1997–98 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team

The 1997–98 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1997–98 season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference. Under the direction of head coach Brian Ellerbe, the team finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference.[1] The team emerged victorious in the inaugural 1998 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament.[2] The team earned an invitation to the 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as a number three seed where it was eliminated in the second round.[3] The team was ranked for twelve of the eighteen weeks of Associated Press Top Twenty-Five Poll, starting the season unranked, peaking at number twelve where it ended the season,[4] and it also ended the season ranked twelve in the final USA Today/CNN Poll.[5] The team had a 4–3 December 13, 1997, against #1 Duke 81–73 at home, December 26, 1997, against #19 Syracuse 93–61 at the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, Eugene Guerra Sports Complex in San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 1 against #16 Iowa 80–66 on the road, March 8 against #9 Purdue 76–67 at the 1998 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament at the United Center.[6] The victory over Duke was one of only two victories over the number one ranked team in the country in the history of the school.[7]

1997–98 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
A blue block M with maize-colored borders and the word Michigan across the middle.
Big Ten tournament champions (vacated)
NCAA tournament, Round of 32 (vacated)
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 17
APNo. 12
Record0–8 (25–9 unadjusted) (0–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
MVPRobert Traylor
Captains
Home arenaCrisler Arena
1997–98 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No.  16 Michigan State13–3 .81322–8  .733
No. 22 Illinois13–3 .81323–10  .697
No. 11 Purdue12–4 .75028–8  .778
Iowa9–7 .56320–11  .645
Indiana9–7 .56320–12  .625
Penn State8–8 .50019–13  .594
Northwestern3–13 .18810–17  .370
Wisconsin3–13 .18812–19  .387
Ohio State1–15 .0638–22  .267
No. 12 Michigan* †0–5 .0000–8  .000
Minnesota**0–10 .0000–15  .000
† 1998 Big Ten tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll
*Michigan: 24 reg. season games including Big Ten Tourn. Champ.; 2 NCAA Tourn. games vacated due to sanctions against the program
**Minnesota: 15 games including 5 NIT games and championship vacated due to sanctions against the program
Disputed records: Michigan 25–9, 11–5; Minnesota 20–15, 6–10

Robert Traylor and Travis Conlan served as team co-captains, while Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock shared team MVP honors.[8] The team's leading scorers were Louis Bullock (580 points), Robert Traylor (552 points) and Jerod Ward (445 points). The leading rebounders were Traylor (347), Maceo Baston (227), and Jerod Ward (206).[9]

Bullock led the Big Ten Conference in three-point field goals made in conference games (51) and all games (93).[10] He also led the conference in three-point field goal percentage in conference games (48.1%) and free throw percentage in all games (91.1%).[10] The team led the Big Ten Conference in three-point field goals made in conference games (121) and three-point field goal percentage (40.1%).[11]

Maceo Baston ended his career with the current Michigan record for career field goal percentage, with a 62.72%, surpassing the 61.70% mark set by Loy Vaught in 1990.[12] On February 22, 1998, against Indiana, the team made 15 three-point field goals, establishing a new school single-game record that would last until December 13, 2008.[13] The team also broke the single-season three-point shot record of 203 set the prior year by making 260, which was a record that would last until 2009.[13]

In the 1998 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament at the United Center from March 5–8, Michigan was seeded fourth and earned a first round bye. In the second round, they defeated number five Iowa 77–66. In the semifinals, they defeated number eight Minnesota 85–69. In the championship game, they defeated number three Purdue 76–67.[14]

Due to the Michigan basketball scandal, Michigan has vacated the records from this season.

Rankings
Main article: 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP Poll[4]211817191619182122211712

Team players drafted into the NBA

Three players from this team were selected in the NBA draft.[15][16]

YearRoundPickOverallPlayerNBA Club
1998166Robert TraylorDallas Mavericks
199822958Maceo BastonChicago Bulls
199921342Louis BullockMinnesota Timberwolves

See also

References
  1. "Big Ten Basketball 2009-10 Media Guide". CBS Interactive. p. 69. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  2. "Big Ten tournament". CBS Interactive. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  3. "NCAA Tournament History". University of Michigan. 2010. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  4. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. pp. 68–83. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  5. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 88. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  6. "Through The Years". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. p. 47. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  7. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. pp. 63–66. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  8. "All-Time Accolades". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. pp. 9–10. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  9. "Men's Basketball Statistic Archive Query Page". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  10. "Big Ten Basketball 2009-10 Media Guide". CBS Interactive. p. 34. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  11. "Big Ten Basketball 2009-10 Media Guide". CBS Interactive. p. 37. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  12. "All-Time Records". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. p. 10. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  13. "All-Time Records". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. p. 12. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  14. "Big Ten tournament". CBS Interactive. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  15. "1998 NBA Draft". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  16. "1999 NBA Draft". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
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