1987–88 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 1987–88 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
team represented the University of Michigan
in intercollegiate college basketball
during the 1987–88 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 finished second in the Big Ten Conference. The team earned the number three seed in the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
where it advanced two rounds before losing. The team was ranked all seventeen weeks of the season in the Associated Press Top Twenty Poll
where it began the season at number nine, ended at number ten and peaked at number seven. and it also ended the season ranked tenth in the final UPI Coaches' Poll.
The team was the national statistical champion in team field goal percentage
(54.6%, 1198 of 2196). The team established the current Big Ten Conference records for team single-game assist
s by twice totaling 37 (vs. December 7, 1987 and vs. December 12, 1987) as well as the current team assist record for conference games with 36 (vs. February 3, 1988). The team also established Big Ten team records for single-season field goals
made (1198), and single-season assists (694, 1987-88) that it would surpass the following season. It also set the single-game (conference games only) three point field goal percentage record that would only last one night (.875, 7 of 8, vs. Iowa February 3, 1988).
Glen Rice
was the conference scoring champion with a 22.9 points
per game average in conference games, while Gary Grant
led the conference in both steals
and assists
with 2.72 and 6.5 averages, respectively in conference games. Grant served as team captain
and shared team MVP with Rice. Grant earned consensus All-American
recognition.
The team set a new school record by totaling 2973 points over the course of the season, surpassing the record of 2821 set the prior year. The record would be rebroken the following season. Loy Vaught
also set the Michigan single field goal percentage
record at 62.18% which he would break the following season. For the fourth of five consecutive seasons, the team set the school record for single-season field goal percentage
on with a 54.6% (1198-for-2196) performance. Grant set the individual single-season three point field goal percentage record of 48.53%, but it was eclipsed the following season by Glen Rice
. Also against Iowa on February 3, the team set the current three point field goal single game percentage record by making 7 of its eight attempts, surpassing the December 6, 1986 record of 75%. Gary Grant
's established the current school record when his single-season total of 234 assists surpassed his own school record total of 185 that he set two years earlier. His 731 career assists also established the current school record, surpassing Antoine Joubert's 539 set the prior season. He also surpassed Dave Baxter's school single season average set in 1978 of 6.59 with the current record of 6.88 assists per game and Eric Turner's 1984 career average of 5.00 per game with a 5.67 average that was surpassed in 1990 by Rumeal Robinson
. For the second of three consecutive seasons, the team set the school single-season total assist record with a total of 694, surpassing the prior total of 652. Grant's current school record total 14 assists
in a game on December 7, 1987 against and he repeated the feat on December 19 against . This surpassed Mark Bodnar and Antoine Joubert, who had each posted 13 assists in a game previously. Grant's career steals
total of 300 and average of 2.33 surpassed Thad Garner's 1982 statistics and remain school records. Gary Grant
career total of 4231 minutes surpassed Joubert's school record total of 3960 set the prior year. Louis Bullock
would break the record in 1999. Gary Grant
ended his career with 129 games played and 128 games started, which surpassed Joubert's 1987 school records of 127 games and 115 starts. Glen Rice
and Louis Bullock
would surpass these records for games and starts in 1989 and 1999, respectively.
In the 64-team NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, number three seeded Michigan advanced two rounds by defeating the fourteen-seeded 63–58 and the six-seeded 108–85. In the third round the team was defeated by two-seeded 78–69.
.
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 1987–88 season. 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 finished second in the Big Ten Conference. The team earned the number three seed in the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1988 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 17, 1988, and ended with the championship game on April 4 returning to Kansas City, Missouri...
where it advanced two rounds before losing. The team was ranked all seventeen weeks of the season 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...
where it began the season at number nine, ended at number ten and peaked at number seven. and it also ended the season ranked tenth in the final UPI Coaches' Poll.
The team was the national statistical champion in team 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...
(54.6%, 1198 of 2196). The team established the current Big Ten Conference records for team single-game assist
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
s by twice totaling 37 (vs. December 7, 1987 and vs. December 12, 1987) as well as the current team assist record for conference games with 36 (vs. February 3, 1988). The team also established Big Ten team records for single-season field goals
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
made (1198), and single-season assists (694, 1987-88) that it would surpass the following season. It also set the single-game (conference games only) three point field goal percentage record that would only last one night (.875, 7 of 8, vs. Iowa February 3, 1988).
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...
was the conference scoring champion with a 22.9 points
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
per game average in conference games, while 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....
led the conference in both 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...
and assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
with 2.72 and 6.5 averages, respectively in conference games. Grant 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...
and shared team MVP with Rice. Grant earned consensus All-American
1988 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1988 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, The United Press International and the...
recognition.
The team set a new school record by totaling 2973 points over the course of the season, surpassing the record of 2821 set the prior year. The record would be rebroken the following season. Loy Vaught
Loy Vaught
Loy Stephen Vaught is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Los Angeles Clippers....
also set the Michigan single 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...
record at 62.18% which he would break the following season. For the fourth 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...
on with a 54.6% (1198-for-2196) performance. Grant set the individual single-season three point field goal percentage record of 48.53%, but it was eclipsed the following season by 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...
. Also against Iowa on February 3, the team set the current three point field goal single game percentage record by making 7 of its eight attempts, surpassing the December 6, 1986 record of 75%. 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 established the current school record when his single-season total of 234 assists surpassed his own school record total of 185 that he set two years earlier. His 731 career assists also established the current school record, surpassing Antoine Joubert's 539 set the prior season. He also surpassed Dave Baxter's school single season average set in 1978 of 6.59 with the current record of 6.88 assists per game and Eric Turner's 1984 career average of 5.00 per game with a 5.67 average that was surpassed in 1990 by Rumeal Robinson
Rumeal Robinson
Rumeal James Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Robinson graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and went on to play guard for the University of Michigan...
. For the second of three consecutive seasons, the team set the school single-season total assist record with a total of 694, surpassing the prior total of 652. Grant's current school record total 14 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
in a game on December 7, 1987 against and he repeated the feat on December 19 against . This surpassed Mark Bodnar and Antoine Joubert, who had each posted 13 assists in a game previously. Grant's career 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 300 and average of 2.33 surpassed Thad Garner's 1982 statistics and remain school records. 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....
career total of 4231 minutes surpassed Joubert's school record total of 3960 set the prior year. Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He is currently with the pro club CB Cajasol Sevilla in Spain....
would break the record in 1999. 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....
ended his career with 129 games played and 128 games started, which surpassed Joubert's 1987 school records of 127 games and 115 starts. 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...
and Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He is currently with the pro club CB Cajasol Sevilla in Spain....
would surpass these records for games and starts in 1989 and 1999, respectively.
In the 64-team NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, number three seeded Michigan advanced two rounds by defeating the fourteen-seeded 63–58 and the six-seeded 108–85. In the third round the team was defeated by two-seeded 78–69.
Team players drafted into the NBA
Six 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 |
| 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... |
| 1990 1990 NBA Draft The 1990 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1990, in New York City, New York. This draft produced only one perennial All-Star,Gary Payton. Among the 54 picks, Payton is considered by far the best pick of the draft. Payton went on to be considered one of the greatest point guards of all time... |
1 | 10 | Rumeal Robinson Rumeal Robinson Rumeal James Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Robinson graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and went on to play guard for the University of Michigan... |
Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:... |
| 1990 | 1 | 13 | Loy Vaught Loy Vaught Loy Stephen Vaught is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Los Angeles Clippers.... |
Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
| 1990 | 1 | 16 | Terry Mills Terry Mills Terry Richard Mills is a retired American professional basketball player at the power forward position.After a standout career at Romulus High School, Mills was named 1986 Mr. Basketball of Michigan... |
Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center.... |
| 1990 | 2 | 27 | Sean Higgins Sean Higgins Sean Marielle Higgins is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Michigan, whom he helped win the 1989 national championship.... |
San Antonio Spurs San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association .... |
See also
- 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1988 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 17, 1988, and ended with the championship game on April 4 returning to Kansas City, Missouri...
- 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...