Two days after blowing out Howard University in the opening round of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, Michigan returns to the court to take on St. Louis.
The No. 3 ranked Wolverines (32-3), the No. 1 seed in the Midwest, will meet St. Louis University at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
Michigan is coming off a 101-80 victory over Howard while St. Louis (29-5), the ninth seed, defeated Georgia 102-77.
The winner will advances to play either Texas Tech or Alabama next week.
Here’s how to watch the Billikens-Wolverines game.
What is a Billiken?
Saint Louis University’s mascot is a mythical figure representing “things as they ought to be” — on campus and wherever he’s found, according to the SLU website.
“But the Billiken is more than a mascot, and at SLU, every member of the community is a Billiken,” the school says.
Before the Billiken was Saint Louis University’s mascot, it was a national sensation in the early 1900s, the school says.
“His figure was reproduced as dolls, marshmallow candies, metal banks, hatpins, pickle forks, belt buckles, auto-hood ornaments, salt and pepper shakers and more. The legend is: To buy a Billiken gives the purchaser luck, but to have one given to you is better luck,” according to the school.
Florence Pretz, a Missouri art teacher and illustrator, patented her Billiken design in 1908. It’s believed that Pretz was inspired by “The Rubaiyat,” a well-known poem at the time, to create the elfin figure. She apparently found the name Billiken in a poem by the Canadian poet Bliss Carman and gave the name to her patented design, which she sold to the Billiken Company of Chicago.
It’s not clear exactly when the school began using the mascot, but some accounts say as early as 1910.
What time is the St. Louis-Michigan basketball game Sunday?
The Spartans play the Wolverines at 12:10 ET Saturday, March 21, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
How can I watch St. Louis-Michigan on Sunday?
The Wolverines men’s basketball game will be broadcast on CBS.
Michigan’s radio network includes WWJ-AM (950 in Detroit) as well as more than a dozen stations across Michigan.
Additionally, the game will be available on SiriusXM Ch. 203.
What are St. Louis’ and Michigan’s records?
UM is 32-3 overall heading into Saturday’s game against St. Louis. The Billikens are 29-5.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What time is Michigan on? And, what’s a Billiken? Time, channel
Reporting by Dan Basso, Lansing State Journal / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
