Michigan men’s basketball knows when it’s playing. Who its playing, well, the Wolverines will have to wait.
Michigan, the No. 1 overall seed in the Midwest Region, will open the NCAA Tournament against the winner of a First Four game between UMBC and Howard. That First Four game is Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio.
Here’s a quick look at that matchup:
Who is UMBC?
This is the third NCAA Tournament appearance for University of Maryland, Baltimore County, the tournament champion of the America East Conference.
Its last NCAA appearance, 2018, was historic, as UMBC became the first-ever No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in the history of the men’s tournament. Giant slayer UMBC famously made Virginia its victim.
UMBC is 24-8, having won 12 consecutive games entering the NCAA Tournament. The Retrievers are led by junior guard Jah’Likai King (13.9 points), graduate-student guard/forward DJ Armstrong (13.2 points) and junior guard Ace Valentine (12.0 points, 4.1 rebounds).
UMBC is coached by Jim Ferry, who is in his fifth season and previously was an assistant coach and interim head coach at Penn State, and head coach at Duquesne.
Not publicly identified is UMBC’s social-media manager, who made thousands of fans with their snark and humor during the 2018 NCAA Tournament ― and was already back at it this weekend.
Who is Howard?
This is the fifth NCAA Tournament appearance for Howard, the tournament champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Its last NCAA appearance was 2024, when it also was in the First Four, falling to Wagner, 71-68. Howard has never won an NCAA Tournament game.
Howard, an HBCU based in Washington, D.C., is 23-10, winning eighth straight games down the stretch. The Bison are led by graduate-student guard Bryce Harris and junior guard Cedric Taylor III, each of whom averaged 17.1 points a game. They each also averaged nearly seven rebounds a game.
Howard is coached by Kenny Blakeney, who is in his seventh season.
First Four game odds
UMBC opened as a 1.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Who will Michigan basketball play? Here’s a look at UMBC and Howard
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
