The Michigan basketball programs are having a memorable March Madness. Michigan's men's and women's basketball teams are both in the Elite Eight this season. It is a historic campaign for the Wolverines.
“Michigan is the third DI school to have both its women's and men's teams win their first three games of the NCAA Tournament by 10+ points in the same year,” the X account OptaSTATS reported. “The other schools to do so were UConn (and) Oklahoma, both in 2009.”
The Michigan men are a no. 1 seed in March Madness. The Wolverines are playing on Sunday against Tennessee, with a chance to reach the Final Four for the first time under head coach Dusty May. May previously took Florida Atlantic to the national semi-finals in 2023.
The Michigan women's basketball team is a no. 2 seed this season in March Madness. The women's team defeated Louisville on Saturday, 71-52. Michigan advanced to the Elite Eight with that victory.
“This sophomore class, they bought into that vision,” Michigan women's basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico said, per ESPN. “In this landscape of college athletics — with the transfer portal and NIL — we've got ourselves some old-school people who are really buying into development. Who still believes in that? I'm a lucky coach, because I have a group of young women that really, truly do.”
The Michigan women's basketball team plays no. 1 seed Texas on Monday. The winner moves on to the Final Four. Michigan's women's team has never made a Final Four in school history.
“We're so connected, and it's the whole team really,” Michigan women's basketball star Olivia Olson said. “It's just the Michigan culture. We have a lot of people that flew in for this game, and it means a lot to us to be able to play in front of them.”
The Wolverines' men's team last made the Final Four in 2018, under former coach John Beilein. Michigan lost to Villanova in the national championship game that season.
