By Alan Goldenbach
Daily Sports Editor
Remember the time you saw your friend dunk a basketball for the first time in high school? Even though he was 6-foot-5, you probably never thought he could get up that high.
So, when the relatively diminutive Brandun Hughes stole the ball with less than three minutes left in Saturday's game and coasted toward the Penn State basket for an emphatic one-handed jam, imagine what went through the minds of the fans at Crisler Arena.
Shock. Arm pinching. Memories of Spud Webb.
"I knew I was going to dunk it as soon as I got the ball," said Hughes, who is generously listed at an even six feet. "I've been waiting three-quarters of the year to do that."
So you'd think that while Hughes waited so long for this moment, he would've had a plan for some special dunk - perhaps a 360-degree spin or a reverse.
"I just wanted to get the ball in," he said. "For my next one, I'll think a little more about it."
However, it didn't come as a shock to Hughes' teammates.
"We knew he had hops, because he (dunks) in practice all the time," Ron Oliver said. "But the fans didn't know, so they were probably surprised."
Not only were the fans surprised by Hughes, but Oliver himself gave the fans a little something to drop their jaws about.
About two minutes later, the equally diminutive Oliver played a foot taller than he is and swatted a David Macklin shot out of the air for his first blocked shot of the season.
The crowd let out just as many "Damns!" and "Ooohs!" with Oliver's Bill Russell impression as they did with Hughes' Michael Jordan.
But Oliver had to confess something about the play.
"(Macklin) was only like 5-9," he said. "So I had plenty of time to get over to him."
What did someone more accustomed to shot-blocking have to say about the play?
"(Oliver) got that one out of my book," said 6-foot-8 center Robert Traylor.
A sick Lisicky: Penn State sharpshooter Pete Lisicky, notorious for his outrageously long shooting range, was kept under wraps by Michigan's defense in the second half.
After Lisicky's solid 4-for-5 performance from the floor for 11 points in the first half, Michigan coach Steve Fisher stuck Hughes on Lisicky for much of the second half, despite giving up four inches to the Lions' leading scorer.
Lisicky managed only two points after halftime, both coming from the free-throw line. Otherwise, the gunner was firing blanks, missing all six of his field-goal attempts, including four from behind the arc.
"Brandun did a great job on him in the second half," Travis Conlan said. "He just kept on denying him the ball the whole way."
Just chillin' for now: Michigan now has its longest layoff of the season - eight days. But Fisher's plans don't include giving his team a chance to sit back and relax.
"We're going to take care of Michigan and prepare a handful of things that we're either not doing well or that we do for our team.," he said.
"More so than getting ready for the next team, we're going to get Michigan ready."
The Wolverines next suit up Jan. 16, when Indiana comes to Crisler Arena. The Hoosiers are looking to sweep the season series from Michigan for the first time since 1993.
Bake up those turnovers: The name of the game each time Michigan and Penn State get together seems to be turnovers.
rtunately for Michigan's 300-pound Traylor and the Lions' 265-pound Phil Williams, these turnovers aren't the ones with apples or cherries in them.
Saturday, Penn State coughed the rock up 23 times to Michigan's 17. When the teams met 12 days ago at the Bryce Jordan Center, Michigan had 17 as well, while Penn State gave it up 22 times.
In last year's two meetings, the teams combined for 37 and 35 turnovers, respectively, with the loser throwing it away 21 times each game.
Wolverines in Cleveland: A number of former Michigan players were on hand for the NBA's All-Star Weekend the past couple of days.
Terry Mills and Glen Rice, teammates on the 1989 national championship team, participated in the 3-point shootout Saturday night. Rice and former Fab Fiver Chris Webber played in the All-Star game yesterday.
"I talked to Mills, and he said they would tie and keep it a tie and not have a shoot-off," Fisher said "One guy would take the award for a week, and then the other guy would take it. But I don't know if Glen would go for that."
They didn't have to worry about that. Rice finished third behind winner Steve Kerr.
Webber, the Eastern Conference's backup center, made his All-Star debut without much of a bang, scoring just two points and pulling down four boards in 14 minutes of play. Rice scored 26 points and was named MVP in his third All-Star game.
"It's a great honor for all of them to be a part of it and also for Michigan to have three guys participating in the weekend. It says a lot for the kids who have come through here."
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
Maceo Baston gave basketball fans a brief preview of Saturday night's NBA dunk contest. Los Angeles rookie Kobe Bryant was the official winner of the contest, but Baston's tomahawk slam may have put him in the running.