A clash between two of the top defensive teams in the nation and programs that are both in the Sweet 16 in consecutive seasons is set as No. 3-seeded Texas Tech takes on No. 2 Michigan at 6:39 p.m. (PT) on Thursday in the second West Region matchup of the day following No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 4 Florida State at the Honda Center. Thursday’s winners advance to the Elite Eight on Saturday and will be one more win away from the NCAA Final Four next week at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Red Raiders (28-6) have won 13 of their last 15 games are back in the Sweet 16 in consecutive years after advancing to the program’s first-ever Elite Eight last season, while the Wolverines (30-6) are making their third straight trip to the Sweet 16 and won the West Region last year. Tech advanced to Anaheim with wins over No. 14 Northern Kentucky and snapped a 13-game winning streak by No. 6 Buffalo in Tulsa and Michigan advanced with wins over No. 15 Montana and No. 10 Florida to set up Thursday’s matchup.
The Texas Tech-Michigan matchup puts together two of the top defenses in the nation, with the Wolverines second in the nation by limiting teams to 58.2 points per game and the Red Raiders third at 59.2. Tech is second nationally by limiting opponents to 36.8 percent shooting which is just behind Houston at 36.7 percent, while Michigan is 20th in the country by holding teams to 39.6 percent. In the national tournament, the Wolverines are holding teams to 52.0 points per game and 33.9 percent shooting and the Red Raiders are at 57.5 and 36.8 in their two wins.
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