SERVING UP ACES
Living up to its undefeated
regular-season record, the
Michigan women's tennis team Wednesday
won the Big Ten championship.
See page 17. S PMay 7, 1997 16
Traylor plans for NBA, changes mind two days later
By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports lEditor
The biggest man on the Michigan
basketball team almost made the
biggest decision of his life.
One month after the season ended,
Michigan sophomore Robert Traylor
decided Wednesday of last week that it
was time to declare himself for the
NBA Draft.
Then, Friday morning - the day of
the scheduled announcement - he
changed his mind.
Traylor canceled the press confer-
ence, which was slated to take place at
his alma mater, Detroit Murray-Wright
High School, and decided to return to
Michigan next year.
"He thought it
would be in his
best interests to
stay in school,"
Murray-Wright
athletic director
Robert Glenn said.
One of Traylor's
coaches at Murray-
Wright, Earl
Moore, said he
didn't know about Traylor
the decision until
Thursday and immediately wanted
more details.
"I was trying to see why he wanted
to go to the NBA," Moore said.
One possible reason for Traylor's
departure could have been the intense
scrutiny he is under for possible NCAA
violations.
Moore said the pressure may have
played a role, but he wasn't sure.
Because Traylor recently finished his
second year at Michigan, Moore
emphasized academics when he dis-
cussed the future with Traylor.
"I told him he's not too far away
from getting his degree," Moore said.
"So another year wouldn't hurt."
For Traylor, whose 6-foot-8, 300-
pound frame is one of the largest in the
nation, the prospect of another year
will most likely improve his draft sta-
tus.
"He would go in a higher round if he
stayed another year," Moore said.
"Everybody would like to play in the
NBA."
The instant Traylor canceled his
press conference, the prospects of the
Michigan basketball team improved
dramatically.
This past season, Traylor and junior
forward Maurice Taylor (who declared
for the draft April Ill) accounted for the
bulk of the production of Michigan's
front line.
The two forwards combined for 34
percent of Michigan's scoring and 38
percent of the team's output on th
boards, so the prospect of losing both
players to the NBA would have been a
huge blow to the Wolverines.
Traylor, who started all 35 games for
Michigan, was one of the most consis-
tent Wolverines last season.
He averaged 13.1 points and a team-
leading 7.7 rebounds per game while
guiding Michigan to the NIT
Championship. Traylor also was named
the tournament's Most Valuable Plaver
'M' baseball remains in first
with one weekend to play
By Kevin Kasiborski
Daily Sports Writer
LANSING - Ray Fisher Stadium
will be no place for a nervous person this
weekend, as the Michigan baseball team
will battle Ohio State in four games to
close the regular season. At stake - the
Big Ten title.
The first-place Wolverines took three
of four games from Michigan State this
past weekend, raising their Big Ten
record to 15-7. That gives a lead by mere
percentage points over second-place
Ohio State (16-8). The Buckeyes won
three of four over Penn State last week-
end.
The Big Ten champion hosts the top
four conference teams in the Big Ten
tournament. But while only Michigan or
Ohio State can finish first, neither has
clinched a playoff berth.
Third-place Purdue (17-1 1) holds the'
tiebreaker over Illinois (17-11), and both
teams are finished with regular season
play. The Boilermakers are the only team
guaranteed to be in the tournament.
Minnesota (12-9) is currently fifth,
but the Gophers host ninth-place
Northwestern (8-15) this weekend,
which will probably translate into a few
wins for the Gophers. If Minnesota wins
three of four over the Wildcats, a sweep
by either Michigan or Ohio State would
knock the other team into fifth, and out
of the playoffs. If Minnesota sweeps, and
either the Wolverines or Buckeyes witl
only one game this weekend, that team is
eliminated.
Confused?
All the scenarios boil down to one
simple fact for the Wolverines - two
wins or better this weekend and they are
Big Ten champs.
"Anytime you can play the team that is
in second place, and you control your
own destiny, that is what you want:'
Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. "What
I tell our guys, this is the time you are
going to remember for the rest of your
lives."
The Buckeyes are a formidable oppo-
nent. They have a 36-14 overall record
and are ranked No. 22 in the USA Today
poll. Leftfielder Jason Trott is leading
the conference with a .424 batting aver-
age. First baseman Dan Seimetz leads
See BASEBALL, Page 19
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JOE WESTRATE/Daily
Behind Derek Besco, the Michigan baseball team has maintained its first-place
standing in the Big Ten after taking three of four from Michigan State.
Holmes leads softball
charge to Iowa City
By B.J. Luria
Daily Sports Writer
In any other year, the Big Ten softball
race would have been a dogfight.
But this is not just any year.
For the first
time in the histo- Up next
ry of Big Ten What: Big Ten
conference play. softball champi-
one team has fin- onship
ished the season Who: Michigan.
u n d e fe a ted. Michigan State.
Un fortunately Iowa and Purdue
for the Michigan When: Friday and
softball team, the Saturday
glory goes to Where: Iowa City
lowa.
Micligan (18-4 BigTen, 48-13-1 over-
all) has won 13 straight games in the Big
Ten and enters the conference tourna-
ment this weekend in Iowa City.
Michigan has been successful over the
last three weeks of the Big Ten season
sweeping Minnesota, Michigan State
Indiana and Ohio State. Michigan's last
loss came at Northwestern on April 13.
The outstanding pitching of senior
Kelly Holmes allowed Michigan to take
second place in the Big Ten, behind only
lowa's undefeated mark.
"We think that we've had one of our
best Big Ten seasons," Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins said. "We lost our pre-
mier player - Sara Griffin. And our
team regrouped, found it's new identit4
and found a new leader in Kelly
HolmeaA
See SOFTBALL, Page 19
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