2003–04_Michigan_Wolverines_men's_basketball_team
2003–04 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
American college basketball season
The 2003–04 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference. Under the direction of head coach Tommy Amaker, the team finished tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference.[1] The team earned a fifth place seed and advanced to the semifinals of the 2004 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament.[2][non-primary source needed] The team won the 2004 National Invitation Tournament.[3][non-primary source needed] The team was unranked for all eighteen weeks of Associated Press Top Twenty-Five Poll,[4] and it also ended the season unranked in the final USA Today/CNN Poll.[5] The team had a 1–2 record against ranked opponents, with the lone victory coming against #12 Wisconsin 71–59 on February 22 at Crisler Arena.[6][non-primary source needed]
Colin Dill and J. C. Mathis served as team co-captains, and Lester Abram and Bernard Robinson, Jr. shared team MVP honors.[7][non-primary source needed] The team's leading scorers were Daniel Horton (415 points), Bernard Robinson, Jr. (411 points) and Lester Abram (405 points). The leading rebounders were Robinson (194), Courtney Sims (161) and Graham Brown (139).[8][non-primary source needed]
Courtney Sims won the Big Ten Conference statistical championship for blocked shots with a 2.00 average in all games.[9] The team led the conference in rebounding margin with a 3.4 average margin in conference games as well as blocked shots with a 4.31 team average in conference games.[10]
In the 2004 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament at the Conseco Fieldhouse from March 11–14, Michigan was seeded fifth and earned a first round bye. Then, in the second round they defeated number 4 Iowa79–70 before being defeated by number 1 Illinois 74–60.[11][non-primary source needed]
On March 16, 2004, Michigan defeated Missouri 65–64 at Crisler Arena in the first round of the 2004 National Invitation Tournament. Then, Michigan defeated Oklahoma 63–52 and Hawaii 88–73 on March 22 and March 24 at Crisler Arena, respectively. At the final four in New York City at Madison Square Garden, the team defeated Oregon 78–53 in the semifinals on March 30 and Rutgers 62–55 to win the championship on April 1.[3][6][non-primary source needed]
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