The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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32 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2020 Michigan retired his No. 41 jersey in 2005, where it has hung from the Crisler Center rafters ever since. 3. C CHRIS WEBBER (1992-93) He spent just two seasons at Michi- gan, but helped lead the Wolverines to consecutive national title game appearances (against Duke in 1992 and versus North Carolina in 1993), though U-M fell short each time. Webber made an immediate impact when he stepped on campus in Ann Arbor, averaging 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game as a freshman in 1991-92. He took home the Big Ten's Rookie of the Year Award as a result. The Detroit native then emerged as one of the best players in the country as a sophomore, when he tallied 19.2 points and 10.1 boards per outing, earning consensus All-Big Ten and All-America accolades. Webber led U-M in scoring in three of its six postseason contests in 1993, pouring in 27 points against UCLA in the second round, 27 versus Kentucky in the Final Four and 23 against North Carolina in the championship. His legacy was unfortunately tar- nished due to his involvement with booster Ed Martin, but that didn't take away from what he accomplished on the court. Webber's 362 rebounds in 1992-93 still stand as the fifth most in a season in Michigan history, while his 175 career blocks are still the third most ever at U-M. 4. F RUDY TOMJANOVICH (1968-70) During his three-year Michigan career (freshmen weren't allowed to play during that era), the 6-7 big man pulled down 1,039 rebounds, which to this day stands as the most in Mich- igan lore. He was also the Big Ten's premier rebounder during his final two years in Ann Arbor, leading the league with 14.5 boards per game in 1968-69 and 15.5 in 1969-70. Tomjanovich excelled on the offen- sive end as well, pacing the Wolver- ines in scoring during all three of his years on the court. He registered 25.7 points per game as a junior and 30.1 as a senior, and totaled 1,808 in his career, good for seventh on U-M's all- time list. The Hamtramck, Mich., na- tive also earned All-America honors as a senior in 1969-70. His most notable offensive out- burst occurred on Jan. 7, 1969, against Indiana, when he logged 48 points and hit 21 shots, both of which stand as Crisler Center records. His 27 re- bounds against Kentucky on Dec. 2, 1967 — the first game ever in the arena — also reside as the venue's best mark ever. On Feb. 8, 2003, Tomjanovich's No. 45 jersey was retired and subse- quently became just the second uni- form ever to hang from the Crisler Center rafters, alongside Cazzie Rus- sell's, though others have since joined. 5. G TREY BURKE (2012-13) Though the Columbus, Ohio, native only spent two years on campus, he helped put Michigan basketball back on the map in a big way. The 6-0 point guard ran the Wolverines' offense as a freshman in 2011-12, averaging 14.8 points and 4.6 assists per game. He was named the league's Freshman of the Year by the media, and led the Maize and Blue to their first regular- season Big Ten title since 1986. Burke's sophomore campaign is when both he and the program truly emerged on the national scene again. He took Michigan to its first Sweet Sixteen since 1994 and its first national title game appearance since 1993, be- hind the strength of his 18.6 points and 6.7 assists per outing. His sophomore season saw him earn consensus National Player of the Year honors, after he scored 10 or more points in 37 of the team's 39 games. Burke's 260 assists that year also set a new school mark, while his 416 total assists check in ninth in Michigan annals. Following his sophomore cam- paign, Burke became the ninth overall pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013 NBA Draft. 6. G JALEN ROSE (1992-94) Along with Webber, he was one of the iconic members of the Fab Five, with the 1991 recruiting class having earned the nickname after changing the game by wearing baggy shorts, black socks and black shoes. Rose earned the starting nod in 101 of his 102 career games played. He posted 10 or more points in 98 of those contests, with his 1,788 career points slotting in as the eighth most in school history. Rose's 401 assists, meanwhile, stand 10th on the all-time list. Michigan experienced tremendous success on the court during the De- troit native's tenure in Ann Arbor, ad- vancing all the way to the national title game in 1992 and 1993, and the Elite Eight in 1994. Rose's 17.6 points per game as a freshman led a U-M squad that fin- ished with a 25-9 record. The 6-8 guard then racked up 15.4 points as a sophomore and 19.9 as a junior in 1993-94, earning second-team All- America laurels. After U-M fell to eventual national champion Arkansas in the 1994 Elite Eight, Rose departed Ann Arbor and became the 13th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Draft. 7. F JUWAN HOWARD (1992-94) He spent three seasons in Ann Arbor, earning AP second-team All- America status in 1993-94 and All-Big Ten recognition each of his three col- legiate campaigns. The Maize and Blue compiled a 13-3 NCAA Tournament record during his tenure, with the big man doing some of his best work in the postseason. Howard was named to the NCAA West Regional team as a sophomore and the NCAA Midwest Regional Point guard Trey Burke burst onto the scene for the Wolverines, and immediately led the team to its first Big Ten regular-season title since 1986. He went on to earn consensus National Player of the Year honors the follow- ing season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN