Michigan Basketball projected as a No. 9 seed in latest bracketology
After a big road win at Nebraska, Michigan basketball is looking better in bracket projections ahead of a key game against Rutgers Saturday.
After an injury to Isaiah Livers and a four-game losing streak, Michigan basketball found itself in a tough spot as far as the NCAA Tournament was concerned.
But the Wolverines were able to the right the ship, at least in the short term, against Nebraska Tuesday in a what proved to be a critical win. For one, it was the first true road win of the season for Michigan basketball and that’s always key.
With Zavier Simpson suspended for the game, and Livers still out after re-injuring his groin, it wasn’t a guaranteed win and after an up-and-down start, it could have gotten away.
But Michigan basketball got key performances from Brandon Johns, Eli Brooks and Franz Wagner and in the latest bracket projections, the Wolverines are in a better position because of it.
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Obviously, there is more to it than just one game but the Wolverines were listed as a No. 9 seed by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi Friday morning in his latest projection. However, he’s not alone as The Michigan Insider breaks down the Wolverines average projection in 98 brackets and it also averages out as a nine seed.
What that shows is that even though the Wolverines don’t have the best record and even though they are just 3-6 in the Big Ten, their non-conference resume is solid enough to keep them in the game.
Michigan basketball has three quadrant 1 wins and what makes that even better is that they zero bad losses. In fact, Michigan hasn’t lost to anyone outside of the top quadrant, which is another reason why the win at Nebraska was key.
But now, the Wolverines get set for another critical matchup. Saturday, U-M will play at Madison Square Garden against a ranked Rutgers team and are a seven seed in Lunardi’s bracket.
Michigan owns wins over Creighton and Iowa at home, as well as a huge victory over Gonzaga on a neutral floor. Most have the Zags as a No. 1 seed right now and that’s going to be a feather in the cap for the Wolverines throughout this process.
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The key is to get as close to .500 as possible in the Big Ten. Nine or 10 wins in the league would probably be enough and beating Rutgers Saturday would be a huge step towards getting there.