Northwestern, on six-game skid, visits Crisler tonight By Mark Francescutti Daily Sports Writer Northwestern coach Kevin O'Neill needs an answer - fast. His Wildcats (0-3 Big Ten, 4-11 overall) have lost six in a row, a streak that has led the coach to figure in a quick transfer. During Monday's Big Ten teleconference O'Neill joked with the telephone moderator. "How about we trade jobs?" O'Neill said. "You can go and coach at Michigan and Michigan State this week, and I'll run the calls?" O'Neill's sarcastic fear may be warranted in the fact that he faces a tough road swing, first at Crisler Arena to face the Wolverines (2-1, 11-3) tonight at 8 p.m., and then in East Lansing on Saturday. And if Michigan has a bunch of young players in its ranks, then the Wildcats are all still shaking their rattles. Northwestern consists of all but one underclassman - junior Jeff Echemeyer - who averages about 19.6 fewer points per game than his brother Evan - who graduated last year with a 19.6 scoring average. Things are so young around the Northwestern camp that Echemeyer has played only two minutes this season, giving the Wildcats the legacy of youngest basketball team in the nation. Northwestern has 99.9 percent of its minutes played by freshmen and sophomores. No other Big Ten team is in the top 10. Michigan is 15th at 79.25 percent. The sea of youth resulted when Northwestern lost two upperclassmen early - guard Sean Wink in the offseason and center Aron Molnar in November "It takes time, patience and players to be successful," O'Neill said. "I started from scratch at Tennessee, and I started from scratch at Marquette." Michigan's youth, meanwhile, has excelled so far in squeezing out close overtime victories in their past two games. "Our overtime confidence is growing," freshman LaVell Blanchard said. "But I think it's time to get some in regulation." Northwestern may look like an easy kill for the preying Wolverines, but tonight's game is especially crucial for Michigan with its toughest stretch of games right around the corner. After Northwestern the Wolverines play at Iowa, at Indiana, return home for Michigan State and Ohio State then finish the run at Illinois. Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe likes his team's perseverance in overtime, but said his freshmen's ignorance sometimes brings them through a tough stretch. "They're too young to know these are pressure-packed situations. I don't think they know any better," Ellerbe said. "That's a good thing, because I think the older guys like myself are the guys dying inside. The freshmen just want to know what's next." Michigan's top-ranked Big Ten offense may easily overpower Northwestern's inability to average 50 points so far in the Big Ten season, but defensively, Ellerbe said O'Neill can keep his team close with a strong pressure attack. "You have to fight for your life in every possession," Ellerbe said. "(The Wildcats) may be undermanned and they're struggling, but every possession when you play Kevin's team's is difficult." DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily Freshman Jamal Crawford is expected to return to the starting lineup tonight against Northwestern. Tonight Who: Michigan (2-1 Big Ten, 11-3 overall) vs. Northwestern (0-3, 4-11) Where: Crisler Arena When: 8:00 p.m. TV/Radio: ESPN-Plus, WTKA 1050 AM, WJR 760 AM History book A look at the last three times Northwestern has visited Crisler Arena. Feb. 5, 1997: Michigan 74, Northwestern 67 Sean Wink's 3-pointer from the corner with just nine minutes to play gave an elated Northwestern a 12-point lead, but Robert Traylor and the boys woke up in time to steal a seven-point victory at home. March 5, 1996: Michigan 93, Northwestern 76 Having lost five straight Big Ten games, the Wolverines desperately needed a win over Northwestern to preserve any hope of an NCAA berth. But a blowout win over the Wildcats and an ensuing road victory over Ohio State weren't enough to push Michigan into the NCAA Tournament in Steve Fisher's final season as coach. Jan. 6, 1995: Michigan 83, Northwestern 51 Three years after this blowout took place, Northwestern basketball players Kenneth Lee and Dewey Williams were indicted for point-shaving. This game was one of three specifically cited in the indictment. Originally on page 9A in the 1-19-2000 issue of the Daily.