Will Rutgers or Michigan’s NCAA Tournament hopes die today?

Rutgers and Michigan both need to win today to keep their hopes of earning a bid in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan has been playing well of late and their only two losses in their last five Big Ten games were on the road and in overtime play. Rutgers has not been playing well these past weeks losing to last-place Minnesota and losing two home games by double digits to Northwestern and the Wolverines.

According to many Bracketologists, Rutgers at the moment is predicted to make the NCAA tournament but the Wolverines are not. However, a Wolverine win over the Scarlet Knights gives them a decent chance of making the NCAA Tournament and a Rutgers loss to Michigan puts them squarely on the bubble of making the NCAA Tournament. Nothing is certain about whoever wins or loses this game but a lot is riding on the outcome of this game for both teams as they both want to make the NCAA Tournament this year.

Let’s take a look at today’s match-up against two motivated teams looking to win to improve their NCAA Tournament resume.

Rutgers

Best Wins: UMass Lowell (73-65), Rider (76-46), Indiana (63-48), Wake Forest (81-57), at Purdue 65-64), Maryland (64-50), at Northwestern (65-62), Penn State (65-45), Michigan State (61-55), at Wisconsin (58-57), at Penn State (59-56)

Notable Defeats: Temple (66-72), Miami (FL) (61-68), at Ohio State (66-67), Seton Hall (43-45), Iowa (65-76), at Michigan State (57-70), at Iowa (82-93), at Indiana (60-66), at Illinois (60-69), Nebraska (72-82), Michigan (45-58), at Minnesota (74-75),  and Northwestern (53-65)

Big Ten Record: 10-10

Last Five Games: Lost three of their last five games

Record vs. Michigan this season: 0-1

Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 9

KenPom Ranking: 43

College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 27

Sagarin Ranking: 45

NET Ranking: 43

Quadrant 1 Wins: Five

Quadrant 2 Victories: Four

Quadrant 3 Wins: Two

Michigan

Best Wins: Pittsburg (91-60), Ohio (70-66), Maryland (81-46), Penn State (79-69), Northwestern (85-78), Ohio State (77-69), at Northwestern (68-51), Michigan State (84-72), at Rutgers (58-45), and Wisconsin (87-79)

Notable Defeats: Arizona State (62-87), North Carolina (76-80), Kentucky (69-73), Virginia (68-70), Central Michigan (61-63), at Michigan State (53-59), at Iowa (84-93), at Maryland (58-64), Purdue (70-75), at Penn State (61-83), Indiana (61-62), at Wisconsin (59-64), at Illinois (87-91), and at Indiana (73-75)

Big Ten Record: 11-9

Last Five Games: Won three of their last five games

Record vs. Rutgers this season: 1-0

Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 8

KenPom Ranking: 39

College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 54

Sagarin Ranking: 29

NET Ranking: 54

Quadrant 1 Wins: Three

Quadrant 2 Victories: Five

Quadrant 3 Wins: Five

Rivalry History and Game Prediction

Last 10 games of this rivalry: The Wolverines have each won nine out of the previous ten games against the Scarlet Knights.

Current Win Streak: Wolverines have won the last game two between these two schools, having a two-game winning streak in this rivalry.

The last meeting between both schools: The Wolverines defeated the Scarlet Knights on the road by a final score of 58-45.

Prediction: Michigan 72, Rutgers 59