Game #8

MICHIGAN wolverines (2-5)
vs.
BOWLING GREEN falcons (3-2)

Wednesday, December 13, 2000, 7:05 p.m.
Crisler Arena (13,562), Ann Arbor, Mich.

Complete Release in PDF (20 pages, 107 KB)    

Radio Coverage: WJR (760 AM Detroit) will originate the game on the Michigan Basketball Network. Frank Beckmann will handle the play-by-play and Dugan Fife will be the color analyst for the Wolverines.

Television Coverage: The game will not be broadcast on television.

Game Day Live: All Michigan men's basketball games can be followed live with Game Day Live on the Michigan website (mgoblue.com). Features include live audio for all games and live stats and a shotchart for home games.

Tickets: Available. Tickets prices for single-game tickets are $18 for the blue section and $14 for the gold section. For further Michigan basketball ticket information call the Michigan Ticket Office at (734) 764-0247.

Coaches: Michigan is coached by Brian Ellerbe, who is in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach. He carries a 54-47 record in his four years with the Wolverines. Bowling Green is coached by Dan Dakich, who is in his fourth season as a collegiate head coach. He carries a 53-36 record in his four years with the Falcons.

Rankings: Michigan is not ranked. Bowling Green is not ranked.

Officials: Steve Welmer, Phil Bova, William Bush

Bowling Green Website: www.bgsufalcons.com

Michigan vs. the Mid-American Conference
The Wolverines carry a 109-26 all-time record against Mid-American opponents. U-M has also played at least two MAC schools in each of the past four seasons. This season, the Wolverines play three MAC foes, with Bowling Green (Dec. 13) and Eastern Michigan (Dec. 30) remaining. Earlier this season, Michigan had a 92-78 win over Western Michigan (Nov. 21).

Michigan and the MAC

Team	W	L	Pct.		First Meeting
Akron	4	0	1.000		1938
Ball State	9	1	.900		1962
Bowling Green	5	2	.714		1962
Buffalo	1	0	1.000		1935
Central Michigan	18	1	.947		1943
Eastern Michigan	21	2	.913		1931
Kent State	6	0	1.000		1957
Miami (Ohio)	3	1	.750		1950
Northern Illinois	2	0	1.000		1968
Ohio University	3	0	1.000		1964
Toledo	13	8	.619		1919
Western Michigan	24	11	.685		1919
Totals	109	26	.807

Michigan Breakdown with Bowling Green
The Wolverines carry a 5-2 all-time record against the Falcons. The last time the two teams met was eight years ago (Dec. 9, 1992), when U-M took a 79-68 decision in Crisler Arena.

Michigan and Bowling Green

Date	Opponent	Site	W/L	Score	Margin
Dec. 14, 1961	Bowling Green	H	L	67-77	-10
Dec. 4, 1965	Bowling Green	H	W	108-70	38
Dec. 7, 1966	Bowling Green	A	L	83-90	-7
Dec. 22, 1973	Bowling Green	H	W	70-66	4
Dec. 15, 1986	Bowling Green	H	W	76-64	12
Dec. 2, 1987	Bowling Green	H	W	92-71	21
Dec. 9, 1992	Bowling Green	H	W	79-68	11

Road Weary Wolverines Finally Come Back to Crisler
After three straight games on the road, the Wolverines finally return home to Crisler Arena for a four-game stretch to close out the month of December. During the Wolverines' recent swing, they have played three ACC schools and one Big East school. They have gone to the nation's capitol (Washington, D.C.) to face Maryland and St. John's and to Tobacco Road (Durham, N.C.) to play Duke. The homestand does not last long as the Wolverines face another daunting task with the beginning of the new year as they play five of their first eight Big Ten Conference games on the road, starting Jan. 3 at Purdue.

Senior Hits 100 ... Twice
Senior Josh Asselin hit the century mark twice at Duke (Dec. 9), collecting his 100th career game and 100th career block. Asselin became the 40th Wolverines to play at least 100 games. He is currently tied at 100 with Rumeal Robinson (1988-90) and Juwan Howard (1992-94). Glen Rice (1986-89) and Loy Vaught (1987-90) hold the U-M all-time mark with 134 career games in the Maize and Blue. Also, Asselin has played in 99 consecutive games, missing the only game of his career during his freshman year due to illness against Towson (Nov. 24, 1997).

In addition to his longevity on the court, he also became the sixth Wolverine in history to reach the century mark in blocks. He currently has 100 swats for a 1.0 career per game average. Roy Tarpley (1983-86) is the U-M all-time leader with 251 career blocks.

U-M Block Leaders

1. Roy Tarpley (1983-86)	251
2. Chris Webber (1992-93)	175
3. Eric Riley (1989-93)	160
4. Maceo Baston (1995-98)	138
5. Terry Mills (1988-90)	111
6. Josh Asselin (1997-present)	100

More Numbers for Asselin
Senior Josh Asselin surpassed the 650-point career barrier on a free throw against St. John's in the BB&T Classic (Dec. 3). He currently has 655 career points for the Maize and Blue. With his 460 rebounds, Asselin is just 40 boards away from becoming the 30th Wolverine in the history of the program to surpass the 500-rebound barrier. Rudy Tomjanovich (1968-70) holds the all-time Michigan mark with 1,039 career rebounds.

Blanchard Does It Again
Sophomore LaVell Blanchard recorded his 12th career double-double and third double-dip this season with 20 points and 10 rebounds at Duke (Dec. 9). He is tied for the team lead in scoring with 17.3 points a game and leads the team with 9.1 rebounds a game.

Blanchard's Double-Dips

Date	Opponent	Points	Rebs.
Dec. 1, 1999	vs. Georgia Tech	18	13*
Dec. 19, 1999	at Boston College	25*	10
Dec. 23, 1999	Duquesne	16	10
Jan. 2, 2000	Colorado State	11	11
Jan. 8, 2000	at Purdue	21	10
Jan. 25, 2000	at Indiana	19	13*
Feb. 13, 2000	Indiana	23	12
Feb. 19, 2000	Penn State	16	11
Mar. 1, 2000	Iowa	15	11
Nov. 17, 2000	at Oakland	19	13*
Nov. 25, 2000	Wagner College	24	13*
Dec. 9, 2000	at Duke	20	10
* career highs

Blanchard Hits 500
Sophomore LaVell Blanchard scored his 500th career point on a 15-foot jumper against St. John's in the BB&T Classic (Dec. 3). He currently stands at 525 career points for a 15.0 career average. Blanchard has scored in double figures in 27 career games, leading the team in scoring in 17. He has a career high of 25 points at Boston College (Dec. 19, 1999) and has nine career games with 20 or more points.

Carbon Copies
Freshman Bernard Robinson Jr. and sophomore LaVell Blanchard have become the dangerous duo for the Wolverines. Both have almost identical stat lines as they have led the Wolverines all season long. Both are tied for the team lead with 17.3 per game scoring averages as they have both collected 121 points on the season. Both have five steals apiece. Both have been to the free throw line 45 times. "B-Rob" is shooting 43.3 percent from the field and has 39 total field goals, while "L.B." has connected on 39.6 percent of his shots and has 38 field goals. Blanchard has 14 assists while Robinson Jr. has 11.

Getting to the Line
LaVell Blanchard and Bernard Robinson Jr. have made a habit of getting to the free throw line in the seven games played this season. Both have gone to the charity stripe 45 times this season, with Robinson Jr. holding the percentage edge with an 82.2 clip. Blanchard is shooting 75.6 percent. But senior Josh Asselin leads the team with an 82.6 percent clip on free throws, making 19-of-23. Sophomore Gavin Groninger is right behind with an 80 percent mark, hitting 12-of-15 on the season. As a team, the Wolverines are shooting 70.1 percent (136-of-194).

Streak Grows for Junior
Freshman Bernard Robinson Jr. has made 17 consecutive free throws over the past three games. After missing the first free throw of a two-shot foul in the second half against Maryland (Dec. 2), "B-Rob" has not missed since, sinking the next three against the Terrapins, then going 8-for-8 against St. John's (Dec. 3) and 6-for-6 at Duke (Dec. 9). He is second on the team with an 82.2 free throw percent mark as he is 37-of-45 on the year.

Queen Passes Out Career-High Dishes
Freshman Avery Queen destroyed his career best for assists by recording nine against Duke (Dec. 9). His previous best was six dimes at Oakland (Nov. 17). For the season he is averaging 4.1 freebies a game, leading the team with 29 total. Fellow freshman Maurice Searight is second on the team with 19 assists for a 2.7 per game average.

Make that Seven in a Row
Freshman Bernard Robinson Jr. has scored in double figures in all seven games this season. He is tied for the team lead with 17.3 points a game. Fellow freshman Avery Queen has followed suit, but on the defensive end as he has collected at least one steal in the first seven games. He leads the team with 10 total, for a 1.4 per game average.

Robinson Jr. and Queen Have Career Nights
Freshman Bernard Robinson Jr. continues to reset his career-best totals in almost every game in which he plays. In the BB&T Classic against Maryland (Dec. 2) he scored a career-high 20 points while tying his career best with seven rebounds. His previous best was 19 points at Oakland (Nov. 17). Freshman Avery Queen collected a new career high with 14 points against St. John's (Dec. 3) in the consolation game of the BB&T Classic. His previous best was 10 points against Wagner (Nov. 25).

Robinson Jr. Named to BB&T Classic All-Tournament Team
Freshman Bernard Robinson Jr. was selected to the BB&T Classic all-tournament team after averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in Michigan's games against Maryland (Dec. 2) and St. John's (Dec. 3). Robinson Jr. hit for a career-high 20 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds against the Terrapins, and followed that performance with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists against the Red Storm. Joining Robinson Jr. were George Washington's SirValiant Brown (MVP), St. John's Anthony Glover and Maryland's Juan Dixon and Byron Mouton.

Young Continues Strong Play
Chris Young has continued with his breakout junior season. He has started all seven games this season and is averaging 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game. In addition to nearly doubling his career averages, Young is shooting a Big Ten-leading 68.3 percent from the field as he is 28-of-41 on the season. He recorded his first career double-double against Western Michigan (Nov. 21) with his 14-point, 13-rebound performance and his second against Wake Forest (Nov. 28) with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Young's 13 boards in both games destroyed his career best of nine recorded at Northwestern (Feb. 26, 2000). In addition to the rebounds, Young set new career bests against Wake Forest in minutes, logging 33 against the Demon Deacons.

Moore Continues to Shake the Rust
Freshman Josh Moore continues to shake the rust after missing a year of basketball. Against Wagner College (Nov. 25), Moore had a strong night, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds -- both career highs. He then had a solid BB&T Classic, providing a strong defensive presence against Maryland (Dec. 2) and finishing with three rebounds and a block in 14 minutes of action. He followed that with an eight-point, seven-rebound performance against St. John's (Dec. 3). For the season, he is averaging 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.

Asselin Collects Eighth Career Double-Double
Senior Josh Asselin collected his eighth career double-double with his 12 points and 11 rebounds against Wake Forest (Nov. 28) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. His last double-double was against Iowa (Jan. 22, 2000) with 22 points and 11 rebounds. His 11 rebounds also gave him his 10th career game with double-digit rebounds.

Asselin's Career Double-Dips

Date	Opponent	Points	Rebs.
Jan. 5, 1999	Indiana	16	10
Jan. 16, 1999	Ohio State	22*	10
Jan. 28, 1999	Illinois	12	10
Mar. 4, 1999	vs. Purdue	19	10
Nov. 19, 1999	Oakland	10	10
Jan. 16, 2000	Illinois	13	10
Jan. 22, 2000	at Iowa	22*	11
Nov. 28, 2000	Wake Forest	12	11
* career highs

Young Adds Second Double-Dip
Junior Chris Young collected his second career double-dip in four games with his 10 points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds against Wake Forest (Nov. 28) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Young had his first collegiate double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win against Western Michigan (Nov. 21).

Young's Career Double-Dips

Date	Opponent	Points	Rebs.
Nov. 21, 2000	Western Michigan	14	13*
Nov. 28, 2000	Wake Forest	10	13*
* career highs

Continuing with the Marathon
Senior Josh Asselin has played in 99 consecutive games for the Wolverines and has played in 100 total career games, missing only one game due to illness during his freshman season at Towson (Nov. 24, 1997). Junior's Leon Jones and Chris Young have played in every game in their Michigan careers, a stretch of 67 consecutive games. Now, the Wolverines add sophomore Gavin Groninger to that list, as he has not missed a game in his young career, playing in 36 consecutive.

HG-Three Gets First Career Points
Soul Patrol member Herb Gibson scored his first career points as a Wolverine at Duke (Dec. 9). Junior Gibson went 2-for-4 from the free throw line in the final two minutes against the Blue Devils to finally crack the scoring column. He also collected his first career block as well in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Gibson walked on to the team three seasons ago and has been a mainstay ever since.

The Tall and the Short of It
Freshmen Josh Moore and Avery Queen have already made an impact in the Michigan history books. Moore comes to Ann Arbor one of the tallest players in Michigan history. The 7-2 Moore ties Jon Antonides (1981, '83-84) as the tallest player in history. Conversely, Queen comes to Ann Arbor as the shortest player ever. His 5-7 frame beat out 5-8 Dave Hart (1971-72) for the honor.

A Taste of the Big Time
The Wolverines traveled to Washington, D.C., using the Detroit Pistons' travel jet, Roundball One. The Wolverines got a taste of the NBA life flying in first class to the nation's capitol. The Wolverines chartered the Pistons' plane for the trip and will use it for the rest of the season, with the exception of the Purdue game (Jan. 3).

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Deja Vu
For the second straight year, the ACC and Big Ten played the nine-game challenge series for the Commissioner's Cup. For the second straight year, the ACC claimed the Cup, winning 5-4 after N.C. State defeated Penn State 84-76 in the final series matchup. The ACC won the inaugural Commissioner's Cup, 5-4, after Florida State defeated Northwestern 60-46 in the final matchup.

2000 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Results

Date	Challenge Games
Tuesday, Nov. 28	Wake Forest 71, Michigan 60
	Clemson 57, Northwestern 44
	Duke 78, Illinois 77
	Iowa 85, Georgia Tech 67
Wednesday, Nov. 29	Virginia 98, Purdue 79
	Michigan State 77, North Carolina 64
	Minnesota 76, Florida State 71
	Wisconsin 78, Maryland 75 OT
	North Carolina State 84, Penn State 76