The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/299859
MICHIGAN BASKETBALL kind things about the well-worn bas- ketball arena standing next to the Big House. Those days are long gone, swept away by a $100-million reno- vation project that established Crisler Center as one of the gems among col- lege basketball castles. Further confirmation of that status arrived recently, courtesy of Stadium Journey. The magazine, dedicated to sports architecture, has pegged Crisler Center No. 7 among all bas- ketball facilities in the nation. In the Big Ten, everyone else is playing catch-up, according to this outlet. Here is the publication's top 10: 1. Rupp Arena (Kentucky) 2. Carrier Dome (Syracuse) 3. FedExForum (Memphis) 4. CenturyLink Center (Creighton) 5. Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (Utah State) 6. Phog Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas) 7. Crisler Center 8. University Arena/"The Pit" (New Mexico) 9. Dean E. Smith Center (North Carolina) 10. Frank Erwin Special Events Center (Texas) No other Big Ten arena made the top 15. Minnesota's Williams Arena came in at No. 16, while the Breslin Center in East Lansing got pegged for No. 17. Indiana's Assembly Hall is No. 34, Wisconsin's Kohl Center No. 40, Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena No. 61, Nebraska's Pinnacle Bank Arena No. 64, Purdue's Mackey Arena No. 96 and, just making it in- side the top 100, Ohio State's Value City Arena at Jerome Schottenstein Center No. 99. As for Crisler Center, the publi- cation opined: "It wasn't too long ago that Crisler Arena was a func- tional, but unexciting and dark col- lege basketball venue located next to a Big House. After $100 million in renovations were completed in 2012, the facility was reborn as the Crisler Center. To help celebrate, the 2012-2013 team, led by Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., took the Wolverines to the national champi- onship game before falling to Lou- isville, adding another Final Four banner to hang at home. If you have been to Crisler prior to 2012, then it is time to go again, and see what $100M in renovations can do to a sports arena. It is truly something to see." ❏ • Michigan's 57-40 win over Wofford in the Wolverines' NCAA Tournament opener assured U-M couldn't lose back-to-back games this season. This year marks the first time since 1993 that a season has played out in that fashion. • The Wolverines' No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament represented the high- est by a Michigan team since 1993. U-M participated in its 25th edition of the Big Dance. BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK