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'Duke crashes Blue's party'
Go online for List year's covcragc of the
Michigan-Dukc game.
michigandaily.com/sports
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10
DECEMBER
FRIDAY
8, 2000
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No regrets for
Duke's Battier
By Dan Williams
Daily Sports Writer
In 1996, Birmingham native and Detroit
Country Day basketball standout Shane Battier
announced his commitment to Duke over his other
two finalists, Michigan and Michigan State.
The Duke faithful rejoiced, as Battier's signing,
coupled with fellow all-world freshmen Elton
Brand, William Avery and Chris Burgess, appeared
to spell the end to a three-year dip in the program's
prestige. Duke missed post seasons play in 1995
and was shellacked by Eastern Michigan in the
NCAA tournament opening round in 1996, raising
the eyebrows of alumni that had come to expect
Final Four appearances.
Fast forward to 2000, with Battier the senior and
Duke winning three ACC championships, two
ACC tournaments and a national runner-up.
"it went pretty fast, it seems like yesterday that
I was all nervous and getting ready for (Robert)
Tractor' Traylor and Michigan four years ago."
Battier said. "It seems that the last four years flew
by and I'm playing my last Michigan-Duke game."
Time flies when you're having fun.
Only Battier remains from one of the most her-
aided classes in history. But Duke (8-0) is thriving
on the court, its glorious image has been restored,
and by the way, Battier is everyone's favorite for
national player of the year.
In the mean time, Michigan (2-4) seems to be
chest high in quick sand. It hasn't been to the
NCAA tournament since 1998, and ending that
streak this year will be an uphill battle.
If one were to tweak with the laws of time and
space, return to signing day 1996, and convince
Battier to send his letter of intent to Michigan,
what kind of Ray Bradbury-esque changes would
ensue ?
Would the Wolverines have been playing in
ABOVE: AP PHOTO. TOP:
Shane Battier and the top-ranked Blue Devils are expected to shake Michigan all night long. The senior is 2-1against Michigan since arriving at Duke.
March the last two years?
Would they be a top ten unit this season'?
Would the general image of the program glisten
like the clean-cut poster-boy perception of Battier
rather than the shady hue that seems to blemish
Michigan?
It's difficult not to wonder
But while the contents of parallel dimensions
remains a mysterv, the frigid reality is indisputable
- Michigan is levels below tomorrow's opponent,
No. I Duke.
Battier has thrived as the golden boy of
Durham.,
lie averages 14.6 points and six rebounds this
season. The media adores him, and he has been
asked to speak in front of Congress on behalf of
the Student Basketball Council.
The attention is time consuming, but Battier
revels in the role.
"It is very demanding," Battier said. "But it's
something you dreamed about when you were
growing up, when you are shooting in the drive-
way at seven or eight years old. You would love
to play the game where you are playing against
Magic Johnson or Isiah Thomas, and you hit the
game winning shot, and after the game you are
conducting interviews to ESPN and the media.
As long as I have that perspective and still make
it fun it doesn't become too heavy."
If there's anything left to prove for Battier and
his teammates (a national title), it's not a concern
of Saturday's matchup. A game that could have
been very personal has turned pedestrian, another
underdog trying to steal a win in Cameron Indoor
Stadium.
But for Michigan, it's marks an opportunity to
instantaneously resurface . upon the national
scene, to quickly tell recruits across the country
that the Wolverines arc ready for a resurgence.
The Matchups
Point Guard
Jason Williams vs. Ave Queen
Williams has blossomed into one of the nation's
top point guards, while the growth of Queen has
just begun.
Shooting Guard
Mike Dunleavy vs. Bernard Robinson
Robinson is struggling with shot selection.
Dunleavy looks much stronger and more
confident in year two.
Small Forward
Nate James vs. LaVell Blanchard
Blanchard should be better in time. James is
presently the more polished player.
Power Forward
Shane Battier vs. Chris Young
While Young improves, he's still far from
Batter's league.
Center
Carlos Boozer vs. Josh Asselin
Boozer's post ability allows Duke's other four
players to roam the perimeter.
Asselin's role is still hazy.
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Uneven?,Yhe.
Meanin les
Never
t was an era of black socks and
notoriously baggy shorts, when
arrogance and excellence paused for
a moment in a misty mix of youthful
_ passion and
unbridled pride.
Together in the
rarest of
moments when
fortune shines on
youth, it shone
brightest on
Michigan and a
GEOFF Fab Five brush
GAGNON with destiny. Into
this atmosphere
A where memori*
G-Thang were made; a
rivalry was born.
Michigan was the brash and the
bold - the unapologetic ushers of a
new style. With all the bashfulness
of a bullhorn and even less humility,
the Wolverines were the tongue-flap-
ping, trash-talking trendsetters des-
tined to change the face of college
basketball.
At the same time, the other end of
the spectrum was occupied by a
straight-laced, no-nonsense squad clad
in timeless blue and white. Sound in its
fundamental approach, disciplined and
determined, Duke was the All-
American team with the pristine repu-
tation and the sparkling championship
resume. The Blue Devils were the bas-
tions of a Carolina basketball dynasty
deeply entrenched in success and-m
mble pride.
Poetic in its implications and com-
mercial in its timing Chris Webbr and
his Wolverines burst onto the college
basketball scene and promptly pitted
themselves against its reigning mon-
archs. It was a rivahy flawless in its,
creation --a movie-made story of td
against new.
After first meeting early in the 11
season, Michigan's upstart freshmar
took the defending national champio6
to overtime before seeing the Blue;
Devils slide past them despite 18 see
ond-half points from Jalen Rose.
With the emotional battle, a rivalry
was showcased.
So heated was the tension between
the teams that the off-court verbalizing
became the thing of t-shirts donnedby
the veteran BlueDevils later that year
in preparation for the 1992 champi'
onship showdown with the trash-talk
ing Webber-led Wolverines. The shirt
posed the question: "You can talk, bt
can you play?"
Similarly simplistic shirts answerd
the Duke challenge when Michigan
replied with tees that said: "We can
play
The confidence and confrontation
Michigan's Fab Five shared with the
Christian Laettner Blue Devils helped
usher in a rivalry like few others at tI
time.
Today the programs are the very pic-
ture of divergence. Duke, the current
standard-bearer of excellence, boasts a
No. I ranking, a roster of blue-chip
plyers, an unbeaten record and a
home-court advantage unlike any other.
Michigan meanwhile, is beset with
inexperience, controversy and a 2-4
mark.
Even despite setbacks like the 44-
point whipping Michigan suffered at,
the hands of the Blue Devils two sea-
sons ago, and even in the midst of for-
midable odds tomorrow, Michigan eyes
its showdown with No. 1 Duke with 3
special optimism.
But as the nation's elite, that opti-
mism may not be shared by the Blue
Devils -- even after a surprising
Michigan squad came within a few
baskets of an upset a year ago.
Nevertheless, the game remains ci*
cled on NMichiean's calendar. Even as a
bruised squad limping its way through
a tough season so far Othis year, this
game means something more.
Times have changed since the days of
Webber and Laettner - that much is
obvious. Today Webber says he doesn't
AP PHOTO
Shane Battler had 22 points and six rebounds against the
Wolverines in last years game against Michigan.
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The past five
meetings
1999: Duke 104,
Michigan 97
A late intentional foul by Josh
Asselin ended any upset hopes
Michigan had.
1998: Duke 108,
Michigan 64
Michigan was humiliated from start
to finish. Duke ended Michigan's
three-game winning streak.
1997: Michigan 81,
Duke 73
Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock
played well as Michigan upset No.
1 ntjkt.
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