Michigan basketball's incredible turnaround in year one under Dusty May continued on Saturday, with the Wolverines defeating Texas A&M 91-79 in the round of 32 to advance to the Sweet 16. The Wolverines have passed two very tough tests so far in March, but will now be given their toughest test of the season.
Michigan basketball is set to face off against Auburn, the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, on Friday. This will be, by far, Michigan's toughest game of the season. The Tigers are led by national player of the year contender Johni Broome, and boast one of the most talented rosters in the nation.
The Tigers are coming off of a battle in the round of 32, in which they defeated the Creighton Bluejays 82-70. Creighton led at the half but was shut down in the second half. Compared to Texas A&M, Auburn is a very different team. The Tigers are fantastic at shooting the ball and have a lethal offense all around. But they are beatable.
Looking ahead to Auburn, plus odds for Michigan basketball
In early march, Texas A&M defeated Auburn by 11 points, 83-72. The Tigers lost three of the last four games before the NCAA tournament. Quite frankly, they've looked like the most beatable one seed. Their resume is elite, however. Auburn led the nation was 16 quad 1 wins, including wins over Houston, Iowa State, Purdue, Tennessee, and Alabama. When they're on, they're probably the best team in the nation.
This will be a fascinating game to watch. Michigan basketball showed that they can play a dominant brand of basketball, and that's what they'll have to do to compete in this one. It's March, anything can happen.
The Tigers have opened as an 7.5-point favorite over Michigan basketball according to Vegas Oddsmakers.