They sweat a bit, fretted a bit, then got the news they craved. In a sense, the Wolverines are getting a do-over, and are determined to make the most of it.
Back to Indianapolis they go, back to the NCAA Tournament they go. Michigan landed an 11 seed in the South region and will face sixth-seeded Colorado State on Thursday in the same arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where their angst began. As it turns out, the Wolverines’ dispiriting 74-69 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten tournament didn’t derail them. In fact, with a modest 17-14 record but solid metrics (34th in NET rankings), Michigan landed in the 68-team field relatively comfortably, avoiding the First Four play-in games in Dayton.
Part of it was the strength of the Big Ten, with nine teams making the Tournament. Two of them — Indiana (39 NET) and Rutgers (77 NET) — were sent to Dayton, so the selection committee saw something more in the Wolverines. At times, we’ve all seen something more. And then in their next outing, we often see something less.
