Michigan Basketball: Ranking the Wolverines top 5 Final Four teams

1989 earns the top spot

The 1988-1989 Michigan basketball team had a Cinderalla feel to it but the truth is that Wolverines squad was loaded. The problem was that the head coach, Bill Frieder left for Arizona State right before the NCAA Tournament, leaving Steve Fisher with the job of interim head coach.

Michigan got a three seed in the tournament and behind the play of Glen Rice, Rumeal Robinson, Loy Vaught and Terry Mills, all NBA players, the Wolverines won six in a row and a national championship. The title game featured a narrow win over Seton Hall and some clutch free throws by Rumeal Robinson.

Rice was incredible during the run scoring at least 23 points in each game and averaging 29 per game during the tournament. He scored 30 points or more in four of the six games. To this day, it’s still one of the greatest individual runs in tournament history.

Next: 3 predictions for Michigan and the Final Four

Michigan finished the season 24-7 and spent only four weeks ranked outside the top 10. The team is best known for Rice and his amazing string of games but it deserves to be recognized as the greatest Michigan teams of all time.