Article about '89 "Shock the World" Title Run
I realize that any posts not about football/"Signgate" right now seem effectively OT, but in case anyone wants a break here's a piece about the 1989 basketball title run. I was a senior that year, and I'm embarrassed to say that my priorities were off as I listened to the Illinois game on the radio while finishing a paper at the Church St. computer center (I'm sure that anyone under 35 is wondering about writing papers at computer centers). Given how Illini had beaten us convincingly 2x that season I assumed that the final 4 semifinal game would be the end of the journey. When Sean Higgins made that shot you could hear Charlie's across the street erupt. That plus the end of the Seton Hall game and the scene on South U after the finals are lasting memories.
October 27th, 2023 at 9:50 AM ^
Warde would have botched the head coach decision in 1989.
October 27th, 2023 at 10:06 AM ^
ow, damn. my eyes just rolled out of my stupid head. can someone pick them up for me?
October 27th, 2023 at 9:51 AM ^
OP is about my age and described the '89 UM atmosphere very well. I had a demanding major and -- lacking brilliance -- definitely did some computing-center and library time when others were partying.
I remember being in the South U. area right after the championship game and thinking "One more reason that this has been an awesome experience!"
October 27th, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
Glen Rice, man. I loved that whole team, but GR was transcendent, almost magical.
October 27th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
He was. But Higgins was an underrated piece of that team, and so was Bo. Higgins would have left, but Bo made him a man. Higgins was pouting and such and Bo grabbed transfer papers and threw it at him in front of team, and it galvanized him. It's said that this was Bos only national title and it's true.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:04 AM ^
Yeah, Higgins. There was so much hype coming in. I kept waiting for his shining moment. That putback against Illinois was one for sure.
October 27th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
Elite 8 vs. Virginia - Rice had 32, Higgins had 31 in a walkover (102-65, if memory serves). Rice was on fire in that game, then had the game winner vs. the Illini.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:24 AM ^
Yes he was. If that happened these days for any player on any team it would be talked about 24/7.
October 27th, 2023 at 10:08 AM ^
I remember the Fab Five making "shock the world" their motto after they met Ali. Loved that team, loved those guys, loved their story, even loved Albom's book about it.
Don't really remember much about the '89 team, I was only 8 at the time. So reading this story was pretty cool. Thanks for sharing.
October 27th, 2023 at 10:22 AM ^
I was a senior that year as well. Rose Bowl win and National Championship in basketball. Good times on South U.
October 27th, 2023 at 10:30 AM ^
OP, I remember having to work on a paper during the Syracuse Final Four matchup in 2013. Fortunately it was the only game I missed during that tournament run, but you are not alone in having priorities off. Go Blue!
October 27th, 2023 at 10:38 AM ^
That was my freshman year. For the final 4 game I was at home and watched with family. For the game against Seton Hall I watched it in South Quad (Bush House) and some jackass had the nerve to pull the fire alarm just as the game was going into OT. We ran over to the Union and watched the rest of the game at what used to be an arcade that had a large screen TV. Then we proceeded to celebrate on South U.
I remember one idiot climbing a light pole then shimmying his way over to the 4 way blinking light at South U and church. He was using his weight to go "up and down" no doubt to try and bring down the light. He was pretty high off the ground. His fall would have led to some bodily damage no doubt. I don't think the thought this through.
A friend of mine thought it would be a good idea to grab a hose from a fire truck. He did not get very far before a police officer clubbed him on the knee. He had a limp for more than a month.
We had a lot of fun that night, and I witnessed a lot of people being very stupid. A night I will never forget. I was feet away from the police car as it was turned over. The celebration at Crisler when the team returned was even better IMO.
October 27th, 2023 at 10:54 AM ^
That was an amazing night! That was my freshman year.
The scene at South U was incredible.
I’ll never forget it.
Edit: As soon as the game was over, my friends and I ran as fast as we could from MoJo to South U to experience it all!
October 27th, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
I've got a picture with Vaught and Rice in the parking lot of Crisler after that celebration.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
I watched every highlight of the game and subsequent celebration that I could, into the wee small hours of the morning. When I woke up, it was still the lead story on the national morning news.
I was actually kind of proud that the normally staid and reserved Michigan fans could go nuts in the streets like an actual basketball school.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
I was on South U after the game. I remember the guy hanging on the overhead light!
October 27th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
I must have been pretty close to you. I remember the guy climbing up the pole and out the wire trying to bring that blinking light down. Then I saw the awning at China Gate start to crumble from the weight on top of it. Then I saw the police car getting rocked and I decided it was time to get the hell out of there before I saw people getting hurt.
https://www.annarbor.com/sports/arrests-injuries-and-84000-in-damage-followed-michigans-1989-national-title-win/
It looked different then but this shot captures some things still the same:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2748493,-83.7345751,3a,75y,11.75h,97.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sildghn7Lk93SXc-iBx9v_A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
October 27th, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
I was at Dooley's. Get off my lawn.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:22 AM ^
It will forever be Dooley's.
October 27th, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
I was a junior living in Baits. I skipped classes the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament and commandeered the TV room at noon to watch basketball all day. I didn't realize until 12:55 that a bunch of the women in the dorm would meet at 1:00 to watch their stories, but I help firm. First come, first served.
After Bo's visit to the locker room and comments about a Michigan Man coaching the team, I won my pool by picking us to win it all. Those 2 celebrations on South U after the semifinal and final were epic!
Just recently I was going through some old boxes and found the AA News, Freep and DetNews editions the day after the final. What incredible memories those are.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
I was still a wee lad in '89, but damn was that a good year for basketball in the State of Michigan.
Michigan wins the NCAA Championship then 2 months later the Pistons sweep the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Everyone was a basketball fan that year.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:27 AM ^
I was just happy to win a Final Four (against Virginia who we dominated). I had no expectations to go any further, especially against Illinois who beat us twice already.
But once we won over Illinois and Seton Hall was the upset winner over Duke for the NC game, I thought "Why not us? Why not go win this sucker?"
I was confident until OT, but we held in there and traded punches until Rumeal's free throws. That last second long shot by Seton Hall to win it didn't miss by much though.
Elation ensued.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
There was, of course, also the Hash Bash and two Grateful Dead shows in town that week.
April 1st - Hash Bash and Semifinal Game
April 3rd - Championship Game
April 5th and 6th - Grateful Dead at Crisler Arena.
It was quite a week although not very conducive to doing well in school. I had to take a Calc 3 exam in the instructor's office because it was scheduled during the second Dead show. Considering I had been awake almost all night NOT studying I will just say I did not do well although I did end up passing Calc 3 by the skin of my teeth.
October 27th, 2023 at 11:46 AM ^
Haha glad you passed Calc and you just reminded me of something funny from that wild week.
I was 14 and went nuts watching Michigan beat Illinois and Seton Hall. Still a cherished memory.
Meanwhile my brother was a senior in HS, who didn't like sports but was in Pioneer's Orchestra. He wore a tux for a performance at PiHi, then walked across to Crisler still in a tux, surrounded by Grateful Dead fans. He told the ushers he was the Dead's limo driver and watched the concert from the stage.
October 27th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
The ushers were almost all student volunteers. I don't think they denied anyone entry whether they had a ticket or not. There were an awful lot of people in the arena that second night.
That was during the beginnings of the Dead crowd being too big and out-of-hand for the venues they were playing. The riot in Pittsburgh had been just a couple days before these shows. Ann Arbor cops were decidedly less aggressive especially concerning weed (which was just a $5 fine still at that time).
October 27th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
You should all be happy you had to make a choice. When I was in school undergrad and straight to grad school we we’re basically 8-3 football 8-4 typically losing bowl game and basketball sucked. Hockey was pretty good but state was a beast. What I would have given to have some championships when I was on campus
October 27th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
I was on a submarine in the North Atlantic playing the red part of a NATO war game. After a port call in Bergen we had to rush back out to respond to a SAR event (search and rescue) called out by the Soviet Navy. We were half-way to the location when we realized that the entire Soviet Naval inventory in the Atlantic was crashing out to sea in response, in a war footing. That's when we turned around and slunk away, far away, from the area.
We ended up doing a small boat transfer to get an intel specialist on-board and he brought news that Michigan had won it all. I was elated, but had to watch the whole tourney on VHS...
The SAR event was for the Mike class Soviet submarine that sank that Spring.
October 27th, 2023 at 2:48 PM ^
I fell asleep on my couch but then woke up in time to watch the game.
I think you win.
October 27th, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
If you were cranking out a paper on a Saturday I'm assuming you didn't attend Hash Bash.
October 27th, 2023 at 5:04 PM ^
My senior year as well. Just absolute euphoria all around. I wonder if Rice’s tourney scoring record will ever fall. I don’t think it will