Michigan a 6 seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology
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The Michigan basketball team has plenty of ambiguity on what it will look like when it (presumably) takes the court for the 2020-21 season, but one of the leading NCAA Tournament analysts sees the Wolverines landing a somewhat favorable draw for next year’s field.
In his updated bracketology, ESPN.com’s Joe Lunardi pegged Michigan as a 6 seed in the West Region. The Wolverines would face the winner between Seton Hall and Syracuse in Lexington, Kentucky, then would face either Texas or Buffalo with a win.
In 2021, the West Region is set to be held in Denver. Other high-seeded teams in the West Region include 1-seed Gonzaga, 2-seed Wisconsin, 4-seed Texas Tech and 5-seed North Carolina.
In all, the Big Ten landed nine teams in the 68-team field, including the Wolverines, the Badgers, 2-seed Michigan State, 3-seed Iowa, 4-seed Ohio State, 6-seeds Rutgers and Indiana, 8-seed Purdue and 9-seed Illinois.
Lunardi’s bracketology update was his first since May 12, before Michigan added transfers Nojel Eastern and Chaundee Brown. Of course, Michigan does not know if the two will be ruled immediately eligible for the 2020-21 season, or have to sit a season.
Under new head coach Juwan Howard after a 12-year tenure under John Beilein, the Wolverines underwent an up-and-down season in 2019-20. Michigan opened the season 7-0, with dominant wins over Creighton, North Carolina and Gonzaga that captivated the nation and vaulted the Wolverines into the AP top five.
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Then, in part due to an injury to Isaiah Livers and in other parts due to roster deficiencies, Michigan struggled in losing eight of its next 12 games to fall to 11-8 — on the NCAA Tournament bubble and out of the Big Ten race.
The Wolverines closed the season with an 8-4 record, with more than enough wins to make the NCAA Tournament, but saw their season end just minutes before they were scheduled to begin their Big Ten Tournament play on March 12, when the Big Ten and later NCAA canceled all postseason events to minimize the risk of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
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Now, attention turns to Michigan’s 2020-21 season, in which it will be boosted by the Wolverines’ Big Ten-leading 2020 recruiting class. The group includes three top-100 commitments in top-40 center Hunter Dickinson, top-100 guard Zeb Jackson and top-100 wing Terrance Williams. Columbia graduate transfer Mike Smith — who was sixth nationally with 22.8 points per game — will also join the Wolverines.
Currently, there is some ambiguity on other standout players who will help lead the Wolverines. Rising senior forward Isaiah Livers has declared for the NBA Draft, but has until August 3 to withdraw and return to college. Transfer guard/wing players Chaundee Brown and Nojel Eastern, respectively…
Read More: Michigan a 6 seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology 2020-06-04 22:27:37