'March Roddy Gayle' Shows up Again for Michigan in Win Over Howard

Michigan basketball senior forward Roddy Gayle Jr. is developing a nickname for his elevated play in the month of March, with many dubbing him as "March Roddy Gayle."

The nickname comes from Gayle seeming to take his already solid game to another level once the Wolverines get to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Gayle had a strong tournament and helped the Wolverines advance to the Sweet 16, highlighted by his 26-point performance against Texas A&M in last year's Round of 32 game.

On Thursday, Gayle put together another stellar performance in an NCAA Tournament game in Michigan's victory over 16-seeded Howard, scoring 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

After the game, Michigan head coach Dusty May was asked why Gayle seems to thrive in NCAA Tournament game.

Roddy Gayle Jr. speaks — Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) speaks to the media after a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Howard Bison at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

May on Gayle

"He was awesome," May said about Gayle's performance against the Bison. "I thought his cutting in the first half—his rim pressure really helped us offensively. And then he shot great threes, they looked good, he shot it with confidence. I like March Roddy."

May said Gayle's willingness to work hard every day puts his in a position to have the type of performance he has against the Bison.

"Confidence, belief, situation, opportunity," May said. "It's not as if this month signifies anything. I thought against Purdue, his first shot was 9/10's of the way down, it somehow squirted out. So, the game usually rewards guys that keep showing up with a great attitude and effort, and that's Roddy Gayle."

Gayle is a New York native and is back in his home state for the weekend as the Wolverines are in Buffalo for these first two games of the tournament.

With plenty of family in attendance, Gayle did not disappoint as he explained why he feels he is able to elevate his game in the postseason.

"I just think it's desperation man," said Gayle. "Win or lose, loser goes home. Obviously, with it being my senior year, my goal is to make it to the championship game and win. I think that's every single one of our goals when we were meeting together in the summer time. I would say there's no change—I just look at it like a new season—no stats, no percentages just go out there and play free, play hard for each other."

The Wolverines take the floor in the Round of 32 on Saturday against the winner of St. Louis and Georgia at a time to be determined.

Roddy Gayle Jr. dribbles — Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) dribbles against Howard guard Ose Okojie (11) during the first half of NCAA Tournament First Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images