10 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 9, 1998
'M' hoops
faces top-
25 foes
i B.J. Luria
and Josh Keinbaum
daily Sports Writers
To say that this is an important
weekend for the Michigan women's
basketball team might be a bit of an
understatement. In fact, it could be
ft ued that this is the most important
tfwo-game stretch that the Wolverines
will play all season, or at least until
11w Big Ten tournament in late
February.
'The Wolverines (2-2 Big Ten, 10-3
overall) host No. 25 Purdue on Friday
at 7:30 p.m. and then travel to No. 11
llinois for a game on Sunday at 2
p.m. Both the Boilermakers and the
J~ghting Illini finished in first place
irthe Big Ten last season, sharing the
honor three ways with Michigan
State.
"It's important to see how we do
against top 25 teams, but the whole
season doesn't rely on this weekend,"
Michigan coach Sue Guevara said.
"But we're welcoming the challenge."
Michigan is rebounding from a dis-
appointing loss to Penn State in over-
4me last Sunday. The Nittany Lions
erased a 13-point Michigan lead in
Ssecond half to force the extra peri-
0 In overtime, Anne Thorius was
i ble to make a last-second shot that
6tuld have won the game as she was
ieing knocked to the floor.
The Wolverines had won two
straight Big Ten contests against
Minnesota and Northwestern before
falling to Penn State. This weekend's
games give Michigan the chance to
start another winning streak, though
the victories will have to come
ginst two of the Big Ten's toughest
Purdue (2-1, 9-4) is coming off an
r"set of No. 15 Wisconsin on
1desday, a game the Boilermakers
won, 70-65. It was Purdue's fourth
over a ranked team this season.
#he Boilermakers have won two
es in a row since losing their Big
en' opener to Illinois, having defeat-
ed Michigan State last Sunday and
the Badgers on Tuesday.
"Purdue is a very quick team,"
;uevara said. "They are real strong
,,,the perimeter and young inside."
Guevara will try to exploit the
,oilermakers in the key with all-Big
n center Pollyanna Johns, but
4they'll probably do a good job dou-
ble- and triple-teaming her, so the
pcrimeter game will be important."
Purdue is led by junior guard
Itephanie White, who is averaging
20.3 points per game and is shooting
84 percent from the free-throw line.
After championship, Zahn
begins to reel in big recruits
By Jacob R. Wheeler
Daily Sports Writer
Good left-handed pitchers are a rarity in baseball these
days.
Last year's Michigan baseball team suffered from a season-
long shortage of southpaws, despite winning the Big Ten title
on the final weekend of the regular season.
But Michigan coach Geoff Zahn is trying to fill that hole in
the future. In only his second early-signing period, the coach
inked two strong left-handers for the 1999 season.
Southpaws Andy Brown - from Richmond, Ind. - and
Jeff Trzos- out of Farmington Hills - should strengthen the
pitching corps a year from now. The Wolverines also signed
righthanded pitcher Robert Korecky.
"I'm very pleased with this group of players and I'm
impressed with their potential as student-athletes," Zahn said.
"But you never know how good your class will really be until
after the (major league) draft."
A professional team will likely express interest in the trio,
although many drafted players opt for college baseball instead.
"Brown and Trzos are two of the top lefties in the country,"
assistant coach Chris Harrison said. "They're going to get
plenty of opportunities to play."
Both players excelled on the mound and at the plate in high
school. Brown hit .495 with nine home runs and 42 RBI to go
with a 10-1 record and 1.69 earned-run average at Richmond
High.
Trzos hit .571 in the 1996 AABC Mickey Mantle World
Series with three extra base hits after earning MVP honors in
the regional at Coldwater with back-to-back shutouts.
Those are mouthwatering numbers to Zahn, who found a
way to win 1997 Big Ten coach of the year honors despite
depending on a primarily right-handed pitching corps.
He will have more to choose from a year from now.
Until then, Michigan will be short on lefties. Only two, Pete
Martay and Brian Cranson, pitched significant innings last
year - neither of them in the starting rotation.
Left-handed junior Robbie Reid will take a break froni bas-
ketball this spring to pitch for Michigan. But he hasn't pit1ied
college baseball since his days at Brigham Young, due to 'i
two-year Mormon mission in Greece.
Brown, Trzos and Korecky make up Zahn's second consec-
utive quality recruiting class.
The new faces of 1998 don't include any top notch left-
hand pitchers. But fans of Detroit Tigers baseball should see a
familiar name in Michigan's box scores.
Catcher David Parrish, son of former Tiger great Lance
Parrish, has donned maize and blue and will handle the tools
of ignorance this spring under Zahn.
Parrish and righthanded pitcher Vince Pistilli signed on in
the fall of 1996 - Zahn's first early signing periodaa
Michigan's coach.
"We'll bring both in slowly" Harrison said. "Last year4
really had to push the freshmen in right away, but this year we
can take our time."
Zahn is starting his third year at Michigan and the
Wolverines didn't have much depth when he took over. Bluthe
has assembled the best Michigan team in decades during his
stay.
Parrish and Pistilli probably won't see significant playing
time right away because the Wolverines return nearly eveiy-
one from last year's title-winning team. However, they-have
enough talent to make contributions down the road.
"David's a strong athlete," Harrison said. "He's got go4
arm strength and extra power. He led his team to the champi-
onship as a quarterback in high school."
Parrish's family background doesn't hurt his playing ability
either. His father caught more than a decade of major league
baseball and won a World Series with the 1984 Tigers.
The Show may eventually be a reality for the second gener-
ation. David was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 10th
round of the June 1997 draft.
"The best way to sum it up is, he's got a presence on the
field," Harrison said. "He's been around the game."
MALLORY S.E. FLOYD/Daily
Anne Thorlus and the rest of the Wolverines have a daunting task ahead of them
as they face No. 25 Purdue tonight and No. 11 Illinois on Sunday.
White recently scored her 1,000th
career point as a Boilermaker in 2 1/2
full seasons. Johns just recently sur-
passed the same mark in her fourth
season at Michigan.
Purdue's second leading scorer is
junior guard Ukari Figgs, who is the
only other Boilermaker averaging
better than 10 points per game, scor-
ing 13.8. Figgs has made 21 3-point-
ers, the same number as White. She
also shoots better than 88 percent
from the free throw line and averages
6.2 rebounds per game.
The Wolverines will face a similar-
ly daunting task when they travel to
Champaign to take on the Fighting
Illini.
Illinois (4-0, 10-4), one of last
year's Big Ten tri-champions, has also
defeated four teams ranked in the top
25. Three of its four losses have come
to ranked teams, including to No. I
Tennessee and No. 3 Old Dominion.
The Fighting Illini are riding a
five-game winning streak and have
defeated three ranked teams during
the span. On Jan. 4, Illinois defeated
then-No. 21 Colorado by 40 points
and beat Ohio State two days later.
Like Michigan, Illinois balances its
scoring among several players. The
Fighting Illini boast four players that
average double digits in scoring.
Senior guard/forward Ashley
Berggren leads the team in scoring
with 19 points per game. Junior
Alicia Sheeler leads the team in
rebounding with 8.4 per game and is
second in scoring with 13.8 points*
per game.
Berggren and White will give the
Wolverines a look at two of the best
players in the Big Ten.
"Both kids are perimeter players,"
Guevara said. "It'll be a challenge to
play defense against them, and to
make them play defense against us."
Guevara plans to give Stacey
Thomas the chore of defending
White.
The Wolverines currently have
three players that average at least 10
points per game, while two more
average better than nine.
Johns leads the team in scoring
with 20.6 points and 10 rebounds per
game. Thomas averages 11.5 points
and has also recorded 54 steals and
10 blocks, leading Michigan in both
categories.
This week, both Johns and Thomas
found their way into NCAA Division
I rankings. Johns ranks 26th in the
NCAA in scoring and 22nd in
rebounding. Johns also leads the Big
Ten in rebounding and ranks second
in scoring and field goal percentage.
Thomas is tied for eighth in the
country with her 3.9 steals per game.
Last year's Big Ten freshman of the
year is on pace to break Michigan's
team record of 81, set by Lori
Gnatkowski in the 1980-81 season.
If the Wolverines have hopes of
knocking off both ranked opponents
this weekend, they will have to
receive contributions from everyone
on the team, as they have in their vic-
tories so far this season.
Spartans
blow out
Badgers,
EAST LANSING (AP) - Mateen
Cleaves felt responsible that Michigan
State had only a two-point halftime lead
against Wisconsin and he was deter-
mined to do something about it in the
second half.
"I pointed the finger at myself at half-
time," said Cleaves, who scored II of his
14 points during a 23-9 spurt at the start
of the second half to lead the Spartans to
a 63-40 victory over Wisconsin on last
night.
"I made a lot of dumb mistakes -
crucial mistakes," Cleaves said. "I tried
to force it a little too much early in the
game, but in the second half I let the
game come to me and the other guys
made my job easier. (Wisconsin) could-
n't take away everything."
The Spartans led by two points at
halftime and hit I1 of 20 shots from the
field in the second half as they outscored
the Badgers 40-19.
The victory was the fifth straight for
Michigan State, the longest winning
streak in Tom Izzo's three years as
coach.
Izzo agreed that Cleaves didn't have
one of his better first halves.
"He didn't play well in the first half
and as a result, the team didn't play
well," Izzo said. "When he started lead-
ing them in the second half, they fol-
lowed him like ducks to water. That's
what I want from a point guard."
Michigan State (2-0 Big Ten, 9-3
t"" ...
AP PHOTO
Last night, Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves frustrated Wisconsin. Cleaves
finished the game with 14 points while leading the Spartans to a 63.40 victory.
_
i'
:./
The University of Michigan
Department of Recreational Sports
INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
Y
overall), which leads the Big Ten in
field-goal defense and scoring defense,
held the Badgers (1-2, 8-7) to a season-
low in points and field-goal percentage
(27.9).
"Give Michigan State a lot of credit,"
Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett said.
"They executed as well as any young
team we've played. We've been made to
look bad before, but not this bad:'
Jason Klein led Michigan State with
15 points and freshman Andre Hutson
added 12. Anowske and Mark Vershaw
each scored eight points to lead
Wisconsin.
Michigan State led 29-26 after a free
throw by Wisconsin's Booker Coleman
with 16:22 to play in the second half, but
the Spartans then went on a 17-4 run to
lead 46-30 with 8:40 left. Cleaves, who
also had nine assists, capped the sp*
with a three-point basket and a layup
after a steal.
Both teams struggled with their shoot-
ing in the first half. Wisconsin made
only five of 23 field-goal attefnpts;
while Michigan State shot eight for 24,
but three of the Spartans' baskets came
in the final 1:32 of the half.
Klein's three ended a six-minute scor-
ing drought by Michigan State. DuJuan
Wiley then converted a conventional
three-point play to cut the Badgers' d
to 21-20 and Klein connected on a three-
pointer with 4.6 seconds left in the-half
to send the Spartans off with a 2321
advantage.
"The last minute of the first half they
found themselves and capitalized on our
mistakes," Bennett said.
PoWERBAR
BASKETBALL
ENTRIES TAKEN:
Monday 1/12 ONLY
11:00 AM to 5:30 PM
ENTRY FEE:
$65 per team
MANAGER'SYMEETING:
MANDATORY
Weds 1/14, 6 & 9 PM, IMSB
PLAY BEGINS:
Thurs 1/15
IMSB & Sports Coliseum
v
TEAM
RACQUETBALL
ENTRIES TAKEN:
Monday 1/12 ONLY
11:00 AM to 5:30 PM
ENTRY FEE:
$35 per team
MANAGER'S MEETING:
MANDATORY
Weds 1/14,7:15 PM, IMSB
PLAY BEGINS:
Thurs 1/15, IMSB
Crum reprimanded for comments
,, t
/ F,
I /
BADMINTON
SINGLES &
DOUBLES
ENTRIES DUE:
Thurs 1/29, 4:30 PM, IMSB
ENTRY FEE:
$5 per individual
TOURNAMENT DATES:
Sat & Sun 1/31 & 2/1
NCRB
SWIMMING &
DIVING MEET
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville
coach Denny Crum was reprimanded by
Conference USA commissioner Mile
Slive on yesterday for comments made
about the officiating in the Cardinals' 71-
70 loss to Marquette on Saturday.
"Coach Crum's postgame comments
were in violation of the conference's code
of conduct which requires that coaches
refrain from public criticism of officials,"
Slive said in a statement. "Coach Crum
apologized for this violation of league
policy and assured the conference that no
similar violation will occur in the future."
In the game, a goaltending call against
Louisville with 14.9 seconds remaining
cut the Cardinals' lead to 70-68.
Television replays seemed to show that
Nate Johnson hit Marcus West's shot on
the way up.
"The goaltending call wasn't even
close" Crum said after the game. "I
mean that the ball hadn't started down or
even come close to being goaltending."
Brian Wardle's 3-pointer at the buzzer
gave Marquette the victory.
Crum also said the officials blew a call
that should have gone against Louisville.
Just after the goaltending call, Louisville
guard Cameron Murray appeared to drib-
ble out of bounds, but the Cardinals
retained possession.
"Cameron dribbled out of bounds, and
they give the ball to us," Crum said
Saturday. "That's two mistakes in the last
minute. They made one against each of
us." He also said: "There were so many
'bad calls at the game it was sickening"
But Louisville also took exception to
Marquette coach Mike Deane's behavior
at the end of the game and afterward.
As the officials huddled to discuss the
posession call, Deane stood gesturing
next to the Louisville player who was' try-
ing to throw the inbounds pass.
Following Wardle's game-winhing
shot, Deane ran toward the middle of the
floor with his fist raised and waved it
toward the crowd in celebration for-sev-
eral seconds.
The conference said Deane had apo
gized for not first shaking hands with
Crum, and it would take no action.
Crum issued a brief statement Fit
response to the reprimand.
"I will refrain from commenting on
this issue until I see what public action
Conference USA takes in regard to Mike
Deane's actions in the same game" he
said.
ENTRIES DUE:
Weds 2/4, 4:30 PM, IMSB
ENTRY FEE:
$25 per team
$5 per individual
MANAGER'S MEETING
MANDATORY
Weds 2/4, 6:00 PM, IMSB
40000,00"
POWERBAR
MEET DATE:
Thurs 2/5, Canham Nat
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