Unstoppable Force

Anne Thorius can't get enough of basketball. No matter how much she watches it, or how much she plays it, she's always ready for more.

With Michigan's 1998-99 season winding down, and NCAA Tournament hopes questionable, some would say that basketball was over for the year. Not Thorius.

"I love basketball," the Michigan gurad said. "Even during the summer when you're supposed to take a break, I just can't. I have to go practice. My friends and I meet up every day just to play.

"I can't live without it."

Thorius grew up playing the game in the relaxed atmosphere cultivated in Denmark. The Danish view the game as just that - a game.

Michigan guard Anne Thorius can't get enough basketball, no matter what time of year. "I can't stop," the native of Denmark said.

In Denmark, basketball is not a profession, nor is it a billion dollar industry. As a result, basketball and sports in general are viewed more as social gatherings than as competitive outings.

The life of a potential collegiate basketball player is also different in Scandanavia. Young players don't play in schools, instead they play in clubs that only practice three times a week.

"I remember the first year I was there, after a game the team sat in the sauna and drank soda pop. It was a real social thing." said Michigan assistant coach Eileen Shea, who coached Thorius' club team for three years.

Also, the players are on the court entirely because they want to be.

"The parents over there are a lot different," Shea said. "The whole makeup is different. The kids did it because they wanted to, not because their parents pressed them into it. Nobody's trying to be better than anybody else. It's more of a team thing."

But though she grew up in an environment where basketball was only a minor part of life, Thorius wanted to make it more.

After going as far as possible with her club team at home, Thorius spent her senior year of high school at a school in Sweden that had an excellent basketball program.

Basketball wasn't always the obvious choice. Before discovering the sport, Thorius tried out several other sports including soccer, badminton, swimming and European handball.

Finally, one day while shooting around in the gym after watching her brother play, somone noticed.

"One day this lady was like, 'Anne you should try and play,'" Thorius said.

Since then, she hasn't looked back.

Through it all, Thorius has made a number of fans. But the three people most devoted to her game are her parents and brother. In Denmark, they attended every game, even drove all across Europe to watch her play.

Even now, separated by 4,000 miles and one very large ocean, Thorius' family is still actively involved in her basketball career.

"Her parents are always really good supporters," Shea said. "Her dad really got into it, and would drive everyone everywhere. He follows all the games on the Internet. Her mom said she can't sleep at night until she knows how the game went.

"We have a deal where he gives me money and I go out and buy blank video tapes and make a copy of every game and send them to him. They want the team to do well, it's not just about Anne. "

Thorius' parents also try to attend games at least once a year, most recently witnessing Michigan's matchup against Lousiana Tech back in January.

Michigan is well known throughout Denmark.

"When the Fab Five were here, there were Chris Webber shirts all over Denmark," Thorius said. "The first time I came over, I bought five Michigan shirts and sold them right away.

"There was a little girl that said 'Anne, Anne I want your shirt.' I was like 'I'm sorry I can't give you my jersey, but I"ll buy you a shirt.'"

But though Thorius was exposed to life in Ann Arbor, when she first arrived she had what could best be described as culture shock.

"It was kind of an adjustment for her when she came over here," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "She didn't know where BFE was. That's what the kids would say, and I said 'I'm not going to explain that to her. Someone else is going to have to explain that to her.'

"But she's adjusted really well. She's very independent. I'm really glad she's here."

Thorius also found another element of life in the United States a little bizarre - dating.

"In Denmark, you don't see people asking each other out even to go eat," Thorius said. "You usually don't end up with a boyfriend unless you hook up at a party first."

Thorius said she prefers the American system.

Over the past year and a half, Thorius has not only adjusted to life in the United States, but has also developed into an on-the-court leader.

She can't stop practicing, and that's been good for her game. 1998-99 was a breakout season for her, and over the course of the winter, she has developed into what Guevara called "the most consistent player."

Thorius and teammate Stacey Thomas are the backbone of the team. The tandem combine to generate the majority of Michigan's offense, but more importantly they set the examples for others to follow.

"She's so awesome as a point guard," Thomas said. "She's so unselfish. That's what you love about point guards. Anne can see the floor and she's determined. She's just a great all-around player.

"She's the floor general out there and can take over at any time. She's got great leadership abilities."

During this regular season, Thorius averaged 11 points per game. But the most telling statistic is the 115 assists she dished out in the four months.

Off the court, in her limited free time, Thorius cannot get enough of sports - especially college basketball.

With March Madness on the horizon, most people get ready for an intense dosage of basketball. For Thorius that's all year long.

DANA LINNANE/Daily

02-24-99