The Top 25 Michigan men’s basketball players since 1989: No. 2

We wrap up the Fab Five with the No. 2 player on our offseason list of ranking the best players between Michigan’s 1989 and 2026 national titles with the legendary Chris Webber. It was a tight race between Webber and our No. 1 overall player because no Wolverine since that 1989 team entered college with more talent and also carried his team to consecutive National Championship appearances.

No. 2 – C Chris Webber – Score: 205.7

Solidifying the historic Fab Five recruiting class was Webber. He was the state of Michigan’s Mr. Basketball, the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, and the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP. He was the crown jewel of a team loaded with freshman talent, and he was the player who made the Fab Five feel unprecedented on the court.

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That’s because he made a massive impact right away. All the other Fab Five members were given time to grow into their roles, but Webber was expected to be a superstar from the moment he stepped on campus, and he delivered. As a true freshman, he started all 34 games and led the team in rebounds and blocks while finishing second only to Jalen Rose in points.

It all came together during the Wolverines’ NCAA Tournament run that made the Fab Five famous. Five starting freshmen, with Webber being the best player in a Cinderella-like postseason performance for Michigan. In the Round of 32, he had a then-career game against East Tennessee State, scoring 30 points, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots while shooting 12-for-15 from the floor.

But the Elite Eight was when everything changed. Ohio State was the region’s No. 1 seed and was headlined by Jim Jackson. Webber played 43 minutes in a 75-71 overtime thriller and put up 23 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. This was the turning point into what was to come for the Fab Five because Webber was the best player on the floor, leading a team full of freshmen in an Elite Eight win over the No. 1 seed in the region.

Webber followed that with a double-double against…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/top-25-michigan-men-basketball-130000279.html

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Publish date : 2026-08-23 13:00:00

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