March Madness Controversy: Michigan’s Stunning Big Ten Title Run Met with Disrespectful No. 5 Seed

After an impressive run through the Big Ten Tournament, securing wins over Purdue, Maryland, and Wisconsin, Michigan was seemingly poised for a favorable NCAA Tournament seed. Instead, the selection committee handed the Wolverines a No. 5 seed—placing them in the South Region alongside the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Auburn. For a team that had just beaten multiple highly-ranked opponents and stacked up an impressive résumé, the decision felt more like a slight than a reward.

Despite more Quad 1 wins (12) than all but three teams in the entire field, Michigan was seeded lower than every opponent it defeated during its championship run. This included Wisconsin, which the Wolverines beat twice, yet the Badgers landed a No. 3 seed. Similarly, Maryland and Purdue were both given No. 4 seeds despite Michigan holding superior wins above bubble (WAB) and Quad 1 records. To add to the confusion, St. John’s, which had only six Quad 1 victories—half of Michigan’s total—was granted a No. 2 seed.

This discrepancy raises a major question: Was Michigan’s seeding predetermined before the Big Ten title game even tipped off? Selection committee chairman Bubba Cunningham denied that was the case, explaining that contingency brackets were prepared depending on whether Michigan or Wisconsin won. However, the final placement does little to reflect the Wolverines’ late-season surge or their superior metrics.

With a WAB ranking of 10—better than Wisconsin (11)—and five more Quad 1 wins than both Maryland and Wisconsin, Michigan’s seeding defies conventional logic. If performance-based metrics truly mattered, the Wolverines should have been seeded closer to a No. 3 or 4, not dropped to a No. 5. The committee’s decision suggests that Michigan’s fate was sealed before their championship victory, leaving fans and analysts alike questioning the fairness of the process.