The University of Michigan men’s basketball team had an amazing season that culminated in an NCAA title with a 69-63 win over the UConn Huskies.
While the championship will be cherished by Wolverines fans all over the country, the team’s run in the NCAA Tournament also resurrected program history for so many about one of the most important and memorable teams in college basketball history.
The Fab Five.
Culturally speaking, some might feel that this title should refer to the 1966 Texas Western Miners (now UTEP), the first team in history to win an NCAA men’s DI basketball title with an all-Black starting lineup.
Other’s might say it’s the 1990 UNLV team that blew out the much-hated Duke Blue Devils by 30 points to win the NCAA crown.
While both teams deserve rightful recognition, what the Fab Five did for both basketball and the culture carries more significance, despite not winning a title.
The iconic 1991 recruiting class of head coach Steve Fisher featured Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, all highly decorated and sought after players.
Webber, Rose, Howard and King were 1991 McDonald’s All-Americans, with Webber being named the game’s co-MVP (along with future Temple star Rick Brunson).
They arrived in Ann Arbor from Detroit, Chicago and Texas, and immediately made their presence felt after reeling off four straight wins to begin the season.
But it was their fifth game, against the Duke Blue Devils, that put them on the national map.
That game displayed the fearlessness, confidence and swagger of the young stars, endearing them to fans across the country, especially those who despised Duke and their star, Christian Laettner.
The Fab Five refused to back down and went toe-to-toe with the no.1 ranked Blue Devils. I still remember Chris Webber’s scowl after blocking Laettner twice in a row, showcasing the team’s ferocity, talent and refusal to cower to Duke.
While the Wolverines ultimately lost 88-85 in OT, the game let everyone know they were a force to be reckoned with.
In February, Fisher inserted all five freshman into the starting lineup, a move that helped them finish the regular season at 20-8. The team then prepared for the NCAA Tournament riding a three game winning streak and securing the no.6 seed in the Southeast region.
They beat Temple, East Tennessee St., Oklahoma St., Ohio St and Cincinnati before their rematch against Duke in the Championship game, where the Fab Five became the first team in NCAA Tournament title game history to feature an all-Freshman starting lineup.
While Duke clobbered the Wolverines by 20, 71-51, the Fab Five made their mark and left everyone under notice that they would be back.
And that’s just what happened in the 1992-93 season.
While the Wolverines lost to Duke in the second game of that season, they began the year 12-1, which included wins over top-10 ranked opponents UNC (5), Kansas (2) and Purdue (9).
They finished 26-4 and rolled back into the Tournament, this time on a seven game winning streak and as the no.1 seed in the West region.
The Fab Five led the team back to the title game where they lost in a heartbreaking 77-71 game to the Tar Heels; a game that featured the infamous “time out” call by Webber.
After the loss, the Fab Five’s time in college basketball was over as Webber entered the NBA Draft and became the number one overall pick by the Orlando Magic, which traded him to the Golden State Warriors for Penn Hardaway and three future first-rounders. Rose and Howard left a year later (13th pick by the Nuggets and 5th pick by the Wizards, respectively), followed by King and Jackson in 1995 (second round pick by the Raptors and undrafted, respectively).
While the former three had long and successful NBA careers, the Fab Five’s impact wasn’t in the NBA.
It was established in college and in the culture.
It was the black Nikes and black socks.
It was their refusal to let their age impede their success.
It was their unapologetic swagger and confidence regardless of the opponent.
The Fab Five were stars, yet they faced some of the challenges many others did, including money. They played in the pre-NIL era, where players were barred from receiving any sort of compensation despite generating millions for their program and school.
In ESPN’s “The Fab Five” documentary, Webber discussed the frustration of seeing his no.4 jersey in a store and not being able to afford it, which spurred his decision to leave for the NBA.
Years later, an investigation into the Fab Five’s time at Michigan uncovered illegal payments to the players. That resulted in a fine, the forfeit of their two Final Four appearances, vacated wins, banners being removed and general humiliation and blame assigned to the five stars.
That led to fractured relationships between the players themselves and the school they once proudly represented.
But time often heals all, and fortunately, that holds true in this case.
After individual healing between Webber and Rose, the team reunited at a home game when former head coach Juwan Howard led the program. Then last weekend, the team returned for the Wolverines’ Final Four game against Arizona and a game altcast on Turner.
Seeing the five former stars united once more gave many the opportunity to reminisce about the two years in which they took college basketball by storm and remind us all about their impact on and off the court.
“Watching those highlights, it reminds me of NIL and the influence that we had,” said Rose during the altcast. “We actually sold products. We sold jerseys, and shorts, shoes, those huarache that we were rocking during the game. Black socks that are now a normal thing. When we started wearing black socks, there weren’t five pairs at the mall, literally. I had on dress socks, initially, on top of my white socks.”
And while many in the current generation don’t know about their impact, it was as undeniable then as it remains now.
That’s why there will always and only be one Fab Five.
