LOS ANGELES – The birth of a Michigan buzzer beater took place five years ago, in late March of 2013, in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines were playing Kansas that evening, and among the millions watching the nationally televised affair was a basketball-obsessed eighth grader in Milwaukee. His name was Jordan Poole.
Poole saw Michigan guard Trey Burke knock down a three-pointer with less than five seconds left to force overtime in a game the Wolverines ultimately won. Until that night, until seeing that exact shot, Poole had never considered the basketball program at Michigan before.