Section 1

May 12th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^

Expanding on my connection of Buntin and Traylor; I expect that the names of Bill Buntin and Robert Traylor will now be sadly linked forever.

Robert Traylor actually won the Bill Buntin Most Valuable Player Award in 1997.  That is an irony that is as amazing as it is tragic.

Buntin and Traylor were two of the historically most important big men to ever come out of the PSL and go to Michigan.  Both were instrumental in Big Ten Championhips (noting that Traylor's was vacated).  They were hugely comparable figures on the court.

Naked Bootlegger

May 11th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^

A Ellerbe-coached team led by MOP Tractor Traylor winning the inaugural Big 10 tourney - and UM's only Big 10 tourney - is a seemingly distant memory.  RIP, big man.

MichLove

May 11th, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^

sad news - i hope his family and close friends make it through this tough time.

I was at the game where he broke the backboard sitting in the 4th row and it still to this day is the most exciting moment i've witnessed in person (related to sports of course).

RIP Tractor 54

UMfan21

May 11th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^

Granted, everyone was clicking in this game, but it's a good clip of the things Traylor did for the young kids that didn't get to watch him.

 

He was an excellent passer and had a soft touch on his shot.  But when he set screens, he'd knock people over.  his only real weakness was a horriffic free throw shooting motion (and attitude/work ethid I guess). 

So very talented, probably the biggest UofM bust in many years.  He had all the tools.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3VayQJDtdw

jtblue

May 11th, 2011 at 2:03 PM ^

I still have my Michigan Basketball #54 T-Shirt that I bought because of how much I loved watching Tractor Traylor play. Such sad news

ken725

May 11th, 2011 at 2:15 PM ^

This is very sad news.  RIP man you will be missed by the Michigan family.  My thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.

MileHighWolverine

May 11th, 2011 at 2:37 PM ^

he was talking to his wife via Skype in the US when he had a massive heart attack.  His club team president and teammates went to check on him and had the complex maintenance guy open up the apartment where they found him on the floor. 

Incredibly, incredibly sad.