Michigan basketball is widely projected as a 1-seed, but has its two toughest tests of the year over the next 5 days against Nebraska and MSU.
The biggest week of the year is finally here for Michigan basketball.
The Wolverines have won three straight games by double figures, including a 86-72 defeat of Indiana and a 74-62 triumph over rival Ohio State on Trey Burke's jersey ceremony night. Those games will likely seem like child's play compared to this week.
Michigan has two top-10 matchups in the span of four days, first hosting undefeated Nebraska at Crisler Center on Tuesday before traveling to East Lansing for a massive rivalry showdown – the Wolverines are 3-22 in the past 25 matchups at Breslin Center.
If Michigan is able to win both, it will be in the pole position for the league title. A split would likely help it keep pace, while a winless week would set the goals back in a major way.
Either way, U-M has done a lot of work to put itself in prime position for a top seed in March Madness, with Selection Sunday now less than 50 days away. Here's an update of Michigan's résumé entering the final week of January.
Michigan basketball schedule this week
- Tuesday: vs. Nebraska, 7 p.m., Peacock (online only).
- Friday: at Michigan State, 8 p.m., Fox.
Michigan basketball bracketology for NCAA Tournament
Michigan basketball NET rankings: No. 2 (Last week: No. 1)
All stats entering Sunday.
- Quad 1 record: 5-0.
- Quad 2 record: 8-1.
- Quad 3 record: 3-0.
- Quad 4 record: 2-0
Michigan basketball KenPom rankings: No. 2 (Last week: No. 1)
All rankings entering Sunday.
- Offensive efficiency: No. 8
- Defensive efficiency: No. 2.
Michigan basketball bracketology projections
- USA TODAY: 1-seed in Midwest, facing Dartmouth (updated Jan. 15).
- ESPN: 1-seed in Midwest, facing winner of Vermont and Saint Peter's (updated Jan. 25).
- CBS: 1-seed in Midwest, facing winner of LIU and Vermont (updated Jan. 25).
- Bleacher Report: 2-seed in East,, vs. Tennessee-Martin (updated Jan. 20).
- On3: 1-seed in Midwest vs. winner of Southern and Howard (updated Jan. 25).
- Fox Sports: 2-seed in East, vs. Wright State (updated Jan. 22).
- Bracket Matrix: 1-seed (updated Jan. 25).
- The Athletic: 1-seed in Midwest, vs. Colgate (updated Jan. 25).
Michigan basketball scores last week
- Jan 20:86-72 over Indiana – The Wolverines looked more like their old form against the Hoosiers, getting out to a 66-41 lead before putting it in cruise control for a 14-point win. Elliot Cadeau scored 19, Yaxel Lendeborg added 15 and Aday Mara scored 13 as the Wolverines had their best shooting performance of the new year, making 10 of 25 (40%) 3-point tries. U-M also dominated the boards, 41-25 – checking off the areas Dusty May's group has been focused on improving.
- Jan. 23:74-62 over Ohio State – This was tied at 50 before U-M finished with a flurry, outscoring OSU, 24-12. The big three were great – Lendeborg had 18 points and nine rerebounds, Morez Johnson Jr. had 12 points and seven boards without missing a shot and Mara had 11 points and six boards. But it was the guards –Cadeau and Trey McKenney specifically – who sparked the run. They combined to score or assist on 11 of 19 points during a 19-5 spurt that changed the game.
How NCAA tournament committee selects at-large teams
Record: The team's overall record, conference record and nonconference record.
Strength of schedule: The strength of the opponents the team played against.
Head-to-head results: The results of games between the teams being compared.
Conference championships: Whether a conference championship was won in the regular season or tournament.
Common opponents: The results of games against common opponents.
Adjusted Net Efficiency (NET): The NCAA's preferred metric measuring a team's overall performance during the regular season.
Team Value Index: A results-oriented component of the NET that ranks teams based on who they beat and where they played.
Rating Percentage Index (RPI): A formula that ranks teams using a team's winning percentage, opponents' success and opponents' strength of schedule.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball bracketology seed, projections
Category: General Sports
