The outbreak of COVID-19 has taken over the sports world with the professional sports in suspension and the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament. So, Sixers Wire will bring back some of the best moments of March Madness for the current Philadelphia 76ers.
We head back to Michigan in 2013 and check in with Glenn Robinson III who has helped his Michigan team reach the title game against the Louisville Cardinals. Michigan has gotten through a lot of challenges to get to this point and they were primed to bring a title back to Ann Arbor, but Louisville had a little something up their sleeve in this one.
April 8, 2013
The Wolverines had used a balanced attack to get to this point and that was no different to start this game. Freshman Spike Albrecht hopped off the bench and he poured in 17 points in the first half as he nailed four straight 3-pointers off the bench. His efforts helped Michigan eke out to a 38-37 lead at the half, but Louisville had a response.
The Cardinals would answer back behind NBA bound guard Peyton Siva and Luke Hancock to take the lead. Hancock hopped off the bench and he poured in 22 points while going a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. Michigan did not have an answer for him and therefore, they fell to Louisville 82-76. Red and white streamers flooded the court as Robinson III, Trey Burke, and the rest of the Wolverines slumped off the floor.
Burke led Michigan with 24 points, Albrecht had the 17, and Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 12 points each. It was a sour ending to what was one of the best tournament runs in the history of the program considering what they had to go through to get there.
Burke told reporters afterward:
A lot of people didn’t expect us to get this far. A lot of people didn’t expect us to get past the second round. We fought. We fought up to this point, but Louisville was the better team today, and they’re deserving of the win.
Burke and Hardaway Jr. both would enter the NBA Draft and be first-round selections. Burke was selected ninth overall by the Utah Jazz while Hardaway Jr. went 24th to the New York Knicks. Burke would bounce around in his career and he last played for the Sixers before being waived in order to make room at the deadline for Alec Burks and Robinson III.
Robinson III would go on to play one more season at Michigan helping them reach the Elite 8 in 2014 before he entered the draft and was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He would also play for the Sixers in his rookie season. [lawrence-related id=29053,29044,29037]