Michigan Basketball: Top 12 Big Men in Wolverines Hoops History

The University of Michigan has produced an impressive collection of future NBA talent, with a total of 40 Wolverines having made it to the next level. History has shown that the best of Ann Arbor’s pro exports can be found toiling on the low block.

Juwan Howard, who came up just short in last season’s NBA playoffs with the Heat, has his share of experience in that department. The one-time Fab Fiver made it to the NCAA title game twice, only to be turned aside on both trips.

Herein, a closer look at Howard and the rest of the best dozen post players to wear the maize and blue.

Note: several of these players have had their college records officially vacated as a result of the scandal surrounding booster Ed Martin, but for purposes of this article, they will be treated on an equal basis with the players remaining in the record books.

12. Eric Riley (1989-93)

Although he spent much of his career coming off the bench (for some of the most successful teams in Wolverine history), Eric Riley still made his mark on the school record books.

The seven-footer’s 168 career blocks are the fourth-highest total in Michigan history, as is his career mark of 1.25 rejections per game.

A second-round pick of the Mavericks, Riley would spend parts of five undistinguished seasons as an NBA backup. He never appeared in more than 47 games in a year, though he did once average 1.2 blocks per game off the bench.

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11. Maurice Taylor (1994-97)

Never the most physical of power forwards, Maurice Taylor relied on agility and finesse to make plays in the paint. He averaged as many as 14 points and seven rebounds a game in a Michigan uniform, scoring 1,254 points for his career.

Taylor’s sub-par rebounding combined with some injury issues made him a journeyman at the NBA level. He did average as many as 17.1 points a game (as a Clipper, where he was drafted), but never topped 6.5 boards a night as a pro.

10. Courtney Sims (2003-07)

An iffy scorer who never averaged more than 11.5 points a game in Ann Arbor, Courtney Sims made his name on the defensive end. The 6’10” center is second in Wolverine history with 213 career blocked shots.

Sims has played just five games at the NBA level to date, but he’s found more success in the D-League. He led the league-champion Iowa Energy with 9.6 rebounds a game last season.

9. Robert Traylor (1995-98)

Robert “Tractor” Traylor earned his nickname as one of the most imposing physical specimens ever to wear a Michigan uniform.

He didn’t just look the part either, averaging as many as 16.2 points a game and pulling in 745 career rebounds (tied for 11th-most in school history).

Traylor struggled with his weight as a pro (he played at a listed 284 lbs on his 6’8” frame), relegating him to a career as a backup who provided the occasional explosive dunk. Over seven NBA seasons, he averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

8. Phil Hubbard (1975-79)

At 6’8”, 215 lbs, Phil Hubbard provided the interior muscle for Michigan’s 1976 national runners-up. Hubbard, who averaged as many as 19.6 points and 13 rebounds a night as a Wolverine, ranks fourth in school history with 979 career boards.

As a pro, Hubbard bounced in and out of the starting lineup in Detroit (where he was drafted) and Cleveland. In his best season with the Cavs, he averaged 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds a game.

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7. M.C. Burton (1956-59)

The first player to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding in the same year, M.C. Burton was a 6’5” power forward back when those were the norm at basketball’s highest levels.

Burton’s average of 17.2 rebounds a game as a senior is a Michigan record, and his 831 rebounds—also a record when he graduated—are still the eighth best mark in Wolverine history.

Although he was drafted by the Pistons, Burton never played in the NBA. Instead, he opted for a career that (in 1959) looked more lucrative: he stayed at Michigan and earned a medical degree.

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6. Loy Vaught (1986-90)

Along with Terry Mills, Loy Vaught did the dirty work inside for Michigan’s lone national championship team in 1989. Vaught averaged 12.6 points and eight boards a game that season, and his 993 career rebounds are the third-highest total in school history.

Although Vaught was actually a solid NBA power forward, his efforts were overshadowed by the terrible performance of the Clippers teams with which he spent most of his career.

In 11 NBA seasons—eight with L.A.—he averaged as many as 17.5 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.

5. Juwan Howard (1991-94)

Chris Webber’s right-hand man on two national runner-up squads, Juwan Howard was an outstanding power forward in his own right.

He averaged 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game for his career in Ann Arbor, and his total of 745 boards is tied for 11th-best in Michigan history.

At 38, Howard is still clinging to an NBA career on the Miami bench. In his prime, he was a dangerous offensive weapon who topped 18 points a game in six different seasons (mostly with Washington).

4. Bill Buntin (1962-65)

He got few opportunities to score playing alongside Cazzie Russell, but Bill Buntin helped take Michigan to two Final Fours as one of the greatest rebounders in program history.

Buntin is second all-time among Wolverines with a career average of 13.1 boards per game, and he collected 1,037 rebounds in his career (just two behind first place).

Buntin was one of the last players selected with a territorial draft pick, which the NBA eliminated a year after he was chosen. He lasted just one season with the Pistons, though he did average six rebounds in a mere 17 minutes per game off the bench.

3. Roy Tarpley (1983-86)

A 6’11” center with an underrated shooting touch, Roy Tarpley was a force on both ends of the floor as a Wolverine. He averaged as many as 19 points a game, pulled down 953 rebounds (fifth-most in school history) and blocked a Michigan-record 251 shots.

Tarpley’s promising career with the Dallas Mavericks was ruined by substance abuse problems that ultimately earned him a lifetime ban from the NBA.

Sixth Man of the Year in his second season in the league, Tarpley finished with career averages of 12.6 points and 10 rebounds a game.

2. Chris Webber (1991-93)

The leader of the legendary Fab Five, Chris Webber anchored a pair of national runners-up for Michigan.

He’s one of six Wolverines to average 10 rebounds a game for his career, and he also posted 17.4 points a night as a collegian while averaging a Michigan record 2.5 blocks per game on the defensive end.

In the NBA, Webber blossomed into one of the best passing big men in basketball history. He earned first-team All-NBA honors in his best season as a King, averaging 27.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2000-01. 

1. Rudy Tomjanovich (1967-70)

Although his teams never made an NCAA tournament, Rudy Tomjanovich was as dominant an individual player as Michigan has ever seen.

His average of 30 points per game as a senior is the second best in school history, and he holds the Wolverines’ career records with 1,039 rebounds and an average of 14.4 boards a night.

The 6’8” Tomjanovich proved to be nearly as impressive at the NBA level, making five All-Star appearances as a Rocket. Over 11 NBA seasons, he averaged 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds a game.

Image from bentley.umich.edu