Where Michigan stands in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 reranks

Michigan Wolverines basketball believed it was under-seeded as a No. 5 and helped state a great case by knocking off No. 12 UC San Diego and No. 4 Texas A&M to advance to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta, where top overall seed Auburn awaits.

The Maize and Blue are red hot, winners of five-consecutive games dating back to its Big Ten Tournament championship run, and considered a threat to come out of the South Region and make it to the Final Four in San Antonio.

Come the second weekend of the tournament, original seed lines are largely thrown out the window, but according to the selection committee, the Maize and Blue were the top No. 5 seed heading into the event. The Maize and Blue are now the fourth-lowest seeded team remaining, ahead of No. 10 Arkansas, No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 6 BYU.

Various media outlets reranked the Sweet 16 field, and Michigan checked in anywhere from No. 8 to No. 13.

Here’s a roundup of where Michigan stands.

RELATED
• Five early takes on Michigan’s Sweet 16 matchup with Auburn
• Dusty May: Michigan is ‘consumed’ with winning, optimistic it’ll continue to ‘catch fire like a wildfire’

Yahoo Sports: No. 8

The rest of the South Region: Auburn (4th), Michigan State (7th), Ole Miss (15th)

Jeff Eisenberg: “Only a year ago, Michigan went 8-24 and finished four games behind the Big Ten’s second-worst team. Enter [head coach] Dusty May. The former FAU coach restocked Michigan’s roster via the transfer portal, figured out how to play two 7-footers together and built the Wolverines into a top-tier Big Ten team. Awarded a lesser seed than they deserved, the Wolverines responded as they have all season by finding a way. They overcame UC San Diego’s spirited upset bid. Then they rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit against Texas A&M. [Junior guard] Roddy Gayle [Jr.] was the unlikely hero, emerging from a months-long shooting slump to score 26 points off the bench.”

USA TODAY: No. 8

The rest of the South Region: Auburn (4th), Michigan State (5th), Ole Miss (16th)

Eddie Timanus: “Did we mention the South region is loaded? That No. 5 seed before Michigan’s name might be more a function of the Big Ten tournament final’s late placement on the Selection Sunday schedule, as it can on occasion prevent the committee from adjusting the bracket on short notice. But the ‘play the hand you’re dealt’ approach has served the Wolverines well thus far, and they’ll be well prepared for this date with Auburn.”

ESPN: No. 11

The rest of the South Region: Auburn (4th), Michigan State (7th), Ole Miss (14th)

Myron Medcalf: “When preparing for Michigan, every opposing coach focuses on limiting the program’s two 7-footers, [junior forward/center] Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin. It’s a wise, if incomplete, approach that doesn’t account for the rest of a top-scoring team from inside the arc. The five teams Michigan just beat (Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin, UC San Diego and Texas A&M) can attest to this. [Junior guard] Tre Donaldson has finished in double figures in four of those five games. [Graduate guard] Nimari Burnett has registered double figures 10 times since January. Against the Aggies in the second round, Roddy Gayle Jr. had 26 points. All three have combined to make 37% of their 3-point attempts in the stretch, too — a key change, considering Michigan ranks 200th in 3-point shooting (33.3%).

Sports Illustrated: No. 10

The rest of the South Region: Auburn (5th), Michigan State (9th), Ole Miss (12th)

Bryan Fischer: “The Big Ten tournament champions sure have a type when it comes to being in close, competitive games that come down to the wire, and they somehow find ways to emerge victorious. The final score against the Texas A&M Aggies was a bit deceptive given how tight that round of 32 meeting was, but credit to Dusty May for knowing how to push all the right buttons down the stretch. If Roddy Gayle Jr. can keep shooting 50% from the field, the Wolverines will be more than capable of going up against Auburn, given the matchups they can bring in the frontcourt.”

The Athletic: No. 11

The rest of the South Region: Auburn (4th), Michigan State (8th), Ole Miss (15th)

Jim Root: “Michigan erased a 10-point second-half deficit to beat Texas A&M on Saturday. Dusty May’s immediate turnaround in Ann Arbor after Michigan went just 8-24 overall last season is incredibly impressive. Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin combined for 37 points and 21 rebounds, while Roddy Gayle tallied a season-high 26 points off the bench. The Wolverines now face top seed Auburn in what will probably feel like a true road game in Atlanta.”

CBS Sports: No. 13

The rest of the South Region: Auburn (4th), Michigan State (7th), Ole Miss (15th)

Chip Patterson: “The Wolverines nearly handed their tournament future away in the first round against UC San Diego, only to take control of the contest two days later against Texas A&M. There wasn’t a lot of consistency half-to-half or game-to-game, but the Wolverines delivered winning plays in both games. Roddy Gayle had not scored in double figures in consecutive games since late January but was the spark to the Wolverines turnaround agains the Aggies. He’s totaled 37 points across Michigan’s two wins.”