UCSD looks to upset Michigan in March Madness debut
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UCSD's Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones is the team's leading scorer and Big West player of the year. Photo: Ian Maule/Getty Images
UC San Diego is coming for Michigan in the first round of March Madness — a matchup that has high upset potential.
Why it matters: The Tritons are looking for a historic win in the NCAA tournament in their first year of eligibility.
Driving the news: As a 12-seed, UCSD plays No. 5 Michigan on Thursday at 7pm at Ball Arena in Denver.
- Watch the game on TBS or at a local sports bar.
- Michigan is a 3.5-point favorite.
- On the women's side, UCSD faces Southern University in a First Four play-in game on Wednesday at 6pm.
Catch up quick: UCSD became a Division 1 program in 2020 when the university joined the Big West Conference, but NCAA rules prevented the teams from postseason play.
- In the first year of eligibility, both the men's and women's teams won their conference tournaments, earning automatic bids to the Big Dance.
- Now, the Tritons are looking to make history again with first-round wins.
State of play: UCSD (30-4) owned the Big West all season, ranked 35th overall in NET ratings, and is riding a 15-game win streak heading into the tournament.
- Senior and Big West player of the year Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones leads the team in scoring, averaging nearly 20 points per game. Seniors Tyler McGhie and Hayden Gray can hit threes when it matters. All three are D-II transfers.
- The team lacks size but their aggressive defense works and their turnover ratio is the best in the country. Gray, a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, leads the nation in steals.
The other side: Michigan (25-9) ranks 25 overall and has momentum after winning its fourth Big Ten Championship; snapping a three-game losing streak to close out the regular season. The storied program is on the rebound under head coach Dusty May, reaching the tourney for the first time since 2022.
- The Wolverines' two 7-footers, Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf, will give UCSD trouble near the rim. But Michigan has struggled with turnovers this season.
What's next: The winner of this game will advance to play the winner of No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale.
Between the lines: The Tritons' rise has been driven by heavily recruiting transfers, player development, and creating a competitive culture that's focused on long-term growth.
- Yes, but: That success and visibility make long-time coach Eric Olen a potential prospect for bigger, better programs that could lure him away with a seven-figure salary, per the Union-Tribune.
- UCSD's athletic department is also boosting its NIL prowess to retain and attract players, though the offers will likely be relatively modest at the elite research institution.
- Excitement for the team can also be felt on campus as game attendance has grown throughout the season, and Selection Sunday drew several hundred students to the arena during finals week.
The bottom line: "Our objective has always been to be a competitive, successful Division 1 program … and if we're successful within our conference that gives us the opportunity to be successful at the national level and competing in March Madness," athletic director Earl Edwards told Axios earlier this season.