Insider Scott Van Pelt makes his feelings known on Michigan earning No.5 seed despite beating higher-ranked teams in Big Ten Tournament

Scott Van Pelt couldn't believe it when he saw Michigan awarded the No. 5 seed on Selection Sunday. The ESPN anchor shared his thoughts on why the Wolverines deserved a higher ranking from the NCAA Selection Committee in Tuesday's episode of SVPod.

Van Pelt argued that Michigan should have been rewarded for its stellar display in the Big Ten Tournament, where the Wolverines defeated higher-ranked teams on their way to the title.

"In consecutive days, you beat Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin," Van Pelt said (Timestamp 1:26). "And the 5-seed is Michigan. Purdue’s a 4, Maryland’s a 4, Wisconsin’s a 3. Just beat ‘em all. 5-seed."

"If I’m Dusty May and I’m thinking, ‘We just spent all our energy, put all that effort and it’s cool we won a conference tournament.’ But it got you nothing. That’s just a terrible job."

The Wolverines' reward for winning the Big Ten Tournament was earning the No. 5 seed in the South region. They will open their 2025 March Madness campaign on Thursday against the UC San Diego Tritons at Ball Arena in the first round. If the Wolverines win that matchup, they will next face the winner of the Texas A&M vs. Yale clash in the second round.

How Michigan reached the 2025 March Madness

Dusty May and the Michigan Wolverines will head into the 2025 NCAA Tournament with momentum on their side after winning the Big Ten Tournament title on Sunday. They defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 59-53 in the championship game to claim their first tournament crown since winning back-to-back Big Ten titles in 2017 and 2018.

Head coach Dusty May, center right, lifts the trophy to celebrate the Wolverines' 59-53 win over the Wisconsin Badgers at the Big Ten Tournament championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on March 16, 2025. Photo: Imagn

Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson led the Wolverines to victory, each scoring 11 points in the finals. Goldin shot 4-of-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line. Donaldson, on the other hand, shot 2-for-7 from the floor and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. He came close to recording a double-double, dishing out eight assists in 31 minutes.

Before that tournament win, the Wolverines finished the regular season with a 22-9 overall record, including a 14-6 slate in the Big Ten Conference. They stumbled in the closing stages of the regular season, losing their last three games, including a 79-62 defeat against arch-rivals Michigan State.