12. Michigan (5-seed)
First-year head coach Dusty May has engineered an impressive turnaround in Ann Arbor, getting the Wolverines to an impressive season and at least the Sweet Sixteen. Michigan was in tough shape in Juwan Howard’s final campaign but seem to have truly found the next incredible head coach. It should come as little surprise considered what May recently accomplished down at Florida Atlantic.
This season hasn’t been perfect but has seen the Wolverines emerge as a top talent in the Big Ten. Michigan won impressive game after game, beating teams like Wisconsin, Xavier, and UCLA away from home early in the year. Long-range shooting started to become a weakness as the Wolverines lost their final three regular season games, but Michigan bounced back nicely by winning the Big Ten Tournament title.
The Wolverines get great play from Tre Donaldson and their 7-footers Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf, and that’s a big reason why they’re two wins into the Tourney field. Michigan survived an all-out war with 12-seed UC San Diego before outlasting 4-seed Texas A&M in a mini-upset on Saturday. Those two give the Wolverines one of the most formidable frontcourts in the nation and it’s a big reason they’re surviving these performances with poor outside shooting.
Michigan won’t beat you with a boatload of 3-pointers; they’re going to lean on their size, their strength, and a potent defense. It’s what got them towards the top of the Big Ten standings and into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Even though they have a big uphill climb ahead, those 7-footers (with Goldin having already been to a Final Four) have the potential to be game changers even against elite opposition.