Campy Russell to be honored Thursday at MBB Game
November 17th, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^
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November 17th, 2014 at 10:41 AM ^
Campy does a great job on the Cavs pre/post game shows.
November 17th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^
Back in the day, I always thought that Campy was Cazzie's little brother. Always loved watching him play. He was cooler than the other side of the pillow.
November 17th, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
One is from Illinois and one from Tennessee. Too close of names and same college choice to be coincidence, right?
November 17th, 2014 at 12:51 PM ^
Campy is the nickname he went by. His middle is Campanella.
November 17th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
thank you
November 17th, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^
born in Tennessee but, of course, raised in Pontiac--and the pride of Pontiac Central. Smooth.
November 17th, 2014 at 5:51 PM ^
Campy does have two brothers that also played in the NBA. Older brother, Frank, played at U Detroit and then briefly with the Chicago Bulls. Little brother, Walker D., played at WMU and then with the Hawks, Pistons and Pacers.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
November 17th, 2014 at 11:14 AM ^
MLive did a nice little writeup on this as well - LINK
Here's how Coach Beilein put it:
"His career at Michigan continues to be one of the all-time best," Michigan coach John Beilein said in the release. "Campy has not only continued to be a friend to the program but he has embodied what it means to be a Michigan Man. We cannot thank him enough."
I think Campy was the first of five players on that 1973-74 team to eventually be picked in the NBA Draft too.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:16 AM ^
I always found Russel to be teasingly ingenuous and sentimental.
November 17th, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
Russell played when freshmen weren't eligible and then declared himself eligible for the draft after his junior year when it wasn't really common practice yet. I think it kept him from being appreciated as much as he should have been.
Russell's career started a bizarre three year run in which the Wolverines would lose in the NCAA Tournament to the eventual National Champion three years in a row. They lost to Marquette in the Elite Eight in his junior year, 1974. In what would have been his senior year, they lost in the first round to UCLA. They would lose the championship game to Indiana in 1976.
November 17th, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
Fun fact: his full name is Michael Campanella Russell.
We currently have a Michael on the team who goes by a nickname.
November 17th, 2014 at 10:28 PM ^
I was a freshman for the 73-74 basketball season. Great memories of blowing out Purdue late in the season. UM shot the lights out and ran up and down the court scoring over 100 points. We tied Indiana for the championship and the Big Ten had a championship game to determine which team would go to the NCAA tournament. UM won and at the end of the game we chanted "Wayne Duke take a vote." We were still bitter over the vote that denied the football team the Rose Bowl berth after the infamous 10-10 win. Campy Russell was a complete player. Could score inside or outside, handle the ball, and play solid D.