The Michigan Wolverines are now fighting for the number one seed spot for the March Madness tournament. Having last made the final four way back in 2018, anticipation is high. Yet the league has been tough this year, with eight teams unbeaten as of December. This means that no one is giving up the fight, though Michigan may be the one to have that winning edge.
The positive stats for Michigan’s season at this point could go on and on. The last Wolverines team to score 100 points three games in a row was 36 years ago, showing how on form the squad has become. Of the four previous games, six players had scores that were in double figures.
NCAA.com correspondent Andy Katz is one expert with them firmly at the top of his predictions list. He has them seeded above Arizona, Duke, and UConn. So far, the average odds are Michigan Wolverines at +450, though this is changing almost hourly, with the Arizona Wildcats on +400. Duke Blue Devils follow them at +700, Houston Cougars at +850, and Illinois Fighting Illini at +1400.
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Arizona is intermittently swapping places with Michigan in the rankings and was leading for some time. They have had relatively comparable seasons, both notching up a single loss. Arizona is 23, having lost at Kansas. However, they do sport six ranked wins. The rest of their season looks stacked with fearsome opposition filled with ranked matches.
This is compared to the Wolverines 22-1 record. Their single loss was an extremely close one to Wisconsin, and they have five ranked wins. Similarly, the rest of their season looks tough with four ranked matchups left. Overcoming these would seriously boost their chances for March Madness when it arrives, and result in a tip in the odds even further.
All of this has been enhanced by some standout players, and it would be a great loss if they were not in the final four. These include Yaxel Lendeborg. His game average is 14.4 points, 3.2 assists, and 7.2 rebounds. As the highest-ranked transfer on the list, he has gone from concerns over his play in the first two games to one of the year’s standout players.
Another breakout star has been Morez Johnson Junior. Coach Dusty May has heaped praise on the player, citing his 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds. Crucially, and what will be invaluable in the final four, is that just 33% of players have made shots against him in man-on-man situations.
Essentially, the Michigan Wolverines have it all. Not just on paper, but in the results they have spat out. In both attack and defense, they excel, meaning they score while keeping relatively clean sheets. They also have key players, and depth should they not be available.
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