The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/213966
where are they now? 'Next time I get an opportunity like that, I'm knocking them down.' "The next day that we had practice after that, Rumeal was there. He'd always be there, before anybody else got there, shooting free throws with a manager or a coach. If practice was at 3, he'd be there at 2:30, shooting free throws." Under the most intense spotlight of all, that work paid off. Robinson dropped both, Seton Hall's frantic dash back down court proved futile, and the Wolverines made history. The achievement, relatively early in his life, still means a great deal, Mills acknowledged. "I follow Michigan basketball, even when [Chris] Webber and [Jalen] Rose were there," he said. "I've always been a big Michigan fan. I just wanted to see these guys do it again. "I knew how that felt. When you've got something that's standing there for 25 years, the first one in school history … and believe me, Michigan has had some powerhouse teams that just were not able to get it done. Being a part of the team that got it done is just unbelievable." Mills went on to perform for more than a decade in the NBA, nearly half of it with his hometown Detroit Pistons, along with the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. He describes that The Terry Mills File Michigan Accomplishments: Came to U-M as the No. 2 prep performer in the nation out of Romulus High School in Detroit … Started 101 of his 102 career games in three seasons from 1987-90 … Scored 1,405 points (13.8 per game) in a Michigan uniform, which is good for 24th on the school's all-time list … Grabbed 682 career rebounds (6.7 per contest), which ranks 17th on U-M's alltime list … Tallied an amazing 228 assists (2.2 per game) for a big man in three Michigan seasons, including 104 in the national championship campaign of 1988-89 … Earned All-America honors in 1990 after averaging 18.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Michigan Memory: Beyond the national championship and the glare of the spotlight, Mills' reflections settle more on the people involved. "It's the brotherhood we've had, and that we've kept between all the players on that championship team," Mills said. "From Mark [Hughes] to Loy [Vaught] to Sean [Higgins], Mike Griffin … "It means a lot. When I took on this job and hit the airwaves, I got calls from all my teammates, saying, "Hey, you're going to do a great job.' That means a lot to me." Education: Mills finished up his degree in kinesiology with a communications minor roughly six years ago. Former head coach Steve Fisher urged him to pursue it, and Mills followed through. Family: Mills has two daughters, Khia, 23, and Skyler, 17.