1976–77 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team

Season review

The team earned the last of four consecutive NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament invitations. Steve Grote and John Robinson served as team captains, while Phil Hubbard earned team MVP. As a team, they led the conference in scoring offense with an 83.2 average in conference games as well as scoring margin with a 9.4 average. The team began and ended the season ranked number one in the Associated Press Top Twenty Poll and was ranked all seventeen weeks, including eight at number one. The team also ended the season ranked atop the final UPI Coaches' Poll.

On December 29, 1976, Hubbard became the first Wolverine to play 50 minutes in a game against Providence. In 1980, Mike McGee would play 54 minutes in a game. The team totaled 17 steals on February 26, 1977, as both Rickey Green and Hubbard had 6 against Michigan State, which lasted as a school record until December 3, 1994.

Schedule

1976-77 Overall: 26-4 Big Ten: 16-2 (1st | Champions) Postseason: NCAA (Mideast) (Elite Eight) Head Coach: Johnny Orr Staff: Bill Frieder & Jim Boyce Captains: Steve Grote & John Robinson Home Arena: Crisler Arena (13,609)

(1) Providence National Classic, Providence, R.I. (Providence Civic Center) (2) NCAA Tournament, Bloomington, Ind. (Assembly Hall) (3) NCAA Tournament, Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)

Post season

In the 32-team 1977 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Michigan reached the elite eight in the Mideast region by defeating the 92–81 and the Detroit Titans 86–81. The team then fell to the Charlotte 49ers 75–68. In the game against the Detroit Titans on March 17, Hubbard totaled 26 rebounds, which is an NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament single-game record (since 1973).

NCAA tournament summary

• Mideast
  • Michigan 92, Holy Cross 81
  • Michigan 86, Detroit 81
  • Charlotte 75, Michigan 68

Roster

• David Baxter
• Tom Bergen
• Thomas Bergen
• Steve Grote (C)
• Rickey Green
• Alan Hardy
• Phil Hubbard
• Robert Jones
• William Lelich
• Len Lillard
• Mark Lozier
• John Robinson (C)
• Thomas Staton
• David Stavale
• Joel Thompson
• Head coach: Johnny Orr
• Assistants: Jim Boyce, Dan Fife, Bill Frieder

Accomplishments

The team was led by Consensus second team All-Americans Rickey Green and Phil Hubbard. That season, Hubbard set the current school single-season total rebound record of 389, surpassing M. C. Burton, Jr.'s 1959 total of 379. He also surpassed Bill Buntin's 1963 single-season total of 23 point-rebound double doubles with 24. Grote's career assist total of 358 would stand as a school record for 7 seasons until eclipsed by Eric Turner, while Rickey Green's career assist average of 4.05 per game would also be a record until eclipsed by Turner. For the season Green totaled 61 steals for a 2.18 average, which stood as school records until Gary Grant totaled 84 and averaged 2.55 in 1986. Grote's 116 career games played lasted as a Michigan record until 1986 when Richard Rellford totaled 124, while his 108 career starts stood as a record until Mike McGee totaled 112 in 1981. The team set the school single-season total steals record of 263 that stood until 1986. Green ended his career with an average of 32.7 minutes per game, which was a school record tied by Phil Hubbard two years later and surpassed by Mike McGee.

Statistics

The team posted the following statistics:

Rankings

Team players drafted into the NBA

Six players from this team were selected in the NBA draft.

References

References

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4. "All-Time Accolades". [[CBS Interactive]].
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6. "Division I Records". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]].
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10. (August 8, 2023). "University of Michigan Basketball: All-Time Records". MoGoBlue.com.
11. "1977 Men's College Basketball Bracket". [[CBS Sports]].
12. "1977 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". databaseSports.com.
13. "Division I Championship". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]].
14. "RotoWire Fantasy Football, Baseball, Basketball and More".
15. [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-BHL-X-BKT1977A]. Retrieved 2015-Dec-29.
16. "All-Time Accolades". [[CBS Interactive]].
17. (2007). "2007–08 Men's Basketball Media Guide". University of Michigan.
18. (2007). "2007–08 Men's Basketball Media Guide". University of Michigan.
19. (2007). "2007–08 Men's Basketball Media Guide". University of Michigan.
20. (2007). "2007–08 Men's Basketball Media Guide". University of Michigan.
21. "All-Time Records". [[CBS Interactive]].
22. "Men's Basketball Statistic Archive Query Page". [[CBS Interactive]].
23. "1977 NBA Draft". Basketball-reference.com.
24. "1978 NBA Draft". Basketball-reference.com.
25. "1979 NBA Draft". Basketball-reference.com.