Inside the Article:
The Michigan Wolverines have been slotted as the 8-seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. They will face the 9th-seeded Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Thursday at Noon ET. The winner of that game will face No. 1 Purdue on Friday, with the semifinal tipping off on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The tournament, which returns to Chicago this year, will be Michigan's chance to make a strong push for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines finished the regular season with an 11-9 record in the Big Ten, but likely need to win at least two games in the tournament to clinch a berth in the 68-team field.
Key points:
- UM is the 8-seed in the Big Ten Tournament
- They will face the 9th-seeded Scarlet Knights on Thursday at Noon ET
- The winner of that game will face No. 1 Purdue on Friday
- The tournament will be played in Chicago
- Michigan likely needs at least two wins in the tournament to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament
The Big Picture: Michigan's chances of making the NCAA Tournament
Michigan's performance in the Big Ten Tournament will be crucial to their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. With an 11-9 record in the Big Ten, the Wolverines likely need to win at least two games in the tournament to have a shot at the 68-team field. While they have played well for much of the season, their record in Quadrant-1 games (3-11) and a loss to No. 329 Central Michigan hurt their resume. Head coach Juwan Howard is confident in his team's ability to compete and is calling on UM fans to support the team in Chicago.
“It goes to show you, our league is just a very competitive league with a lot of really good teams,” Howard said. “I would say all of them are good, and it's going to be interesting to see which one's going to be the last one standing, because now you're playing in a neutral site. I know that Michigan, we travel well. We're going to need our Michigan fans in Chicago, and then also Michigan fans traveling to Chicago. Our guys are going to be leaning on that support, and hopefully we'll have it. I trust we will.”
Wolverines' Tournament Chances By the Numbers
UM is the 8-seed in the Big Ten Tournament
- The Wolverines finished the regular season with an 11-9 record in the Big Ten
- They likely need at least two wins in the tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament
- UM is 3-11 in Quadrant-1 games this season
- The Wolverines have a 4-14 record in games decided by six points or less or in overtime
