Wolverines to Open NCAA Tournament against Colorado State

» No. 11 seed Michigan opens its NCAA Tournament with No. 6 seed Colorado State
» U-M heads back to Indianapolis for the second straight NCAA year and week after playing in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
» Sophomore Hunter Dickinson leads the Wolverines in scoring (18.3 points per game) and rebounding (8.3 rebounds per game).
» If the Wolverines are victorious, they will face the winner of No. 3 Tennessee and No. 14 Longwood.

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The University of Michigan men's basketball team, who earned a No. 11 seed for the NCAA Tournament, begins its postseason against No. 6 seed Colorado State on Thursday (March 17) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tipoff against the Rams is set for 12:15 p.m. on the CBS with Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Jim Spanarkel (analyst) and Jamie Erdahl (sideline) on the call. If the Wolverines are victorious, they would advance to play the winner of No. 3 seed Tennessee and No. 14 seed Longwood.

Quick Maize & Blue NCAA Notables

• The Wolverines have reached the Sweet 16 in four consecutive tournaments (2017, '18, '19, '21). Michigan is one of just two programs, along with Gonzaga, to reach four-straight Sweet 16s. Since 2013, the Maize and Blue has reached the Sweet 16 six times, tied for the most in the country with the Zags.
• U-M has reached the Elite Eight four times since 2013, tied for the most in the country with Duke, Gonzaga and Kentucky.
• Since 2013, Michigan has 21 NCAA Tournament wins, more than any other program. Gonzaga has 20 NCAA Tournament wins since 2013 while Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Villanova each have 18.
• Juwan Howard is the only coach and player to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. As a player with U-M, he and the rest of the Fab Five were the No. 1 seed in the West Region in the 1993 tournament. After guiding his Wolverines to the Big Ten regular season title last season, his U-M squad earned the No. 1 seed in the East Region.

The No. 24 Colorado State Rams

• Colorado State earned the No. 6 seed to the big dance after posting a 25-5 overall record and a runner-up finish in the Mountain West (14-4). The Rams advanced to the Mountain West Tournament semifinal where they lost to SDSU.
• Colorado State was one of three Mountain West teams selected to the NCAA Tournament; regular season and tournament champion No. 8 seed Boise State (West) and No. 8 seed SDSU (Midwest) were also selected.
• Colorado State started the season winning its first 11 games and 16-of-17. The Rams had key non-conference wins vs. No. 9 seed (Midwest) Creighton (W, 95-81; Nov. 21), No. 5 seed (East) Saint Mary's (W, 74-58; Dec. 4) & and Mississippi State (W, 66-63; Dec. 11).
• In conference play, Colorado State beat Mountain West champion Boise State twice in the regular season, but suffered two losses to UNLV and at SDSU -- both of whom U-M beat during the regular season. The Rams' fourth loss was in overtime at Wyoming.
• Colorado State is led by Mountain West Player of the Year and first team selection David Roddy. The junior forward leads the team in scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.6 rpg).
• Roddy posted 27 double-figure games with 14 20-plus and three 30-plus including a season-best 36 vs. Creighton (Nov. 21). He has eight double-doubles and leads the Rams with 45 three-pointers.
• Roddy is shooting 57.4 percent from the field (217-for-378) and adds a team-best 33 blocks and ranks second in steals (35) and assists (85). He has made 103 free throws (103-for-148; 69.6 percent), which is more than any other Ram has even attempted.
• All-Mountain West second teamer Isaiah Stevens is second on Colorado State with 14.0 points per game and a team-best 143 assists (4.8 apg). The junior guard shoots a team-best 90.2 percent from the free throw line (83-for-92). His 41 three-pointers is second on the Rams.
• Adding to the backcourt, junior guard John Tonje averages 9.4 points and3.0 rebounds per game and has 32 three-pointers.

A Maize & Blue Tie

Colorado State Director of Athletics Joe Parker was a three-time All-American swimmer at Michigan where he also was named a captain. Parker returned to U-M where he worked for eight years (2003-11) as an associate athletics director for development before being promoted to senior associate athletics director for development and corporate relations in 2006. He helped with a $400 million project to help renovate Michigan's "Big House," which is the largest football stadium in the nation.

Up Next

(if win), Saturday, March 19 -- vs. No. 3 seed Tennessee or No. 14 seed Longwood (Indianapolis, Ind.)