Michigan Basketball Makes Big Ten History
The improbable tournament run for the No. 11 seed Michigan Wolverines continues on into the Sweet Sixteen, after defeating No. 3 Tennessee by a score of 76-68. The Wolverines were led by Hunter Dickinson, who dominated the second half and finished the evening with a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds.
With the win, Michigan has now made five consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen - a new record for a Big Ten program.
In addition to Dickinson's stellar play, Michigan got 23 points in some very big moments from veteran guard Eli Brooks. Following the win, head coach Juwan Howard reflected on just how important Brooks is to the success of the program.
"I always said Xavier Simpson was one of the best leaders to ever put on a Michigan uniform, but I also have to give that, 1A, 1B, to Eli Brooks," said Howard. "He's everything when it comes to being a Michigan man, what he's done on the floor, what he's done off the floor, with his development, growing as a man, being able to adjust to different cultures, Coach Beilein and now myself. We've been together for three years, and this young man earned the right to be a captain at the University of Michigan because of the way I've seen him and his growth.
"It's going to be tough to replace a guy like that. He's irreplaceable."
The Wolverines are now off to San Antonio where they await the winner of Sunday's matchup between No. 2 Villanova and No. 7 Ohio State.
