Chicago — The Wolverines didn’t need a spoiler on Selection Sunday.
After a record-setting season filled with dominant wins and historical feats, they already knew their fate well before the 68-team field was revealed. The broadcasted bracket reveal was just a mere formality.
Michigan (31-3) will enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and will open play at 7:10 p.m. Thursday in Buffalo, New York, against the winner of UMBC and Howard, a pair of No. 16 seeds who will face in a First Four game on Tuesday.
It’s the first time Michigan has received a top seed since 2021 and the fourth time in program history.
“It means a lot. It’s definitely a testament to what we did this regular season,” forward Yaxel Lendeborg said after Sunday’s loss to Purdue in the Big Ten tournament final at United Center.
“We wanted to have a historic season, and we continue to prove that. … I know we’re all going to be super excited to play in March Madness and try not to get another loss on the record.”
With a win Thursday, Michigan would advance to face either No. 8 Georgia or No. 9 Saint Louis in the second round on Saturday. Other teams in the region include No. 2 seed Iowa State, No. 3 seed Virginia and No. 4 seed Alabama. Michigan is the only Big Ten team in its region.
Michigan was the third team on the 1-seed line, behind Duke and Arizona and ahead of Florida. But unlike the Blue Devils and Wildcats, who swept their respective conference titles, the Wolverines will be entering the Big Dance stinging from a loss.
“I think we’ve got to feel this pain right now,” big man Aday Mara said. “We’ve got to use this for the next month. We know the month that we have ahead. We’ve just got to be ready, be better, and feel this right now because it doesn’t feel good and use it to be better in the (NCAA) Tournament.”
Still, Michigan’s seeding came as no surprise considering how the Wolverines steamrolled the competition all season long and racked up one milestone after another.
They won the most regular-season games (29) in program history. They’re the first team in Big Ten history to win 19 conference games and the second team to complete league road play unbeaten, joining 1975-76 Indiana. They set a Big Ten record with seven wins by at least 40 points. With Saturday’s semifinal win over Wisconsin, Michigan beat all the other 17 league opponents, the first to do so since the Big Ten expanded to 18 teams last season.
And perhaps most impressive of all is Michigan still would’ve won the outright Big Ten regular-season title — which it did by four games — if it only counted its wins by double figures (16). That’s how good the Wolverines were.
They’ve had a target on their back and have been getting opponents’ best shots all season long. That won’t change at this time of the year, when every team is fighting to survive and see another game.
“This what everybody dreamed of as a kid, playing in March Madness and playing against the best teams,” guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “We’ve got to bring it every moment, every game. Just leaving it all on the court is something that we can do better at. You’ve got to empty the tank.
“We understand what the big picture is, obviously winning the national championship. I feel like we’ve got to regroup, think back to what made us successful during the regular season, get back to that and just fall in love with the game of basketball and playing with each other.”
Michigan’s resume speaks for itself. The Wolverines are one of three teams with at least 31 total wins and at least 16 Quad 1 victories, along with Duke and Arizona. They’re one of two teams — along with Miami (Ohio) — to go undefeated in true road games. And they did all that while playing a strength of schedule that ranks No. 4 in the nation, according to KenPom.
Even though Michigan is entering the NCAA Tournament on a disappointing note, it hasn’t shaken coach Dusty May’s belief in his team and what it can achieve.
“We want to be cutting down the nets in the first Monday of April,” May said. “Our body of work shows we’re capable of playing and beating some of the best teams in the country.”
Who will Michigan play in March Madness?
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Michigan will play the winner of the UMBC vs. Howard First Four game.
What time does Michigan play UMBC or Howard in March Madness?
The Wolverines’ first-round game on Thursday at KeyBank Arena in Buffalo will start at 7:10 p.m.
What channel is Michigan vs. UMBC or Howard game on?
The Michigan vs. UMBC or Howard game will be on CBS.
Michigan basketball March Madness history
Michigan has a 68-31 record in 32 NCAA Tournaments, with eight Final Fours and one national championship (1989).
Has Michigan basketball ever been a No. 1 seed?
Michigan landed a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. It’s mark the fourth time the Wolverines have earned a No. 1 seed. Here are the previous occasions:
1985: Lost in second round to Villanova
1993: Lost in national championship game to North Carolina
2021: Lost in Elite Eight to UCLA
How has Michigan done in NCAA Tournament after winning Big Ten regular-season title?
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 and created the modern bracket structure, Michigan has won either a share or the outright Big Ten regular-season championship five times.
Here’s how Michigan has fared:
1985: Second round
1986: Second round
2012: First round
2014: Elite Eight
2021: Elite Eight
Big Ten hasn’t won national championship since 2000
Michigan State’s 2000 title is the Big Ten’s only title in the past 25 NCAA tournaments.
The Big Ten got close in 2024 when Zach Edey and Purdue made it to the national championship game but lost, 75-60, to UConn. Donte DiVincenzo and Villanova handled Michigan in 2018, 79–62, in 2018. Duke beat Wisconsin in 2015, and Louisville beat Michigan for 2013’s now vacated title, with four other Big Ten appearances in the title game following 2000’s MSU title. Michigan State had another shot in 2009 but lost the national championship game, 89-72, to North Carolina at Ford Field in Detroit.
The ACC and Big East lead all NCAA conferences with eight national championships each out of the past 25. The SEC has four, including Florida’s 2025 title. The Big 12 has won it all three of those years, and UConn gave the American Athletic Conference a title in 2014.
When is NCAA Selection Show?
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is at 6 p.m. on CBS. Michigan will learn its first-round opponent, and the site for first- and potentially second-round games.
The entire 68-team field will be unveiled during the Selection Show, including the matchups for the First Four games Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.
When does March Madness start?
NCAA Tournament March Madness begins with the First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. There are two games matching No. 11 seeds and two matching No. 16 seeds.
The tournament gets underway in earnest on Thursday with first-round games in each of the four regions — Midwest, East, South and West.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan basketball headed to Buffalo as No. 1 seed in Midwest Region
Reporting by James Hawkins, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
