FG: 7-19, .368 (Stringer 5-9, Jackson 1-1, Coleman 1- 3, Jantooo 0-1, Stoneook 0-2. Winston 0- 3). Blocks: 1 (Coleman. Steals: 7 (Lumpkin 2, Stringer 2, Davis 2, Stonerook). Turnovers: 15 (Stringer 4, Coleman 3, Stonerook 2, Davis 2, Winston, Lumpkin, Singleton, Jackson). Technical Fouls: none. Michigan ..... 30 44 12 -86 Ohio State .......33 41 7 -81 At: St. John Arena A: 12,570 SARA STILLMAN/Deiy Ryan DeKulper embraces Brandun Hughes after the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes, but their celebration was short-lived. The Wolverines will host Miami (Fla.) in the first round of the NIT. LERI Continued from Page 1S tournament like the players believe they do, then the best way to prove it is to win the NIT, not to wallow in self pity and say the NIT is beneath them. Fisher said earlier in the week that he would only accept an NIT bid if he felt the postseason experience would "jumpstart" the team next year. Yesterday he said he wouldn't take the Wolverines to the NIT if "their hearts weren't in it." After last week's disaster at Illinois, no Wolverine could find a pulse, let alone his heart. But the same wasn't true yesterday. Everyone expected the Wolverines to beat the Buckeyes. But with their NCAA tournament hopes already destroyed thanks to Wisconsins upset of the second- ranked Golden Gophers the night before, and the Wolverines down by five points to the Buckeyes with just 30 seconds left, the Wolverines could have easily packed it in and gone home. But for whatever reason, the Wolverines didn't. For the first time in a long time, they played the way they did during the final 10 minutes of their win over Duke on Dec. 8. The win over Ohio State wasn't nearly as colossal, but it proved that this team was not a bunch of quitters. And that, coupled with their deci- sion to play in the NIT, proves that the Wolverines aren't quite as arro- gant as we thought. "If we had laid an egg today and hadn't fought hard, we might not be talking (about playing in the NIT)," Fisher said yesterday. The Wolverines will have an opportunity to gain some much- needed. post-season experience, something they haven't had much of the last two seasons. Miami (Fla.) isn't just a football school anymore. Though not nearly as talented as Michigan is, the Hurricanes will be a quality opponent. If the Wolverines actually play their remaining games with the pas- sion they say they will, the Michigan basketball program can only benefit. After winning the NIT in 1984, the Wolverines reeled off back-to-back Big Ten titles - their last two con- ference championships. History may not repeat itself, but frankly, Michigan has no where to go but up. Think the Wolverines have a lot to lose in the NIT? I think you're right. Think they don't belong there? You're wrong. - John Leroi can be reached over e-mail atjrleroi@umich.edu. Read Daily Sports for complete coverage of Michigan's NIT run i