Michigan will play Houston on Saturday in Wichita. The Wolverines advanced by beating Montana, and Rob Gray’s buzzer-beater lifted the Cougars.
Free Press sports writer Nick Baumgardner breaks down Saturday’s West Region second round game between No. 3 seed Michigan vs. No. 6 Houston.
Records: No. 3 Michigan (29-7,13-5 Big Ten); No. 6 Houston (27-7,14-4 AAC).
Fast facts: About 9:40 p.m. Saturday (TBS) at Intrust Bank Arena; Wichita, Kan. Winner advances to Sweet 16 in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Tournament record: 55-26,27 years (last appearance, 2017).
Scoring: Team (74.1); Moritz Wagner 14.3, Charles Matthews 12.8, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman 12.6, Duncan Robinson 9.5, Zavier Simpson 7.4
Rebounds: Team (33.4); Wagner 7.1, Matthews 5.6, Abdur-Rahkman 3.9, Jon Teske 3.4, Simpson, 3.1
Assists/turnovers: Team (529/334); Abdur-Rahkman 118/26, Simpson 131/48.
3-pointers: Team (.368); Robinson 70, Abdur-Rahkman 65, Wagner 54, Jordan Poole 37, Matthews 30.
Last 10: 10-0.
Overview: Michigan’s back in the second round after a 14-point win over Montana on Thursday night in Wichita. Should the Wolverines win Saturday’s game, they’ll advance to their fourth Sweet 16 under John Beilein. That would tie Beilein with Steve Fisher for most all-time at Michigan.
More: Michigan basketball ends wait, wins ugly game with beautiful defense
Tournament record: 26-24,20 years (last appearance, 2010).
Scoring: Team (77.1); Rob Gray 19.2, Corey Davis Jr. 13.4, Devin Davis 10.7, Armoni Brooks 9.5, Wes VanBeck 6.2.
Rebounds: Team (38.6); Devin Davis 6.2, Breaon Brady 4.2, Nura Zanna 3.9, Fabian White Jr. 3.9, Brooks 3.7.
Assists/turnovers: Team 497/408; Gray 145/76 Galen Robinson Jr. 127/58.
3-pointers: Team (.387); Corey Davis Jr. 102, Brooks 82, Gray 57, VanBeck 34, Gabe Grant 10.
Last 10: 8-2
Overview: Former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson has Houston back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010. The Cougars earned their first tournament win since 1984 with a 67-65 victory over San Diego State on Thursday night behind Rob Gray’s 39 points.
Nick Baumgardner’s pick: Michigan 65, Houston 62
Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBaumgardner. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!
