14B - The Michigan Daily - TIPOFF 2000 - Thursday, November 9, 2000
-~ -~ - - _______________________________
w _ _ V -
V __ __ _
Fresh guard talent abundant as Big Ten reloads
CROP
Continued from Page 13B
If these players can share, the
Fighting Illini could have the best
backcourt in the nation.
KEN JOHNSON, SENIOR CENTER,
OHIO STATE: It's one thing to concen-
trate on becoming the Big Ten
Defensive Player of the Year when you
have Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn
- to control the offense - a situation
Ken Johnson flourished in last season.
He averaged 5.37 blocks per game,
and Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien
called him the most dominating shot-.
alterer in the game.
But this year, Johnson will have to
be offense, defense and special teams
for an Ohio State squad that's wet
behind the cars.
"For the last couple of years, our
strength was on the perimeter. We
have to go inside this year," O'Brien
said. "We try to go to our strength, and
Ken Johnson is our strength."
JOE CRISPIN, SENIOR GUARD, PENN
STATE: Penn State has mainly devel-
oped a reputation for two things since
joining the Big Ten in basketball eight
years ago - long-range chuckers and
runs in the NIT.
Crispin, its current champion of the
former, hopes to fulfill his collegiate-
career goals and avoid another dose of
the latter by finally leading Penn State
into the NCAA tournament.
02 SamT STATE S~T.
STEP WVfDOS 0
D41ILU IN
OH VOtUi WXDVTO T49[ U4I D Tt.Uf
TiOR 0 X6'lh
TSH IR T
PRINTING
LOWEST PRICES!
HIGHEST QUALITY!
* FASTESTSERVICE!
* 1002 PONTIAC TR. -
994-1367
The Nittany Lions haven't been to
the Big Dance since the 1995-96 sea-
son. But Crispin believes the planets
are aligned this year for Penn State to
be a surprise team.
"This vear it's different," Crispin
said. "Chemistry wise, we're all on the
same page."
The Nittany Lions have been
plagued by an inability to make
enough big shots in the last four years.
Crispin has never been shy about tak-
ing the last shot or any other that pre-
sents itself. He will have to be Mr.
Clutch for Penn State if the team
wants to overcome its NIT penchant.
LUKf: RECKER, JUNIOR GUARD,
IOwA: A year and a half ago, former
Indiana star Luke Recker appeared to
have played his last game in the Big
Ten when a clash in style with Bobby
Knight caused him to transfer to
Arizona.
But in his first year at Arizona, a
serious car accident prior to the bas-
ketball season left Recker injured and
his former uirlfriend in a wheelchair.
Recker then decided to leave the trau-
ma behind and return to the midwest
- this time for the Hawkeyes.
Ironically, Recker returns healthy
and eager to a Knightless Big Ten.
"He's very fortunate he came out of
a tragic accident that really hasn't
affected any of his basketball play-
ing," Iowa coach Steve Alford said.
"He runs the floor as well as he's ever
ran it. He has no problems with any of
the things that might of occurred dur-
ing that injury."
If Recker's back to peak form, Iowa
could be the Big Ten surprise team
this season. Recker's inside/outside
effectiveness- makes him ultra-diffi-
cult to guard.
DANE FIFE, JUNIOR GUARD,
INDIAN.NA: The firing of Knight almost
caused Dane Fife to leave Indiana, but
he decided to stay and lead the crew
under Make Davis.
Fife was public about his disap-
proval for the Indiana administration
and the media's treatment of Knight
and continues to be today. But he also
believes in Davis and hopes to start a
new era of Hoosier basketball.
Indiana lost 30 points a game from
last year's starting lineup to gradua-
tion. The Hoosiers plan to fully utilize
Fife as an offensive threat this season.
"We lost Michael Lewis and A.J.
Guyton. We're a young team," Fife
said. "I'm looking to take a scoring
role"
eir
The Michigan Daily - TIPOFF 2001
It looked like his cohorts would be Jamal Crawford ar
Kevin Gaines. But now they're gone. And out of
Michigan's glorious past step LaVell Blanchard's nev
kindred spirits: Cazzie Russell and Chris Webber.
Alone at the top, and ready or not, he is ...
By Raphael Goodstein
Daily Sports Writer
5>
>u
.. y><:<.
,:-:., ,,
Courtesy of Michigan Athlet c Department
-7
.~(4h~ (.IO~[4NVQIIIm
UOWP flmU 91 an .. QID',OtQfLO94fl.
PhDUDVTPINST CADH-RU NN-P
A
When it comes to spending your paycheck, it goes a lot farther
in Oakland County, Michigan.
This is one of the nation's most affluent counties. Yet, the cost
of living is one of the lowest in the country.
Per capita income here exceeds both Silicon Valley and
Boston's Route 128. Housing rates are nearly half of those on
the West Coast and well below other technology cluster areas.
Sales tax is the 12th lowest in the country. Medical facilities,
colleges and school districts are some of the nation's top-rank-
ing. Plus, commute time is a breeze compared to other regions.
Log on to the web site. Check out all the advantages.
Money matters. So does job security. You need to explore all your
options to figure out where you want to begin your career. If you are
planning a career in engineering, computer systems or information
technology, Automation Alley, the nation's newest and fastest
growing technology cluster, is a smart place to start.
It's an exciting setting. 1,800 corporate world headquarters. Nearly
400 foreign-owned firms representing 21 countries. Breakthrough
technologies in virtually every realm of R&D. Working for an
Automation Alley company, you'll earn salaries and benefit packages
that match or far exceed those in Silicon Valley and Boston's Route
128.
Automation Alley's job growth rate is almost three times higher than
Silicon Valley's rate and our unemployment is lower than other top clus-
ters.
The dream is passed on. UPPER LEFT:
Chris Webber slams home a dunk on h
way to the NCAA Final. RIGHT: Cazzie
Russell shoots a hook shot, on his way
to the Final. LEFT: LaVell Blanchard po
ders what his future holds.
Courtesy of Michigar Ahietc Deoartn
efore the Fab Five, before the
three-week run to a national
title in 1989 and even before
Crisler Arena, there were Cazzie
Russell and Yost Fieldhouse
where Michigan played basketball.
Michigan was coming off o
another mediocre Big Ten campaigt
when Russell played his first gam
for what he calls The Big Blue. Ir
just his sophomore year - th(
NCAA pi'ohibited freshmen fronr
competing at the time - Russel
turned the program around, leadin
the Wolverines to the 1964 Big Ter
title.
The following two years were
more of the same for Russell and
Michigan. They repeated as Big Ter
champions and made it to the Fina
Four in 1965 and in 1966, competing
in the national title game in 1966.
From one player, a national powei
was born.
"There wasn't any pressure on mc
coming in," Russell recalls. "Two
years earlier we weren't very good
(eighth place in the Big Ten). Aftei
our sophomore season, we were sur-
prised with our success. We shocked
a lot of people."
Russell paused.
"But there's something missing,"
he said.
A national title.
THE TIINE OF GREXNESS CONTINUES
A similar situation unfolds today.
When LaVell Blanchard Jr. com-
mitted to second-year coach Brian
Ellerbe and Michigan after the 1999
season - its worst Big Ten showing
since the year after Russell left -
the program had one of its most
impoitant recruits since Russell.
At Ann Arbor Pioneer, "he won
just- one game his freshman year,
four games the next year, and then
six games his junior year," LaVell'
Blanchard Sr. said. "Then he came
home one day and told me he could
win the state title. I just laughed."
Ak
H'
igA
A U T O M A T I O N
w. .auto0m atI ona8I Iey-. co mA L L ""