Michigan

Michigan women vs Kansas in March Madness: Prediction for 2024 NCAA tournament

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2024

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Michigan women vs Kansas in March Madness: Prediction for 2024 NCAA tournament

Michigan women’s basketball vs. Kansas

Breaking down the Portland 3 region first-round game between No. 9-seed Michigan and 8-seed Kansas:

Records: Michigan (20-13, 9-9 Big Ten); Kansas (19-12, 11-7).

Fast facts: 2 p.m. Saturday; Galen Center, Los Angeles.

TV: ESPNEWS.

At stake: Winner faces winner of 1-seed Southern Cal vs. 16-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for spot in Sweet 16 in Portland, Oregon on March 29-30.

PRINT YOUR BRACKET: March Madness schedule, how to watch the NCAA tournament

About U-M

Location: Ann Arbor.

Coach: Kim Barnes Arico (12 seasons at U-M, 261-132 at U-M, 437-266 career).

School tournament record: 11-11 over 11 appearances.

Past 10 regular-season games: 5-5.

Scoring leaders: Laila Phelia, 16.8 points per game; Lauren Hansen, 11.9; Jordan Hobbs, 9.9.

Rebounding leaders: Cameron Williams, 4.78 rebounds per game; Chyra Evans, 4.3; Elissa Brett, 4.2

Assist leaders: Hobbs, 3 assists per game; Hansen, 2.2; Phelia, 1.9.

3-point leaders: Hobbs, 39.1%; Greta Kampschroeder, 38%; Hansen, 37.5%.

The buzz: The Wolverines struggled all season to get momentum; after winning seven of their first eight, they didn’t win more than two in a row until March. That most recent streak featured a regular-season-ending victory over Purdue, a Big Ten tourney-opening win over Minnesota in Minneapolis and then a shocking rally over then-No. 12 Indiana on March 8. U-M was arguably on the bubble — and falling fast — when it fell behind the Hoosiers by 17 points early in the second half. But suddenly, all the pieces clicked for the Wolverines, as Phelia’s downhill game opened up Hansen to fire away from beyond the arc. Phelia had 20 of her career-high 30 points in the second half as U-M beat Indiana by 13. As Barnes Arico observed: “I think Laila Phelia showed why she’s one of the best players in the country, and I thought she did a tremendous job late when they started to really double her and try to load on her of finding Lauren. Lauren is one of the best shooters in the country, one of the best playmakers in the country. So they found each other.” When the Wolverines are hitting their 3s — and U-M enters the tourney at 35.3%, good for 37^th in the nation — they can hang with anyone. Just ask title contender Iowa, which knocked U-M out of the Big Ten tourney last week: Michigan hit its first seven 3s and led the Hawkeyes by three after the first quarter, despite getting torched in the paint. Iowa won by 27, but that was an uncharacteristic defensive performance by the Wolverines, who led the Big Ten defensively.

About Kansas

Location: Lawrence, Kansas.

Coach: Brandon Schneider (126-148 in nine seasons at KU; 222-214 in 14 seasons overall).

School tournament record: 14-14 in 14 appearances.

Past 10 games: 8-2.

Scoring leaders: S’Mya Nichols, 15.2 points per game; Taiyanna Jackson, 12.6; Zakiyah Franklin, 11.7; Holly Kersgieter, 11.7.

Rebounding leaders: Jackson, 9.8 rebounds per game; Kersgieter, 5; Ryan Cobbins, 4.1.

Assist leaders: Nichols, 2.7 assists per game; Wyvette Mayberry, 2.3; Franklin, 2.2.

3-point leaders: Kersgieter, 41.5%; Nichols, 40.8%; McKenzie Smith, 33.3%.

The buzz: Schneider landed a program-changing recruit in Nichols, a five-star guard from Overland Park, Kansas (near Kansas City, Missouri). The No. 5 guard in the class of 2023, and a member of the under-18 U.S. national team, the 6-footer has scored in double digits in 27 of her 31 appearances this season, including 29 points against Oklahoma in Kansas’ season finale and 13 points in the Jayhawks’ win over Big Ten runner-up Nebraska on Dec. 20. Nichols didn’t win the conference’s top freshman award, but did finish on the All-Freshman team as well as first-team All-Big 12. The Jayhawks also have a tower of experience in senior center Taiyanna Jackson, who averaged a double-double — 15.2 points and 12.7 points iin 31.7 minutes per game — before taking a step back this season. At 6-6, the East Chicago, Indiana, native is a game-changer in the middle as a two-time All-Big 12 first-teamer and a three-time All-Defense team member in the conference, averaging 3.1 blocks and 1.3 steals a game for her career. The Jayhawks were one of the nation’s hottest teams, winning eight of nine games from Jan. 31-March 8 before finally sputtering out in the Big 12 semifinals against No. 6 Texas, largely because they shot just 38% from the field and were outrebounded, 37-24.

Prediction

Barnes Arico won’t have to stretch far to scout the Jayhawks, who play an inside-out game much like the Wolverines. They’re not quite as accomplished at it, though, shooting just 32.8% beyond the arc (102^nd in the nation) and managing just 34.3 boards a game (273^rd). If U-M’s Cameron Williams can hold her own in the middle, the Wolverines’ outside shooters should be enough to send them on to face USC and star freshman JuJu Watkins in the second round. The pick: U-M 70, Kansas 65.

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Michigan

Kyle Whittingham knows what Michigan football needs

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Kyle Whittingham knows what Michigan football needs

Michigan football is primed to win now, new coach Kyle Whittingham said this week on “The Dan Patrick Show.”

The Wolverines have made far too many headlines off the field, which is why Whittingham told Patrick the organization needs to simply get back to focusing on the reason they’re all together as a team − football.

“The place doesn’t need a rebuild, it needs a reboot of trust and getting rid of the drama and just get back to playing Michigan football without all the distractions,” Whittingham said. “It didn’t come from the players. The players were not involved. It was not some player issue – it was just the peripheral.

“Guys here have a great attitude, I met with everyone of them last week at the bowl site. Quality young men, care about academics, excited to be at Michigan, but they’ve dealt with a lot over the last few years.”

Whittingham, 66, takes over as the 22nd head coach in program history after a pair of scandals rocked the previous two men who held his job.

Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines from 2015-23 − and left on top by winning a national championship − but also was found to have a lack of institutional control in his program by NCAA investigators after two separate NCAA violations occurred under his watch: impermissible recruiting and illegal sign-stealing.

More recently, Sherrone Moore was fired in scandal after he was found to have had a relationship with a subordinate and was subsequently arrested after he allegedly went to her house and threatened his own life − he was jailed for two nights and charged with felony home invasion, misdemeanor stalking and misdemeanor breaking and entering.

Patrick asked if there was any selling point Whittingham needed to hear specifically from Michigan. Whittingham said when he stepped away from Utah in mid-December there were only a handful of program’s he would have even entertained. He called Michigan “a special place.”

“Needed to hear that Michigan was what I thought it was,” he said. “Hey’re committed to winning here, we do have some challenges with entrance requirements, there is a little bit of a hurdle there, but talk about athletes, resources, tradition − it’s all here at Michigan.”

Whittingham also quipped about the irony of previously being a team that wore red (Utah) whose primary rival wore blue (BYU) to flipping that. It’s also not lost on him that his mentor, Urban Meyer, went 7-0 against Michigan in his tenure in Columbus − Whittingham joked at his opening press conference that Meyer’s name alone might be considered a “four-letter word” in Ann Arbor.

“Blue was our rival at Utah for years,” he said. “Now I’ve got to get used to saying, ‘Go Blue.’”

Whittingham is in the throes of one of the busiest times on the college football calendar. The transfer portal opened for a 15-day window Jan. 2-16, setting off a scramble to both retain players, scout the database and find appropriate fits for the team.

Whittingham has only known his roster and coaches for approximately 10 days – he said while down in Florida he was going to “lock himself” in a room at Schembechler Hall in Ann Arbor to watch film on the players on his roster. He has been able to keep Bryce Underwood, Andrew Marsh, Andrew Babalola, Blake Frazier, Evan Link, Jake Guarnera and Zeke Berry − the last two of whom had put their names in the transfer portal before indicating their return to U-M for 2026.

With money flowing, back-channeling frequent and poaching at an all-time high, Whittingham doesn’t see college football’s current model as something that will last as currently constructed for more than a handful of years.

“It is not sustainable, there’s no question about that,” Whittingham said. “Something’s gotta give. Within a 2- to 4-, 5-year window, you’re going to see a major overhaul of Division I football. I think it’s going to become more of a minor league NFL model. I think you’re gonna see a salary cap, collective bargaining, players as employees.

“I think all that’s coming because we cannot maintain this pace.”

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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Michigan

Michigan Lottery contributions over $1B to K-12 schools for 7th year in a row, state says

Published

22 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Michigan Lottery contributions over B to K-12 schools for 7th year in a row, state says

LANSING, MI – The Michigan Lottery’s annual contribution to K-12 education reached more than $1 billion for the seventh time in a row in 2025, according to the state.

The amount at $1.16 billion makes up roughly 5-6% of the state’s School Aid Fund, which has exceeded $20 billion in recent years.

It peaked in 2021 at $1.4 billion, according to the state budget office, marking a 78.4% increase in six years at the time. The reported portion for 2025 marks a slight decrease when compared to the previous five years.

In a release on Wednesday, Jan. 7, the state reported the total Lottery contribution had reached more than $30 billion since it began in 1972 and $8.7 billion within a seven-year span.

“In (2025), Lottery retailers earned more than $300 million in commissions for the sixth straight year,” Acting Lottery Commissioner Joe Froehlich said in a statement. “The support the Lottery provides to public education and to businesses throughout the state is critical and far-reaching.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office utilized Wednesday’s announcement to recap the current state investment in K-12 schools based on the budget deal lawmakers green-lit in October three months after the current fiscal year was already underway.

That includes a 4.6% hike to $10,050 per student, $201.6 million to maintain a free universal meals program that Whitmer said saves “parents almost $1,000 a year per kid,” and a series of investments geared toward boosting literacy skills.

“This year’s lottery contributions will help build on that progress and make a difference for students, educators and schools across Michigan,” the governor said in a statement.

Other budget highlights included hundreds of millions in grants to reduce class sizes and school infrastructure, as well as for career-technical education and English-language learners.

Additionally, there was another $258.7 million boost to $1.3 billion for at-risk student supports and $321 million to support mental health and school safety initiatives ― the latter including a waiver requirement that spurred litigation from schools against the state in late 2025.

According to the Michigan Lottery, participating retailers earned more than $330 million in commissions for the 2025 fiscal year. Since 2019, when the Lottery’s streak of billion-dollar contributions to the School Aid Fund began, the state reported more than $2.3 billion in commissions.

Lottery products are sold at more than 10,000 locations across the state, and over 700 retailers sold $1 million or more last year in Lottery games.

Michigan residents took home more than $2.8 billion in prizes in 2025 and over $58 billion since the Lottery began.

According to the state, roughly 25 cents went to the School Aid Fund from every dollar spent on a Michigan Lottery Ticket, while 63 cents went to players as prizes, 9 cents to vendor commissions and 3 cents to the Lottery’s operations.

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Michigan

Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for Jan. 6, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for Jan. 6, 2026

The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

Midday: 6-1-8

Evening: 5-7-8

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

Midday: 8-3-7-9

Evening: 1-7-2-3

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

10-13-24-27-31, Lucky Ball: 08

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Poker Lotto numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

JD-4C-7D-2H-10S

Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

05-25-26-28-34

03-05-11-22-32

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily Keno numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

03-06-08-13-14-16-17-27-28-32-34-40-41-48-51-56-59-60-64-68-74-79

Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lottery’s Regional Offices.

To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to:

Michigan Lottery

Attn: Claim Center

101 E. Hillsdale

P.O. Box 30023

Lansing, MI 48909

For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a driver’s license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2.

If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows:

Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325
Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325
Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325
Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325
Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325
Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325

For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery’s prize claim page.

When are Michigan Lottery drawings held?

Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m.
Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily
Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily
Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily
Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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