Michigan Wolverines news: Michigan basketball likely to NIT, playoff hockey and more
After a crushing loss on Thursday, the Michigan basketball team is likely headed to the NIT, plus playoff hockey for the Michigan Wolverines and more.
It’s still hard to believe that Michigan basketball will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015, but it’s true.
It was a point hammered home to Michigan basketball on Thursday as Rutgers knocked off the Michigan Wolverines in a must-win game. The Wolverines played with little urgency and crumbled under the weight of the bubble.
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time. Michigan has played some great basketball this season. The problem is consistency. The Wolverines have rarely put together 40 good minutes and against good teams, in the Big Ten, that’s just not good enough.
To have three All-Big Ten performers and two potential first-round picks next season and not make the big dance is disappointing and Juwan Howard needs to look in the mirror.
A bunch of Michigan basketball fans want him fired. I’m not there yet. John Beilein had some down years and people wanted him gone then too. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and I’m still confident that Howard can turn things around.
But recruiting, coaching, everything needs a look. The fact that Michigan allowed an offensive rebound on a free throw, in a tight game, because no one took the simple step of boxing out, sums up perfectly why this team will be playing in the NIT, assuming it accepts a bid.
The Michigan Wolverines will be selected for the field. It looks like North Carolina and some other top programs will join them. To me, it would be worth playing. It can be a springboard and who knows, maybe Michigan could win the whole thing and end this season on some sort of positive note, because Thursday was disappointing, to say the least.
Michigan Wolverines to host Ohio State Saturday in hockey
Another Big Ten tournament is still going and that’s the hockey tournament. The Michigan Wolverines are the No. 2 seed and will host Ohio State in a single-elimination semifinal game on Saturday night at 6:30 PM EST at Yost Arena.
The fourth-ranked Wolverines will definitely be in the NCAA tournament regardless of what happens, but it’s always great to beat the Buckeyes and it would give Michigan hockey a shot at repeating as Big Ten champs.
Ohio State notched a win and a tie against Michigan hockey in their last two-game set in the regular season. The winner advances to the Big Ten championship game on March 18 which will be against Minnesota or Michigan State.
Lexie Blair sets Michigan softball doubles record
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Michigan Wolverines on the softball diamond but they improved to 11-10 on Thursday with a 4-0 shutout win over Kent State.
Lexie Blair ripped an RBI double to get the Michigan softball team on the board and it was her 62nd career double which is a new U-M record.
Next. Michigan football spring depth chart projection. dark
In another promising sign, Lauren Derkowski got the win for Michigan after a two-hit shutout win. Derkowski was credited with four strikeouts and walked just one batter in the win.