'M' basketball opens tonight

Though they've practiced under its white glare for a month now, when Michigan's 'diaper dandies' walk onto the Crisler Arena floor tonight for the season-opening game against Oakland, they might wince at the arena's bright lights shining down upon them.

For freshmen Kevin Gaines, Jamal Crawford, Leland Anderson, Gavin Groninger and LaVell Blanchard, the long wait to play college basketball is over.

But which of Michigan's heralded freshmen will grace the inaugural lineup card?

SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily Center Peter Vignier (55) and the rest of the Wolverines should tower over Oakland in tonight's season opener - the Grizzlies' have only two players over 6-foot-5.

"There's a possibility we'll go with a small lineup against Oakland," said Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe, who has yet to win a season opener, or a home opener, with the Wolverines. "It's interesting, I don't expect Oakland to run and get up and down the floor."

Normally, Ellerbe might be tempted to use a small lineup in most games this season because the team's strength is in its guards, and many future opponents won't have trouble out-muscling Michigan's frontcourt.

But Oakland is an exception to the rule. Upon a glance at their roster and their level of competition, the Golden Grizzlies look more like playful bear cubs at the dump.

When Oakland coach Greg Kampe looks over his players tonight, he'll see only two who measure more than 6-foot-5 - center Sebastien Bellin (6-foot-9) and forward Dan Champagne (6-foot-6). But unless Bellin, who hails from Brussels, gobbles up a few more Belgian waffles at breakfast this morning, he won't match up well with Josh Asselin, Michigan's 6-foot-11 force in the post.

The Wolverines have a clear height advantage over the Golden Grizzlies, but that's not enough of a reason for Ellerbe to sit in a post offense and let Asselin brutalize Oakland's little big men.

"I think you've got to be careful of that," said Ellerbe, with respect to Oakland's size. "They're a veteran team. We've got to do a good job of putting on pressure defensively."

Michigan will probably ignore any size advantage and run the Grizzlies into hibernation tonight, because that's the game plan for the season. And if the young Wolverines aren't ready for Division I basketball yet, then they'll never be.

"I would like to have another month with these guys, but so be it," said Ellerbe. "They're anxious to play and compete. Hopefully they realize just how hard it is to execute and do things the right way in a college basketball game."

Though their slate is officially clean, the Wolverines could be considered to be riding a winning streak, after playing well in a 101-74 exhibition victory over Team Prestige this past Sunday.

In that tune-up, the all-important backcourt proved it could run the game tempo at breakneck speed without turning the ball over too often, committing only nine miscues compared to a whopping 28 against the California All-Stars on Nov. 10.

The performances of freshman guards Kevin Gaines and Jamal Crawford, who compiled 28 points and 12 assists in helping Michigan top the century mark, gave Ellerbe faith in starting a small, quick lineup.

"The guys are chomping at the bit a little more because this one's for real," said Ellerbe about his team's performance in practice during the past week.

Tonight, and in the coming months, the young Wolverines will prove whether all the speculation regarding their talent is true, or whether they'll wilt like dying plants under all the light.

11-19-99