NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament: Oregon Up Next For Surging Wolverines

METRO DETROIT, MI — The University of Michigan’s improbable NCAA Tournament run continues Thursday evening as the Wolverines will face Oregon in the Midwest Region semifinal.

After winning the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan (26-11) pulled a huge upset of second-seeded Louisville on Sunday to punch its card to the Sweet 16. Oregon (31-5) defeated Rhode Island in the second round to advance. The winner of Thursday’s matchup will face the winner of Kansas and Purdue on Saturday for a berth into the Final Four.

The Wolverines will need another upset to keep its championship hopes alive. Oregon is the Midwest Region’s No. 3 seed and boasts talented players like forward Dillon Brooks and guard Tyler Dorsey. Michigan coach John Beilein said beating the Ducks will be a tall order.

“We got our hands full again with a great team but that’s the way it’s going to be when you’re down to 16 (teams),” Beilein said on WTKA’s “Michigan Insider” on Monday. The Detroit News reported that Brooks, a 6-7 junior, was Oregon’s key player all season and led the Ducks with a 16.4 points per game scoring average.

Dorsey, meanwhile, has heated up as of late for Oregon. In the Ducks’ past five games, the 6-4 guard has averaged more than 21 points. Dorsey dropped in 27 against Rhode Island, the Detroit News reported.

A number of players have stepped up for Michigan. It was Moritz Wagner’s turn on Sunday. He scored 26 points to help the Wolverines knockout Louisville, showing an impressive array of moves around the basket and even nailing a 3-pointer.

Guard Derrick Walton, Jr. has been spectacular at times and D.J. Wilson has been the rock of consistency, especially at the free throw line. He swished four straight from the charity stripe to seal the Wolverines victory over Louisville.

Watch Thursday’s game on WWJ-CBS 62 Detroit starting at 7:08 p.m.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images