The Michigan Insider

For this week's episode, Sam Webb was joined by Tim McCormick for a special LIVE edition of the Michigan Basketball Insider to recap the Wolverines run the Big Ten Tournament title, and preview the NCAA Tournament. They highlight the team's resilience, defensive improvements, and the play of Vlad Goldin, Danny Wolf, and Roddy Gayle. And they offered special praise for the clutch performances turned in by Tre Donaldson. Tim gives kudos to Dusty May and his staff for development of the team over the course of the season, and making the right adjustments at the end. Next, Tim takes a deep dive into scouting Michigan's first round opponent in the NCAA Tournament, UC San Diego. He predicts the Wolverines will win and face Texas A&M in the next round. He expressed confidence in Michigan's potential to reach the Sweet 16 and possibly the Elite Eight, with a potential matchup against Michigan State being a highlight.

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Ladies and Gentlemen. We made it. The all-encompassing NCAA Tournament preview that will take you from Dayton all the way to San Antonio. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander guide you through all 67 games and gives you an idea of the team that can win it all!

07:00 - South Region Breakdown

14:40 - Stay Or Hit Presented by Chumba Casino

19:00 - West Region Breakdown

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Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel made his way to The Michigan Insider studio Tuesday morning for his monthly exclusive 1-on-1 conversation with Sam Webb. He reflected upon the recent successes of the men's and women's basketball teams, highlighting the men's run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship. He expressed disappointment with Michigan's five seed in the NCAA Tournament, however, citing the importance of head-to-head records and the inconsistency in valuing non-conference games. Manuel also touched on the upcoming spring football season, emphasizing the ongoing importance of the spring game for fan engagement and potential revenue generation. He offered an update on the status of NCAA case and addressed (mainly from Ohio State circles and sites) of a pending postseason ban. The interview concludes with overall reflections upon the athletic department's success at large, including 52 championships in the last five years.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Alejandro Zúñiga break down the Michigan men’s basketball team’s surprising run in Indianapolis to win the 2025 Big Ten Tournament championship. 

In the episode, they offer their firsthand accounts from covering the weekend together, as well as their thoughts on:

-What clicked for Michigan that had been missing for the last month

-Who was the Wolverines’ most impressive player during the weekend

-Which game was Michigan’s best win

-Is Michigan back to its January form, or even better than before

-What to make of the Wolverines’ NCAA Tournament draw, including the seeding, date, matchup and location

On this week's edition of The Michigan Recruiting Insider Sam Webb and Brice Marich discussed 2026 wide receiver recruiting. Among the several key targets covered were Tristen Keys (#1 WR, #4 overall), Calvin Russell (#3 WR, #18 overall), CJ Sadler (#8 ATH, #79 overall), Nasir Rankin (#9 ATH, #82 overall), Davion Brown (#18 WR, #143 overall), Travis Johnson (#23 WR, #167 overall), Messiah Hampton (#30 WR , #193 overall), and Gordon Sellers (#41 WR). The discussion highlights upcoming spring visits and their importance in filtering genuine interest. They emphasize the importance of relationships, NIL, and the promise of a dynamic offense with freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood being a key attraction.

For this week's episode, Sam Webb was joined by Tim McCormick for a special LIVE edition of the Michigan Basketball Insider to preview Michigan's matchup with Purdue and the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. Sam and Tim recapped the Wolverines' recent struggles, losing four of their last six games. Tim notes Michigan's 14-win improvement from last year, but points out their issues with shooting (3/24 from three-point range in their last game), turnovers, and defensive rebounding. Tim suggests Michigan needs to play better defense and transition offense to boost their confidence. He also recalls his personal experience of regaining confidence through hard work after a disappointing game during his final season in Ann Arbor. Tim predicts a close game between Michigan and Purdue with the Maize & Blue prevailing, 75-70.

Sam Webb, Devin Gardner and Daniel Horton look towards the Big Ten Basketball Tournaments to see if the Michigan Men's and Women's basketball teams can reset their teams and their mental approaches and make deep runs through March. The episode begins, however, with conversation with Ann Arbor Sports Commission Director Meaghan Hughes and NAIA Sports Director Fred Aubuchon about the upcoming NAIA cheer and dance national championships March 28th-29th at Eastern Michigan’s Game Above Center. The discussion The discussion then turned to the Michigan women's and men's basketball teams. The women's team, despite losing key players and facing top-tier competition, showed promise, particularly against USC in the Big 10 tournament, where they led until the fourth quarter. The men's team, on the other hand, is struggling, losing four of their last six games, including three straight. They need to improve fundamentals like rebounding and ball handling. The conversation centered on the strategic decisions and challenges faced by a basketball team, particularly in tournament play versus conference play. Daniel and Devin debated the effectiveness of trigger plays versus set plays, noting that triggers are more effective in quick turnaround tournaments but can be predictable in conference play. They also discussed the team's reliance on flow basketball and the difficulty of balancing set plays. The conversation shifted to individual player performance, highlighting Tre Donaldson's struggles with shot making and defense, and the need for him to contribute more consistently. The segment concluded with a heated debate on LeBron James' reaction to Stephen A. Smith's comments about his son, Bronny, emphasizing the complexities of father-son dynamics in sports.

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In this episode of The Michigan Basketball Insider, Sam Webb and Tim McCormick discuss the Wolverines’ recent losses to Illinois and Maryland, focusing on several recurring issues for the team, but with an emphasis on whether it can get Vlad Goldin, Danny Wolf, and Tre Donaldson all playing well at the same time again. They reflected upon the huge disparity on offensive rebounds versus the Illini, the turnover woes versus the Terrapins, and the ongoing struggles from beyond the arc for the last month. Tim notes Michigan's sloppy ball handling, with 16 turnovers against Maryland leading to 21 points for the opposition… as the area U-M has got to tighten up now if it expects to get back on track. The conversation turns to Danny Wolf’s turnover issues and then to Tre Donaldson's role as floor leader in taking command, the need for him to be more aggressive and reduce turnovers. The episode concludes with a look ahead to Michigan’s rematch with Michigan State, and an optimistic outlook at the Maize & Blue’s potential in Big Ten tournament and beyond if their big three get back on track.

On this special edition of The Michigan Recruiting Insider, Sam Webb and Steve Lorenz discussed the commitment of White (Ga.) offensive lineman Bear McWhorter. Though ranked a three-star by 247, sources say the Michigan coaching view talented youngster as a top-five offensive lineman in the class. A former Arkansas commitment, McWhorter held offers from Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Penn State, Miami, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia, and host of others, but ultimately chose Michigan over Alabama. The reasons behind that decision and a detailed scouting report are highlighted in the episode.

The Recruiting Insider has a new official sponsor, Passes, the official NIL partner of Michigan athletics. Passes joined forces with U-M to help recruit and retain top student athletes and create an ecosystem for unprecedented fan access. If you want to begin supporting Michigan student athletes via direct interaction and engagement with their content via Passes, click here: https://www.passes.com/michigan

The Recruiting Insider is presented by Wolverine Boots & Apparel. As America’s Original Work Boot Brand, Wolverine is a champion of blue-collar work ethic whenever and wherever it shows up, whether that’s on a job site or a football field. That’s why Wolverine has proudly partnered with The Recruiting Insider in presenting the Recruit of the Week, as Wolverine student-athletes embody this blue-collar grit and resilience through and through. Shop Wolverine Boots' Michigan collection here: https://www.wolverine.com/US/en/maize-and-blue-collar/

On this week's edition of The Michigan Recruiting Insider Sam Webb, Steve Lorenz, and Brice Marich discussed 2026 defensive line recruiting. Among the several key targets include Trenton Henderson (#12 overall), Anthony "Tank" Jones (#23 overall), Carter Meadows (#47 overall), Kendall Guervil (#74 overall), McHale Blade (#197 overall), Titan Davis (#213 overall), Jeremy Finch (#1 in Indiana), Tariq Boney (3-star), Jake Kreul (top edge target) , and Braden Jones (a 4-star DL committed to USC but open to Michigan). The discussion emphasized Michigan's NIL program and the importance of elite defensive line play in their success.

The Recruiting Insider has a new official sponsor, Passes, the official NIL partner of Michigan athletics. Passes joined forces with U-M to help recruit and retain top student athletes and create an ecosystem for unprecedented fan access. If you want to begin supporting Michigan student athletes via direct interaction and engagement with their content via Passes, click here: https://www.passes.com/michigan

The Recruiting Insider is presented by Wolverine Boots & Apparel. As America’s Original Work Boot Brand, Wolverine is a champion of blue-collar work ethic whenever and wherever it shows up, whether that’s on a job site or a football field. That’s why Wolverine has proudly partnered with The Recruiting Insider in presenting the Recruit of the Week, as Wolverine student-athletes embody this blue-collar grit and resilience through and through. Shop Wolverine Boots' Michigan collection here: https://www.wolverine.com/US/en/maize-and-blue-collar/