Former Michigan men’s basketball player and national champion Glen Rice was selected as one of six inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2026, the men’s basketball program announced on Monday afternoon.
Rice is the third Wolverine inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining joining Cazzie Russell (class of 2011) and former head coach John Beilein (class of 2022). Michigan has already honored his legacy by raising his No. 41 jersey into the rafters of Crisler Center back in 2005.
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Rice is one of the all-time great Michigan mens’ basketball players. He was with the program from 1986-89 and led the Wolverines to a national championship in 1989. He was also the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player that year after averaging 30.7 points over the Wolverines’ six NCAA Tournament victories. He also set NCAA Tournament records with 184 points and 75 field goals, records that still remain today. He put up 31 points and 11 rebounds in the National Championship overtime victory over Seton Hall.
Rice finished his collegiate career with 2,442 points, the second-most in Michigan history, and a program-record 949 career field goals. He led the Big Ten in scoring in each of his final two seasons, averaging 27.7 points per game as a senior to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors. He was a two-time consensus All-American, including first-team honors as a senior after averaging 25.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
“Every player who comes through Michigan knows who Glen Rice is and what he means to this program,” Michigan head coach Mike Boynton Jr. said in a press release. “He helped deliver our first national championship, set a standard of excellence that still defines Michigan Basketball and built a legacy that has stood the test of time. This honor is incredibly well deserved, and we’re excited to celebrate Glen and everything he has meant to our program.”
Selected No. 4 overall by the Miami Heat in the ‘89 NBA Draft, Rice played in the association for 15 years and was a three-time NBA All-Star and was named to the 1996-97 All-NBA second-team. He won an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.
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Other inductees this year include former Villanova coach Jay Wright, former Tulsa, Georgia and Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, former Kansas coach Ted Owens, former BYU standout Danny Ainge and the late UCLA great Walt Hazzard. The class will be enshrined on Oct. 22 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.
