12 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 1, 2000
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The presidential election might be in contention down the street, but
Michigan will be campaigning in the most supreme of courts this
weekend as it attempts to build a Big Dance resume.
Michigan vs. No. 13 Maryland
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Tomorrow, 1 p.m.
MCI Center
Washington, D.C.
RAP PHOTO
After the primaries ...
If Michigan beats Maryland, it will play in the final at Sp.m on Sunday. If
it falls to the Terrapins, Michigan will play in the 3 p.m. consolation game.
No. 19 St. John's
No. 19 St. John's could be one of the few
opponents Michigan faces this year where
youth is not a disadvantage. Just like the
Wolverines, the Red Storm (4-1) has three
freshmen in its starting lineup and just one
senior who receives significant minutes.
Guard Omar Cook (14.8 points per game)
and forwards Willie Shaw (12.8) and Kyle
Kuffe (11.8) are St. John's second, third and
fourth leading scorers, respectively. Along with
centers Mohamed Diakite and Curtis Johnson,
the five make up what many believe to be the
top freshman class in America.
Also similar to the Wolverines and sopho-
more LaVell Blanchard, the Red Storm is led
by a talented -scoring'wingman in junior Antho-
ny Glover, who averages 17.8 points and 6.0
rebounds per game.
In the first round of the tournament, St.
John's coach Mike Jarvis will face George
Washington for the first time since leaving the
Colonials three years ago to join the Red
Storm.
-Michael Kern
George Washington
Led by a pair of talented guards, George
Washington is averaging more than 90 points
a game to start the season. Averaging 23 and
22.5 points per game respectively, sopho-
mores Chris Monroe and SirValiant Brown
make up one of the top scoring duos in the
nation.
The Colonials (4-1) return all five starters
and four of their top five scorers from last
year's team.
Last year, George Washington failed to
make it to the postseason, finishing 15-15.
Along with Monroe and Brown, senior
guard Mike King (15.5 points per game)
brings a three-guard rotation that could give
Michigan's young guards fits on defense.
As host of the BB&T, George Washington
has won two of the last three titles. In last
season's tournament, George Washington beat
Seton Hall and upset Maryland en route to
the tournament championship. Brown was
named the tournament MVP, averaging 25
points per game.
--Michael Kern
Reversal of fortunes
- this time
Michigan plays the underdog
By Raphael Goodstein
Daily Sports Writer
It was only six-and-a-half years ago
that Michigan was the national title con-
tender and Maryland was the up-and-
coming team led by a budding star.
The Wolverines were coming off of
back-to-back NCAA finals' appear-
ances and were led by All-Americas
Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose. The sev-
enth-seeded Terrapins were led by Joe
Smith, the nation's freshman of the year,
when the two teams squared off in the
Sweet Sixteen of 1994's NCAA Tourna-
ment.
Michigan ultimately won the game
before losing in the Elite Eight. After
the season, Howard and Rose bolted for
the NBA and Michigan hasn't returned
to the Sweet Sixteen since. The Wolver-
ines missed the tournament altogether
in 1997, 1999 and last season.
Meanwhile, the Terrapins have been
invited to every NCAA Tournament
since and have become the national
power that the Wolverines once were.
Led by Juan Dixon, Terrence Morris
and Lonny Baxter - each All-America
candidates - No. 13 Maryland was a
popular preseason pick to win the
national title this season.
The Terrapins have stumbled out of
the starting gate this season, losing
three of their first four games. But
Smith, a newly signed Detroit Piston,
said he thinks Maryland will find its
winning way this weekend in Washing-
ton, D.C.
"Maryland is going to win," Smith
said. "I saw a couple of their games in
(the Maui Invitational) and they had a
couple of disappointing losses."
A loss for the 2-2 Wolverines might
be enough to end any NCAA Tourna-
ment dreams they have before the Big
Ten season even starts.
"This right here can possibly make or
break our season," freshman forward
Bernard Robinson said. "Everybody
knows these are big-time games right
here."
Michigan will either play No. 19 St.
John's or George Washington on Sun-
day. After this weekend, Michigan has
the week off until next Saturday, when it
plays at Duke.
"Now's an opportunity for us to come
out and show that we're a team to be
contended with," sophomore shooting
guard Gavin Groninger said.
Six-and-a-half years ago, Smith and
the Terrapins did just that.
01
Pint guardi
Avery Queen vs. Steve Blake
Blake has had a slow start, but a year of
experience in the ACC clearly gives him an advantage
over the green Queen.
Mvantag:M Wyand
Shooting guard:
Bernard Robinson vs. Juan Dixon
Dixon is an All-America candidate. Robinson has
All-America talent but has yet to consistently
establish himself.
Small forward:
LaVe lkiniani v& Da yMIer
MichiP' beats Terps
in NCAA Sweet 16
F ยข That would
just mess up
the team's
plan."
Robinson
gave Michigan
'fans a glimpse of
the future in the
first exhibition
against the Grand
Rapids Hoops when he
cored 28 points. The
>uthpaw looked proficient
and polished as he frustrat-
ed the pro team with a mix
of slashing and outside
01
By Chad A. Safrin
Daily Basketball Writer
DALLAS, Friday, March 24,
1994 - As usual the Michigan
men's basketball team provided
its assortment of thrills and
chills against Maryland in Fri-
During that portion of the
game that Fisher spoke of, the
Wolverines broke open a close
game with a 9-0 run over a span
of 3:47 with all the points com-
ing from Juwan Howard and
Jalen Rose.
Howard, who had nine points
at ha.lftimez. hit fn~r 15 in the~
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and
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