Michigan Basketball: 3 predictions for UM and the NCAA Tournament

Wolverines will avoid an upset against Montana

Make no mistake, Michigan basketball has to play well to beat Montana, the Grizzlies aren’t your normal 14 seed. When it comes to the Kenpom rankings, they are ranked 71st, which would normally make them a much higher seed.

However, the committee isn’t going to give much respect to a team from the Big Sky Conference, especially one without any signature wins. The Griz did beat Pittsburgh, but also lost to Washington and Stanford in the other Power-5 contests.

Michigan should have been sent to Detroit, but instead, it will play in Wichita, Kansas, which is a closer trip than the one Montana has to make from Missoula, Montana. Yet, the Wolverines won’t have the same home-court advantage it would in the Motor City.

But one thing that goes in their favor is Beilein. He’s 6-1 in opening round games at Michigan, with the only loss coming in 2012 to Ohio. That’s not to say it can’t happen, but generally the Wolverines have avoided falling to Cinderellas.