The Big Sky champions come into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 14 seed. While it may seem like a longshot, Montana basketball can beat third-seeded Michigan.
You read that headline and you thought I was crazy, right? I mean, Michigan is arguably the hottest team in the entire country right now. They won the Big Ten tournament a few weeks back, which catapulted them into a prime NCAA Tournament position. Though some forecasted the Wolverines as a No. 4 seed, they scored a No. 3 seed in the West region on Selection Sunday. While it is no doubt a rightful seed, Michigan drew a tough first-round draw. The Montana Grizzlies, champions of the Big Sky, are not to be trifled with this season.
Montana makes it back to the tournament after being absent since 2013. If you recall, the Grizzlies were embarrassed by Syracuse in their last tournament appearance, only scoring 34 points against the Orange. However, this is the team’s first trip to the tournament since Travis DeCuire took the helm in 2014.
Obviously, the percentages are not in Montana’s favor as No. 3 seeds have won 84% of their match-ups with 14 seeds in the past. Nevertheless, the Grizzlies are a stout 14 seed and keep in mind that last season was the first since 2012 where all four three seeds swept the second round.
Here are three reasons why Montana will upset Michigan and move on in the NCAA Tournament.