By Richard Shin
Daily Sports Writer
Pain and agony. Months of rehabilitation. No, it's not what follows a term of organic chemistry, it's what follows a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a dehabilitating knee injury that requires reconstructive surgery.
It's what Michigan women's basketball player Ann Lemire faced last season after tearing the ACL in her right knee only seven games into her freshman season.
At the time of her injury, the Wolverines were a respectable 4-3 entering their final two non-conference games, which they won. The grueling Big Ten schedule that followed produced a 1-15 conference record. It was hard on a team that had endured two disasterous conference campaigns in the previous two seasons. It was hard on a team trying to understand its coach, Trish Roberts, who resigned after the season.
For Lemire, it was hard enough just watching.
"It was really tough, and I felt somewhat helpless," Lemire says, grimacing slightly at the memory of it. "And that was the hardest part, knowing that I couldn't contribute.
"It was very hard, especially to see my teammates that unhappy, and not really knowing what they felt. It was hard to see them go through that."
And for Lemire, playing basketball had never really been that hard.
She credits her father, Jerome, who played at Central Michigan, for cultivating her interest in sports. Ann Lemire started running at a very early age and often accompanied her father to the gym.
At Frankenmuth High School, she set scoring, assist and steal records, leading Frankenmuth to a state title in 1993 and a 97-7 record in four years. In '95, Lemire led the team to the state semifinals, averaging 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as a senior, and she was named to the all-conference team all four years of her high school career.
As a senior, Lemire was named Miss Michigan basketball runner-up and was an Honorable Mention All-American. Her decision to attend Michigan was based not only on what the school had to offer on the court, but what it could provide off of it, also.
"I was looking to stay in-state, and Michigan had a lot to offer me academically," Lemire says. "I'm not really sure what career I want to pursue, but I know that I'll be prepared coming out of Michigan."
Lemire's mother, Judith, says that her daughter carefully weighed her options before choosing Michigan.
"It was pretty much her decision, but Ann has always been a hometown girl," Judith says. "She had to weigh the possibility that if she went out-of-state, then her parents, relatives and friends wouldn't be there to support her.
"I think that played a big part in her decision."
As a freshman at Michigan, Lemire started the first game of her career against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She turned in a 15-point performance and helped lead the Wolverines to a 86-77 victory. In the seventh game of her career, she had the best performance of her freshman year in a Michigan uniform, pouring in 19 points on seven for 13 shooting in a close 66-63 loss to Kansas State.
At that time, Lemire was pleased with her progress and looked forward to the Big Ten schedule. But she would have to wait to play in her first Big Ten game. Her season ended prematurely in practice on Dec. 18, the day before a home game against Houston.
"I was so excited to be here and be a member of the team," Lemire says. "It was a good feeling to be part of the team. I was really looking forward to the rest of the season.
"We were doing some simple drills when it happened, and it was a big shock when I found out what it was."
It was an injury that would wipe out the entire season for Lemire, who had enjoyed four relatively injury-free years at Frankenmuth.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines struggled without her, winning only three games, while bowing out in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, losing to Northwestern.
Immediately, Ann's focus shifted from improving her play to simply being able to play. After having surgery in early January, Lemire began rehabilitation on her knee. She immediately set goals for the summer in the hopes of being 100 percent at the start of this season.
"My first and foremost goal was getting my knee really strong," Lemire says. "I worked a lot over the summer - I think I worked hard at getting in shape and getting my shot back."
And although it wasn't a pleasant experience, Judith believes that it was an important experience for Lemire.
"It was something that I prayed would never happen to Ann," Judith says. "But she handled it really well. It was a matter of taking something terrible that happened and turning it into a positive force. I think that it was an important learning experience for her."
The Wolverines were also undergoing changes, with Roberts' resignation at the end of last season and the arrival of interim coach Sue Guevara. Lemire would have to prove herself to the new coaching staff, and more important, get back to being comfortable with her game.
After starting off slowly at the beginning of the season, Ann scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting in Michigan's near upset of top-ranked Stanford at the Hawaiian Air Wahine Classic in Honolulu. The game against Stanford was the turning point for Lemire.
"I was a little apprehensive at the beginning of the year, wondering if my shot was going to be on," Lemire says. "I think I was a little rusty, and it took me three or four games into the season before I felt comfortable.
"The Hawaii tournament was a big boost for me and for the team."
Lemire earned her first start of the season against Minnesota and led the team in scoring for three consecutive games, including a career-high 26 points in Michigan's 93-87 victory against Illinois on Jan. 12.
Her improved play on both ends of the court are, in part, the reason Michigan is enjoying more success this season than in the past. The addition of freshman guard Stacey Thomas and the return of Lemire has helped Michigan to its best record since 1989-90, with a 12-9 overall record. The Wolverines also have more Big Ten wins than they have had in the past two seasons combined.
Her improved play has earned her the respect of opposing team's coaches. Purdue coach Nell Fortner said after the Boilermakers' win yesterday that Lemire was one player they looked to contain.
"I think that (Michigan) has three key players - Lemire, (Pollyanna) Johns and Thomas," Fortner says.
She is versatile on offense, switching frequently between point and off-guard. She can also create scoring opportunities off the dribble, faking out Michigan State guard Tamika Matlock so convincingly in their Jan. 19 contest, that Matlock ended up falling down. Left open, Lemire drained a short jumper at the halftime buzzer. She also likes the role of playmaker as well as shouldering part of the scoring load.
"I don't think there's ever a game when a player doesn't think that they need to score," Lemire said. "But it might be more important for me to take charge and be the playmaker."
This season has seen ups and downs for the Wolverines and for Lemire personally, but the team is better off with her than it is without her. Her 10 points per game average ranks third on the team, and she has connected on 31.4 percent of her 3-point attempts.
Recently, Lemire violated team rules and was removed from the starting lineup. She has struggled during the demotion, including a two of 16 shooting effort in her last two games. She has not reached all of her goals, but she is working hard toward them. But Judith thinks that Lemire will bounce back, stronger than before, much like she bounced back from her knee injury.
"She's making her mistakes, but she's learning from the mistakes," Judith says. "That's all you can expect. You can want the best for your kids all the time but when they make mistakes, you help them get back up and make something positive out if it.
"As (Ann's) mother, there's a lot to be proud of."