Last season, the Big Ten had some of the best teams in college basketball. The conference was top-heavy, but they had more teams competing for a one-seed than any other conference. Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa were all high seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and they earned that right after elite regular seasons.
However, none of these teams reached the Final Four in 2021. In fact, Michigan was the only team from the Big Ten to make the Elite Eight. With a disappointing NCAA Tournament, every team in the conference will be looking to do better next year.
For the Wolverines, they would have to reach the Final Four to improve. How realistic is that? The Wolverines have +1400 odds to win it all, which is relatively favorable this early into the offseason. A lot has to be determined before we reach the NCAA Tournament, but Michigan is poised for another run.
Michigan has high hopes, and fans should be excited heading into the upcoming season. Here’s why the Wolverines have a solid chance to reach the Final Four despite failing to do so last year.
Michigan didn’t reach the Final Four last year, but they were one win away from doing so. After that type of run, players gain experience that carries beyond the season. That makes it easier to make it to the Final Four after a trip to the Elite Eight.
This only matters if you have some continuity on the roster. Thankfully for the Wolverines, they retain some of their best players from last year’s team. Hunter Dickinson led the team in scoring last year, and he will return for another season. At the center, he has a unique skill set that is hard to defend. He improved over the course of Michigan’s NCAA Tournament run, and he will continue to improve next year.
It will be hard to replace Franz Wagner, but Michigan has plenty of returning players this season. Retaining Dickinson was huge, but they also have depth pieces at every position from last year’s tournament run. Also, they added in a top transfer in DeVante Jones. He was a star for Coastal Carolina, and he looks to contribute early this year.
After going through last year, Michigan retains enough experienced players to make a deeper NCAA Tournament run.
In college basketball, we’ve seen more former players join the coaching ranks. This can help with recruiting and boosters, but it only works if the player can actually coach. One of the best success stories has easily been Juwan Howard returning to coach the Michigan Wolverines.
Howard was a part of the Fab Five, but that era of Michigan basketball fell by the wayside. Now, his presence brings an openness to the past. That brought support outside of the program, but it also helped him land high-level recruits.
Again, it all comes down to coaching the players on the roster. Howard has experience leading thanks to his career in the NBA, and his coaching talents translate well to the college game. Players respect him, and he is one of the best new coaching minds in college basketball. Thanks to him, Michigan landed a one-seed last year. It feels like it’s only a matter of time until they reach the Final Four, and it could be this season.
Howard deserves respect for his successes as a player and a coach for the Michigan Wolverines.
We see craziness every year, and this can deter some from placing wagers on blue-blood programs this early. However, it has its pros and cons. Michigan could be the best team in college basketball and be upset early in the NCAA Tournament. However, they could also be the UCLA of the tournament and make an unprecedented run to the Final Four.
At the end of the day, anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament. It comes down to who is tough, who has a favorable bracket and who is healthy. You can only guarantee one of these things so early, but Michigan is tough enough to reach the Final Four. If they can stay healthy and get a favorable bracket, they should be favorites to reach this milestone in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.