series. Th~
NBA
BASKETBALL
WASHINGTON 108
MRAMI 90,
Philadelphia 83
PHOENIX 103,
Eouston 100
betroit at
DENVER. inc.
Charlotte at
PORTLAND, inc.
Indiana at
VANCOUVER. inc.
NCAA
BASKETBALL
(7) Michigan St. 86,
(2) N. CAROLINA 76
N.C. State 61,
(21) PURDUE 59
(18) TENNESSEE 78.
Miami (Ohio) 59
(5) AUBURN 65,
Belmont 56
WEBER ST. 84,
(19) UTAH 72
iTte L igtm Iitq
Tracking 'M' teams
Check out the Michigan hockey team as it phys
Bowling Green in a home-and-home
Wolverines will host the Falcons at'
Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
Thursday
December 2, 1999
series. Th}
Yost Ice Nena on
1OAA
9!.
Up to
the,
Challenge
Mkhigas 8O, Georgia Tech 77
01
KIMITSU YOGACHI/Daily
Michigan center Mike Comrie is one of two collegiate
players selected to try out for Team Canada as it plays in the
2000 World Junior Hockey Championship.
Hockey trio
going National
Sy Stephanie Offen
Daily Sports Writer
If there were any questions about whether Michigan has
one of the top college hockey programs, they were answered
yesterday.
Not by any CCHA team or a U.S. college hockey poll, but
answered by the U.S. National Junior Team, which selected
two of Michigan's top players among the 21 collegiate play-
ers to compete in the 2000 International Ice Hockey
Federation World Junior Championship in Sweden.
Andy Hilbert and Jeff Jillson, who competed on the team
last season, will return this year to represent their country
against the best hockey players in the world.
Among those may be one of their current teammates,
Mike Comrie, who also received national recognition when
he was selected as one of only two collegians invited to try-
out for a spot on the Canadian National Junior Team.
Comrie was selected as one of the 32 players to try out for
last year's team, but was not one of the final 22 selected. This
year could be a different story for one of the top scorers in
the CCHA.
"Comrie didn't fit into their plans last season, but he was
probably one of the last cuts on their team," Michigan assis-
tant coach Billy Powers said. "Comrie is arguably the best
player in college hockey. Most of the time the top two
Canadian hockey players go on to that program, so it was
fully expected that he would be chosen."
The news of each one of these players receiving national
recognition came as a surprise to the team. Michigan consis-
tently has two or three players competing at the national level
each year. Jillson, Hilbert and Cornrie all had experience
with these programs and expected to be chosen.
"It was anticipated by everyone here, but we had to wait
until it was on a piece of paper to announce (it)," Powers said.
"We expected those three guys to get the opportunity, and we
are really happy for them."
Hilbert and Jillson learned of their selections yesterday
morning from the coaches. They depart on Dec. 13, stopping
for a pre-tournament camp in New York.
"It has been a dream of mine to play again this year," said
Hilbert, who played for the U.S. National Team Development
Program for two years. "It's just a great feeling that I've been
chosen."
Comrie, who will join the Canadian team for its camp
Dec. 12, echoed Hilbert's sentiments.
"You learn to play with the best players in the world,"
See NATIONALS, Page 16A
oI
r
Photos by DAVID KATZ/Daily
ABOVE: Freshman LaVell Blanchard focuses on scoring two of his 18 points in Michigan's 80-77
victory. RIGHT: Forward Josh Asselln battles Georgia Tech's Alvin Jones under the glass.
By David Den Herder
Daily Sports Writer
ATLANTA - Old ideas die hard in ACC land.
"Wish I Were In Dixie" can still be heard in the
Georgia Tech fight song. Grits can still be ordered
at the diner down the street from Phillips Arena.
And depending on whom you talk to, the Big Ten
is still a size and power conference that muscles its
way to victories.
It was all over the headlines the morning before
the matchup - here comes the hard-nosed Big
Ten to test itself against the finesse of the Atlantic
Coast Conference.
Locals could be forgiven for not attending the
Big Ten preseason press conference in Chicago,
where the league's true face was revealed. They
could be forgiven for having limited exposure the
All-American backcourts of the upper-Midwest.
Until now.
Until Kevin Gaines put on a dribbling clinic at
Phillips Arena last night.
Until Gavin Groninger performed "How To Go
Up Huge in the First Half with the 3-point shot,"
in G minor.
"We've got so many new coaches and new tal-
ent in this league, I think those days are gone," said
Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe of the Big Ten's old
reputation. "I think you can see on the floor that's
the case."
But the frontcourt performance of LaVell
Blanchard was equally impressive.
See FINESSE, Page 13A
,,
i
1: 1 1 .-