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Michigan basketball draws Toledo in the NIT first round

Michigan basketball isn’t done yet as they get set to face Toledo in the NIT.

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Dec 29, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Tarris Reed Jr. (32) dribbles against Central Michigan Chippewas forward Markus Harding (15) in the first half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

With ‘Selection Sunday’ come and gone, what every Wolverine fan already knew has become official. Michigan basketball will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015. This is undoubtedly a disappointing way for the 2022-23 season to finish for fans, but it should not surprise anyone.

Going into last weekend’s Big Ten tournament, most knew that the Wolverines needed to win, or at least make a deep run, to make the field of 68. Those hopes were dashed rather quickly, as Michigan fell swiftly and in embarrassing fashion to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the opening round, 62-50.

Now, many questions arise over the direction of the men’s basketball program, primarily regarding where exactly it goes from here. Wolverine fans didn’t have to wait long to find out, as it was announced late Sunday night that Michigan would be a No. 3 seed in the NIT tournament and face the MAC conference regular season champions, the Rockets of Toledo. The opening round game will tip-off Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.

A look at the Rockets

The Toledo Rockets will head into the NIT tournament undeniably disappointed and ready to win after missing out on what could have been their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1980. After tearing through the MAC regular season with an impressive 16-2 record, Toledo lost their automatic bid to Kent State in the MAC tournament championship game, 93-78.

This loss came after winning 17 straight games, going back to early January. Interestingly enough, the Rockets’ last loss before the MAC tournament also came against Kent State, in a 75-63 decision in Kent, OH. The only other MAC opponent to beat the Rockets came against Ball State in the conference opener.

Toledo went 9-4 in their non-conference slate, including impressive wins over UAB (25-9), Northern Kentucky (22-12), who just won the Horizon League tournament and punched their ticket to ‘March Madness’ for just the third time in school history, and Vermont (23-10), who will also be joining NKU in the NCAA tournament after winning the American East conference regular season and tournament.

Michigan basketball and Toledo shared one common opponent on the season, Central Michigan, who likely cost the Wolverines an at-large bid with their stunning upset in Ann Arbor earlier this year. Toledo handled their business against the Chippewas this season, winning both matchups by comfortable, twenty-plus point margins.

Offense a-plenty

Michigan basketball will be tasked with facing one of the most potent offenses in the nation, as they average a whopping 85.7 points per game this season, good for second behind only Gonzaga. With all that scoring, it’s unsurprising that Toledo shoots the ball well, as they rank 4th in the nation in total field goal percentage shooting 49.6 percent on the year. Even more impressively, the Rockets shot 40.5 percent from three-point range, which is good for second in the country.

Toledo is led in scoring by senior guard Rayj Dennis (19.8 points per game), to go along with three other double-digit scorers: Setric Millner (16.2), JT Shumate (16.1) and Dante Maddux (11.4). The offense doesn’t stop there, though, as Tyler Cochran (9.6) and Ra’Heim Moss (8.3) are also close to the mark. Millner leads the team in rebounding (5.9 per game), while Dennis tops the team in assists (5.7).

Defense not so much

For as good as the offense is, the flip side of that coin, and what ultimately kept them out of the ‘Big Dance,’ is Toledo’s defense, which ranks an abysmal 321st in the nation in scoring, giving up 76.1 points per game. Toledo also doesn’t rebound the basketball efficiently, as they currently rank 202nd in the country with just 34.5 rebounds per game. To go along with the poor effort on the glass, the Rockets turn the ball over 9.7 times per game, ranking 8th in the nation.

The Rockets will also face a considerable size deficit, as no significant contributor stands taller than 6-foot-7 (Shumate). One key to a Michigan basketball victory could come down low in the post, as Hunter Dickinson (7-foot-1) and Tarris Reed Jr. (6-foot-10) should have plenty of opportunities to dominate the Rockets’ smaller lineup. This isn’t to say Toledo has no height at all, as AJ Edu (6-foot-10) and Andre Lorrentsson (6-foot-8) could match up well with Michigan bigs, but neither average more than 12.2 minutes, or 2.7 points per game.

Altogether, the game will be a decently tough matchup for the Wolverines, which may surprise some considering it’s the first round of the NIT. Still, it’s by no means an unwinnable game for Michigan, especially being at home in the Crisler Center. At home, the Wolverines posted a 13-5 record this season and only have two losses this calendar year, both to tournament teams (Purdue and Indiana).

A little history

Michigan basketball has faced the Toledo Rockets thirteen times in school history but boasts a disappointing 7-6 record against them. To be fair, the Wolverines are a much better 3-0 since 1980, and three of the losses came pre-1970 (1968, 1950, 1948). Michigan won the only matchup since 1984, a 91-71 final during the 2020-’21 season.

The Rockets have appeared in 10 NIT tournaments but will be looking to win their first game since 2001. Michigan, meanwhile, has appeared in 11 NIT tournaments and won three (1984, 1997, 2004), although the 1997 title was vacated due to NCAA sanctions.

The game also adds a bit of a ‘revenge factor’ for Michigan football fans, as many undoubtedly remember Toledo handing the Wolverines their worst loss in modern school history. It was a woeful 13-10 final at ‘The Big House’ in Rich Rodriguez’s first season in 2008. This is still the football team’s lone loss to a MAC opponent ever.



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BREAKING: Juwan Howard has surgery, Martelli to assume interim coach role

BREAKING: Michigan basketball head coach Juwan Howard has successful surgery. Phil Martelli to take over as interim head coach.

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Juwan Howard, Michigan basketball, Phil Martelli
Mar 5, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Today, news broke that Michigan basketball head coach Juwan Howard, who is entering his fourth season at the helm in Ann Arbor, had open heart surgery over the offseason. With Howard recovering, long-time assistant Phil Martelli is slated to be the Wolverines’ interim head coach to open the 2023-24 season, which is fast approaching.

Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard has heart surgery, Phil Martelli to serve as interim coach

The 2023-24 Michigan basketball season will look a little different later this year, as Phil Martelli will be stepping in as interim head coach. Today, it was confirmed that Juwan Howard — the team’s full-time head coach — is recovering from heart surgery right now.

“I feel so grateful and blessed that this surgery was performed at University of Michigan Health,” said Howard in a statement. “My wife, Jenine, and our family appreciate the world-class care that has been provided to us. Dr. (Kim) Eagle, Dr. (Himanshu) Patel, Dr. (Stanley) Chetcuti, and all of the staff at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center are so talented and performed like champions throughout this process. I am going to work very hard in my rehabilitation to be stronger than ever by the time our upcoming season is upon us.”

Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel added the following:

“We are extremely grateful Juwan’s proactive procedure was a success and that he is resting comfortably,” said Warde Manuel. “We will continue to support Juwan, Jenine and his family as well as the program throughout his absence. All of us at the athletic department have Juwan in our thoughts and prayers. We look forward to Juwan’s return when he feels that he has fully recovered.”

It is expected that Juwan Howard will return to the court as head coach for Michigan basketball later in the season.



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Elite Michigan basketball target will be in Ann Arbor tomorrow

Tomorrow, an elite Michigan basketball target (2024 recruiting class) will be in Ann Arbor for his first-ever visit with the Wolverines.

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Michigan basketball, recruiting, No. 1 recruit in Virginia, Juwan Howard
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Juwan Howard and his Wolverines will be hosting Patrick Ngongba, an elite Michigan basketball target in the 2024 recruiting class, shortly. Ngongba, the No. 1 recruit in Virginia, has the Maize and Blue among his finalists and will be making the trip to Ann Arbor tomorrow (September 8th).

Elite Michigan basketball target about to be in Ann Arbor

While the 2023 Michigan Wolverines football season is now in full swing and has the attention of the entire fanbase, it’s worth noting that Juwan Howard and the Maize and Blue are hot on the recruiting trail in the 2024 recruiting class and beyond. After a tough 2022-23 season, Howard needs some good news to right the ship in Ann Arbor — tomorrow, he will have a massive opportunity to get one step closer to landing an elite recruit.

Patrick Ngongba is the No. 1 recruit in Virginia (for the 2024 recruiting class) and is an elite Michigan basketball target. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound center is an ESPN five-star prospect and is ranked among the top 30 players in the country in the composite rankings. So far, Juwan Howard has landed two prospects in the 2024 cycle, neither of which is rated anywhere close to Patrick Ngongba in the composite standings.

Can Juwan Howard land Patrick Ngongba in the 2024 recruiting class?

For the time being, Michigan basketball appears to be on the outside looking in ahead of Patrick Ngongba’s visit tomorrow — Duke and Kansas State currently have the best odds of landing him, per the Recruiting Prediction Machine. That said, Juwan Howard is a solid recruiter, and a visit to Ann Arbor, MI, ahead of a football game weekend could be a difference-maker for the Wolverines down the stretch.

According to the On3 visit tracker, tomorrow will be the first time that Michigan basketball gets the No. 1 recruit in Virginia on campus. This further showcases how important the visit will be for the Wolverines if Juwan Howard expects to have a shot against some of the other major programs vying for his commitment.

***If you missed it, Tom Brady is searching for the biggest Michigan fan! We have a great series going right now as a part of our Fan Flex challenge series — below is the link to our latest challenge! Among this week’s prizes includes an invite to the Blue by Ninety tailgate and a Blue by Ninety beer (for those of age) See the link below for more!

LINK: https://autograph.outgrow.us/blueby90-3



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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Michigan basketball recruiting will host No. 1 point guard in September

Michigan basketball recruiting will host the No. 1 point guard of the 2025 class for an official visit.

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Michigan basketball recruiting No. 1 point guard
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan basketball is coming off of its most disappointing season of the Juwan Howard era. After missing the national tournament for the first time since taking over as head coach, Howard is already looking ahead to the future to right the ship for the Wolverines. Recently, Joe Tipton of On3 Sports announced that Darius Acuff — currently the No. 1 point guard of the 2025 recruiting class — will visit Ann Arbor in early September.

Michigan basketball recruiting will host official visit for No. 1 point guard Darius Acuff

Michigan basketball has a huge opportunity to lock down an elite prospect this September. Acuff’s official Ann Arbor visit will reportedly last from September 1-3.

Acuff is among the nation’s best and currently holds the No. 1 On3 industry ranking among point guards in the 2025 class. Across all positions, the six-foot point guard is the No. 9 industry-ranked player in the country.

Acuff is originally from Detroit, MI and played basketball at Cass Tech before recently transferring to IMG Academy in Florida. Michigan basketball currently holds the lead on Acuff’s recruitment on On3’s recruiting prediction machine with a 45.4 percent chance. Also in contention for Acuff’s recruitment are Kentucky, Michigan State, and Ohio State.

While Michigan basketball lost lots of talent this offseason, the recruiting game has been heating up as well. Landing a top-tier talent like Acuff could be just what the Wolverines need to build their recruiting momentum.



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and InstagramYou can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. 

Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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