Who plays Michigan in March Madness? What to know about dangerous UC San Diego

Breaking down the first round game of the southern region of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday No. 5 Michigan and No. 12 UC San Diego. The Wolverines had a day busy on Sunday, beating Wisconsin in the game of the Big Ten tournament and immediately directing their attention to the National Team on Sunday. Now, Michigan directs his attention to UC San Diego.

This is what you need to know about tritones:

Fast facts

Files: No. 5 Michigan (25-9, 14-6 Big Ten); No. 12 UC San Diego (30-4, 18-2 Big West).

Fast facts: 10 pm, Thursday; Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado

TV: TBS.

At stake: The winner faces the winner of No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale on Saturday for Spot in Sweet 16.

The chief coach of Michigan, Dusty May and the players celebrate the 59-53 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Sunday, March 16, 2025.

About Michigan

Location: Arbor

Coach: Dusty May (1 season at UM, 150-78 Carrera).

NCAA tournament record: 66-30 in 31 appearances.

Finals 10 regular seasonal games: 6-4.

Score leaders: Vladislav Goldin, 16.7; Danny Wolf, 13.1; Tre Donaldson, 11.6; Nimari Burnett, 9.7.

Rebound leaders: Wolf, 9.8; Goldin, 6.8; Roddy Gayle Jr., 3.5.

Assistance Leaders: Donaldson, 4.2; Wolf, 3.7.

3 -point leaders: Burnett, 40.6%; Donaldson, 38.1%; Goldin, 36.7%.

Buy tickets for the Motherness Madness of Michigan vs. UC San Diego

The buzz: After leaving his last three games of the regular season to lose a Big Ten championship, Michigan took revenge in the League tournament. Um dominated Purdue, then led Maryland in a bell blow before surviving Wisconsin in the game of the Big Ten tournament title. As a result, the Wolverines recover their arrogance and take a lot of impulse in the tournament. It will not be easy, especially playing in Denver, where altitude is a factor, but a year after Michigan retired from the Big Ten tournament at night 1 and finished his worst season of all time, he is back in the great dance. Now, it’s about restoring once again.

“We control what we can control, so we are really excited to go to an incredible city,” said Dusty May. “Very grateful that this team can continue playing and we have another opportunity in the postseason game.”

About UC San Diego

Location: San Diego.

Coach: Eric Olen (240-118 in 12 seasons at UC San Diego)

NCAA tournament record: First appearance di.

The last 10 regular seasonal games: 10-0

Score leaders: Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, 19.5; Tyler McGhie, 16.4; Hayden Gray, 11.2; Nordin Kapic, 10.6

Rebound leaders: Tait-Jones, 5.5; Kapic, 5.2; Milos Vicentic, 5.0.

Assistance Leaders: Tait-Jones, 3.7; Gray, 3.3; Chris Howell, 3.1

3 -point leaders: Gray, 42.8%; Aidan Burke, 39.2%; MCGHIE, 38.6%

The buzz: Do not look at the fact that Triton have never been in this position, this is one of the most popular teams in the United States. Eric Olen’s team had 15-4 in mid-January and since then has scammed 15 consecutive victories, all but two of which arrived by two digit points. Tait-Jones is your do-Ite-Aall player 6 feet 6, leading the team at points, boards and assists. UC San Diego is balanced, with four different players who average double figures and are respected by computers, which verifies it in number 36 in the network ranking (Michigan is only 11 higher points in 25). Perhaps the most worrying part of this confrontation is the force of tritones to ton Ball losses: try 23.2% of opponents’ possessions, the second highest rate of 365 teams in division I, while only delivered it in 13.4% of its own offensive possessions, the seventh best rate nationwide. They are also excellent inside the arch, currently No. 31 in the nation in 2 -point shots (56.1%), although they have not seen any equipment that possess two feet of seven feet as UM. They are also fantastic in defense detention cubes inside, classified the number 20 nationwide, allowing opponents to do only 46.2% of their two. This could be determined from the outside, since UCSD takes 49.6% of its long -range attempts.

Tony Garcia He is the writer of Michigan Wolverines Beat for Detroit Free Press. Send it by email to [email protected] and follow it in x @Realtonygarcia.

This article originally appeared in Detroit Free Press: Who plays Michigan in March Madness? UC San Diego Exploration Report