Roar Reaction: Michigan Suffers Upset Loss to Seton Hall
What Happened
And just like that, we have had three top 15 upsets within two days in college basketball, including two on Tuesday night. Of those two was a stunner in the top five, as the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines blew a second half lead to fall at home to unranked Seton Hall, 67-65, for their first loss. Jared Rhoden had 16 points to lead the Pirates, who got their first road win over a nonconference top five team, and their first win over a top five team in general since beating Temple in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The now 3-0 Pirates trailed by as many as 11 points on the road before storming back, taking the lead with 1:15 left for the first time since the first half. The Wolverines sealed their loss when Terrance Williams missed the first of two free throws with 0.8 seconds on the clock.
What We Saw
The Wolverines had plenty of opportunities in the first and second halves to pull away and put this one away, as the Pirates kept that door open by shooting under 40% for most of the night. Last year’s team would’ve probably build a 20 point lead by the second half, and the main difference is the three-point shooting. Michigan just doesn’t have that like they use to, and definitely didn’t have it on this night, going just 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. A more efficient line there prevents any form of Pirate comeback. The paint play continues to be the strong suit of this team thanks to Hunter Dickinson, who had 18 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Oh, and the most frustrating critique in all of sports that remains true: hit your free throws.
What’s Next
The Wolverines will have to bounce back with a late night showdown on Friday night/Saturday morning (12:30am) against UNLV.