Jcoreboard.
RLD SERIES Florida 6.
ri Y;ANKEES 4, NY Islanders 3
Atlanta 1 Chicago 1,
YANK ESWEEPSERIES4- MONTREAL 2
NHL NEW JERSEY 2,
BUF-A LO 4, St. Louis 1
Tampa Bay 3 TORONTO 4.
DETROIT 5, Atlanta 0
Colorado 3 Pittsburgh at
ANAHEIM, inc.
NBA PRESEASON
BOSTON 97,
Washington 92
DETROIT 107,
Cleveland 106
Philadelphia 94,
NEW YORK 86
MINNESOTA 99,
Indianapolis 89
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Tracking 'M' teams
Check out the Michigan men's swimming team this
Friday at Canham Natatorium. The Wdoverines take on
Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, and Oakland
University at 6 p.m.
Thursday
October 28,199I l
lue looks to
rewrite history
By Raphael Goodstein
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan has it's own Flintstone with big plans for the
Li*ming basketball season - senior forward Stacey
Thomas. Last time the 5-10 Flint native was seen playing
for the Michigan women's basketball team, Thomas and
the Wolverines lost a 69-68 heart-breaker to rival
Michigan State on a last-second put-back in the WNITs
second round.
But the Wolverines gained valuable experience from
last year, and the young Wolverines are now determined to
return to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus, at
least that was the plan they voiced at yesterday's preseason
prs conference.
think that this team is the most athletic team that
we've'had." Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "It's a very
xperienced team and it's a very versatile basketball team.
"The good news with that is I can play with a lot of dif-
ferent lineups. I can go big, I can go quick, we'll be able
o press a little bit more."
Last year's young team, which finished sixth in the Big
Ten with an 8-12 record, is now an "experienced team"
that returns all five starters and has aspirations to contend
for its first Big Ten title.
"Can we compete for a Big Ten title? Yeah, I think we
- Guevara said. "That's what this non-conference
dle is for. Stacey Thomas, Kenisha Walker and
Alison Miller are all seniors, and I know that they want
this to be the best year in Michigan basketball that it's ever
experienced."
That won't take a whole lot.
The Michigan women's basketball team has only made
it to two NCAA Tournaments, and it's third-place Big Ten
finish in 1996 was the best finish in the program's 26-year
history.
But Michigan has a bona-fide star in Stacey Thomas.
n two-time second-team all-Big Ten member is comple-
n ted by guards Anne Thorius and Alayne Ingram, who
averaged 10.7 and 10.2 points per game, respectively, last
year.
Thorius, a native of Horsholm, Denmark, spent the
See TOURNEY Page 16A
Wolverines trying to
regain killer instinct
By TJ. Berka
Daily Sports Editor
In Kenny Rogers' hit song "The
Gambler", Rogers sang: "You got to
know when to hold them and know
when to fold them."
After losing games to Michigan State
and Illinois and suffering injuries to run-
ning back Anthony Thomas and wide
receiver David Terrell, Michigan is fac-
ing the predicament that Rogers sold
thousands of records singing about.
So as the Wolverines head to
Bloomington to face the Hoosiers on
Sunday, their decision will have a huge
impact on whether the Wolverines will
end their losing streak or not.
And Michigan doesn't seem ready to
fold its cards anytime soon.
"I know these kids,' Michigan coach
Lloyd Carr said. "I know the disappoint-
ment that they are feeling right now. If
they don't care, you'll see it on the tapes.
I don't see it right now."
What Carr does see is a Michigan
team that looks to have lost the killer
instinct that propelled it to a 5-0 start and
a No. 3 ranking.
The players see that problem surfac-
ing too, although they aren't quite cer-
tain as to how it can be solved.
"We didn't have the killer instinct
(against Illinois) that we had earlier in
the season," cornerback James Whitley
said. "We have to get back by practicing
and by playing through the pain."
Much of the pain that Michigan has
felt in the past two games has come from
the defense. Thought to be a strength, the
Michigan defense has shown the aggres-
siveness of a sedated mouse the past two
games, allowing a total of 66 points to
Michigan State and Illinois.
After harassing Drew Brees and
Purdue, Michigan has lost its defensive
sparkpwhich bothers senior co-captain
Rob Renes.
"I don't think we should second-guess
ourselves, but a loss like this is devastat-
ing," Renes said following the Illinois
game. "I hate having to say this again,
but as seniors, a loss like this stays with
us forever."
Another thing which has remained
constant during Michigan's struggles is
the critcism of the secondarv The defen-
sive backs, nicknamed -TheSuspects' by
Carr before the Syracuse garme. have
lived up to that billing during the past
two games.
In giving up 680 yards through the air,
the Michigan secondry finds itself
under a glaring microscope
"We have to endure the pressure.
Whitley said. "We haven't really gotten
away from anything, but I think some of
the gu0s are trying to do t o muh
Michigan has been try ing' hard to get
its running game going throughout the
season and looked to have finally done
that against ihe Fighting Ilini-
Anthony Thomas ran fr 1 28 yards and
two touchdown in the first thiec quarters
against Illinois.
But then Thomas jammed his pinky
finger, and the Wolveries wcre left
without a running threat once again.
Michigan couldn't keep the ball away
from the Fighting Ililini in the fourth
quarter; helping the monumental turn in
momentum.
"We need to play four quarters of
football and not let the little things affect
us." left tackle Jeff Backus said. "I don't
think that (Thomas being out) should be
a big deal. I didn't realize that he wasn't
out there until Sunday"
But one thing Michigan does realize is
that it is 5-2 and tied for fifth place in the
Big Ten. It also realizes that the season
isn't even close to being over
"We still have a chance to win out and
let the chips fall where they fall,"
Whitley said. "There is still a lot for us to
play for."
Backus agrees with his teammate,
saying that his love for football in gener-
al gives him enough of a reason to press
on.
"Some of our goals can't be achieved
now, but there's still a lot of fun to be had
out there," Backus said. "Besides, if we
win our next four games, we'll be 9-2
and that is a good season."
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DANA iNNANE/Daly
The Wolverines hope that Anne Thorius can use the experience she gained this summer playing with the
Danish national team to help the team gn a reun vsi to the NCAA Tournament.
Blue hoops suffers reemi ng Brownout
yep power forward skips visit to Ann Arbor, gives verbal commitment to DePaul
By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Editor
With Michigan basketball's post
future hanging in the balance, 6-foot-
9 recruit and Chicago native Andre
Brown announced yesterday that he
would play for hometown DePaul,
spurning the Wolverines.
" looked at all the schools that
e . heavily recruiting me, like
Michigan and Louisville, and I felt
that staying in Chicago was the best
thing for me," Brown said, just
moments after his announcement at a
press conference at St. Sabina
Grammar School.
Brown said his mother played a sig-
nificant role in his recruitment, even
allowing her to call Michigan coach
Brian Ellerbe and give him the news
of his decision. Still, he dismissed the
notion that his mother was responsi-
ble for breaking the deadlock between
DePaul and the Wolverines.
"I thought about Michigan - they
were very high on my list," the Leo
High School senior said. "My mom
wanted me to go to DePaul, but the
decision was mine"
Rated the No. 17 player in the
nation by FastBreak Recruiting,
Brown would have been a key mcm-
ber of Michigan's 2000-01 recruiting
class.
With 6-1 1 starter Peter Vignier
graduating after this season and Josh
Asselin becoming a senior, Ellerbe
desperately needed to replenish his
frontcourt for next year - and Brown
was a top choice.
Brown was tentatilv scheduled to
take an official campus visit to
Michigan thc weekend of Nov. 6, but
made his decision without making a
stop in Ann Arbor.
The fronteourt is now the Wolverines'
last frontier', in terms of recruiting.
Already Michigan has three solid wing
forwards (junior Brandon Smith, fresh-
man LaVel Blanhard, and Bernard
Robinson, who has already given a ver-
bal commitment for next year) and four
quality guards (frehmen Kevin Gaines,
Jamal Crawford, Gain Groninger, and
Avenv Queen. who verbaled to become
the second membet of next year's class).
in terms of pure po s. only Asselin
and Chris Young return to the squad
next year. This leaves Michigan with a
relatively small lineup - not a total
drawback given Ellerbe's new run-and-
gun offense, but not as well-rounded as
the Wolverines would be had Brown
committed to Michigan.
Michigan will have two scholarships
available to give out after Robinson
and Queen sign next month. Ellerbe
could pursue any of a number of sec-
ond-rate options to fill his post needs,
or he could save the scholarships for
the 2001-02 class. No matter what path
he takes, it is unlikely that he will land
any post player until the spring signing
period.
In an interview last week, Ellerbe
dismissed the idea of recruiting a 'pro-
ject' big man. "At this level, you can't
take chances," he said. "We recruit
players that we feel can play and add
something to the team right away."
fiding a Rocket and a broom, Yanks win title
NEW YORK (AP) - The Rocket
can rest now. The ring is his.
Roger Clemens pitched the New
York Yankees to their second straight
World Series sweep, shutting down
the Atlanta Braves 4-1 Wednesday
night and ending his quest for the
one and only prize that eluded him.
With raucous fans waving yellow,
plic brooms all over the ballpark and
Clemens bouncing around on the
mound, the Yankees won their record
25th championship and third in four
seasons.
"This must be what it's like to be a
Yankee," Clemens said.
Game 4 marked New York's 12th
Series victory in a row, matching the
mark set by its Murderers' Row
teams.
Clemens waited his entire career
for this moment and, at last, com-
manded the October stage. Showing
the form that earned him five Cy
Young Awards and 247 wins in 16
seasons, Clemens shut out Atlanta
into the eighth to outduel John
Smoltz.
Brought to the Bronx this spring
from Toronto in a trade for David
Wells that many Yankees fans dis-
liked, Clemens walked off the mound
to rousing cheers, tipping his cap
See YANKEES Page 16A
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
For Marcus Knight and the rest of the Michigan seniors, the loss to Illinois, which
dropped Michigan to 5-2, was devastating.
_ i
s RP Photo
Roger Clemens celebrates during the Yankees 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Clmens pitched seven and two-thirds solid innings of four-hit, one-run baseball.
Clothing for vwhen
You have Attitude
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