Kornacki: National Champion Announcers - Mills, Trainor
2/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Basketball, Ice Hockey
Feb. 1, 2016
Terry Mills with play-by-play man Matt Shepard
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Big Ten men's basketball and ice hockey hockey doubleheader brought about a chance for two Wolverine national champions to serve as radio analysts for the Michigan IMG Sports Network at the same venue on the same day.
Terry Mills, who works with play-by-play voice Matt Shepard, scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds in Michigan's 1989 NCAA championship game win in Seattle. Rumeal Robinson's two free throws made the difference for the Wolverines in an 80-79 overtime victory over Seton Hall.
Bill Trainor, whose broadcast partner is Al Randall, was a freshman forward when Josh Langfeld's overtime goal in the 1998 Frozen Four title game in Boston made Michigan a 3-2 winner in overtime over Boston College. Trainor saw action in the game and went over the boards to celebrate the game-winner.
Mills and Trainor met at the team hotel across the street from Madison Square Garden on Friday night (Jan. 29) and enjoyed getting acquainted while talking about the past and present teams.
"I'm from (Canton) Michigan and that 1989 championship game with Rumeal hitting those free throws is engrained in my mind," said Trainor. "Talking to Terry about that moment and that championship game was amazing.
"It was cool to pick Terry's mind and meet him."
Mills was heading out of the Garden Saturday afternoon (Jan. 30) when he discussed their conversation.
"We had a good time -- him and Al Randall and me -- and got a chance to talk a little bit," said Mills. "It was very interesting. They asked me if I wanted to come up and talk (during the hockey broadcast). I said, 'After what quarter do you want me to come up?' Billy said, 'They're not quarters, they're periods.' That shows you what I know about hockey."
The Wolverines beat Penn State, 6-3, Saturday night in the second game of the Big Ten's "Super Saturday -- Hoops & Hockey" doubleheader.
Mills said, "I asked Billy if he skated anymore, and he said, 'I don't.' I was like, 'Yeah, I don't play basketball anymore.' When you're done, you're done. That's always been my philosophy."
Mills, an All-America forward in 1990 from Romulus, Michigan, played 11 more seasons in the NBA.
"It was neat to meet Billy and have a conversation with him," said Mills. "It was special."
