1985–86 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 1985–86 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
team represented the University of Michigan
in intercollegiate college basketball
during the 1985–86 season
. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference
. Under the direction of head coach
Bill Frieder
, the team repeated as the Big Ten Conference Champion. The team earned the number two seed in the 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
where it advanced one round before losing. The team began the season ranked number three and ended the season ranked number five after peaking at number two in the Associated Press Top Twenty Poll
. It was ranked in all seventeen weeks, and it also ended the season ranked number five in the final UPI Coaches' Poll. Butch Wade and Roy Tarpley
served as team captain
s and Tarpley earned team MVP.
On December 7, 1985, the team set the current Big Ten Conference single-game record for team blocked shots with 18 against , and Tarpley led the conference with a 2.50 blocked shot average in conference games for the season. The team repeated as scoring margin statistical champion with a 10.6 average in conference games. Additionally, the team led the conference in rebounding
average (35.1), rebounding margin (5.8), steals (8.61) and block shots (3.94).
For the second of five consecutive seasons, the team set the school record for single-season field goal percentage
with a 51.6% (1049-for-2032) performance. The team also set a school single-season free throw percentage record of 74.8% that would be eclipsed the following season, surpassing the 74.4% set in 1975. Gary Grant
's single-season total of 185 assists established a school record that he would surpass two seasons later. It surpassed Antoine Joubert's 164 total set in 1985. His single-season steals
total of 84 and average of 2.55 surpassed Ricky Green's 1977 school records, but Grant would better each of these statistics the following year. The team set the school single-season total steals
record of 265 that stood until 1994, surpassing the 1977 total of 263. Roy Tarpley
surpassed his school single-season blocked shots average record of 2.20 set the prior season with an average of 2.94. He broke his two year old single-season total record of 69 with a total of 97. Both records still stand . He also set the career blocks average of 2.06 that remained unsurpassed until Chris Webber
averaged 2.50 during his career that ended in 1993. His career total of 251 remains unsurpassed. On December 7, 1985 against , Tarpley totaled 10 blocks in a game break his own school single-game record of 7 set the prior year. That night the team totaled 18 blocks. Both numbers are current school records. For the season, the team posted 146 blocks which stood as a school record until 1992. Richard Rellford
ended his career with 124 games played, which surpassed Steve Grote's 1977 record of 116. Antoine Joubert would surpass the record the following season. On January 5, 1985, the team began a 24-game home
winning streak against the that continued through a February 15, 1986 victory over . This stands as the longest home winning streak in school history. The streak ended with a February 20, 1986 74–59 loss to . January 12, 1985 victory over also marked the start of a 10-game road
winning streak that continued through a January 4, 1986 victory over . This stands as the longest road winning streak in school history. The streak ended with a January 16, 1986 73–63 loss to .
In the 64-team NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, number two seeded Michigan advanced one round by defeating the 70–64. In the second round the team was upset by seven-seeded 72–69.
.
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
team represented the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in intercollegiate college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
during the 1985–86 season
1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
-Season headlines:* Blocked shots became an official statistic tracked by the NCAA. David Robinson of Navy became the first national blocked shot champion, averaging 5.9 per game for the season.-Major rule changes:...
. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena
Crisler Arena
Crisler Arena, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, is the home arena for the University of Michigan men's and women's basketball teams. Constructed in 1967, the arena seats 13,751 spectators. It is named for Herbert O...
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. Under the direction of head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Bill Frieder
Bill Frieder
Bill Frieder is a former basketball coach at the University of Michigan and Arizona State University . Just before the 1989 NCAA Tournament, Frieder announced that he would leave Michigan for Arizona State at the end of the season...
, the team repeated as the Big Ten Conference Champion. The team earned the number two seed in the 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1986, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Dallas, Texas...
where it advanced one round before losing. The team began the season ranked number three and ended the season ranked number five after peaking at number two in the Associated Press Top Twenty Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. It was ranked in all seventeen weeks, and it also ended the season ranked number five in the final UPI Coaches' Poll. Butch Wade and Roy Tarpley
Roy Tarpley
Roy James Tarpley is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions, earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. Despite his talent, Tarpley became notable during his career for being banned from the NBA because of his drug addiction...
served as team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
s and Tarpley earned team MVP.
On December 7, 1985, the team set the current Big Ten Conference single-game record for team blocked shots with 18 against , and Tarpley led the conference with a 2.50 blocked shot average in conference games for the season. The team repeated as scoring margin statistical champion with a 10.6 average in conference games. Additionally, the team led the conference in rebounding
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
average (35.1), rebounding margin (5.8), steals (8.61) and block shots (3.94).
For the second of five consecutive seasons, the team set the school record for single-season field goal percentage
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
with a 51.6% (1049-for-2032) performance. The team also set a school single-season free throw percentage record of 74.8% that would be eclipsed the following season, surpassing the 74.4% set in 1975. Gary Grant
Gary Grant
Gary Grant is a retired American professional basketball player at the point guard position in the NBA.Gary "The General" Grant played for Canton McKinley High School and collegiately at the University of Michigan....
's single-season total of 185 assists established a school record that he would surpass two seasons later. It surpassed Antoine Joubert's 164 total set in 1985. His single-season steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
total of 84 and average of 2.55 surpassed Ricky Green's 1977 school records, but Grant would better each of these statistics the following year. The team set the school single-season total steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
record of 265 that stood until 1994, surpassing the 1977 total of 263. Roy Tarpley
Roy Tarpley
Roy James Tarpley is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions, earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. Despite his talent, Tarpley became notable during his career for being banned from the NBA because of his drug addiction...
surpassed his school single-season blocked shots average record of 2.20 set the prior season with an average of 2.94. He broke his two year old single-season total record of 69 with a total of 97. Both records still stand . He also set the career blocks average of 2.06 that remained unsurpassed until Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
averaged 2.50 during his career that ended in 1993. His career total of 251 remains unsurpassed. On December 7, 1985 against , Tarpley totaled 10 blocks in a game break his own school single-game record of 7 set the prior year. That night the team totaled 18 blocks. Both numbers are current school records. For the season, the team posted 146 blocks which stood as a school record until 1992. Richard Rellford
Richard Rellford
Richard Allen Rellford is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'6" 230 lb forward and played collegiately at the University of Michigan....
ended his career with 124 games played, which surpassed Steve Grote's 1977 record of 116. Antoine Joubert would surpass the record the following season. On January 5, 1985, the team began a 24-game home
Home (sports)
In sports, home is a term referring to both the city and stadium, arena, or field where an athletic team plays games at their venue, whilst when the team plays elsewhere then they are considered the away team. The home term can refer to either the sponsoring institution or the place where it is...
winning streak against the that continued through a February 15, 1986 victory over . This stands as the longest home winning streak in school history. The streak ended with a February 20, 1986 74–59 loss to . January 12, 1985 victory over also marked the start of a 10-game road
Road (sports)
Road game , more commonly known as an away game, is a reference to all cities and stadia/arenas/fields/venues where an athletic team plays games for which it is not the host. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions...
winning streak that continued through a January 4, 1986 victory over . This stands as the longest road winning streak in school history. The streak ended with a January 16, 1986 73–63 loss to .
In the 64-team NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, number two seeded Michigan advanced one round by defeating the 70–64. In the second round the team was upset by seven-seeded 72–69.
Team players drafted into the NBA
Seven players from this team were selected in the NBA DraftNBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
.
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 1986 1986 NBA Draft -Drug and health issues involving drafted players:There were various drug-related problems that plagued players in the 1986 NBA draft. Most notable was the death of highly-touted Len Bias. Bias died less than two days after being selected second overall by the defending champion Boston Celtics. His... |
1 | 7 | Roy Tarpley Roy Tarpley Roy James Tarpley is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions, earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. Despite his talent, Tarpley became notable during his career for being banned from the NBA because of his drug addiction... |
Dallas Mavericks Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011... |
| 1986 | 5 | 2 | Richard Rellford Richard Rellford Richard Allen Rellford is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'6" 230 lb forward and played collegiately at the University of Michigan.... |
Indianapolis Pacers |
| 1986 | 6 | 1 | Butch Wade | New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
| 1986 | 7 | 5 | Robert Henderson | Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center... |
| 1987 1987 NBA Draft The 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin... |
6 | 20 | Antoine Joubert | Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... |
| 1988 1988 NBA Draft The 1988 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1988 in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Notable undrafted players:... |
1 | 15 | Gary Grant Gary Grant Gary Grant is a retired American professional basketball player at the point guard position in the NBA.Gary "The General" Grant played for Canton McKinley High School and collegiately at the University of Michigan.... |
Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as... |
| 1989 1989 NBA Draft The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick... |
1 | 4 | Glen Rice Glen Rice Glen Anthony Rice is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. The 6'8" tall Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star guard/forward, ranking 11th in NBA history with 1,559 three-point field goals made during his 15-year career. As a player, Rice won an NCAA Men's Division... |
Miami Heat Miami Heat The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... |
See also
- 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1986, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Dallas, Texas...
- NCAA Men's Division I Tournament bids by schoolNCAA Men's Division I Tournament bids by schoolThis is a list of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament bids by school, as of 2011. Schools whose names are italicized are no longer in Division I, and can no longer be included in the tournament....
- NCAA Men's Division I Tournament bids by school and conference
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament all-time team recordsNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament all-time team recordsThis is a list of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament all-time records, as of 2010. Schools whose names are italicized are no longer in Division I, and can no longer be included in the tournament...