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Michigan
basketball, while still very successful, has a difficult time trying to
keep up with the powerhouse that the football team is. In
addition to competing against the football team, the basketball team,
as of late, has had the Michigan State Spartans to deal with.
Since the advent of Tom Izzo, the Spartans have become a
perrenial national power, and the Wolverines have been left to try to
rubuild a program that is significantly less attractive than it was ten
years ago. Given a choice between playing for Tom Izzo, who can
guaruntee every 4-year player a trip to the Final Four, and John
Beilein who just came in three years ago; many top-tier recruits are
apt to choose the coach with a proven track record. Still though, Michigan has a rich history with which to recruit and improve. Some of the most famous years of Michigan basketball can no longer be found in record books because of NCAA sanctions, but that doesn't keep die-hard Wolverine fans from remembering some of the most prosperous years in Michigan basketball history.
Chris Webber was a good player,
this just wasn't a good play
this just wasn't a good play
National Champs!
Michigan's last national title came in 1989, and what a team it was. Glen Rice led the team with 184 points in 6 games, becoming the tournament MOP and setting the tournament record for points in a single tournament. They beat Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime in the title game.
Steve Fischer was the coach of this magical team, despite only coaching six games. Prior to the start of the NCAA tournament, the coach at the time, Bill Frieder, announced that he would be taking a coaching job at Arizona State. Athletic director Bo Schembechler promptly fired Frieder, and named Fischer the interim coach. This controversy, so near to the beginning of the tournament, made the title run for the Wolverines that much more improbable.
Michigan's last basketball national title came in 1989. Glen Rice was the tournament MOP
"The Fab Five"
Arguably
the most glamorous time in Michigan basketball history came at the time
of the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, "Fab Five."
The Fab Five were an incredibly talented group of freshman who
all came to Michigan at the same time. Chris Webber was the most
prominent of the group, which made two trips to the Final Four in two
years.
Nearly ten years after this heralded time, a scandal surfaced regarding the team who made "baggy" shorts popular. It was determined that booster Ed Martin had given the members of the Fab Five much more than what their scholarships entitled them too - over 1 million dollars between the five freshmen. After a thorough, and controversial investigation, Michigan was stripped of their Final Four appearances and numerous wins that they had accumulated during that time.
"A New Start"
Since
the success that UM enjoyed in the early to late-90's, there has been a
considerable decline. Before 2009, the Wolverines last appearance
in an NCAA tournament was in 1998. Since that time they've gone
through three different head coaches, all with a mixed bag of success.
It appears now that they've found a winner in John Beilein.
With the help of Manny Harris and Deshawn Sims and Beilein's
notorious 1-3-1 zone, Michigan made a return trip to the "Big Dance,"
beating Clemson in the first round before losing a heart-breaker to
Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners in round 2. The future
looks bright in Ann Arbor, as Beilein brings in another quality
recruiting class. Maybe, with a little bit of luck, the
Wolverines can return to the national prominence they enjoyed in the
80's and 90's.
Manny Harris has been named team MVP two years in a row.
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Michigan's last national title came in 1989, and what a team it was. Glen Rice led the team with 184 points in 6 games, becoming the tournament MOP and setting the tournament record for points in a single tournament. They beat Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime in the title game.
Steve Fischer was the coach of this magical team, despite only coaching six games. Prior to the start of the NCAA tournament, the coach at the time, Bill Frieder, announced that he would be taking a coaching job at Arizona State. Athletic director Bo Schembechler promptly fired Frieder, and named Fischer the interim coach. This controversy, so near to the beginning of the tournament, made the title run for the Wolverines that much more improbable.
Michigan's last basketball national title came in 1989. Glen Rice was the tournament MOP
"The Fab Five"
Arguably
the most glamorous time in Michigan basketball history came at the time
of the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, "Fab Five."
The Fab Five were an incredibly talented group of freshman who
all came to Michigan at the same time. Chris Webber was the most
prominent of the group, which made two trips to the Final Four in two
years.Nearly ten years after this heralded time, a scandal surfaced regarding the team who made "baggy" shorts popular. It was determined that booster Ed Martin had given the members of the Fab Five much more than what their scholarships entitled them too - over 1 million dollars between the five freshmen. After a thorough, and controversial investigation, Michigan was stripped of their Final Four appearances and numerous wins that they had accumulated during that time.
At the time, the Fab Five were the most talented group of freshmen to ever play NCAA basketball
"A New Start"
Since
the success that UM enjoyed in the early to late-90's, there has been a
considerable decline. Before 2009, the Wolverines last appearance
in an NCAA tournament was in 1998. Since that time they've gone
through three different head coaches, all with a mixed bag of success.
It appears now that they've found a winner in John Beilein.
With the help of Manny Harris and Deshawn Sims and Beilein's
notorious 1-3-1 zone, Michigan made a return trip to the "Big Dance,"
beating Clemson in the first round before losing a heart-breaker to
Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners in round 2. The future
looks bright in Ann Arbor, as Beilein brings in another quality
recruiting class. Maybe, with a little bit of luck, the
Wolverines can return to the national prominence they enjoyed in the
80's and 90's.Manny Harris has been named team MVP two years in a row.
| Other University of Michigan Information |
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| For more in-depth Michigan sports coverage visit mgoblue.com |
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