ANN ARBOR -- For the past decade, Chris Webber's name, face and memory technically didn't exist at the University of Michigan.

On Wednesday, that period ends.

Technically.

Will anything change officially? Will the conclusion of Webber's disassociation bring about a reunion between Michigan and one of its most dominant former players?

Asked to discuss the situation Monday, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon had little to say -- one way, or the other.

"Nothing new to discuss on the matter," Brandon wrote via email.

And with that, we wait.

Webber's 10-year banishment from the program began on May 8, 2003 -- when he, Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock were all disassociated from the program for their involvement in the Ed Martin recruiting scandal.

During that period, Michigan was forbidden from displaying Webber's name or face on or in any official material -- in a media guide, on a poster, inside the Crisler Center or anywhere in or at an athletic facility.

That all lasts for one more day.

On Wednesday, that ban lifts. But anyone looking for a ticker tape parade may not want to hold his or her breath. Not yet anyway.

Webber, who rarely made public mention of his two-year lightning bolt of a career at Michigan during the ban, made waves last month when he ended speculation by showing up in a block 'M' cap to cheer on the Wolverines in the national championship game.

But even then, things were guarded -- at least publicly.

Webber watched the game from a sky box, while former Fab Five teammates Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard and Ray Jackson took in the game in the stands -- sitting next to a host of die-hard Michigan parents, boosters, fans and former players.

Webber's presence seemed awkward -- from his pregame silence, to his sterile in-game released statement.

His former teammates appreciated his support, even if it was from afar.

"It means a lot, to have him show up," King said at the time. "It means our bond is still stronger than anything. It may look dim and may look like there's not hope at times.

"But at the end of the day, we've got each other's backs."

Both King and Rose have gone on record over the past few months hoping Webber and Michigan will find a way to reconcile their differences when the ban ends, but no one has ever really known when -- or if -- that will ever take place.

Webber's former high school coach, Kurt Keener, told MLive.com on Monday that Webber is still very much a "Michigan man," and hopes to one day be a part of the program that helped make him famous in the early 1990s.

"Number one, I know that Chris sees himself as a 'Michigan man,' " he said. "Those two years -- the only two years had had on campus -- were two of the best years of his life. He wants very much to be a part of the Michigan program again.

"He truly has a great personal feeling for the institution."

For this bridge to truly be repaired, it would make sense that both sides will have to find a way to meet in the middle.

Does Webber need to apologize for what happened during the Ed Martin years? Probably. Does he need to acknowledge mistakes were made? Absolutely. Will things ever really be the same again? No.

Those forfeits won't go away, the asterisks next to his numbers won't either.

Whether or not Michigan ever replaces its removed Final Four banners from the 1992 and 1993 seasons remains unclear. But a healthy reunion between the university and Webber would certainly allow John Beilein's program to fully embrace the era, and allow the group to be officially honored inside Crisler Center some day.

Beginning Wednesday, Michigan basketball officially re-enters a world where Chris Webber exists.

Now we'll wait and see if the two parties ever decide to live in it.

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