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TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (27-7, 16-2 MAC) will continue its historic season when it travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. to meet Michigan (17-15, 11-9 Big Ten) in a first-round National Invitation Tournament matchup on Tuesday, March 14. The contest will be televised on ESPN2 and tip off in the Crisler Center at 7:00 p.m.

The Rockets' 27 victories are tied for the most in school history and are the most of any school in this year's NIT field. Toledo saw its school-record 17-game winning streak end on Saturday with a 93-78 defeat to No. 2 seed Kent State (28-6) in the MAC Championship Game.

RayJ Dennis and Setric Millner Jr. each scored a team-high 25 points against the Golden Flashes were named to the All-Tournament Team. Toledo shot 25-of-59 (42.4%) from the floor, the first time in the last nine games the Rockets were held under 50 percent. Kent State connected on 34-of-61 (55.7%), including a sizzling 20-of-28 (71.4%) in the second half. The game was close throughout until KSU pulled away in the final five minutes.

Toledo ranks second nationally with 85.6 ppg, trailing only Gonzaga (87.5). UT also is second with a 39.7 PTFG%, fourth with a 49.6 FG%, and ranks in the nation's Top 20 in six more categories. Dennis ranks second in the MAC with a team-high 19.7 ppg, while JT Shumate and Millner Jr. are tied for ninth at 16.0 ppg.

Toledo is making its 12th NIT appearance in school history and has an all-time record of 3-11.  The Rockets faced Michigan in the 1981 NIT and were defeated by an 80-68 margin in Ann Arbor. Mike McGee led the Wolverines with 25 points, while UT's Harvey Knuckles finished with 27 points and seven rebounds. 

The Rockets will enter Tuesday's game with an eight-game road winning streak that ranks second in the nation. Toledo's last meeting vs. the Wolverines resulted in a 91-71 road loss on Dec. 9, 2020. Michigan leads the all-time series, 14-8. 

Tickets
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the Rocket Ticket Office. The deadline to order tickets through the Rocket Ticket Office is 10:00 a.m, Tuesday, March 14. After 10:00 a.m., tickets must be purchased through the Michigan Ticket Office. Contact the Rocket Ticket Office at 419-530-4653 to if you have any questions or to purchase your tickets. Buy NIT Tickets.

Alumni Event
The University of Toledo Alumni Association will be hosting NIT Pregame event prior to the game at Buffalo Wild Wings in Ann Arbor (3150 Boardwalk Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48108) starting at 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.  For more information or to reserve your spot visit: https://www.toledoalumni.org/events/events.aspx?eid=1889


TOLEDO VS. MICHIGAN
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Arena: Crisler Center (12,707).
Television: ESPN2. Doug Sherman will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Cory Alexander serving as analyst.
Radio: Rocket Radio Network. WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo. Mark Beier will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Lehman serving as analyst.
 
SERIES
Michigan leads 14-8. Toledo's last meeting vs. the Wolverines was a 91-71 loss on Dec. 9, 2020. The Rockets are 1-6 at Michigan with their lone win a 91-84 (OT) victory on Dec. 31, 1977.

ROCKETS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•  The Rockets' 17-game winning streak was tied for FIRST in the nation with Oral Roberts (17) before its loss to Kent State in the MAC Championship Game.
 •  UT's EIGHT-game road winning streak is tied for SECOND-longest nationally with Merrimack and VCU. Houston is first with an 11-game road streak.
•  UT ranks SECOND in the nation with 85.6 ppg, trailing only Gonzaga (87.5).
•  Toledo is also in the Top 20 in EIGHT more categories: 3PTFG% (2nd/39.7), FG% (4th/49.6), Effective FG% (6th/56.8), Fewest TO's/game (9th/9.8), A/TO ratio (11th/1.53), Winning % (13th/79.4), FTs made per game (14th/16.6), and FT% (17th/77.3).
•   RayJ Dennis ranks 12TH with a 2.90 A/TO ratio, 16th with 5.7 apg, and 30th with 19.7 ppg.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo is the first current MAC member to win three straight outright league titles. Cincinnati won four in a row from the 1947-48 through 1950-51 seasons.
•  The Rockets are the fourth program ever to capture at least a share of three straight MAC titles, matching Cincinnati (1947-51), the 1979-81 Toledo squads and Kent State (2002-04).
•  Toledo's 74 victories over the last three seasons are tied for NINTH nationally (as of March 13) and are the most ever by the Rockets in a three-year period.
•  Toledo has registered FIVE 20-win seasons in the last SIX years. In addition, the Rockets are one of 11 programs nationally to win 21 or more each of the last THREE seasons. Other schools to do so are Baylor, Belmont, Drake, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Morehead State, UAB, UCLA, USC.
•  The Rockets' last NIT victory was a 76-67 home win over South Alabama in 2001. Toledo has lost its last six NIT contests, including the 2019, 2021 and 2022 seasons.
•  Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Toledo is 48-9 (.842) in league play. The Rockets are 26-3 (.897) in MAC home games and 22-6 (.786) in MAC road games.
•  Toledo is the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games five of the last six years.
 
NATIONAL PLAYER & COACH HONORS ROLLING IN
        Junior RayJ Dennis is one of 25 finalists for the Lute Olson Player of the Year awarded to the nation's top player. Dennis and senior JT Shumate are also finalists for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year. Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk is finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year as well as the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year.

HIGH-SCORING TRIO(S)
     Toledo's Ryan Rollins, JT Shumate and Setric Millner Jr. made up the top scoring trio in the MAC last year with 48.9 ppg. Ohio's trio of Mark Sears, Ben Vander Plas and Jason Carter ranked second at 47.5 ppg with all three departing the Bobcats after last season.
     This year, Ray Dennis (19.7 ppg) has combined with Shumate (16.0 ppg) and Millner, Jr. (16.0 ppg) to average a league-best 51.7 ppg.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
     The Rockets have posted a 26-13 (.667) win-loss mark in road games since the start of the 2020-21 season. Toledo possesses a 50-33 (.602) win-loss mark on enemy courts since the start of the 2017-18 season.
 
NATIONAL EXPOSURE
     Toledo appeared on national television on eight occasions in 2020-21 and seven times last year. Over the last two years, the Rockets played on the CBS Sports Network on 10 occasions, twice on ESPN2 and ESPNU and once on FS1.
     This year, Toledo has played six games on the CBS Sports Network and two games on ESPN2.
 
ON THE HORIZON
     If Toledo defeats Michigan on Tuesday, the Rockets will face either Vanderbilt or Yale in a second-round NIT matchup on either Saturday, March 18 or Sunday, March 19.