Mar 14, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images DENVER — For the first time in three years, Michigan plays in the NCAA Tournament and their opponent is here for the first time.
Michigan was given the No. 5 seed in the South Region, a position that has been historically vulnerable to upsets against the 12th seed in the first round.
The Wolverines (25-9) are coming off an unlikely run to the Big Ten Tournament championship and head to Denver with momentum against the No. 14 UC San Diego Tritons on Thursday night. UC San Diego can share a few stories about momentum. The Tritons haven’t lost since Jan. 18.
“It’s every kid’s dream to play in March Madness. It was top of my list of the things that I wrote down when I was a little kid,” Wolverines senior Will Tschetter said. “I’m super thankful that dream is about to come true.”
Michigan accomplished it in coach Dusty May’s first year in the job after getting lured away from Florida Atlantic. He orchestrated the Wolverines’ turnaround from an 8-24 campaign under Juwan Howard a year ago to finish second in the Big Ten and a trip back to the NCAA Tournament.
Vladislav Goldin, who transferred from FAU with May, leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points a game and junior Danny Wolf is second with 13.1 points per game and also leads the Wolverines in rebounding with 9.8.
Junior guard Tre Donaldson, with 11.6 points a game, is the only other Michigan player scoring in double figures.
UC San Diego (30-4), one of the hottest teams in the nation, is making its first appearance in the tournament in its first year of eligibility. The Tritons have won 15 in a row, including the Big West tournament, to claim that conference’s automatic bid.
The NCAA required UCSD to wait five years to be eligible following its move to Division I. Coach Eric Olen built the team with help from the transfer portal by bringing in three Division II players – guards Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, Tyler McGhie and Hayden Gray.
The trio leads UC San Diego in scoring. Tait-Jones is averaging 19.5 points a game, McGhie had 15 games with at least four 3-pointers but was 3-for-16 behind the arc in the Big West tournament. He scores 16.4 per game and Gray averages 11.2 points and is a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honors.
McGhie leads the Tritons with 295 attempts from 3-point range while Tait-Jones does his damage inside the arc and frequently attacks the paint.
“It’s my background coming from New Zealand,” Tait-Jones, who grew up playing rugby and had both parents play for the national netball teams, told The Athletic. “We’re tough down there. We’re strong. With rugby, I’m used to taking heavy knocks. Just being a dog.”
UC San Diego will have to rely on its matchup zone to counter the Wolverines’ size; the Tritons don’t have a rotational player taller than 6-8, but they aren’t fazed by challenges. Also, UC San Diego is tied for the national lead in fewest turnovers per game at 8.7. Michigan (14.1) is one of the worst teams in the nation at protecting the ball.
“We all have a point to prove,” Tait-Jones said. “A lot of the guys weren’t heavily recruited. Now that we get to play on the stage in front of all these people and make the noise that we’re making, I think we just want to keep winning and keep proving people wrong.”
–Michael Kelly, Field Level Media
