The story of the 2022-23 Toledo men’s basketball is incomplete.
Disappointment will be part of the narrative, but the ending could get a partial rewrite depending on what happens in the next day or weeks.
The Rockets are reeling right now, a mixture of sorrow and surprise after winning a school-record 17 games before falling to Kent State in the Mid-American Conference tournament, one game shy of punching their ticket to the Big Dance.
“It’s our ultimate goal, but it does not take a single thing away from the season that we had,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “Disappointment? Yes. But what this team has done is put together a historic season. Twenty-seven wins is the most in school history. We’re looking to break that record.”
If 27-7 UT wins its 28th game, it means the Rockets took down Michigan (17-15) on Tuesday in the first round of the NIT. It would be Toledo’s first postseason win since the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Tournament when it beat McNeese State.
The Rockets last won an NIT game in 2001 (South Alabama). Their last victory over a Power Five opponent came in November of 2013 against Boston College.
“It would mean a lot,” senior forward Setric Millner, Jr., said. “Beating any high-major program is good when you’re a mid-major.”
Toledo would take particular satisfaction in beating Michigan, even if it fell short of the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines were long-time secret scrimmage partners with UT, but that arrangement went by the wayside after Juwan Howard took over for John Beilein. The Rockets have tried to schedule Big Ten programs for years — Michigan included — to no avail.
Prior to the 2022-23 season, Kowalczyk and his assistants reached out to most of the Big Ten and several dozen major programs. They all declined to schedule Toledo.
“It’s a good opportunity,” MAC player of the year RayJ Dennis said. “We wanted a chance to play one of these teams in the regular season, and we didn’t get that opportunity.”
The Toledo women already won at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor this year. The last time Toledo and Michigan played in football, UT won in the Big House in 2008.
The men’s basketball team lost at Michigan during the 2020-21 season.
“Really, I’m just excited to play more basketball,” Millner said. “Anytime there is more basketball to be played, it’s a blessing. I’m a hooper. I love the opportunity.”
Dennis is eager to go against Michigan guards Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin, both of whom are projected to be first-round draft picks.
“It’ll be fun,” Dennis said.
Still, the pain of the Kent State loss lingers. Toledo’s entire season was geared toward ending the program’s NCAA tournament drought, and it believed this year’s team was constructed to do exactly that.
Going two months without a loss made the Kent State game even tougher to process.
“Saturday was devastating,” Dennis said.
But another chapter could still be written. The NIT has a reputation for being a consolation competition, and it’s referred to as Not In Tournament.
It would be easy for Toledo to roll over in the wake of not accomplishing its No. 1 objective. The pain is still raw and the dejection can be consuming. Kowalczyk, however, doesn’t think his team is going to quit.
The veteran group, with seniors Millner and JT Shumate, has a final gasp at drafting a positive epilogue.
“When you’re playing in the postseason, there are a lot of teams that would love to be in Toledo’s spot,” Kowalczyk said. “We have 27 wins, which is the most in the NIT. We’re going to up there confident, play hungry, and be proud to represent the University of Toledo.”
First Published March 13, 2023, 8:31 p.m.
