The state of Michigan has had a long history of outstanding basketball, whether it be players, teams, or schools. Michigan basketball might not be on the level of the Duke, North Carolina, or even in-state rival Michigan State. Still, the Wolverines have always been a team to reckon with with talented players, throughout history.
The Wolverine’s impact has come and gone in spurts, and when they have been good, they are really good. Six final fours officially, eight if you count the two that were taken away during the now-infamous Ed Martin scandal. They reached the mountain top in 1989 with a team, that came out of nowhere. Michigan might be viewed more as a football school, but they have plenty of basketball success as well.
Looking more toward the players that have donned the maize and blue on the hardwood, Michigan has plenty of historic figures. The Fab Five alone at one time could have made up more than half of this line-up. Nonetheless, they are still represented fairly well. Let’s take a closer look at the All-Time Michigan basketball starting lineup.
Michigan Basketball: Wolverines All-Time Starting Lineup
Guard: Trey Burke
John Beilein had plenty of hard work in his first several seasons in Ann Arbor. That was until he landed Columbus, Ohio’s Trey Burke. The moment Burke arrived in Ann Arbor, basketball returned to a level that hadn’t been seen in nearly two decades. Burke was a Parade All-American coming out of high school, and he kick-started a great run of prospects to join him for the next several seasons in Ann Arbor.
His leadership, and knack for making big shots, really came to the forefront in his two-year Michigan career. He was named Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2011-12 alongside Indiana’s Cody Zeller. That freshman season also was a preview of how big Burke would become in his sophomore season. He led the Wolverines in four stats including points. He took an even bigger step in 2012-13, as he became a superstar not only in the Big Ten but in the whole country.
Burke went off, as he led the Wolverines to the Final Four for the first time since the early 1990s, and then reached the National Championship Game. The team’s success wasn’t enough for Burke, as he was outstanding individually as well. He was a consensus All-American, the Big Ten Player of the Year, and won both the Wooden Award and Naismith Player of the Year.
After his two seasons as a Wolverine and 1,231 points, Burke departed for the NBA. Burke went 9th overall in the 2013 Draft and spent a decade bouncing between teams in the NBA and G-League. He remains active in basketball, where he currently plays for the Mets de Guanynabo in Puerto Rico. Burke helped John Beilein turn the Wolverines back into a contender in basketball, and why his No. 3 jersey isn’t hanging in Crisler Center makes you scratch your head.
Guard: Cazzie Russell
For this next player, you have to go way back to the 1960’s. Cazzie Russell was the first impact player to come out of the University of Michigan. The Wolverines have had plenty of historic numbers in the history of basketball at the school. Russell’s No. 33 is one in a million as the only retired number in Michigan basketball history. In all three of his seasons in the Maize and Blue, Michigan won the Big Ten, and not to mention they reached the final four in back-to-back seasons in 1964 and 1965.
Russell then exploded in his final season as he averaged 30.8 points per game in 1966 and won the College Basketball Player of the Year Award. Not only that but he was a three-time consensus All-American and three-time All-Big Ten performer. Cazzie’s outstanding college career led to him being selected No. 1 overall in the 1966 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
Russell had a very successful pro career that saw him play from 1966 until 1981. He was fortunate in 1970 to win the NBA Championship with the Knicks but ended up being more of a sixth-man in the NBA. There is an argument for Russell being the best player that ever came out of Michigan basketball.
Forward: Glen Rice
Like Burke, Glen Rice is a player who made a name for himself after coming to Michigan as a High School All-American. Rice turned that early success into a very successful four-year career for the Wolverines. In 134 career games, Rice averaged 18.2 points per game. He was the key cog that finally helped Michigan win it all in 1989.
That senior season will always be memorable for Wolverine fans, as the team went on a magical run after not winning the Big Ten, to a NCAA title. Rice was a big-time scorer and was rewarded for it with numerous individual accolades. Those awards included winning the Big Ten Player of the Year, and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Award. Rice capped it off with a Consensus All-American honor. Rice remains the all-time leading scorer in Michigan history.
His college success easily made the jump to the NBA, as he was the 4th overall pick in the 1989 Draft. Rice made the NBA All-Star Game three times in his 15-year NBA career. He showcased his three-point shooting ability throughout that career. A big highlight came in 1995 when he won the NBA Three-Point Contest.
The true highlight came in 2000, while he was a part of the Los Angeles Lakers, Rice won an NBA title. He called it a career after the 2003-2004 season. Rice is certainly one of the most important figures in Michigan basketball history and belongs in this lineup.
Forward: Chris Webber
The leader of the Fab Five certainly belongs in the all-time Michigan Starting lineup. That title belongs to Chris Webber. His career was fantastic, but there is no denying the issues surrounding the Wolverines during the 1990s tainted his legacy a bit. Nonetheless, Webber’s ability isn’t in question. He put Detroit Country Day basketball on the map first off as he was Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 1991 not to mention a two-time High School All-American. His National High School Player of the Year award in 1991 might top that cake though. He was arguably the best high school player out of the state of Michigan since Earvin ”Magic” Johnson.
Steve Fisher certainly pulled the move of a generation when he bagged Webber, alongside Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, and the rest of the Fab Five. As soon as they stepped foot in Ann Arbor, they made history. All five helped get the Wolverines to the National Championship Game against the Duke Blue Devils in 1992. In doing so, Webber and his pals became the first all-freshman starting lineup to ever start in a National Championship Game. They returned to the National Championship Game in 1993, where the infamous Webber Time-Out occurred. He earned first-team All-American honors in his second season, but all those great accomplishments were later vacated due to the Ed Martin Scandal.
Despite a controversial college career, Webber left Michigan as a big-time scorer and was ready to go off once he was in the NBA. He got that in the 1993 Draft as he was the Number 1 overall pick. He bounced around a couple of teams during his first four seasons in the league but made a home with the Sacramento Kings in 1998. A five-time All-Star Webber remains the biggest franchise player the Kings have had to date. His No. 4 is retired in Sac-town.
Despite the controversy of his Michigan career, Webber’s talent puts him as a must in this lineup.
Forward/Center: Moritz Wagner
Near the end of the John Beilen era, the Wolverines started looking outside the US for talent. Boy did they find a gem in Moritz Wagner back in 2016. Wagner had plenty of growing pains adjusting to the Big Ten as a freshman. That’s what only made him better as he matured. The Alba Berlin product quickly became a well-loved player for Michigan, but a villain to everyone else in the Big Ten.
His scoring outpoint improved his sophomore season as he played and started all 38 games, as the Wolverines made an outrageous run to win the Big Ten Tournament and followed it up by reaching the Sweet 16. Jump to his junior year and final season in the Maize and Blue, and Wagner took over the team. Michigan once again reigned supreme once the postseason started as they won their second-consecutive Big Ten Tournament. Wagner was named the tournament’s Most outstanding player. The Big Ten success led the Wolverines to yet another NCAA dream run, as they reached the Final Four and National Championship Game for the second time in the Beilein era. Though Mo was never an All-American player, he was important to Michigan’s success during his three-year career.
His contribution to the Wolverines led to his selection in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft. He’s made a name for himself with the Orlando Magic, alongside younger brother Franz Wagner. His all-around ability makes him a great choice, especially as a stretch big for this all-time lineup.
See Previous All-Time Big Ten Teams below:
Illinois Fighting Illini All-Time Starting Lineup
Indiana Hoosiers All-Time Starting Lineup
