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DENVER — Danny Wolf was in the midst of filling up a bag of popcorn in the atrium at Ball Arena when a smile slowly crept across his face.
Wolf, a Michigan basketball star who has designs on leading the Wolverines on a postseason run this March, was discussing what it’s like to be an NCAA tournament giant-slayer. Around this time last year, his 13th-seeded Yale Bulldogs upset Tre Donaldson and 4-ssed Auburn in a first-round game out west.
Though he’s now a projected first-round NBA selection and playing for the favorite, Wolf knows the feeling of being David trying to slay an NCAA Goliath — the mentality Michigan expects from UC San Diego ahead of Thursday’s first-round matchup (10 p.m., TBS) at Ball Arena.
PROS AND CONS: 2 reasons Michigan basketball will win, lose opening round of March Madness
“They’re playing with house money, nothing to lose,” Wolf said of UCSD's vibe. “Nobody really expects much from you, and everybody wants to see you win. Coach May made a great point, it was like when you’re at a mid-major, it becomes a de facto home game for you wherever you are; fans love to see the upset.
“We have to give respect to UCSD, but once the game starts, we just gotta really focus on ourselves and not overlook anyone.”
Michigan head coach Dusty May called UC San Diego “underseeded” — a sentiment Tritons coach Eric Olen shared when discussing the Wolverines as a Big Ten Tournament champion who somehow ended as a 5-seed.
Either way, the bracket is what it is.
BANNER: When giving credit for Michigan basketball turnaround, don't forget AD Warde Manuel
This isn't merely Olen's first time in March Madness at college hoops' top level; his entire team is making its postseason debut, as UCSD moved up from Division II in 2020 — this is the first year the Tritons are NCAA-eligible.
Now, they're well aware of the Cinderella moniker being put on them ... and are ready to embrace it.
"Yeah, it's awesome. We grew up watching this tournament,” guard Hayden Gray said. “It's the best tournament in sports. To be able to do it in the Nuggets' arena on such a big stage, it's a blessing. Regarding the Cinderella role, I think we have what it takes to make that happen, but we've just got to take it day by day and just keep the same process that we've had.”
Wolf, of course, is far from the only Wolverine to have gone through that experience. Rubin Jones was a freshman at North Texas in 2021 when the 13th-seeded Mean Green upset 4-seed Purdue, a memory that remains near the top of Jones’s college highlights.
Though Jones didn’t play in the matchup, he can still feel the mentality his team entered with.
“You go in there like, ‘Everybody thinks we’re going to lose this game,’ so you go in that game with a little more juice,” Jones told the Free Press on Wednesday. “It’s just confidence because you’re playing in March, you’re playing a big school and all eyes are on you.”
Of course, the Wolverines have a slightly more notable former mid-major duo in May and star center Vlad Goldin. Together, the duo made a run to the Final Four in 2023 with 8-seed Florida Atlantic, knocking off a 2- and 3-seed along the way.
May said Wednesday that the later it got in those games against top teams, the better his Owls felt. They could almost feel the higher-seeded team getting tight, hoping to avoid mistakes.
That’s exactly how May does not want his team to play.
“We want to make sure just because we're that Power Five team or whatever you want to call it, that we don't fall into that trap,” May said. “It's March Madness; everyone is going to love the Cinderella. This is a very, very popular upset pick for a reason: Because they're really, really good.”
Wolf made sure to share specifics from Yale's stunner in 2024 with his new team — how the Bulldogs entered the game with hope, but once they saw shots going, they got “unreal confidence,” according to Roddy Gayle Jr.
Momentum can begin to snowball against bigger teams in the tournament, with the crowd getting behind the little guy if it starts hitting 3s, or the big guy starts committing turnovers.
“It’s a huge opportunity for them," Jones said. "March is full of upsets and as the high-major school, the big school, you don’t want to be that team but you’re not trying to play to not be that team. We’re going to play to win like we’ve been doing all year. You don’t want to play scared, don’t want to overthink nothing, just go in and play your game.
“It’s another team, you’ve got to respect them, but we need to go in there, handle business.”
UCSD, meanwhile, has been waiting a long time for this chance. After two seasons of no postseason eligiblity, and with a roster full of seniors, it felt like now or never for this group laying the foundation of a program on the rise.
Even though they’ve become a popular upset pick, few paid attention to the Tritons all year. Heck, as far as their stars are concerned, nobody’s known about them ever. That, they say, fuels them.
“I think we've all been overlooked,” Gray said. “I know I didn't have a Division I offer out of high school. ... I don't think it's a sign of disrespect.
“We look at it as more motivation. But yeah, we know what we're capable of, for sure.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball stars well-versed in underdog end of March Madness
Continue reading...
Wolf, a Michigan basketball star who has designs on leading the Wolverines on a postseason run this March, was discussing what it’s like to be an NCAA tournament giant-slayer. Around this time last year, his 13th-seeded Yale Bulldogs upset Tre Donaldson and 4-ssed Auburn in a first-round game out west.
Though he’s now a projected first-round NBA selection and playing for the favorite, Wolf knows the feeling of being David trying to slay an NCAA Goliath — the mentality Michigan expects from UC San Diego ahead of Thursday’s first-round matchup (10 p.m., TBS) at Ball Arena.
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PROS AND CONS: 2 reasons Michigan basketball will win, lose opening round of March Madness
“They’re playing with house money, nothing to lose,” Wolf said of UCSD's vibe. “Nobody really expects much from you, and everybody wants to see you win. Coach May made a great point, it was like when you’re at a mid-major, it becomes a de facto home game for you wherever you are; fans love to see the upset.
“We have to give respect to UCSD, but once the game starts, we just gotta really focus on ourselves and not overlook anyone.”
Michigan head coach Dusty May called UC San Diego “underseeded” — a sentiment Tritons coach Eric Olen shared when discussing the Wolverines as a Big Ten Tournament champion who somehow ended as a 5-seed.
Either way, the bracket is what it is.
BANNER: When giving credit for Michigan basketball turnaround, don't forget AD Warde Manuel
This isn't merely Olen's first time in March Madness at college hoops' top level; his entire team is making its postseason debut, as UCSD moved up from Division II in 2020 — this is the first year the Tritons are NCAA-eligible.
Now, they're well aware of the Cinderella moniker being put on them ... and are ready to embrace it.
"Yeah, it's awesome. We grew up watching this tournament,” guard Hayden Gray said. “It's the best tournament in sports. To be able to do it in the Nuggets' arena on such a big stage, it's a blessing. Regarding the Cinderella role, I think we have what it takes to make that happen, but we've just got to take it day by day and just keep the same process that we've had.”
Wolf, of course, is far from the only Wolverine to have gone through that experience. Rubin Jones was a freshman at North Texas in 2021 when the 13th-seeded Mean Green upset 4-seed Purdue, a memory that remains near the top of Jones’s college highlights.
Though Jones didn’t play in the matchup, he can still feel the mentality his team entered with.
“You go in there like, ‘Everybody thinks we’re going to lose this game,’ so you go in that game with a little more juice,” Jones told the Free Press on Wednesday. “It’s just confidence because you’re playing in March, you’re playing a big school and all eyes are on you.”
Of course, the Wolverines have a slightly more notable former mid-major duo in May and star center Vlad Goldin. Together, the duo made a run to the Final Four in 2023 with 8-seed Florida Atlantic, knocking off a 2- and 3-seed along the way.
May said Wednesday that the later it got in those games against top teams, the better his Owls felt. They could almost feel the higher-seeded team getting tight, hoping to avoid mistakes.
That’s exactly how May does not want his team to play.
You must be registered for see images attach
“We want to make sure just because we're that Power Five team or whatever you want to call it, that we don't fall into that trap,” May said. “It's March Madness; everyone is going to love the Cinderella. This is a very, very popular upset pick for a reason: Because they're really, really good.”
Wolf made sure to share specifics from Yale's stunner in 2024 with his new team — how the Bulldogs entered the game with hope, but once they saw shots going, they got “unreal confidence,” according to Roddy Gayle Jr.
Momentum can begin to snowball against bigger teams in the tournament, with the crowd getting behind the little guy if it starts hitting 3s, or the big guy starts committing turnovers.
“It’s a huge opportunity for them," Jones said. "March is full of upsets and as the high-major school, the big school, you don’t want to be that team but you’re not trying to play to not be that team. We’re going to play to win like we’ve been doing all year. You don’t want to play scared, don’t want to overthink nothing, just go in and play your game.
“It’s another team, you’ve got to respect them, but we need to go in there, handle business.”
You must be registered for see images attach
UCSD, meanwhile, has been waiting a long time for this chance. After two seasons of no postseason eligiblity, and with a roster full of seniors, it felt like now or never for this group laying the foundation of a program on the rise.
Even though they’ve become a popular upset pick, few paid attention to the Tritons all year. Heck, as far as their stars are concerned, nobody’s known about them ever. That, they say, fuels them.
“I think we've all been overlooked,” Gray said. “I know I didn't have a Division I offer out of high school. ... I don't think it's a sign of disrespect.
“We look at it as more motivation. But yeah, we know what we're capable of, for sure.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball stars well-versed in underdog end of March Madness
Continue reading...
