How many college basketball fans had the Michigan Wolverines going down in the first round against the Tritons? How many Aggies backers felt pretty good up 10 in the second half on Saturday?
A year after going 3-17 in conference play, dead last in the Big Ten, and in the first year under coach Dusty May, the Big Ten tournament champs are headed to the Sweet 16–in their first tournament in three seasons.
Michigan Wolverines Big-Time Game from Unlikely Source Vs Texas A&M….
In round one against UC San Diego, the Wolverines built a big lead, then almost gave it away late. Saturday, they played the opposite role, mounting a second-half comeback and holding off a late push from A&M before sealing the deal at the free throw line for 91-79 victory.
Not many people favored Michigan in this one–they came in as 2.5-point underdogs–and to be fair, it took a season-best performance for junior transfer Roddy Gayle. On only 14 shots, his 26 points off the bench led all Wolverines. He made 4 of 6 threes (the rest of the team made 2 of 16) and went 8-8 from the line.
His performance earned Gayle the on-court interview postgame, where he cited “unbelievable confidence” as the driving factor in the upset. “We’re clicking at the right time,” he said, “we’re growing. We’re very scary.”
In the Elite Eight, Michigan will likely be underdogs again versus either Creighton or Auburn. This team may have reached its ceiling with a Sweet 16 berth, but then again, few gave them a favorable shot at winning one game, let alone two. If they want to keep their run alive, they will have to prove wrong again a wall of doubters.
…And Typical Production from Familiar Faces
Gayle, an Ohio State transfer in his first year at Michigan, wasn’t the only one who shone on the brightest stage. Center Vlad Goldin, who came over from Florida Atlantic with coach May, also balled out in the biggest game of his Michigan career.
Despite Texas A&M’s overall size, the Wolverines boasted a frontcourt advantage with 7-footers Goldin and Danny Wolf. Goldin dominated the paint on both ends of the floor to finish with 23 points, 3 blocks, and 12 rebounds, including 5 offensive.
Wolf contributed 14 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. He also notched 3 rejections and 5 offensive boards. As a team, Michigan outrebounded the Aggies 48 to 39. They also limited their turnovers, a costly bugaboo for the Wolverines all season, to only 9.
But Gayle’s heroics ultimately stole the show, as fans began chanting “Roddy, Roddy” in the postgame celebration. For Gayle, who lost his starting job midway through the season and was much-maligned for cold shooting and sloppy giveaways, it was a full-circle moment.
Former Michigan coach John Beilein, at the helm from 2007-08 through 2018-19, congratulated the program on social media:
Before 2013 Michigan MBB had not gone to Sweet 16 in 19 years. Now it’s what we do ! Yes, we are a Blue Blood in Men’s Basketball again! Congrats to everyone who is a part of 2025 @umichbball #goblue https://t.co/RFtDXV2tDQ
— John Beilein (@JohnBeilein) March 23, 2025
When Michigan reaches the tournament, they tend to stick around. In 12 of their now 13 appearances this century, they have won at least one game. They have won at least two 9 times, including their last five trips. They will look to push the envelope further in their unlikely pursuit of the program’s first title since 1989 when they face the winner of Tigers-Blue Jays next week.
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