Posted on in Miscellaneous, Student Life

Michigan Basketball 101

As March comes to a close, the NCAA Women’s and Men’s basketball tournaments are well underway. Our very own Michigan Wolverines have taken both competitions by storm. 

In the men’s tournament, Michigan entered as the #1 seed in the East region. The team went on to defeat Texas Southern in the opening round of 64 before sending the Louisiana State Tigers home in the round of 32. On March 27th, the Wolverines will face off against the Florida State Seminoles in the Sweet Sixteen. 

In the women’s tournament, the Wolverines came in as the #6 seed. They defeated Florida Gulf Coast University by 21 points in the first round before upsetting the #3 seed Tennessee Volunteers in the second round. Coming up, the women’s team will play the #2 seed Baylor Bears on March 27th. This marks the first time in program history that the women’s team has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

Now that we’ve covered March Madness, let’s go over some quick facts about UM’s basketball programs to help you navigate conversations about the Maize & Blue!

  • Michigan’s basketball teams, like the school’s other athletic programs, compete in the Big 10 Conference. This conference includes 14 teams (and two affiliates) from across the Midwest.
  • The Wolverines play their home games at the Crisler Center, a 12,707-capacity arena in Ann Arbor.
  • The men’s team is currently coached by former UM player Juwan Howard (of 1991 Fab Five fame), while Kim Barnes Arico is in her ninth season as head coach of the women’s squad. Coach Barnes Arico is the winningest coach in program history. 
  • The men’s team has historic rivalries with the Duke Blue Devils, the Michigan State Spartans, and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The women’s team has a storied rivalry with Michigan State. 
  • The Michigan men’s team has won the NCAA tournament once in program history (1989). The women’s team has not yet won a national title, but has appeared in nine NCAA tournaments. 

That’s all for this crash course on Michigan basketball! As we watch this season wrap up, we’re looking forward to being back in the Crisler Center to cheer on our teams in the future!