Game #9
12/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MICHIGAN wolverines (6-2)
at DUQUESNE dukes (3-5)
GAME INFORMATION
(Dan Dickerson play-by-play; Dugan Fife color)
Duquesne -- Darelle Porter (2nd season)
Michigan's Possible Starters
| Pos | No | Player | Yr | Ht | Wt | PPG | RPG | APG |
| G | 1 | Jamal Crawford | Fr. | 6-6 | 190 | 18.6 | 2.6 | 4.5 |
| G | 2 | Kevin Gaines | Fr. | 6-4 | 180 | 11.9 | 3.9 | 5.1 |
| C | 25 | Josh Asselin | Jr. | 6-11 | 230 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 1.0 blk |
| F | 30 | LaVell Blanchard | Fr. | 6-7 | 205 | 14.8 | 8.6 | 2.1 |
| F | 0 | Leon Jones | So. | 6-4 | 195 | 8.6 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| TOP RESERVES | ||||||||
| F | 23 | Gavin Groninger | Fr. | 6-5 | 190 | 8.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| C | 55 | Pete Vignier | Sr. | 6-11 | 255 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 1.1 |
| F | 45 | Chris Young | So. | 6-9 | 220 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 0.3 blk |
| F | 50 | Leland Anderson | Fr. | 6-8 | 245 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| REST OF THE BENCH | ||||||||
| G | 21 | Ramal Hunter | So. | 6-3 | 160 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| G | 22 | Herb Gibson | So. | 6-5 | 205 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| G | 10 | Darius Taylor | Sr. | 6-3 | 180 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| F | 52 | Rotolu Adebiyi | So. | 6-5 | 210 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| INJURED | ||||||||
| F | 34 | Brandon Smith | Jr. | 6-7 | 200 | (Right Knee) | ||
Next on the Court ...
| School | Duquesne |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Founded | 1878 |
| Enrollment | 9,500 |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 |
| Colors | Red and Blue |
| Nickname | Dukes |
| President | Dr. John E. Murray Jr. |
| Athletic Director | Brian Colleary |
| Home Arena (Capacity) | A.J. Palumbo Center (6,200) |
Head Coach Darelle Porter
Entering his second year as head coach of Duquesne is Darelle Porter. He has a 8-28 career record with the Dukes and for his head coaching career. At age 30, Porter is the second youngest head coach in NCAA Division I collegiate basketball behind Portland State's Joel Sobotka, who is 29. In his collegiate playing days, Porter was a three-year starter for Pittsburgh, which went to three NCAA tournaments. He finished his career with 1,007 points, 617 assists, 466 rebounds and 170 steals.
He is joined by assistants Josh Oppenheimer, Kenya Hunter and David Adelman.
Series Record
In the one game played between Michigan and Duquesne, the Wolverines walked away with a 16-point victory, 74-58, in the opening round of the NIT in Crisler Arena, March 12, 1981. Michigan's Mike McGee led the way with 26-points in the win. The Wolverines then defeated Toledo, 80-68, in the second round before being eliminated by Syracuse, 91-76, in the third round.
Michigan vs. Duquesne
| Date | Opponent | Site | W/L | Score | Margin |
| Mar. 12, 1981 | Duquesne | 1 | W | 74-58 | +16 |
1 C NIT, Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Mich. | |||||
Duquesne Possible Starting Lineup
| Pos | No | Player | Yr | Ht | Wt | PPG | RPG | APG |
| F | 5 | Wayne Smith | So. | 6-7 | 215 | 18.9 | 7.6 | 2.8 |
| C | 3 | Devone Stephenson | Sr. | 6-7 | 200 | 8.4 | 5.9 | 0.5 blk |
| G | 34 | Charles Stanfield | Jr. | 6-4 | 180 | 7.0 | 3.8 | 0.5 |
| G | 4 | Courtney Wallace | Jr. | 6-4 | 200 | 13.3 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| G | 22 | Shawn Tann | Jr. | 6-4 | 195 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| FIRST OFF THE BENCH | ||||||||
| G | 1 | Devin Montgomery | Fr. | 6-0 | 175 | 6.8 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
| G | 21 | Brad Midgley | Fr. | 6-5 | 200 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 0.4 stl |
Scouting the Dukes
With six freshmen and eight first-year players, Duquesne comes to Ann Arbor with a 3-5 record, including two last-second losses. But despite being young they are scoring 10.4 more points a game this season. The Dukes are scoring 72.3 points per game compared to last season's 61.9.
The Dukes kicked off the season with a pair of losses at the Hoops Fest in Binghamton, N.Y. to Delaware (L, 86-81) and St. Francis (L, 64-63), N.Y. before winning two straight over Northeastern (W, 87-77) and West Virginia (W, 94-80).
Since then, the Dukes have lost three of four with the only win coming against Canisius (W, 77-67) Dec. 7. Duquesne fell to Ohio State (L, 87-55), South Florida (L, 84-65) and Pittsburgh (L, 74-56).
Duquense is led by sophomore Wayne Smith, who has a team leading 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. The 6-7 forward has hit for double figures in all eight games this season with a season-high 30 points in the season opener against Delaware. He also has two double doubles on the season.
Behind Smith is junior Courtney Wallace, who is averaging 13.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. The 6-4 guard has scored in double figures in seven of the eight games this season with a season-high 20 points against West Virginia.
Senior center Devone Stephenson (8.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg), junior guard Shawn Tann (9.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and junior guard Charles Stanfield (7.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) round out the starting lineup.
Freshman guard Devin Montgomery has been the first off the bench for the Dukes and is hitting for 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds while passing out a team high 3.0 assists per game.
Michigan Against the Atlantic 10
In its 85-year history, Michigan holds a 36-1 overall record against Atlantic 10 conference schools. The Wolverines' only loss came 66 yeras ago against Temple, 42-33 Dec. 21, 1933. Since, then the Wolverines have collected 36 straight wins.
Michigan vs. the Atlantic 10
| School | W | L | Pct. | First Game |
| Dayton | 11 | 0 | 1.000 | 1965 |
| Duquesne | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1981 |
| Fordham | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1977 |
| George Washington | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1993 |
| LaSalle | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1976 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1979 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1977 |
| Temple | 2 | 1 | .667 | 1933 |
| Virginia Tech | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 1975 |
| Xavier | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 1973 |
| Totals | 36 | 1 | .973 | |
Blanchard Again Comes Up Huge
Freshman LaVell Blanchard continues to rack up the numbers as he quietly goes about his business. Blanchard collected his second career double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds at Boston College. He recorded his first against Georgia Tech (Dec. 1) with 18 points and 13 rebounds. The 25 points also marked a new career best, with his prior being 21 against Chattanooga (Dec. 4).
The Ann Arbor native has quietly slipped and sliced his way to getting those needed points and rebounds with no one really noticing the stats rising and rising. Now, with his long-range prowess, he has become the marked man for opponent defenses to watch for.
For the season, Blanchard has started all eight games and is second on the team with 14.8 points a game. He leads the team with 8.6 rebounds, which is third in the Big Ten. He is also averaging 2.1 assists and nearly a steal and a block per game. He is shooting 51.8 percent on the season, which is fifth in the Big Ten.
Injured Anderson Should Return for Colorado State
Freshman forward Leland Anderson has been slowed by a contusion to his right leg and could miss up to two weeks. Anderson injured his leg in practice during a rebounding drill. He has played in seven games this season and is averaging 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in his 8.4 minutes of action.
Go-Go Continuing to Learn
Freshman Kevin Gaines has helped people understand why his nickname is Go-Go. Despite some foul trouble, Gaines has continued to grow each game as he has helped the Wolverines collect a team average 79.5 points and 38.8 rebounds a game. On his own, Gaines has raised his scoring average to 11.0 points a game and leads the team with 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals a game. He has also grabbed 3.9 rebounds a game.
Gaines twice hit for a career-high 16 points this season -- first against Western Michigan (Nov. 27) and then against Chattanooga (Dec. 4) -- but smashed that with his 23-point effort against Duke (Dec. 11). He is shooting 45.5 percent from the field and hit his first three-pointer of the season against the Blue Devils as he finished 3-of-6 in the game. He is 5-of-14 on the year from deep.
Young Finding Niche with Bench Play
Sophomore Chris Young has been playing just 9.8 minutes this season, but has made the most of them coming off the bench to spell teammates Josh Asselin or Peter Vignier. Even though his stats have not shown it, he has been strong down in the paint with key situational rebounds and baskets for the Wolverines in the first eight games.
Against Duke (Dec. 11), Young probably had his best overall performance on the season. He played 10 minutes and collected six points, which is a season high. Young was 2-of-2 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line and grabbed three rebounds. He followed that with 16 strong minutes against Boston College, finishing with two points and three rebounds.
Starters Doing a Number
Head coach Brian Ellerbe has gone with the same starting lineup in the last six games, with Jamal Crawford and Kevin Gaines in the backcourt and Leon Jones, LaVell Blanchard and Josh Asselin in the frontcourt. The starters have combined for 59.1 of the team's 79.5 points per game. Combined they are shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 38.8 on three-pointers and 69.8 percent from the free throw line. The starting five are also averaging 22.9 rebounds, 14 assists, 4.8 steals and 3.9 blocks.
Coming off the Bench
Freshman Gavin Groninger and senior Peter Vignier have led the charge for the Michigan bench players. Groninger is hitting for 8.8 points and shooting 50 percent from the field and 47.4 percent on three-pointers. Vignier is grabbing 6.4 rebounds, which is second on the team, and hitting 6.0 points off the bench for the Wolverines. The bench is shooting 56.4 percent from the field and 46.2 on treys and scoring 20.4 points a game.
J.C.'s Setting the Learning Curve
Freshman guard Jamal Crawford's steady progression has impressed not only the crowd, but the Wolverines' opponents as well. J.C. has shown he can score on the drive, from short range and from long range as he leads the team with 18.6 points per game.
Crawford has taken the team on his back with the Wolverines' foul struggles. He is averaging a team-leading 34.8 minutes a game, playing 278 of the possible 320 minutes on the season. He has continued to show the growth and leadership for the Wolverines. He has hit for double figures in seven of the eight games this season, with career highs of 27 points against Kent (Dec. 8) and Duke (Dec. 11).
He leads the team with 13 blocks (1.6 per game) and is second in assists with 36 (4.5 per game). He is shooting 43.1 percent from the field and a team-leading 88.2 percent from the free throw line.
Basketball Jones Continuing to Adjust
Sophomore Leon Jones continues to show a different side of his game from last season that has fans buzzing at the noticeable change. Jones has put on 15 pounds and has been creating and shooting from all sides of the court. He has also made it a habit of taking it to the basket this season. The pleasant maturity and quiet confidence in his game has earned him eight straight starts at forward.
Jones opened the regular season against Oakland with a career-high 22 points against the Golden Grizzlies as he was 9-of-15 from the field and 3-of-4 on three-pointers. His prior best was 13 points against Syracuse at the 1998 Maui Invitational.
With opponents keying on him, Jones struggled with foul trouble, but has been growing with strong efforts against Kent (Dec. 8) and Duke (Dec. 11). He finished with 16 points, six rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes of action against the Golden Flashes and then had 11 points, two rebounds, four assists and four steals against the Blue Devils before fouling out with 11 seconds to go.
Jones is averaging 8.6 points along with 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and nearly a steal a game this season.
Trio of Rookies Leading the Charge
Freshmen Jamal Crawford, Kevin Gaines and LaVell Blanchard have been leading the charge for the Wolverines early in the season. The two interchangeable guards and the forward have made opponents sharpen their defensive skills because they don't know who is bringing the ball up the court. Crawford leads the team in scoring with 18.6 points a game and 1.6 blocks a game and also has a team-leading 34.8 minutes a game under his belt. Blanchard is second on the team with 14.8 points and leads with 8.6 rebounds in his 30.5 minutes per game. Gaines is hitting for 11.0 points per contest and leads with 5.1 assists a game in his 29.1 minutes a game.
More on the Rookies as They Pass the Rock
In addition to running the offense, freshman guards Kevin Gaines and Jamal Crawford have had their own battle passing out the freebies. The backcourt duo has collected 77 of the team's 131 assists this season. Gaines leads with 41 (5.1 a game) and Crawford has 36 (4.5 a game).
The two have also been battling for the team lead as Gaines has led the team in assists four times, with six against Oakland (Nov. 19), seven against Western Michigan (Nov. 27), eight against Georgia Tech (Dec. 1) and four against Boston College (Dec. 19). Crawford has led the team twice, with four against Detroit (Nov. 23) and six against Chattanooga (Dec. 4). They both tied for a team high twice, with four apiece against Kent (Dec. 8) and six apiece against Duke (Dec. 11).
Stay Out of the Paint
In the past four games, the Wolverine defense has blocked 22 shots to the 13 for the opposition. Freshman Jamal Crawford leads the team with 13 blocks, which is fifth in the Big Ten and junior Josh Asselin has collected six in the past four games to boost his season total to eight. Michigan has collected 38 blocks on the year compared to the opponents' 26.
Asselin Keeps Plugging Away
Junior Josh Asselin has had his ups and downs during the first eight games of the season. The 6-11 forward/center has had to adjust his game against smaller lineups and a quicker pace offense. Despite the changes, Asselin has still collected 6.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 18.8 minutes a game for the Wolverines. He has had a roller coaster season playing nearly seven less minutes from a season ago, but is slowly adjusting with three games to go before the Big Ten season begins.
Big Men Hit Career Marks
Junior Josh Asselin and senior Peter Vignier reached milestones in their collegiate careers in the Kent game (Dec. 8). Asselin grabbed four rebounds to put him over 300 rebounds in his career. He stands with 310 in his career, a 4.3 career average in three seasons.
Vignier followed the lead of Asselin with five boards against the Golden Flashes to help him hit the 300 mark in his career. He also has 310 career rebounds in his four-year career with a 3.8 career average.
Quietly Making Some Noise
He may seem quiet on and off the court, but freshman Gavin Groninger has made some noise coming off the bench. He may be fifth on the team in field goal percentage with a 50 clip, but that's from the guard position. He trails Chris Young (77.8 percent), Leland Anderson (66.7 percent), Peter Vignier (60.6 percent) and LaVell Blanchard (51.8 percent) for the team lead.
But it is the long-range shooting accuracy that has opponents thinking twice about leaving him open. Groninger is 18-of-38 for a strong 47.2 percent mark on three-pointers. He is third in the Big Ten behind Minnesota's Terrance Simmons' 55.6 percent and Michigan State's Morris Peterson's 50 percent.
Shooting Has Been the Key
When the Wolverines are hot, they are hot. When they are not, they are not. In eight games, Michigan has outshot its opponent five times, with a season-high 60.7 mark against Western Michigan (Nov. 27). The Wolverines are shooting 48.2 percent as a team, 6.2 percentage points higher than their opponents, who are hitting a 42 clip. From long range the Wolverines are 9.4 percentage points higher than their opponents, with the Maize and Blue shooting 40.8 percent compared to 31.4 percent. Last season, Michigan shot 42.1 percent from the field and 34.7 on three-pointers.
Racking up the Numbers
The freshmen have been racking up the numbers in the first eight games of the young season. All five members account for 70.1 percent of the offense as they have combined for 446 of Michigan's 636 points this season.
The numbers keep growing as the freshmen have hit 86.2 percent of the three-pointers (50-of-58), 79.4 percent of the assists (104-of-131) and 70.6 percent on field goals (168-of-238). They have also been responsible for 60.4 percent of the steals (29-of-48), 57.9 percent of the blocks (22-of-38) and 58.8 percent of the free throws (60-of-102).
Combined the freshmen are shooting 47.6 percent from the field (168-of-353), 40.3 percent on three-pointers (50-of-124) and 73.2 percent from the free throw line (60-of-82).
Seeing In Threes
The Wolverine lineup has been seeing three images of freshmen on the floor. In all seven games, the Wolverine lineup has had at least three freshmen on the court for a majority of the game. Freshmen Jamal Crawford and LaVell Blanchard have started all eight games, while Kevin Gaines has started seven, Gavin Groninger one and Leland Anderson has come off the bench. As a total, the freshman have played 62.7 percent of the minutes (1004 of the 1,600 total).
Sophomores Showing Durability
Sophomores Leon Jones and Chris Young have played in every game in their young Michigan careers. Both have played in 39 consecutive games. Jones has made the most of his early success this season, starting all eight games. He has 11 starts in his career. Young continues to come off the bench for the Wolverines as he upgrades his role as a defender and rebounder.
Even Though It is Early ... Streak Hits Eight
Last year it was Robbie Reid or Louis Bullock from deep. This season, freshmen Jamal Crawford has hit a three-point basket in all eight games to erase last year's backcourt memory. Crawford has been steady from long range, hitting the key bucket when needed. He is 16-of-54 on the season, shooting 31 percent on the season. Freshman teammate Gavin Groninger hit a trey in six straight games before going 0-for-4 against Duke (Dec. 11). Groninger is shooting 47.4 percent from three-point range this season (18-of-38).
Soft Touch and Speed Impress
Coming in as a freshman, Leland Anderson was looked to for his strength as he can bench press up to 365 pounds. But what has been impressive is his speed and soft touch around the rim. The 6-8 forward is one of the fastest players on the squad, rebounding and running the fastbreak to perfection.
In the first seven games before getting injured, Anderson has added a turnaround jump and hook shot to his already dangerous shooting range. He had an early career day against Western Michigan (Nov. 27) with an eight-point, seven-rebound and one-assist performance against the Broncos. He is averaging 8.4 minutes per contest off the bench, and is hitting for 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
Headbands Starting to Be Seen in Stands
Freshman Jamal Crawford has been sporting a matching headband when he plays this season. No matter what color the uniform, J.C. has the headband color to match. Even the Michigan fans have caught on as several students and other fans have started to wear headbands in the stands. Crawford wears the headband in honor of his favorite NBA player, Slick Watts, a former guard for the Seattle Supersonics who sported the headband look during his career.
Schedule Filled with Tournament-Tested Opponents
After boasting the toughest schedule in the country last season, the Wolverines continue this season with 13 of their 21 opponents having played in a postseason tournament last year. Ten teams participated in the NCAA Tournament and three in the NIT. In addition, the Wolverines have three of the four NCAA Tournament Final Four teams slated on the schedule -- Duke (Dec. 11), Michigan State (Feb. 1 and March 4) and Ohio State (Feb. 6).
The Breakdown
| OPPONENT | TOURNAMENT | RESULT | DATE |
| Detroit | NCAA | W, 66-62 | Nov. 23, 1999 |
| Georgia Tech | NIT | W, 80-77 | Dec. 1, 1999 |
| Kent | NCAA | W, 75-73 | Dec. 8, 1999 |
| Duke | NCAA (Final Four) | L, 97-104 | Dec. 11, 1999 |
| Colorado State | NIT | | Jan. 2, 2000 |
| Minnesota | NCAA | | Jan. 5, 2000 |
| Purdue | NCAA | | Jan. 8 and Feb. 24, 2000 |
| Northwestern | NIT | | Jan. 19 and Feb. 26, 2000 |
| Iowa | NCAA | | Jan. 22 and Feb. 29, 2000 |
| Indiana | NCAA | | Jan. 25 and Feb. 13, 2000 |
| Michigan State | NCAA (Final Four) | | Feb. 1 and Mar. 4, 2000 |
| Ohio State | NCAA (Final Four) | | Feb. 6, 2000 |
| Wisconsin | NCAA | | Feb. 16, 2000 |
Ellerbe Faces Six New Foes
Head coach Brian Ellerbe has now faced 58 different opponents during his five years and carries a 43-30 record with Michigan and a 77-77 overall career mark. This season Ellerbe faces six new opponents -- Boston College (L, 89-71), Colorado State, Duquesne, Georgia Tech (W, 80-77), Kent (W, 75-73) and Oakland (W, 82-62).
Irony Could Lead to Success ... Maybe
The last time the Wolverines played 17 home contests at Crisler Arena was during the 1988-89 season when the Wolverines "shocked the world" by winning the program's first national championship. The Wolverines went 15-2 at home during that season. The most games the Wolverines have played at Crisler is 19, which they did back-to-back during the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons. Michigan is currently 5-1 at home this season and will play nine of its first 11 games at Crisler.
Back In Black
With a heralded five-member freshman class, the Michigan fans have been quick to draw comparisons to the 1991-92 Fab Five, but the newcomers will quickly say that they are trying to establish their own identity. When the team came out against Detroit and then Western Michigan with black Nike socks, the fans went wild remembering when the Fab Five started the trend in 1991. Currently, the Wolverines are 6-2 with the black socks.
Thumbs Up for New Vintage Look
The Wolverines revealed their new look as junior Brandon Smith, who is out with a knee injury, unveiled a newly designed uniform at the Maize and Blue scrimmage (Nov. 6). The new Nike-designed jersey has received rave reviews as the Wolverines have combined the past with the future. The new jersey sports a block M' on the front and new side panels. Michigan and North Carolina will be the only two schools in the nation with the new-look jerseys.
Groninger First Player from Indiana In 13 years
Freshman Gavin Groninger is the first Indiana player to don the Maize and Blue in 17 years. The sharpshooting forward joins Billy Butts (1986) and former U-M all-star Thad Garner (1979-82) on the list of Indiana players to travel to Ann Arbor. Garner was from Gary, Ind., where he played at Bishop Noll High School, while Butts is from Muncie, Ind., where he played at North High School.
Changes in Crisler Seen and Heard
With the marketing department plans all set, the 1999-2000 season has helped to give Crisler Arena a makeover. A fresh coat of white paint brightened the concourse level last season, but there have been several more changes this year. The addition of 15 more trumpets and 10 more members to the Michigan pep band, a new sound system and the Michigan dance team have already made Crisler an intimidating place to play.
With the "Maize Rage" program beginning its second season, the student section has been slowly expanding more and more each game. In the come-from-behind win against Detroit (Nov. 23), the Wolverine student section turned into the Wolverines' sixth man as the noise level made it hard for the Titans to call plays.
"Maize Rage" Continues for Second Season
For the second year in a row at all the Wolverine home games, the University will continue its "Maize Rage" program, intended to get the crowd -- especially the student section -- more involved during the games. Students who occupy the sections closest to the court will be given yellow t-shirts bearing the "Maize Rage" slogan and other prizes throughout the season to help create a sixth-man.
Michigan to Hit the Millennium Twice
The men's basketball program has played 1,982 total games in its 84 storied years. With 27 regular-season games slated for this season, the Wolverines will enter the new millennium on Jan. 2, 2000 against Colorado State, and then play their 2,000th game against Iowa, which is still waiting to be scheduled because of TV. It is slated for either Feb. 29, March 1 or March 2.
Adebiyi Joins the Soul Patrol
Sophomore Rotolu Adebiyi (Row-da-lou, Adda-bee-ee) has been added to the Wolverine roster as a walk-on player. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, the 6-5 forward played high school basketball at Ann Arbor Huron, where he earned two All-Area selections and was the River Rats' leading rebounder during his senior season. Adebiyi joins former teammate Ramal Hunter, Darius Taylor, Herb Gibson and redshirt transfer Mike Gotfredson as the scout team for the Wolverines, known as the Soul Patrol.
Smith Getting Ready to Run
Brandon Smith's summer was not been exactly what he had expected. After gaining 15 pounds during the early offseason, Smith injured his right knee during a pick-up basketball game in June and partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
He underwent reconstructive surgery on the ACL of his right knee June 23 by U-M orthopedic team physician Dr. Ed Wojtys at the University of Michigan Hospital. In addition to the reconstruction of the ACL, Smith also had his lateral meniscus cartilage repaired. Since the surgery, Smith has been in rehabilitation with U-M athletic trainer Steve Stricker every day and has been progressing rapidly. As of Dec. 19, Smith is ahead of schedule -- running, shooting and getting ready to start practicing. Smith could possibly return to full practice and the lineup in January for the start of the Big Ten Conference season.
Complete Game Notes in PDF (100 KB, 15 pages)
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
