"For the 2nd time in 3 seasons, Juwan Howard failed to win 20 games" - March Madness continues as the world reacts to 2nd-seeded Villanova sending Michigan packing
The Michigan Wolverines looked like a Cinderella team in the NCAA Tournament. That was until they ran into the Villanova Wildcats on Thursday night in San Antonio, Texas.
After a pair of upset victories in the first two rounds of March Madness, the Wolverines came up short against Villanova 63-55.
It was a disappointing result for Michigan, who fought back to make it a close game in the final minutes of the game. The unranked Wolverines rallied from second-half deficits in their first two tournament games but couldn't do so Thursday.
After a rollercoaster season for Juwan Howard and Michigan, they made an impressive run in the NCAA Tournament. For a team that was on the bubble to get in the tournament, Michigan (19-15) made the school's fifth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. It's not often a No. 11 seed wins a pair of games to start out March Madness, and the Wolverines almost made it three in a row.
For the second time in three seasons Juwan Howard failed to win 20 games.
Tom Izzo has won 20+ games in 16 of the last 18 seasons.
Villanova sends Michigan home after Sweet 16 victory
The Villanova Wildcats, ranked sixth and seeded No. 2 in the South, have found themselves moving on to another Elite Eight – the 15th in school history. Coach Jay Wright has been one of the most dominant coaches in March Madness, winning it all in 2016 and 2018.
College basketball fans know Villanova doesn't usually feature a ton of star power. This year's team is no different, as the Wildcats have a number of veterans who continue to push the needle forward.
Credit to Mark Few and Juwan Howard for overcoming all the distractions and adversity they faced all year to get their teams to this point, both programs' Sweet 16 streaks are still alive and that's what matters most
(2016 & 2018)
Villanova is going back to the Elite Eight for the 3rd time in the last 6 seasons!
The other 2 appearances? They won the national championship 👀 (2016 & 2018) https://t.co/6qTmD3DOO6
The basketball world continues to be amazed at how efficient Villanova (29-7) has been in its playing style. For Wright, this will be the third time in the last six seasons that Villanova has found itself in the Elite Eight.
Attitude https://t.co/ZMIXrojUzz
Villanova doesn't have any flashy potential first-round NBA draft prospects in 2022, but they continue to be one of the nation's toughest opponents.
One of the team's top performers against Michigan was senior Jermaine Samuels. The 6-foot-7 forward finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Villanova will await the winner between the Arizona Wildcats and Houston Cougars, played later Thursday, also in San Antonio. Arizona (33-3), ranked second, is the top seed in the South, and Houston (31-5) is ranked fifth and a No. 5 seed.
The Elite Eight matchup will be Saturday.
Villanova one win away from its third Final Four in the last 6 NCAA tournaments.
The program of culture.
An impressive performance and a tough physical battle from a talented @umichbball team - Congrats to @JuwanHoward and his staff on a great season .
Juwan Howard in the postgame handshake line https://t.co/XinuNCK4cm