FlurrySports ranks the best point guards in Michigan basketball history, including players throughout the program’s entire history.
While Michigan basketball is not thought of as a point guard factory by any means, there is a reason the team has seen plenty success as of late. Even though they have never had the flashiest point guard on the court, there is a reason they win so many games and continue to be a favorite in the NCAA Tournament. While they are mostly known this year for their big men, the play of their point guards is another key factor in the team’s late run in the NCAA Tournament.
Even though they may not have produced at the NBA level as of late, plenty of the more impressive point guards in recent college basketball history hail from Ann Arbor. Let’s look at the top five best point guards in Michigan basketball history.
Best Point Guards in Michigan Basketball History
5. Derrick Walton Jr. (2013-17)
11.6 PPG (points per game), 3.9 APG, 4.4 RPG, 40.4% FG, 40.1% 3PT
- Second-team All-Big Ten (2017)
- Third-team All-Big Ten (2016)
- Big Ten All-Freshman team (2014)
- Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2017)
In terms of individual accolades, Derrick Walton Jr. is certainly not the most accomplished point guard the Michigan basketball program has seen. However, there is no doubt he left a mark on the Wolverines that few others have touched at the point guard position. He wasn’t an elite scorer at Michigan, but he was a great floor general, generating 499 assists and adding 146 steals (fifth and eighth all-time in Michigan basketball history, respectively). Walton also showcased incredible longevity and efficiency, finishing second in career free throw percentage (83.67%), third in career games started (126), and fourth in career three-point field goals made (233) in school history.
He came to Ann Arbor at a big moment in time for the Wolverines. After just making the National Championship game, Michigan lost Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. coming into the 2013-14 season. Not only did Walton provide some much-needed stability over the next few years, but he also steadily improved each year. The most underrated part of his game was how lethal he was from deep. In his career, he shot over 40% from deep for Michigan, including shooting the three at a 42.2% clip in his senior season. With his unique combination of efficient scoring, solid facilitating, and solid defense, few point guards at Michigan have been as well-rounded as Derrick Walton Jr.
4. Daniel Horton (2002-06)
14.7 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.6 RPG, 39.6% FG, 35.8% 3PT
- First-team All-Big Ten (2006)
- NIT MVP (2004)
- Second-team All-Big Ten (2003)
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2003)
Recency bias is a real thing, and it is the reason that Daniel Horton doesn’t get the love he deserves for his time at Michigan. Many remember Trey Burke and Derrick Walton Jr., but maybe don’t quite remember just how good Horton was for the Wolverines. His career was defined by his incredibly hot start and his fantastic senior season. Horton came on as a freshman and hit the ground running, averaging over 15 points and 4.5 assists per game, winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award and being named to the Second-team All-Big Ten. In his sophomore season, Horton averaged over 12 points and led Michigan to their third NIT title. Unfortunately, Horton’s junior year was cut short due to injury, but he went out with a bang in his senior season.
Horton averaged 17.6 points and 5.3 assists per game in his final season and also shot over 90% from the free throw line. Not only did this get him onto the First-team All-Big Ten, but it also saw him lead the Wolverines in scoring, assists and steals, while finishing fifth in the nation in free throw percentage. Even crazier, Horton shot 97.8% from the charity stripe in conference play, which is a Big Ten single-season record. When it was all said and done, Daniel Horton left Ann Arbor ranked second in steals, three-point makes, three-point attempts, fourth in assists and 11th in points in Michigan program history. His ability to stuff the stat sheets and to bring home a trophy (albeit a NIT trophy) puts him in the upper echelon of Michigan point guards.
3. Trey Burke (2011-13)
16.9 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.3 RPG, 45% FG, 36.7% 3PT
- National college player of the year (2013)
- Consensus First-team All-American (2013)
- Bob Cousy Award (2013)
- Big Ten Player of the Year (2013)
- First-team All-Big Ten (2013)
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2012)
The only reason Trey Burke isn’t ranked higher on this list is that he only stayed in college for two years. Although some would argue this isn’t long enough to make an “all-time” list, any player who is the best player in college basketball as a sophomore automatically puts him here. The best part about Burke for Michigan basketball fans is the fact that they took him from Ohio. The rival Ohio State Buckeyes had to watch their in-state player ball out for their enemy. In his freshman season, Burke exploded onto the scene, averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year for obvious reasons and quickly turned an already stacked Michigan team into a true title contender.
His sophomore season was even more impressive as he put up video game numbers, averaging 18.6 points, 6.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He was undoubtedly the best player in the country and led Michigan to their first National Championship appearance since 1993. For as good as he was during the regular season, he became even better when the lights were the brightest. In the Sweet 16 against Kansas, Burke willed his team to the win, scoring all 23 of his points in the second half and overtime, a game-tying three with less than five seconds left, and scored eight points in the final 1:15 of the second half to create a late 14-4 Michigan run to finish the second half and force overtime. Burke became the first player since Billy Donovan in 1986 to have 20 or more points and 10 or more assists in the Sweet 16.
Even more impressive, the Michigan team he was leading through the tournament had three freshmen starting and no seniors. While they did eventually lose in the championship game to Louisville, Burke was such an elite talent that he cemented his place in Michigan basketball history in just two seasons: try finding another player who has done that at any big name school like Michigan.
2. Jalen Rose (1991-94)
17.5 PPG, 3.9 APG, 4.7 RPG, 46.4% FG, 33.6% 3PT
- NCAA All-Tournament Team (1991-92)
- 2x NCAA All-Region
- Consensus All-American (1993-94)
- All-Big Ten (1993-94)
Any time you are being compared to NBA legend Magic Johnson in college, you know you’re playing at an incredibly high level. Jalen Rose is most known for being part of Michigan’s infamous “Fab Five,” but he produced numbers that can’t be brushed off. While most will remember his career and the “Fab Five” never culminating in an NCAA Championship, there is no doubt he was still one of the most influential point guards of his time, much less in Michigan basketball history.
In just three seasons at Ann Arbor, Rose totaled over 1,700 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists and 100 steals. Those numbers place him eighth in scoring and 10th in assists in program history. While his team certainly underachieved during his time, it’s hard to see two straight Final Four appearances and two straight runner-up finishes as much of a failure. If Chris Webber didn’t make the infamous blunder of calling a timeout the team didn’t have, his career arc and Michigan’s history could be much different. The only thing stopping Jalen Rose from being the best Michigan point guard to ever grace the court is that he left for greener pastures in the NBA after three seasons.
1. Gary Grant (1984-88)
17.2 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.5 RPG, 52.8% FG, 46.1% 3PT
- Consensus First-team All-American (1988)
- Second-team All-American (1987)
- Big Ten Player of the Year (1988)
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year (1986)
- 2x First-team All-Big Ten (1987-88)
If anyone has any questions about Gary Grant being the “GOAT” of Michigan basketball point guards, just look at their record books. Grant currently ranks fourth in points, first in assists and steals and third in three-point percentage. With 300 steals, Grant has 113 more than second place on the list. With 731 assists, Grant has 64 more than second place. With 2,222 points, Gary Grant sits only behind Glen Rice, Mike McGee and Louis Bullock in Michigan history.
The craziest thing about Gary Grant is that the three-point line wasn’t introduced until his junior season. Had it been around when he started his career, there is no doubt he would’ve been much higher on the points list and likely first overall. Grant averaged over 20 points per game in each of his last two seasons, and he started a total of 128 games, only coming off the bench once in his illustrious four-year collegiate career. In college, especially at institutions like Michigan, the “flashy” players get remembered. It would be a mistake to look at Gary Grant and see him as anything less than one of the GOATs of not only Michigan basketball but also as one of the greatest collegiate point guards of all time.
