Michigan basketball is one win away from its second national title in school history after clobbering 1-seed Arizona in the Final Four on Saturday.
But when is the last time Michigan won the national title?
It might not be when you think.
Everyone associates the Michigan basketball program with the Fab Five, and rightfully so. The 1991-92 and 1992-93 Michigan teams were a defining part of basketball culture and easily two of the most famous college basketball teams ever.
And they also did a lot of winning.
Under coach Steve Fisher, Michigan’s freshman-laden team “shocked the world” by making the national title game in 1992, then made it back to the championship game next year under completely different circumstances as expectations were through the roof.
But as many know, they never got over the hump, first losing to a dominant Duke team in 1992 and then having North Carolina on the ropes in the 1993 title game but coming up just short in a game most famous for Chris Webber’s timeout that drew a technical foul and cost them a chance at winning.
The only national championship in school history actually came just a few years before the Fab Five and helped Michigan land the talented freshmen in the first place.
When did Michigan basketball win its only national title?
Michigan basketball won the 1988-89 college basketball title in very untraditional fashion.
After finishing 30-7 in the regular season and in third place in the Big Ten, coach Bill Frieder bolted to Arizona State to take the job leading the Sun Devils’ program.
That left Fisher as the next man up, and boy did he deliver.
Fisher coached six games, all in the NCAA Tournament, and went a perfect 6-0 en route to a national title victory over 3-seed Seton Hall.
The Wolverines had six future NBA players on that roster, but were led by star Glen Rice, who averaged 25.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a senior.
The freshmen on the 1989 title winning team were seniors by the time the Fab Five arrived in Ann Arbor, making for an interesting but contrasting roster of youth and title-winning experience.
Michigan basketball’s other close calls for national titles
This year is Michigan’s ninth appearance in the Final Four and when Michigan has made the national semifinal, its usually moved on to the title game.
In Michigan’s previous eight trips to the Final Four, they’ve made it to the title game seven times, including the last seven trips.
The most recent was in 2018 when Donte DiVincenzo went insane off the bench, going 10-for-15 (and 5-for-7 on 3s) for 31 points.
Just five years earlier, Michigan made the 2013 title game, but came up just short against Louisville.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How many national titles has Michigan basketball won?
About the Author
