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Michigan has a rich history of basketball success, with the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team boasting notable achievements throughout the years. The Wolverines have produced 76 NBA draft picks, including 31 first-round selections, and have had players go on to become NBA champions and All-Stars. The program has also produced successful coaches, with figures like George F. Veenker, Bennie Oosterbaan, and Bill Frieder leaving their mark on the team. The Wolverines have experienced both team and individual accolades, with a strong presence in the NCAA and a history of overcoming challenges, such as the NCAA violations scandal in the 1990s.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players drafted into the NBA | 76 |
| Number of first-round draft picks | 31 |
| Number of players selected first overall | 2 |
| Number of players selected in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft | 3 |
| Number of players who became NBA champions | 6 |
| Number of players who became NBA All-Stars | 8 |
| Number of players who won a high school state championship, NCAA title, and NBA championship | 1 |
| Number of players who earned All-American recognitions under coach Orr | 6 |
| Number of first-team Academic All-American recognitions earned by Steve Grote | 3 |
| Number of All-Big Ten honoree recognitions earned by Steve Grote | 4 |
| Number of seasons coached by George F. Veenker | 3 |
| Highest overall and Big Ten winning percentage achieved by a coach in school history | George F. Veenker |
| Number of seasons coached by Bennie Oosterbaan | 8 |
| Best overall record under Bennie Oosterbaan | 13–7 in 1939–40 |
| Best Big Ten record under Bennie Oosterbaan | 6–6 in 1939–40 and 1947–48 |
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What You'll Learn
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team has a rich history in the sport, with 76 players drafted into the NBA, 31 of whom were first-round draft picks. The Wolverines have produced NBA champions, All-Stars, and coaches. The team has also endured scandals, with an NCAA violations scandal in the 1990s involving illicit money.
George F. Veenker, who coached the team for three seasons, has the highest overall and Big Ten winning percentages in the school's history. In his first season, his team won the conference championship, making him the only coach in school history to do so in their first year. Bennie Oosterbaan, a former All-American in basketball and football, coached the Wolverines for eight seasons starting in 1938, implementing a fast-paced style of play and achieving a 13-7 record in 1939-40.
The Wolverines' 1976 team, coached by Orr, reached the NCAA championship game but lost to an undefeated Indiana team. Orr earned National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year honors that season. Bill Frieder, who took over as coach in 1980, led the Wolverines to their first post-season basketball championship in 1983-84, and the following two teams were back-to-back conference champions.
In recent years, the Wolverines have undergone changes after a disappointing 2023-24 season. Dusty May took over as coach and made significant adjustments, utilizing the transfer portal to bring in new players and implementing an entertaining and effective style of play. May's strategic approach and ability to adapt have contributed to the team's success.
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History of successful players
Michigan has produced several successful basketball players over the years, with 76 players drafted into the NBA, 31 of whom were first-round draft picks. Some of the most notable Michigan Wolverines include Cazzie Russell, a two-time consensus All-American, who was selected first overall in the 1966 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. Russell helped lead the Wolverines to three straight Big Ten Conference titles from 1964 to 1966 and back-to-back Final Fours in 1964 and 1965.
Another Wolverines standout is Chris Webber, primarily remembered for his role in the "Fab Five" and for calling a timeout the team didn't have in the final seconds of the 1993 NCAA title game. Webber was drafted first overall in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and went on to a stellar NBA career, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1994.
Rickey Green, a point guard who took the Wolverines to the 1976 NCAA title game, also had a successful NBA career. Drafted in the first round of the 1977 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Green struggled initially but found his footing and went on to play for the Detroit Pistons and in the CBA.
Other notable Michigan Wolverines include Glen Rice, one of only 13 players to have won a high school state championship, an NCAA title, and an NBA championship; Howard, who played for the Washington Bullets and was the NBA's fourth-highest-paid player until he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2001; and Ernie McCoy, who captained the 1928-29 conference championship team and was the school's third All-American.
The Wolverines have also boasted talented coaches, including George F. Veenker, who compiled the highest overall and Big Ten winning percentages in school history during his three years as coach, and Bennie Oosterbaan, a former All-American in both football and basketball, who led the Wolverines to a 13-7 record in 1939-40.
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Coaching history
The University of Michigan's basketball team, the Wolverines, has a long and storied history, with 18 head coaches in its over 100 seasons of collegiate play.
George F. Veenker, who coached the team from 1926-29, compiled the highest overall and Big Ten winning percentages of any coach in school history. In his three seasons, Veenker earned finishes of 1st (tied), 3rd, and 2nd (tied), including the 1928-29 conference championship. He is the only coach in school history to win a conference championship in his first season.
In 1938, Bennie Oosterbaan, a former All-American in football and basketball, took over the Wolverines' coaching duties. Oosterbaan implemented a fast-paced attack, and his teams' best overall record was 13-7 in 1939-40. He resigned after eight seasons to focus on his football coaching duties.
The 1947-48 season under Ozzie Cowles ended the school's longest consecutive year period (19 years) without a conference championship. They also became the first contestants in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament during Cowles' second and final season.
Johnny Orr, who coached the Wolverines from 1968-80, led the team to great success, including an appearance in the 1976 NCAA championship game, where they lost to an undefeated Indiana team. Orr earned National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year honors that season. The following year, the team finished first in both the AP and UPI national rankings, and Orr won Basketball Weekly National Coach of the Year. During his tenure, six players earned a total of seven All-American recognitions, the most of any Michigan coach.
Bill Frieder, who had been an assistant coach for seven years, took over from Orr in 1980. He coached the school's first post-season basketball champions during the 1983-84 season, and his teams won back-to-back conference championships in the following two seasons.
Steve Fisher, who coached the Wolverines from 1989-97, is the first and only head coach to lead the team to an NCAA Tournament championship, which they won in 1989. He also led the team to six other NCAA Tournament appearances, including two runner-up finishes in 1992 and 1993. However, the 1992 and 1993 Final Fours were later vacated due to an NCAA violations scandal.
More recently, Juwan Howard has found success as the Wolverines' head coach. He led the team to a 2021 Big Ten Conference Championship and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines also made Michigan's fifth consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2022.
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NCAA violations scandal
The University of Michigan's basketball programme has a history of success, with 76 players drafted into the NBA, including 31 first-round picks. However, the programme also has a notable scandal to its name, known as the Ed Martin scandal.
The scandal involved NCAA rules violations stemming from the relationship between the University of Michigan, its men's basketball programme, and booster Eddie L. "Ed" Martin. Martin loaned money to four players—Taylor, Chris Webber, Robert Traylor, and Louis Bullock—totalling $616,000. The money was used to launder funds from an illegal gambling operation.
The case began when an investigation into a car accident involving Michigan player Maurice Taylor revealed a suspicious relationship between Martin and the university. An initial inquiry by the university was joined by the NCAA, Big Ten Conference, FBI, IRS, and the Department of Justice. As a result, Michigan's basketball programme was sanctioned.
In 1997, coach Steve Fisher was fired for his involvement, and Martin was banned from any contact with the athletic program. In 1999, a federal grand jury was convened, and by 2002, it was clear that the four players were guilty of taking money, compromising their amateur status. In response, Michigan imposed its own sanctions, including forfeiting every game the four players appeared in and vacating several seasons and tournament records.
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Michigan High School Athletic Association
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organisation for high school sports in Michigan, US. It is headquartered in East Lansing and is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation with voluntary membership from over 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools. It does not receive any government funding and does not charge membership fees or accept dues or entry fees from schools. Instead, it derives its income from ticket sales and corporate sponsorships. As of 2019, the MHSAA had 749 member high schools, with only a small number of private schools and a few nontraditional public schools in Michigan opting out of membership.
The MHSAA maintains participation records and recognises student athletes with its Scholar-Athlete Award. In the 2018-19 school year, 281,992 students participated in high school sports, with 120,378 girls and 161,614 boys taking part. Each year, the MHSAA selects 32 student athletes to receive a $1,000 scholarship through the Scholar-Athlete Award program, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. The MHSAA also provides programming to member schools to develop leadership skills for team captains and has a 16-member student panel to represent the voice of Michigan's student-athlete population.
The MHSAA oversees various sports, including basketball, with separate divisions for boys and girls. The boys' basketball division has different classifications, such as Division 3 and Division 4, and holds championship tournaments. The MHSAA uses "nearly equal divisions" to prevent distorted tournament structures, ensuring that schools sponsoring teams in a given sport are grouped equally. The MHSAA's tournament structures are similar to those used in other states, with schools assigned to Regions and Districts, and participation is generally limited to 9th through 12th graders.
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Frequently asked questions
Michigan has a strong basketball tradition, particularly when it comes to the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. The team has had many notable achievements, including producing 31 first-round NBA draft picks and 8 NBA All-Stars.
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team has had numerous notable achievements over the years. In 1976, the team finished as runners-up in the NCAA championship game. The following year, they finished first in both the AP and UPI national rankings. During the 1983-84 season, the team won the school's first post-season basketball championship.
Some notable coaches of the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team include George F. Veenker, Bennie Oosterbaan, and Bill Frieder. Veenker compiled the highest overall and Big Ten winning percentages in school history during his three seasons as coach, while Oosterbaan implemented a fast-paced attack and led the team to a 13-7 record in 1939-40. Frieder took over as coach in 1980 and guided the team to their first post-season championship.
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team has produced many notable players over the years. Some of the most notable include Cazzie Russell, Chris Webber, Rumeal Robinson, Loy Vaught, and Terry Mills. Six players from Michigan have gone on to become NBA champions, while eight players have become NBA All-Stars.
