The return of Michigan basketball

            For the first time since the “Fab Five” era, the Michigan Wolverines Men’s Basketball team is ranked #1 in the AP Poll.  The Wolverines received 51 of 65 first place votes this morning and were helped out by Miami blowing out then #1 Duke 90-63 last Wednesday. The Wolverines are currently 19-1 and tied for first in the Big Ten at 6-1.

            The “Fab Five” were the five incoming freshman of the 1991 recruiting class that featured F Jalen Rose, F Chris Webber, F Juwan Howard, G Jimmy King, and G Ray Jackson. The “Fab Five” never won a championship but made it to back to back National Championship appearances in 1992 and 1993.

            This year’s Wolverine team is looking to become the first team since 1989 to bring a championship to Ann Arbor but should start by trying to get to the Sweet Sixteen, which they haven’t done since 1994.  Head Coach John Beilein, in his sixth year with the team, is very experienced having compiled over 400 wins in his coaching career.
            The Wolverines are led by sophomore sensation G Trey Burke who averages right around 18 points per game along with 7 assists. The Wolverines also have two familiar names to the game of basketball with Tim Hardaway Jr., son of five-time all-star Tim Hardaway and Glen Robinson III, son of the first pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and two-time all-star Glen Robinson Jr. Hardaway Jr. averages 16 points per game and 5.2 rebounds while the freshman phenom Robinson III averages 12 points and 6 boards.

            Michigan gets to prove that they are the best team this week as they host Northwestern on Wednesday before traveling to Bloomington where ESPN’s College Gameday will be for the matchup between the #1 ranked Wolverines and #3 Indiana Hoosiers.

            But for now, the Wolverines are back on top.

image was used from mlive.com