Michigan Still Among NCAA Tournament Favorites As No. 1 Seed

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Despite the probable absence of senior leader Isaiah Livers, the Michigan Wolverines are still favored by oddsmakers in the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Juwan Howard and the Wolverines secured a No. 1 seed in the East Region on Sunday when the March Madness brackets were revealed, following an eventful weekend. Despite their exit from the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday, Michigan’s impressive performance earned them this prestigious placement.

Alongside other updates came the unfortunate injury report regarding Livers, who has suffered a stress fracture in his foot and is expected to be out for the remainder of the season.

Michigan (20-4) has secured a No. 1 seed for the third time in its history, ultimately earning them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Their first-round game is scheduled for Saturday against Texas Southern, who triumphed over Mount St. Mary’s in the First Four held on Thursday.

The field includes Michigan, which is among the nine Big Ten teams.

Michigan joins Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois as NCAA Tournament favorites

Before the brackets were revealed, there were doubts surrounding Michigan’s ability to secure a top seed. However, the Wolverines find themselves in the company of Gonzaga (West), Illinois (Midwest), and Baylor (South) on the top line.

BetMGM ranks Michigan and Illinois as having the third-best odds to win the tournament, both at +600. The favorite to win is Gonzaga with odds of +275, followed by Baylor at +350.

In addition, FanDuel offers Michigan at +600, putting them on par with Baylor. Illinois, on the other hand, has odds of +700. Leading the pack is Gonzaga with odds of +200.

Michigan and Baylor are tied at +850 in the Circa Sports odds, which is intriguing considering the fact that Circa is owned by Derek Stevens and his brother Greg. Derek, a Michigan native and a prominent casino magnate in downtown Las Vegas.

First up: Texas Southern or Mount St. Mary’s in East Regional

Direct lines will not be posted until Michigan is confirmed as an official opponent. Regardless of the opposing team, Michigan is expected to be a strong favorite on Saturday.

According to DraftKings, Mount St. Mary’s emerged victorious in the Northeast Conference tournament, while Texas Southern clinched the title in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. As Thursday approaches, DraftKings predicts that Texas Southern holds a 2-point advantage and is favored to win.

Michigan may encounter difficulties in the second round on Monday, as they potentially face the winner between LSU (the eighth seed) and St. Bonaventure (the ninth seed). LSU, being a formidable opponent for an eighth seed, recently made it to the final of the SEC Tournament and narrowly lost to Alabama by a single point on Sunday.

The East also features other top-ranked teams, such as the No. 2 Crimson Tide, No. 3 Texas, and No. 4 Florida State.

Juwan Howard has Michigan rolling

Howard achieved something in his second year as coach of his alma mater that he was unable to accomplish during his three years as a standout player – winning a regular-season Big Ten title.

Michigan emerged victorious over Maryland at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis this weekend; however, they unfortunately fell short against Ohio State with a narrow score of 68-67, despite an impressive late surge. In the final moments, Mike Smith missed a potential game-winning shot just as the buzzer sounded.

Howard, a prominent player of the renowned Fab Five squads during the 1990s, played a significant role in leading the Wolverines to the Final Four on two occasions. Unfortunately, in both his freshman and sophomore years, the Wolverines were defeated by Duke and North Carolina respectively in the finals.

Howard, who had a lengthy stint as an NBA player and later served as an assistant coach, made his way back to Ann Arbor to take over for John Beilein in the previous season. Michigan held a record of 19-12 as they headed into the 2020 Big Ten Tournament, but unfortunately, the rest of their season was abruptly halted due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Michigan had an impressive start to the year, winning their initial 11 games. Unfortunately, they faced setbacks when they lost to Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan State, and Ohio State.

Freshman center Hunter Dickinson leading the way

With the absence of Livers, Michigan’s dependence on freshman center Hunter Dickinson will intensify, as he currently maintains an average of 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

With Brandon Johns Jr. stepping into the starting lineup, Howard will unfortunately lose one of his key bench players.

In order to compensate for the absence of Livers and his 13.1 points per game, Franz Wagner, a highly anticipated first-round pick, will have to elevate his scoring performance.

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