Michigan State opens against No. 15 Bryant on Friday (10 p.m., TBS) while Michigan (25-9) earned a No. 5 seed in the same region and will face No. 12 UC San Diego on Thursday (10 p.m., TBS) in Denver.

Yet, Michigan basketball took the Big Ten conference tournament title and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament beginning this week. On Thursday they get to play UC San Diego (30-4), which was one of the hottest-shooting teams in the country from the Big West Conference.

The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team makes its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022 on Thursday when it takes on the UC San Diego Tritons in a first-round matchup in the South region.

In its last game, Michigan won 59-53 over Wisconsin on Sunday, March 16. Tre Donaldson led the team with 11 points. UCSD won its last game against UC Irvine 75-61 on Saturday, March 15, led by Hayden Gray's 22 points in the winning effort.

The No. 5 seed Wisconsin Badgers (26-8) and the No. 3 seed Michigan Wolverines (24-9) will meet in the Big Ten Tournament final on Sunday.