Michigan basketball vs Saint Louis in NCAA Tournament: Prediction, preview

BUFFALO, NY — The same, but different. At first glance in the 2026 NCAA Tournament Midwest region's second round, Michigan basketball and Saint Louis have a lot of similarities. Both teams value free flowing offense, prioritize analytics and emphasize field goal efficiency on both ends.

Then again, the Wolverines start three players 6-foot-9 or taller. The Billikens? Just one.

As Michigan basketball coach Dusty May said Friday, March 20 after his team’s practice at KeyBank Center, it’s different ingredients that combine for a similar resylt. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Ranking Robbie Avila's nicknames, from 'LeBron Frames' to 'Milk Chamberlain' “I think when you hunt the shot profile, shot diet both of us are and have the pieces to make it happen, you end up getting high-percentage shots at the rim,” he said.

“You get catch-and-shoot 3s, you end up with a high assist rate, end up with very good transition numbers. “Personnel dictates a little bit of it, but equate it to sausage. At the end, the sausage tastes very similar, but the way it’s made is different because of our ingredients.