Steve's Pick: The First Step Of 1989's Magical Run
An interim coach with a team known for early NCAA Tournament flame outs began its storybook run in the 1989 NCAA Tournament against Xavier.
March 17, 1989, Atlanta: Third-seeded Michigan led the nation in shooting and was loaded with future pros, but the Wolverines were talent-laden the past several seasons, too. Yet that didn't stop them from only making it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament once in the last four years, despite being seeded lower than third only once as well.
So it was a popular upset pick by many of the pundits, including ESPN's Dick Vitale, to pick 14th-seeded Xavier to pull off the first round shocker at the Omni in Atlanta. And it almost happened, if not for a little-used/known reserve named Demetrius Calip, who came off the bench to spark the Wolverines to a 92-87 survival win over the Musketeers.
Calip was the outlier in that opening round game, while Glen Rice took over from there to have arguably the greatest run any player has ever had in the history of March Madness. The end result was something nobody predicted beforehand -- Michigan finally won the NCAA Tournament, and shockingly did so with interim coach Steve Fisher at the helm.
What's your favorite Michigan first round NCAA Tournament win? Let us know in the comments.
