1969–70 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team


The 1969–70 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1969–70 season. The team played its home games at Crisler Arena on the school's campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Under the direction of head coach Johnny Orr, the team finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten Conference. The team was unranked the entire season in the Associated Press Top Twenty Poll, and it also ended the season unranked in the final UPI Coaches' Poll. The team lost to all three ranked opponents that it faced. Rudy Tomjanovich served as team captain and earned team MVP. Over the course of the season Tomjanovich led the conference in rebounding with a 16.2 average in conference games. Tomjanovich was a 1970 NCAA All-American. During the season, Tomjanovich broke Bill Buntin's school career records for total and average rebounds by posting 1039 and 14.43.
This record still stands. He also set the current school record for single-season 30-point games with 13, surpassing Cazzie Russell's total of nine set four years earlier. Although Michigan basketball does not officially keep records of assists before 1977, Mark Henry was credited as the first Michigan Wolverines player on record to total 12 assists in a game on January 24, 1970, against the Michigan State Spartans. No Wolverine on record would surpass 12 assists in a game until Mark Bodnar did so on December 13, 1980.

Team players drafted into the NBA

Three players from this team were selected in the NBA Draft.
YearRoundPickOverallPlayerNBA Club
1970122Rudy TomjanovichSan Diego Rockets
19711016168Dan FifeMilwaukee Bucks
197231444Wayne GrabiecBoston Celtics