The hopefully Never Forgotten Four - rivals piece on Voskuil, Pelinka, Talley, Riley
Love reading about these guys and how each in their own right have had very successful careers both on and off the court since their days at Michigan. Should the Fab Five ever reunite for anything as simple as an ovation from a Crisler crowd, I hope these guys and the rest of those teams are there with them:
Great article. Believe it or not, whenever I think of the Fab Five I ALWAYS think of those guys. They were the first Michigan basketball team I really paid attention to and watched fairly religiously (I was 13 or so at the time). I remember Voskuil with his gelled blondish hair, Riley tall and thin and kinda alien looking, and Pelinka as a just a "grit" guy who could shoot it lights out if he needed to. Good to hear they're all doing well. The bit about Talley being a leader of young men was nice too despite the TO snafu.
March 16th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
I rmember him having dark hair and being a doppleganger for William Baldwin, not the blond-haired stud muffin you're fantasizing about.
March 16th, 2011 at 10:10 AM ^
This was a very nice article about guys who understood the meaning of team. A lot of guys would have just packed it in and left the program, but these guys understood the opportunity they had at Michigan-- both athletically and academically-- and the opportunity to do something special, even at a personal cost to their own basketball goals.
March 16th, 2011 at 10:11 AM ^
After I graduated in '91, I was still lingering around Ann Arbor because my girlfriend at the time was still in school. One of her housemates was on the volleyball team, and she was friends with a bunch of athletes, including Eric Riley, who used to come over all the time to play euchre and party with us. Very quiet guy, as I recall, but at least he wasn't a dick like Grbac and the football hoodlums who hung around. I wish I knew then what a crazy couple of years Michigan hoops had in store for it that summer.
/csb :)
March 16th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
As someone mentioned in another thread, Pelinka is arguably the most "successful" of all the players during the Fab Five era, including Webber and Rose. He graduated from Michigan law school, worked for one of the nation's largest law firms and one of the largest sports management firms, and now owns his own agency. He currently represents Kobe and a bunch of other well-known NBA talent. Obviously, "success" is in the eye of the beholder but Pelinka's professional resume is very, very impressive.
March 16th, 2011 at 11:33 AM ^
Yeah, as a fellow lawyer, M Law alum, and sports nut, Pelinka has, in my mind, the most "ideal" resume I could ever hope to have. Now, back to drafting briefs on behalf of large insurance conglomerates. FML.
March 16th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
At least you guys don't have to dissect cadavers to learn about the anatomy of the body. The formaldehyde smell hits you before you even enter the medical building, and it only gets stronger closer to the lab room. You can't chew gum because eventually the gum starts tasting like the preservative, so you just have to grin and bear it.
March 16th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
We would sometimes put a dab of Vicks vapo-rub just below the nostrils so you get a nice menthol smell while in the gross anatomy lab.
March 16th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
These guys contributed immensely to the success of the Fab Five era. The shot Voskuil hit against ________ (my 40-year old memory can't recall the team!) in the tourney was epic. All of these guys stepped up at key junctures. They are absolutely etched in my memory just as much as the Fab Five (the team, the team, the team!).
March 16th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
Just like the documentary, piece needed more Jason Bossard. No love for the team leader in motivational high-fives and exuberant-bench boxouts?
I grew up around Voskuil. Didn't know him terribly well since he was a good 6-8 years older than me. Dude should have spent those college summers in the weightroom in Ann Arbor instead of windsurfing on Holland beaches, but I'm glad his post-college years have worked out so well. Nice family.
It definitely would have been nice to have mentioned a little more about the upperclassmen's contributions, especially in '92. I forgot all about Riley's huge game against Ok State.
I'll always remember Jason Bossard's senior nght - it was amazing! If I remember correctly, he hit 5 threes and ended up close to 20 points. Sportscenter gave him props too. Granted they were playing PSU, but it was great to see him make good on getting those few minutes. Maybe Fisher should've given him a few more minutes his senior year - I hear he was an absolute lights-out shooter in HS......I bet he would've found a spot on a Beilein team.