Michigan
UMBC/Howard
Wolverines Await First Four Winner to Open NCAA Tournament
3/16/2026 4:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Big Ten regular-season champion and third-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (31-3, 19-1 Big Ten) earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional and will open NCAA Tournament play Thursday (March 19) in Buffalo, N.Y., against the First Four winner between No. 16 seeds UMBC and Howard. The Retrievers and Bison will meet Tuesday (March 17) in Dayton, Ohio, with the winner advancing to face the Wolverines in the first round. U-M's game will tip off at KeyBank Center at 7:10 p.m., and will be televised on CBS with Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce on the call.
Notes
• Michigan earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, marking the fourth No. 1 seed in program history and the first since 2021. The Wolverines' previous top seeds came in 1985 (Southeast), 1993 (West) and 2021 (East).
• U-M will face the winner of Tuesday's First Four matchup between No. 16 seeds UMBC and Howard.
• Howard enters the NCAA Tournament with a 23-10 overall record after finishing 11-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Bison claimed both the MEAC regular-season and tournament titles, defeating North Carolina Central, 70-63, in the championship game.
• UMBC brings a 24-8 record into the tournament after going 14-2 in America East play. The Retrievers swept the regular-season and tournament championships, securing the league's automatic bid with a 74-59 win over Vermont.
• Michigan enters the tournament riding the longest second-weekend streak in program history, having reached the Sweet 16 in six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024, 2025).
• Since 2013, Michigan has advanced to eight Sweet 16s, tied with Duke for the second-most nationally during that span. Gonzaga (nine) is the only program with more.
• Michigan has reached the Final Four eight times (1964, 1965, 1976, 1989, 1992*, 1993*, 2013, 2018) and has appeared in the national championship game seven times. The Wolverines' most recent Final Four appearances came in 2013 and 2018 under John Beilein, with Michigan finishing as the national runner-up both seasons.
• During Michigan's famed "Shock the World" run in 1989, the Wolverines captured the program's only national championship when Rumeal Robinson sank two free throws with three seconds remaining to secure an 80-79 overtime victory against Seton Hall. Glen Rice was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring an NCAA Tournament record 184 points (30.6 ppg) during the six-game run.
• With its 84-70 win at No. 10 Illinois (Feb. 27), Michigan secured the 2026 Big Ten regular-season championship outright, its first since 2020-21. The title marked the program's ninth outright Big Ten title and 16th overall.
• Michigan earned the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth time and, with the event expanded to all 18 teams in 2026, received its first triple bye into the quarterfinals. The Wolverines advanced to the championship game for the second straight season and seventh time overall (4-3 record) before falling to Purdue.
• Michigan collected 15 postseason honors from the Big Ten, highlighted by Yaxel Lendeborg being named Big Ten Player of the Year. A unanimous media selection, he became the first Wolverine to win the award since Trey Burke (2013) and Nik Stauskas (2014). Lendeborg also became the program's 28th first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media.
• Aday Mara was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media. He became just the second Wolverine to win the award, joining Gary Grant (1986, 1987).
• Dusty May was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media, becoming the sixth coach in program history to earn the honor and the third to win the media award.
• Michigan (31-3) has produced one of the most dominant seasons in program history, recording 24 wins by double digits -- including 14 by 20+ points, 10 by 30+ points and seven by 40+ points, a Big Ten record.
• The Wolverines set both a program and Big Ten record with 19 conference wins, becoming the first Big Ten team to reach 19 league victories since the conference moved to a 20-game schedule in 2018-19. Michigan closed the regular season by winning its final 15 conference games en route to the title.
