5 most amazing one-man March Madness machines
5. Glen Rice – 1989 Michigan Wolverines
Won National Title — 30.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game (six games)
Rumeal Robinson gets a lot of credit for sealing the deal in Michigan’s 1989 National Title run with his clutch free throws against Seton Hall. However, there’s no way he gets there without future Heat and Hornets star Glen Rice’s brilliant NCAA tournament showcase. The No. 4 pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, Rice steamrolled the 1089 Tournament, winning one of the easier Most Outstanding Player awards that’s ever been given out. Rice’s 58.5 percent shooting and 55.1 percent from 3 on 49 attempts were a showcase of a player ahead of his time, and his detonation of future NBA forward Rick Fox in the Sweet 16 — 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including 8-of-12 from 3 — was enough to vault him into the annals of tournament legend by itself.
Rice wasn’t completely a one-man show — he thrived off catch-and-shoot looks from Robinson, and the extra spacing from future Piston Terry Mills and defensive help from future Clipper Loy Vaught sure helped — but opponents knew the gameplan for Michigan revolved around Rice coming off pindowns or flare screens, attacking closeouts and bombing away from 3 like he would for his entire NBA career.
The closest a teammate got to matching Rice was in the first round against Xavier, as he and Robinson combined for 23 points apiece. But after that, it was the Rice Show — 36 points against South Alabama, 34 vs. UNC, 32 against Virginia, 28 vs. Illinois, and 31 and 11 rebounds against Seton Hall in the title game. Rice was a stud for Michigan all year, but he hit another gear in March, and with the forwards struggling, he took over the game plan for the Wolverines completely. The Fab Five coming along four years later somewhat dampened Rice’s place in history, but Michigan basketball absolutely does not have a national championship without Rice. Much like his NBA career, his efforts in March were ahead of their time as a stud catch-and-shoot specialist who turned into a supernova when the time was right.