'M' part of endless road trip for All-Stars

Thirteen games in 18 days, sometimes as many as six nights in a row. Logging more miles than a traveling salesman.

But there are no briefcases in this business - and no home games, either.

Grab your gym bag, take three weeks worth of clothes and wham! - you're off to tour the nation and serve as cannon fodder for America's top college basketball programs.

Those are just facts of life for exhibition touring teams like the California All-Stars, who came up just short last night against a well-rested, well-coiffed Michigan team.

The truth is, that's one of the best efforts the All-Stars have put together so far. And they lost.

SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily Michigan center Josh Asselin knocks away a California All-Star pass during last night's game. The All-Stars came close to knocking off the Wolverines, losing 84-79.

NBA teams talk about playing with tired legs when the schedule has them on the court two nights in a row.

Try six. It's absolute hell, but if this is what it takes for these ex-college players to get noticed by some league - any league - then it's all worth it.

"Getting up early in the morning is tough," said Chivo Anderson, who had a tidy 15 points and five rebounds last night. "And, of course, guys want to have fun.

"So when you go from city to city, it's not like after you play, you go back to your room and go to sleep. You're out all night, and then you get up early the next morning, and travel to the next city and do the same thing. So it wears and tears on you."

Even advancing to the point where you trust your teammates is a formidable task.

The ultimate goal for everyone on the roster is to make it to the NBA, but most would settle for the CBA, or Europe, or whoever will offer them a contract.

Touring teams like the All-Stars are vulnerable. With each player trying to further his own career, selfish motives can be a factor - but not on this team.

"These guys are a good bunch of guys and they want to work as a team," coach Price Johnson said. "The chemistry is really good. They're really focused."

With every man on the roster in the same position, they seem to pull together, rather than isolate themselves. Stuff happens. There are struggles on the court, but it's no one's fault.

"With us being thrown together at the last minute, you're not really used to each other," said Mike Gill, the All-Stars' high scorer with 20. "You don't know where a guy's going to throw the ball all the time because you haven't played with him.

"And it's not because he's a bad ballplayer - you just don't have that vibe for communicating with each other."

The All-Stars are slowly developing the elusive team chemistry on the court.

Too bad the tour ends in a week, when the nine All-Stars will again pack their gym bags in search of the next opportunity.

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