Get To Know Michigan Basketball’s All-Time Scoring Leaders

All of college basketball's blue-blood programs have their recognizable scoring names. The University of Michigan is a notable exception, as several of the men who still hold the Wolverines' all-time scoring records are not universally known names. However, an exception to that is found in Michigan's all-time leading scorer, Glen Rice, who had one of the best professional careers of any Wolverine.

Each player on this list is deserving of recognition for their contributions on the court and for their roles in creating an enduring basketball culture in Ann Arbor that is still enjoyed by players and fans alike today.

Rice came off the bench as a freshman in 1985 before earning a spot in the starting five for the rest of his time on campus. Rice proceeded to absolutely destroy defenses for three consecutive seasons, shooting 56.2%, 57.1%, and 57.7% from the field across his final three seasons with the Wolverines. That scoring was crucial in Michigan's one and only title run, as Rice led the team in scoring en route to dropping 31 points in the National Championship game against Seton Hall.

NBA teams took notice of Rice's insanely good production, and the Miami Heat drafted him fourth overall in the 1989 Draft. He went on to put together a very good professional career, making three All-Star teams to go along with a couple of All-NBA selections, making him one of the best Wolverines to ever play professional basketball.

A look at the box score shows that McGee was a fairly one-dimensional player. He never averaged more than two assists per game despite playing massive amounts of minutes, and his rebounding totals were never any better than average. However, his scoring ability was so elite, especially in the late '70s, that the rest of his game did not matter all that much. McGee scored 2,439 points in 114 games.

For context, Gary Grant played 129 games and Louis Bullock played 132, but McGee notched more total points than both of them. That is partially because of the excellent field goal percentages he held throughout his career, as McGee never shot worse than 45% from the field in any season while taking a lion's share of the shots for his teams. 

Scoring is always a highly valued asset in the NBA, so it was not at all surprising when the Los Angeles Lakers selected McGee 19th overall in the 1981 Draft. He spent nine years representing the Wolverines at the professional level, providing consistent off-the-bench play to five different teams throughout his career.

Like Grant, Bullock played all four years of his college eligibility at Michigan, earning a starting spot and more than 30 minutes per game even as a freshman under head coach Steve Fisher. Bullock continued to take on a heavy minutes load throughout his career in the maize and blue, amassing 2,224 points while playing 33 minutes per game in each of his final three seasons.

While Grant was clearly the more well-rounded player, especially on the defensive end, Bullock made up for his lack of versatility with excellent three-point shooting. The guard shot his worst percentage from deep as a freshman, when he knocked down 39.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Bullock went on to shoot above 40% from three for the rest of his career as a Wolverine, enshrining himself as one of the best shooters in program history.

It seems that Grant had a habit of just missing out on major achievements during his time at Michigan. His 2,222 points on campus place him two points shy of a top-three spot on the all-time scoring list for the Wolverines. Additionally, Grant missed Michigan's lone national championship by one year, as he was drafted 15th overall by the Seattle Supersonics in the 1998 NBA Draft, narrowly missing what would have been the crowning achievement of his college career.

Regardless of Grant's bad luck, his extraordinary play deserves recognition, as he averaged more than 20 points in each of his last two seasons at Michigan, while playing more than 30 minutes per game in every single campaign. Grant might not have been on the roster of the championship-winning team, but his influence on his teammates surely played a huge role during the Wolverines' title run.

With most all-time lists, especially in professional sports, those at the top rarely enjoy that spot indefinitely. In the case of Michigan's all-time scoring list, it is entirely possible that the four men listed above maintain their positions for the foreseeable future. The one-and-done nature of modern college basketball means that the records set by some of the university's historic players will likely remain in their hands.