ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Fab Five will reunite for the No. 1-seeded matchup between the Michigan Wolverines and the Arizona Wildcats in the Final Four National Semifinal in Indianapolis, per TNT Sports.
Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson will be together on-site at the Final Four on Saturday (April 4) for the first time in almost 30 years, alongside host Adam Lefkoe, to share live reactions and timeless stories with their unique perspectives on the heavyweight matchup.
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The Fab Five has been at the top of mind during the Wolverines’ historical run during the 2025-26 season, as head coach Dusty May has led the team to 35-3, setting a program record for most wins in a single season, with potential wins looming.
May, in his first two seasons as the head coach, has won the Big Ten regular-season championship outright, the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, gone undefeated on the road in the Big Ten, and reached the Final Four this season, while accumulating a 62-13 record.
Following their blowout win over Tennessee in the Elite Eight, May recalled the 1989 national championship team as one of his earliest basketball memories, pointing to players like Glen Rice, Terry Mills, and Rumeal Robinson as foundational figures in the program’s history.
He also highlighted the cultural impact of the Fab Five, who helped reshape college basketball in the early 1990s.
“The Fab Five did as much culturally for our sport as anyone since I’ve been alive, other than MJ (Michael Jordan),” May said.
The Fab Five have become the most well-known Michigan basketball team due to their rockstar status in the early 1990s, led by their 1991 recruiting class of Webber, Howard, Rose, King, and Jackson.
But ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith, who apologized to the men in maize on his morning show “First Take,” admitted that he underestimated Michigan throughout the season.
Smith now believes Michigan has the potential to win a national championship, a feat that would elevate this team into historic territory within the program.
He referenced the Fab Five’s impact on the game, but they never captured a national championship.
“If this team wins a national championship, they’ll have done something the Fab Five never did,” Smith said. “And this kid Lendeborg, he can play. He can play big body, NBA body, he can hit a J, he can go to the hole on his own. I underestimated Michigan.”
Smith praised this year’s team, including Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg, Roddy Gayle Jr., Trey McKenney, Will Tschetter, Elliot Cadeau, Nimari Burnett, and L.J. Cason, highlighting standout performances and calling the team capable of beating anyone remaining in the field.
Lendeborg has been telling everyone who would listen that they believe they’re the best Michigan team to ever lace up a pair of sneakers, but they have to finish the deal, which Rose echoed on TNT.
“If you want to have that conversation, go cut down the nets,” said Rose. “Right now, we know who that is at Michigan, that’s Glen Rice, Rumeal Robinson, Loy Vaught, Terry Mills, Sean Higgins. That’s the best Michigan team. So, if they go and win it all, of course, it’s time to have that conversation; 1989 versus this team.”
The “Fab Five” revolutionized college basketball upon arriving together as freshmen in 1991, quickly emerging as both an elite program and a significant cultural force.
They led Michigan to consecutive appearances in the national championship game in 1992 and 1993.
Their impact continues to resonate across generations of players and fans, making their reunion a can’t-miss moment on college basketball’s biggest stage, hence, while they’re altcasting in the Final Four on Saturday.
Tip-off is slated for 8:49 p.m.