... days until Notre Dame at Michigan Stadium. SIPORTS MoJnay June 28, 19"15 Spurs buck New York 4for title, 4-1 NEW YORK (AP) - Don't ever call the Spurs softies again. Don't ever underappreciate Tim Duncan again. Don't ever rag on David Robinson again. The San Antonio Spurs are champi- ons now, and the old criticisms don't fit anymore. The best game of the NBA Finals, a thrilling 78-77 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night, proved that the Spurs are the best team in the league. On the game's final play, Charlie Ward's inbounds pass found Latrell Sprewell too far under the basket. Sprewell's awkward shot missed, and the Spurs stormed the court, their wives, children and girlfriends soon joining ' m to celebrate. "It's a journey that goes to show that hard work and persistence truly pays off," said Robinson, who had been criti- cized during his 10-year career for not being able to lead his team to a title. The victory, keyed by 31 points from finals MVP Duncan, gave San Antonio a 15-2 record in this postseason, tying the second-best playoff run in NBA his- tory. Mees hired as new men's tennis coach Dy Jon Zemke Daily Sps Writer Ws part of the last phase in a transi- tional year for the Michigan men's ten- nis team, the Wolverines hired Mark Mees as their next head coach. Mees, a former Michigan tennis all-American and graduate, takes over for Brain Eisner. Mees "brings a tremendous enthusi- asm for coaching and also a tremendous enthusiasm for Michigan," Eisner said. Mees was a four-year letter winner (1980-83) on Michigan's tennis team ning two Big Ten doubles titles and an NCAA doubles title in 1983. Mees has been coaching tennis for 16 years. He started as an assistant for Eisner in 1984 before going onto the Cleveland Racquet Club in 1989 as a director. Mees has spent the last I1 years at the Cleveland Racquet Club helping former Michigan and professional ten- nis player Malivai Washington as a pri- A coach. Eisner described Mees as t eh who's been working with some of the top junior tennis players. "My hope for this year is for a team that can make it into the top 10 of the nation," Eisner said. Jillson top college pick at NHL draft MARGARET MEYERS/Daily Michigan sophomore Jeff Jillson was the second defenseman taken in the NHL draft this Saturday after Branisiav Mezel of Bellevilie of the OHL. S-mith'ds surgery reveals 'si fitcant damage' [U' doctors: Forward could miss eight months By Jon Zemke Daily Sports Writer Known at least to themselves as 'lead- ers and best,' the Wolverines had the best there was to offer from the collegiate level in Fridays NHL draft. Michigan sophomore Jeff Jillson was the first col- lege player taken, with the 14th overall pick by the San Jose Sharks. "His size was a big factor," said Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson. "And so was the fact that he was able to play in good situations." At, 6-3 220 pounds, Jillson could be a very imposing force on the NHL ice - at least that is what San Jose is hoping for. The Rhode Island native was one of the key rookies for Michigan last season. Jillson's +22 plus/minus rating was the highest among Michigan's players. His accomplishments on the ice earned Jillson Bauer/CCHA All-Rookie Team honors. But with his combination of potential skill and large size, Jillson became the 11th-rated defensive prospect in North America and the best pick the NCAA had to offer Michigan's Mike Comrie, the CCHA rookie of the year last season, was also drafted in the third round with the 91st pick by the Edmonton Oilers. Both Comrie, a sophomore center, and his brother, Paul Comrie, went to Edmonton. Paul, who just finished playing for Denver University, will be trying out for the NHL while Mike plans on staying at Michigan. Edmonton is also the hometown of the brothers - another twist to an unusual situation. "It's very interesting," Mike Comrie said. "Brothers playing for the same team is nice." The last time the brothers competed on. the ice together was this spring, when Michigan defeated Denver to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Neither Jillson nor Conrie plan on leaving college early for the NHL. Of the dozens of NCAA players taken in the draft, only a few will play in the pros immediately. The two Michigan sophomores join fellow teammates Mike Van Ryn, Mark Kosick, Josh Langfeld and Josh Blackburn as drafted players currently playing for the Wolverines. By Michael Kern Daily Sports Editor The story seems the same every year. A college basketball player is injured while playing in a meaningless pick-up game. Upon being examined by doc- tors, it is discovered that the player will need surgery. Suddenly, the team is without one of its starters for the first half of the season. This year that player was the Michigan men's basketball junior for- ward Brandon Smith, who suffered a knee injury while playing in a pick-up game at Eastern Michigan. On Wednesday, Smith underwent reconstructive surgery to repair a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament. During the surgery, it was also dis- covered that Smith had tom his lateral meniscus cartilage. University doctors had known from the physical exam that there was dam- age other than that to the ACL. But it was not clear until after the surgery the extent of Smith's injury, because the MRI had not shown any other damage. According to Michigan orthopedic team physician Dr. Ed Wojtys, who examined Smith and performed the procedure, this type of surgery normal- ly takes between six and eight months for recovery, which means that Smith will miss at least the first half of the season. "There was significant damage to the knee," Dr. Wojtys said, "but we expect him to make a full recovery and regain all of his strength." It is not yet clear who will replace Smith's 28.6 minutes per game this winter. But prep star Lavell Blanchard will most likely fill the vacancy left by Smith in the starting lineup. Smith, who started 29 games for Michigan last season, began rehabilita- tion Thursday, just one day after the surgery. "Hopefully we'll have him back in time for the Big Ten season," said Michigan men's basketball athletic trainer Steve Stricker. "We will know better in a month about how long he will be out." Docile Gophers buy out Haskins' contract MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Clem Haskins, national coach of the year in 1997 after taking Minnesota to the Final Four, is out of a job although investiga- tors found no evidence implicating him in an academic fraud scandal. But university President Mark Yudof, who announced a $1.5 million buyout of Haskins' contract, said it is "extreme- ly likely" that fraud occured and change was necessary to restore confidence. "It is clear that on his watch, substan- tial, numerous violations of our acade- mic conduct code have occurred," Yudof said. "We thought it's time for a management change." Haskins will step down June 30, three years before his 10-year contract was to expire. He compiled a 240-165 record in 13 seasons. 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