MEN'S NCAA
BASKETBALL
(4) puk~e 73,
(9) Michigan State 67
Rhode Island 70,
(20) Utah 63
(22) XAVIER 64
(23) Miami (Oh) 56,
(18) NEW MEXICO 97,
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 72,
(19) UCLA 109,
Delaware state 67,
(25) St. Johns 70,
Hofstra at 49
NHL
COLORADO 4,
Detroit 2
BUFFALO 2,
Florida 1
CAROLINA 4,
Montreal 1
N.Y. Rangers 3.
N. Y. Islanders 2
TORONTO 3,
Los Angeles 1
EDMONTON 4,
Phoenix 3
Dallas at
SAN JOSE, inc.
reLjig azi g
Acquitting 'M' alumni
Chris Webber was acquitted yesterday of marijuana pos-
session, DUI, resisting arrest and second-degree assault.
He was found guilty of traffic violations and a misde-
meanor" Rumor has it Webber has said he will now takea-
°timeout" from crime.
Thursday
December 3, 1998
1 w.
MicAZgan wis
b doi'z allthe
ittle t ings'
et one thing straight: The Michigan men's basketball
team doesn't play a pretty brand of basketball. Trade
in those dreams of a well-timed alley-oop for the
reality of a bone-crushing screen. Instead of looking for the
no-look pass, try a transition layup off a loose ball. Run-
and-gun offense? How about stop-you-in-your-tracks
defense?
After two wins at home - over Towson on Monday and
adley last night - these Wolverines have made it clear
that the 'little things' are going to decide their fate over the
course of the season.
While their 74-44 blowout of the Braves was hardly as
ugly as the 60-45 victory over Towson, it's clear the
Wolverines' success usually comes down to the things
you're not going to catch on
SportsCenter. The onus of the team
falls on Josh Asselin, Chris Young and
Pete Vignier - all of whom are going
to have to set solid screens, play tight
ense and generally do everything
t score.'
Sure, Louis Bullock and Robbie PRANAY
Reid will hit their threes, but that's
probably all the highlight-reel material REDDY
you're going to see with this year's Reddy
squad. or Not
And that's fine. Michigan will take
the 30 or so points its senior back-
court will give it, and count on a couple of others to help
carry the offensive load. It's on the other side of the court,
wever, that the Wolverines will have the biggest opportu-
nity to make some noise.
Michigan isn't a team that's going to dictate the tempo of
a game - but that might not be such a bad thing. Given
their dearth of big-name talent, the Wolverines seem con-
tent to follow the lead set by their opponent, keep a game
close and then pull it out at the end.
When the situation calls for it, the Wolverines are able to
play baseline-to-baseline on offense or slow it down and run
a halfcourt set. But in reality, it won't matter, because
Michigan's success is all going to come down to the type of
ense that it plays.
I.ichigan's defense is "never a given - but we'd like to
feel it's going to always be there," Michigan coach Brian
See REDDY, Page 14A
Hoops
flushes
Bradley
By Andy Latack
Daily Sports Writer
With the shot clock dangerously
close to expiring, Robbie Reid chased
down a loose ball near halfcourt.
Rather than taking a hurried dribble-
and heaving the ball, Reid simply set
his feet and pulled the trigger, as if he
were shooting a 15-footer.
And, like many of the Michigan bas-
ketball team's long-range attempts,
Reid buried it.
And behind deadly 3-point shooting
from their backcourt, Michigan buried
Bradley from
downtown Michigan 74
last night,
pouring in II 1 Bradley 44
3-pointers en
route to a 74-44 clobbering of the
Braves. Louis Bullock led the way for
the Wolverines with 29 points, one
short of a career high for the senior.
"I was very proud of the effort that
our guys gave," coach Brian Ellerbe
said. "If you were in the lockerroom,
you'd understand how big this win was
for us."
Michigan finally put together a com-
plete game yesterday, dominating
Bradley on both ends of the floor. The
Wolverines harassed the Braves into
shooting just 36 percent from the floor,
and held their opponents to fewer than
50 points for the second straight game,
Bradley's Jerome Robinson was the
only one to reach double figures,
adding 12.
And although Bullock led the offen-
sive charge, Michigan was balanced on
the offensive end of the floor as well. In
the rare case that Reid and Bullock
misfired from downtown, the
Wolverines pounded the smaller
See BRAVES, Page 14A
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Michigan guard Louis Bullock came within one point of a career high when he scored 29 points In last night's 7444 victory over Bradley.
Cagers
found
sun fun
By Uma SubramaniMan
Daily Sports Writer
shopping is a traditional activity over
the Thanksgiving weekend. But most
le don't get to mix shopping with
s mming in the ocean, banana boating
abd going on a "jungle tour." That's a
three-hour jet ski trip to a coral reef.
-But then again, most people aren't on
the Michigan women's basketball team.
The team's Thanksgiving trip to
Cancutt, Mexico, can be described in
one word: fun. And it was more than just
the other experiences that made it enjoy-
able - the basketball helped, too.
*h04rip "was fun first of all because
we won," Michigan coach Sue Guevara
said: "Winning helps. But then I think
it's great for the kids to get to another
part of the world ... and gain an appre-
ciation for how lucky we are here.
"?I think they also get an appreciation
forwhat basketball does for (them)."
-With their two victories in Mexico,
the Wolverines are carrying some
mpmentum heading into a four-games-
i = ine-days stretch that includes a
t -game road trip through the
didwest.
,But before it hits the road, the team
wI face Central Michigan tomorrow at
Crm'ler Arena. The Chippewas went 10-
I 7ast season.
though they boast a highly touted
frj1nan class, the Chippewas are still
WARREN ZNN/Daily
Michigan's Stacey Thomas and her teammates got to enjoy many tropical plea-
sures while in Mexico, where the won the Torneo Cancun de Basquetbol.
off to a measly 1-3 start.
"They're bigger than we are,"
Guevara said. "But then most teams are.
They've been struggling a little bit tak-
ing care of the ball, but hopefully with
our pressure and our press, our defense
will spur our offense."
After the Chips, the schedule gets a
little tougher - the Wolverines will
take on Cincinnati and Bowling Green
on the road. Both teams had winning
seasons last year and saw postseason
play.
But the Wolverines are starting to gel.
In its exhibition game against the Swiss
National team, Michigan committed 23
turnovers. And it had been averaging 22
per game until last weekend.
In Sunday's championship game
against Alabama-Birmingham, the team
committed only nine turnovers while
rolling to victory. Sunday's game was
perhaps the prettiest basketball the
Wolverines have played all season.
"Against UAB we hit four out of our
five goals that we have every single
game,' Guevara said. "Our free throw
shooting was better, we did a good job
on the boards.
"I told our kids down there that it's
not about Coppin State or UAB, but it's
about Michigan and what we need to do
to execute to get better as a team.
"Our minimum standard was what we
did last year, so that's what we're work-
ing towards."
Though the weekend's scores suggest
the Wolverines were comfortable in
Cancun's Kuchil Bazal Arena, they will
enjoy the one game in their real home.
It's the last time they will be home this
school year.
please.
year again. No, not for the Oscars or the Emmys. It's the time
sports are done (or almost done), and the brightest stars
ports teams around the country receive awards.
lleyball: Named all-Big Ten honorable mention
- L. - r %l ..±s-rte.... c.
I
FOR ,