Trey Burke scored 26 points and dished out eight assists (MGoBlue.com)

After coming off a brutal four-game stretch that included three road losses to top-25 teams, the Michigan Wolverines returned home last week Sunday looking flat and uninspired against the lowly Penn State Nittany Lions. For nearly the entire game, the winless Lions traded punches with the mighty Wolverines, getting into the lane seemingly at will, making timely three-pointers, and forcing Michigan to play much harder than they had apparently planned after trailing throughout the first half. The Maize and Blue never led by more than nine points in a way-too-close 79-71 squeaker that afternoon.

Fast forward one week, a week that Michigan got to rest up during and focus on defense, which has been their Achilles’ heel so far. Illinois entered today’s game as the winners of five straight, including huge victories over Indiana at home and at Minnesota. First-year head coach John Groce’s team was coming together after struggling through the early part of their Big Ten schedule, opening conference play losing seven of their first nine games.

Certainly if Michigan played like they had last week, the Fighting Illini wouldn’t let a golden opportunity slip away as Penn State did, and for the first half again, the tide seemed to be crashing that way. The Wolverines plodded through 20 minutes missing box outs, losing out on loose balls, and overall playing very sloppy basketball, and they paid the consequences. Allowing a team like Illinois to rebound nearly half of their misses and turning the ball over six times led to a 31-28 deficit for the home squad at Crisler Center; granted, the lead was aided by a buzzer-beating three-pointer off the glass from Brandon Paul and a couple circus threes to start the game that gave Illinois an eight-point lead early, but Michigan was again playing below par.

Was this what Michigan had become? After running scathe-free through the non-conference schedule and grabbing the nation’s top ranking briefly in January, were the Wolverines finally showing their true colors? Or were those three losses simply a case of running into great teams playing well on their home floors?

All these questions loomed before Michigan inbounded to start the second half. By the time the final buzzer had rung, Michigan had answered.

Four minutes into the second half, John Beilein’s team raced out to a five-point lead and never looked back, sending Illinois a message that not just any team can travel to Ann Arbor and board the bus home with smiles on their faces.

Trey Burke wasn’t going to let former Ohio coach John Groce beat him again after the heartbreaker in the Tournament last year, scoring 19 points and dishing out four assists for good measure in the second half.

Brady Hoke liked what he saw while hosting a big recruiting weekend (MGoBlue.com)

Glenn Robinson III wasn’t going to let the doubters continue to run their mouths after his play was widely questioned in Michigan’s rough stretch a couple weeks back, throwing down two huge dunks to open the half on his way to scoring 10 points overall.

Perhaps most of all, Caris LeVert wasn’t going to let Groce forget about him after signing him at Ohio and bolting to Illinois in the offseason, draining two monster threes and two more free throws after the break.

Offense has never really been a problem for this team, and they showed that again today. The difference was on the other end of the court, where Michigan constantly hounded Illinois ball-handlers, deflecting all sorts of balls and forcing bad passes and worse shots throughout the second half.

Illinois struggled to respond to the pressure and to the noise in the building, turning the ball over 13 times while only making 41.2 percent of their shots. Groce’s looks of encouragement early on slowly shifted to helplessness as Michigan proved to be lethally efficient from the field, making 51 percent of their own attempts from the field.

It seemed that the week off paid huge dividends for all of Michigan’s players, as they were noticeably quicker and more alert on defense, often double-teaming Tracy Abrams, Joseph Bertrand, and D.J. Richardson out to the half court line and recovering very well from there.

With such an arduous run of games now in the rearview mirror, the Wolverines did exactly what they had to today, holding serve convincingly at home against one of the hotter teams in the country. With Burke continuing to run the show so effectively, finishing the afternoon with 26 points, eight assists, and only one turnover, Michigan is elite. A healthy Jordan Morgan will continue to help the team improve after flexing his muscle to shore up the rebounding department in the second half, and a timely Tim Hardaway, Jr. should be the vocal and intense leader that can also fill up the stat sheet for the Maize and Blue down the stretch.

Performances like this one suggest that Michigan will be a tough team to bring down in March, and while every team will certainly have weaker areas, the defensive showing today must be extremely encouraging. Any questions?

#7 Michigan vs Illinois
Sunday, Feb. 24 | 1pm ET | ESPN
22-4 (9-4)	Record	20-8 (7-7)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio State 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71	Wins	Colgate 75-55 St. Francis NY 89-64 Hawaii 78-77 OT USC 94-64 Chaminade 84-61 Butler 78-61 Gardner-Webb 63-62 Georgia Tech 75-62 W. Carolina 72-64 #10 Gonzaga 85-74 Norfolk State 64-54 E. Kentucky 66-53 Auburn 81-79 #8 Ohio State 74-55 Nebraska 71-51 #1 Indiana 74-72 #18 Minnesota 57-53 Purdue 79-59 Northwestern 62-41 Penn State 64-59
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan State 52-75	Losses	#12 Missouri 73-82 Purdue 61-68 #8 Minnesota 67-84 Wisconsin 51-74 Northwestern 54-68 #2 Michigan 60-74 #13 Michigan State 75-80 Wisconsin 68-74
76.2	Points Per Game	71.2
61.4	Scoring Defense	65.1
739-for-1,498 (49.3%)	Field Goal %	699-for-1,634 (42.8%)
609-for-1,459 (41.7%)	Def. Field Goal %	634-for-1,508 (42.0%)
210-for-524 (40.1%)	3-point %	222-for-671 (33.1%)
170-for-529 (32.1%)	Def. 3-point %	183-for-532 (34.4%)
292-for-413 (70.7%)	Free Throw %	374-for-522 (71.6%)
11.2	FT Made/Game	13.4
35.8	Rebounds Per Game	34.2
30.6	Opp. Reb. Per Game	34.8
14.8	Assists Per Game	10.8
9.5	Turnovers Per Game	11.6
5.6	Steals Per Game	7.2
2.7	Blocks Per Game	4.0
G – Trey Burke (18.6) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.2)	Leading Scorer	G – Brandon Paul (16.4) G – DJ Richardson (12.9)
F – Mitch McGary (5.9) F – Glenn Robinson III (5.6)	Leading Rebounder	G – Joseph Bertrand (4.5) F – Nnanna Egwu (4.5)

At this point in the season for the past three or four years, Michigan has faced must-win games down the stretch in order to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. This year, there’s no question the Wolverines will get in; the question is whether the Wolverines will win the Big Ten and finish well enough to earn a No. 1 seed. On Sunday, a team comes to town in the very position Michigan is happy not to be in this season.

Illinois has enough quality wins to earn a bid to the big dance, but the Illini can’t afford to slip up down the stretch. The rough spell in January that saw Illinois lose six of seven – and eight of eleven from Dec. 22 to Feb. 3 – nearly wiped out the Illini’s chances. But that all changed when a beautifully executed inbounds play at the buzzer shocked No. 1 Indiana. It sparked a string of five straight wins and the Illini now find themselves as the hottest team in the Big Ten.

John Groce’s squad comes to Ann Arbor looking to avenge a 74-60 loss to the Wolverines in Champagne on Jan. 27. That win propelled Michigan to the No.1 national ranking, but it also came at a cost, as Michigan lost Jordan Morgan to an ankle injury. He hasn’t been 100 percent since then and Michigan has gone just 3-3 since then.

Illinois surrendered 15 turnovers in the first meeting and Michigan dominated the paint with 42 points, even without Morgan for much of the game. You can bet Groce will aim to prevent that again, especially given the struggles that Michigan’s freshmen Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III have faced over the past few weeks. The two had good games against the Illini last time out, scoring 14 points and 12 points, respectively, but have not fared well during Michigan’s rough patch, and Groce will want to force them to beat his Illini.

Star guard Brandon Paul has had his own share of troubles as of late, scoring 10, three, and eight points against Minnesota, Purdue, and Northwestern. He shot just 6-of-22 in those three games, but the Illini won all three. That’s a good sign for Groce because it means others are stepping up – most notably D.J. Richardson. The senior guard has averaged 17.3 points per game over the last nine and 18 points during the five-game winning streak while shooting 46 percent.

As a team, Illinois shoots just under 43 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from three. The good thing for Michigan is that the Illini have the conference’s second worst scoring defense, ahead of only Penn State, the third-worst field goal percentage defense, and the second worst three-point percentage defense, so Michigan should be able to score often. Illinois is also not a great rebounding team, so the Wolverines won’t be overmatched on the boards like they were against Michigan State.

Michigan is still struggling to regain the top form that carried it through the first half of the season, while Illinois is soaring with momentum. The home crowd will benefit Michigan, but as the Wolverines saw with Penn State last Sunday, they can’t sleep on anyone. Expect a dog-fight to the end and a great guard battle between the combos of Trey Burke-Tim Hardaway Jr. and Paul-Richardson. Michigan’s ability to score inside should determine the outcome. Prediction: Michigan 77 – Illinois 73

Nik Stauskas torched Illinois for 16 points (Joe Robbins, Getty Images)

Staring down the number one national ranking for the second Sunday in three weeks, Michigan needed a Big Ten road win over Illinois. And the Wolverines did just that with a 74-60 win in Champaign on Sunday evening.

Illinois started the game exactly the way head coach John Groce wanted them to – with a statement dunk. But it was the only statement the Illini would make the rest of the night. Michigan took its first lead out of the under-16 timeout on a Trey Burke jumper that ignited a 9-0 run over the next four-plus minutes. Illinois kept it close for the remainder of the first half, but Burke hit a step-back jumper with four seconds left to give Michigan a 35-27 halftime lead.

In the second, Illinois made a point to go right at Michigan to get the big men in foul trouble. They were able to pull within four at 41-37, but that was as close as they would get. The Michigan lead grew to as many as 18 at 70-52 with just over four minutes to play and the Wolverines cruised to the 14-point victory.

Despite losing Jordan Morgan to a sprained ankle early on, the Wolverines got solid inside production by committee from Mitch McGary, Jon Horford, and Max Bielfeldt. The trio combined for 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Like usual, Burke led all scorers with 19 points. He also added five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Nik Stauskas scored 16 on 7-of-11 shooting, while Tim Hardaway Jr. added 12. Glenn Robinson III also finished in double figures with 10 points, and led the Wolverines with seven boards.

As a team, Michigan shot 52.5 percent from the field while holding Illinois to 37.1. The Illini chucked up 26 three-pointers and hit just six of them.

With Duke’s blowout loss to Miami earlier this week, Michigan is likely to move up to No. 1 in the national rankings. Following the game, John Beilein was asked what it would mean and he responded that a year from now, no one will remember who was No. 1 at the end of January. But rest assured Michigan fans would, as most of the players on the team weren’t even alive the last time Michigan held the top spot, in the 1992-93 season.

The Wolverines return home to host Northwestern on Wednesday night and visit Indiana on Saturday for what should determine the Big Ten frontrunner.

#2 Michigan at Illinois
Sunday, Jan. 27 | 6pm ET | Big Ten Network
18-1 (5-1)	Record	15-5 (2-4)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53	Wins	Colgate 75-55 St. Francis NY 89-64 Hawaii 78-77 OT USC 94-64 Chaminade 84-61 Butler 78-61 Gardner-Webb 63-62 Georgia Tech 75-62 W. Carolina 72-64 #10 Gonzaga 85-74 Norfolk State 64-54 E. Kentucky 66-53 Auburn 81-79 #8 Ohio State 74-55 Nebraska 71-51
#15 Ohio State 56-53	Losses	#12 Missouri 72-83 Purdue 61-68 #8 Minnesota 67-84 Wisconsin 51-74 Northwestern 54-68
78.7	Points Per Game	72.8
59.2	Scoring Defense	65.6
553-for-1,087 (50.9%)	Field Goal %	507-for-1,175 (43.1%)
431-for-1,062 (40.6%)	Def. Field Goal %	459-for-1,107 (41.5%)
161-for-392 (41.1%)	3-point %	165-for-491 (33.6%)
123-for-388 (31.7%)	Def. 3-point %	135-for-393 (34.4%)
229-for-321 (71.3%)	Free Throw %	276-for-387 (66.9%)
12.1	FT Made/Game	13.8
37.1	Rebounds Per Game	35.3
28.8	Opp. Reb. Per Game	34.8
15.7	Assists Per Game	10.9
9.7	Turnovers Per Game	12.3
5.5	Steals Per Game	7.9
2.9	Blocks Per Game	4.8
G – Trey Burke (17.8) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (16.2)	Leading Scorer	G – Brandon Paul (18.0) G – D.J. Richardson (11.8)
F – Glenn Robinson (5.9) F – Mitch McGary (5.6)	Leading Rebounder	G – Brandon Paul (4.8) G – Joseph Bertrand (4.7)

Two Sundays ago, the Michigan Wolverines found themselves on the road facing a hostile crowd in the Big Ten. A win in that game against Ohio State would have secured the top national ranking in that Monday’s polls after the number one team in the country, Duke, fell to North Carolina State the day prior.

Tonight, Michigan finds itself in an almost identical position as the Maize and Blue travel to Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini (6pm on BTN) with number one on the line after Duke was trounced by Miami on Wednesday.

Illinois got off to a hot start this season with new head coach John Groce leading the ship, and Groce certainly had the Wolverines’ number last year after coaching his then-squad, the Ohio Bobcats, to a first-round upset in the NCAA Tournament. Here are a few quick keys to the game for Michigan as they battle with plenty on the line:

1. Defense, Defense, Defense: In Thursday’s win over Purdue, Michigan again struggled on the defensive end of the court, allowing the poor-shooting Boilermakers to take a one-point lead into halftime after leaving countless players wide open from downtown. Illinois’s offensive profile is very similar to Purdue’s in that the guards will account for the vast majority of the shooting and scoring and they are not afraid to let it fly from deep. Senior Brandon Paul is the star for the Illini, scoring 18 points per game on slightly more than 13 shot attempts, half of which are from downtown, where he makes just 34.1 percent of his looks. Backcourt mate and fellow senior D.J. Richardson has surprisingly shot more threes this year than Paul with a ridiculous 141 attempts (to Paul’s 132), which comes out to more than seven bombs per game. Unfortunately for Groce, Richardson is really struggling from deep, making fewer than one in every three heaves, and his 37.4 percent connection on all shots is downright cringe-worthy. The third amigo in the backcourt is sophomore Tracy Abrams, who scores 11.4 points per game and leads the team with 3.2 dimes a night while shooting a horrendous 28.3 percent from deep and turning the ball over nearly three times a game as well.This Illinois team is certainly not going to scare anyone off with their 43.1 percent and 33.6 percent marks from the field and three, respectively, and they settle for far too many triples for their own good, but when they do get hot, they become very dangerous very fast. In wins versus Butler, at Gonzaga, and over Ohio State at home, Illinois shot 48 percent or better from the field all three times and 40 percent or better from long range twice on at least 25 attempts. In their five losses, however, Illinois only shot better than 36 percent from the field once (38.8% against Northwestern) and shot worse than 15 percent from downtown three times. It’s obviously very difficult to defend a team that doesn’t miss, but Illinois is not that team. Michigan needs to focus on closing out hard and getting a hand in the face of every shooter.


Brandon Paul averaged 18 points in two games against Michigan last season (Michael Hickey, Getty Images)

1. Box Out: When a team starts the season winning 18 of their first 19 games, there is never much to harp on, and rebounding the basketball has certainly not been an issue so far for this Wolverine squad. The Illinois team will present a slightly different challenge in that category, however, as nearly half (48.8%) of their misses on the season are threes, which can clang off the rim and end up anywhere. John Beilein will certainly stress boxing out in this game so that all of Illinois’s rebounding options are covered, and man defense should be played almost exclusively. One thing the Orange and Blue do very well is rebound as a team. None of their players particularly stand out in cleaning up the glass, but they rarely get beat on the boards and seven different players average between 3.5 and five rebounds per game, not unlike the Wolverines and their rebound-by-committee outlook.

1. Quiet the Crowd Early: Michigan only has one loss so far this season. That loss was on the road, in the Big Ten, and played with a raucous home crowd yelling as loud as possible in hopes of upsetting one of the best teams in the country. As you may recall, the Wolverines struggled to get out of the gates in that game, ceding a 20-plus point deficit early on and letting the crowd play too big a role. By the time Michigan finally caught Ohio State in the second half, they had spent too much energy to complete the comeback. Tonight, the Orange Krush will be giving everything they have to help propel their team to a huge upset, but if Michigan can get out to a hot start, which they have failed to do in recent games, the crowd should largely be taken out of the equation. If Michigan enters the break down, like they did against Purdue, their chances of being best in the country come Monday will be in severe danger.

Prediction: While this is certainly a young Michigan basketball team, they have already gained a bevy of invaluable experience and should rely upon their memory of that Ohio State game to help them get out on the right foot and run away from the home team in the second half, as opposed to catching up to them. The Wolverines simply have too much talent for Ilinois to handle, and Beilein is certainly not going to let Groce hand him a tough loss two seasons in a row. Trey Burke shows Brandon Paul who is boss in the Big Ten as Michigan rolls, 73-62.

The 2013 Big Ten season started just two weeks ago, but we have already learned so much about a number of teams in college basketball’s indisputable king of conferences. With as many as eight or nine teams looking to make a push for the Big Dance at the end of the year, it certainly has the makings of a special year. Here is a special Big Ten preview edition looking at the conference championship contenders. These power rankings will be occasionally updated throughout the remainder of the season.

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1. Michigan Wolverines: 16-0 (3-0)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 16-2
Best Win: vs. Pittsburgh
Worst Loss: None
Star: Trey Burke, 18.2 ppg, 7.3 apg, 53.3 FG%, 39.2 3p%
X-Factor: Nik Stauskas, 13.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 52.3 3p%

Ranking Reasoning: While I am writing this preview post with a Michigan basketball shirt on, it is simply impossible to rank any Big Ten team higher than Michigan so far, and I think they will continue to prove their superiority by taking home their second straight Big Ten title, this time individually. Trey Burke is indisputably the best point guard in the country right now, Mitch McGary and Jordan Morgan have been solid in the post and controlling on the glass, and the team shoots 41.1 percent from behind the arc, where five guys demand significant attention. In three Big Ten games so far (Iowa, Northwestern, Nebraska), Michigan has not been significantly challenged, winning by an average of almost 24 points per game. A huge week looms, however, as Michigan travels to Columbus on Sunday and Minneapolis on Thursday in two games that will say a lot about how the Big Ten will shake out.

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2. Indiana Hoosiers: 14-1 (2-0)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 14-4
Best Win: @ Iowa
Worst Loss: vs. Butler
Star: Cody Zeller, 16.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 62.7 FG%
X-Factor: Will Sheehey, 12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 39.4 3p%

Ranking Reasoning: Indiana came into the season ranked in just about everyone’s top two in the country, and they have hardly disappointed up until now. Yes, they lost to Butler in overtime, but the Bulldogs have a very solid squad that will win its fair share of games this year and probably earn a 4-seed or so in the NCAA Tournament. Like Michigan, Indiana is incredibly scary because of their dynamite offense that boasts five double digit scorers and a handful of secondary players that can step up on any given night as well. Zeller is still one of the best big men in the country, Victor Oladipo is using his athleticism to help him shoot 67.2 percent from the floor (including a ridiculous 47.8 percent from downtown), and Christian Watford is a matchup nightmare for opposing fours. Taking a quick glance at their stats is not advised for anyone who is not an Indiana fan, as the Hoosiers average the most points in the country (87), are the sixth best shooting team in the land (51.1 percent), and have four players that shoot better than 45 percent from three-point land on at least 20 attempts, including Jordan Hulls at 52 percent and Remy Abell at 60 percent. The only way to beat IU right now is to outscore them, and that is no easy task. The Hoosiers welcome a solid Minnesota team to Bloomington today in what will be a high-powered matchup.

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3. Minnesota Golden Gophers: 15-1 (3-0)

Projected Finish in Conference Play: 13-5
Best Win: @ #12 Illinois
Worst Loss: vs. #5 Duke
Star: Trevor Mbakwe, 9.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 58.6 FG%
X-Factor: Austin Hollins, 10.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.1 spg, 38 3p%, 81.1 FT%

Ranking Reasoning: Tubby Smith has disappointed a little bit in his tenure in Minneapolis, but after a solid run in the NIT last season he was given a questionable contract extension. This year’s edition of the Golden Gophers has made that move look brilliant so far. Trevor Mbakwe is a terror down low coming off a season-ending injury last season and slowly but surely working his way back into the 30 minutes per game range (he is averaging just over 20 right now). Mbakwe and senior 6’7″ forward Rodney Williams play as if they both have invisible springs attached to the soles of their shoes, and put that athleticism to good use in combining to average nearly 14 boards per game. The one area that holds Minnesota back slightly is their distance shooting – Andre Hollins is the only Gopher shooting better than 40 percent behind the arc and only two or three others are worth challenging from deep. Tubby’s inside play has been great thus far, though, and should keep them in the discussion for a Big Ten championship until the last couple games.

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4. Ohio State: 12-3 (2-1)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 12-6
Best Win: @ Purdue
Worst Loss: @ #11 Illinois
Star: Deshaun Thomas, 20.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 40.4 3p%
X-Factor: LaQuinton Ross, 8.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 77.1 FT%

Ranking Reasoning: The Buckeyes entered the season looking to win at least a share of a fourth straight Big Ten title, but their opening game against Marquette perhaps proved to be an omen so far after it was cancelled because of a wet court (I’ll never understand playing real games outside). Thad Matta’s team has largely beaten the teams they were supposed to beat and has lost to those they were supposed to lose to, but that is precisely the problem. If a team is to live up to lofty preseason billings, it must turn heads at some point. Losses to Duke, Illinois, and Kansas are explainable, but wins over the likes of Winthrop, Purdue, Washington, and a handful of no-names are not turning any heads. Thomas has been outstanding for the Scarlet and Gray, pouring in points from all over the floor, but he has yet to find a Robin to take some pressure off. Lenzelle Smith, Jr. is the only other Buckeye to average double digits in the scoring column (with only 10.7 per night), and his inconsistent shooting has plagued the team thus far, though his 43.5 percent mark from deep leads the team. Junior point guard and leader Aaron Craft continues to play lock-down D, but he has really struggled to put the ball in the hoop. Matta needs to find someone to provide a legitimate scoring threat if they are going to come close to keeping their streak alive.

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5. Michigan State: 13-3 (2-1)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 12-6
Best Win: vs. #7 Kansas
Worst Loss: vs. #23 Connecticut
Star: Keith Appling, 14.2 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.7 spg
X-Factor: Derrick Nix, 8.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 50.5 FG%

Ranking Reasoning: Tom Izzo’s squads are notoriously slow-starting, and this season has been no exception after an opening game loss to Connecticut followed by a loss at Miami in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge a few weeks later. The Spartans did manage to beat Kansas, who has really come on lately, in their second game and have shown some good signs since then. Turnovers and shooting have hampered Michigan State though, and they appear to be problems that Izzo is going to have a hard time solving. Appling, Branden Dawson, and freshman Denzel Valentine have all turned the ball over nearly two and a half times per game and five others cough it up at least once a night to combine for 15 per game. Sophomore Travis Trice has shot well from deep (44.7 percent), but freshman Gary Harris is the only other Spartan who makes more than 35 percent of his downtown looks. Depth has also been a bit of an issue thus far, and Brandan Kearney’s surprising departure has not helped in that department. Michigan State’s defense will keep them in a lot of games, but Izzo needs to find a way to cut down on the turnovers and squeeze out some points to make a run in March.

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6. Illinois: 14-3 (1-2)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 9-9
Best Win: @ #10 Gonzaga
Worst Loss: @ Purdue
Star: Brandon Paul, 18.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.4 spg, 36.5 3p%
X-Factor: Tyler Griffey, 8.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 40.0 3p%

Ranking Reasoning: Illinois was easily the biggest mystery to me entering the 2012-13 season, and the mystery has not died yet. John Groce left Ohio after leading his 2011-12 edition of the Bobcats to a first (or second depending on how you look at it) round upset of Michigan in the NCAA Tournament to replace Bruce Weber as head man in Champaign. The Fighting Illini have responded to Groce’s fiery leadership with some huge wins over Butler, Ohio State, and at Gonzaga but have also taken two big losses at Purdue and at home against Minnesota. Brandon Paul is still the high-volume shooter he has always been, but he’s making threes at a respectable 36.5 percent clip and is always the man to keep an eye on. Senior sidekick D.J. Richardson is another guard capable of putting the ball in the hoop, but he is really struggling this year, making just 30.9 percent of his threes and 34.3 percent of his total looks while averaging just over 10 points a game. Sophomore Tracy Abrams is coming into his own this year, scoring 12.2 points per game while dishing out 3.4 assists and grabbing 3.9 rebounds, but his 29.8 percent shooting from deep needs to improve if Illinois is to contend. Griffey has been up and down this year after developing a nice outside shot, but his inconsistency and Illinois’s overall lack of a strong post presence will keep them from cracking the upper echelon of the league. There are simply too many “buts” for Groce to win the Big Ten in his first season.

Many said this was a classic look ahead game as Michigan has Michigan State coming to town next weekend, but Brady Hoke would have none of that. Michigan came to play and showed that it is nowhere near dead, cruising to a dominant win over Illinois, 45-0.

Denard Robinson eclipsed another milestone as he surpassed 10,000 total yards for his career. In the process he became only the fourth quarterback to rush for over 4,000 yards and his two rushing touchdowns tied him with Wolverine legend Mike Hart for fourth on Michigan’s all-time rushing TD list with 41.

Michigan 45 – Illinois 0
	Final Stats
45	Final Score	0
4-2, 2-0	Record	2-5, 0-3
527	Total Yards	134
353	Net Rushing Yards	105
174	Net Passing Yards	29
21	First Downs	7
1	Turnovers	2
5-45	Penalties – Yards	5-45
4-136	Punts – Yards	8-367
32:14	Time of Possession	27:46
9-of-14	Third Down Conversions	3-of-14
0-of-0	Fourth Down Conversions	0-of-1
3-13	Sacks By – Yards	0-0
1-for-1	Field Goals	0-for-1
6-for-6	PATs	0-for-0
4-for-4	Red Zone Scores – Chances	0-for-0

Michigan dominated from start to finish on both sides of the ball putting up 527 total yards while holding the Illini to just 134. Denard passed for two touchdowns, the first a 71-yard bubble screen to Jeremy Gallon, and the other a beautifully lofted pass to Devin Funchess in the back of the end zone.

He gave Wolverine nation a scare early on as he clutched his throwing hand after being tackled near the goal line. It looked to be serious, but after just over a series on the sideline, Denard came back in and showed no ill effects of the injury. After the game, both he and Hoke called it just a “boo boo.”

The Illini, however, were without their starting quarterback for most of the game. Nathan Scheelhaase was knocked out of the game with an apparent concussion in the second quarter. Backup Reilly O’Toole couldn’t get anything going and it was late in the second half before Illinois even made it past the Michigan 32 yard line.

Despite the end result, Illinois was still in the game for a while, only down 17-0 at the half. But Denard shut the door early in the second half with yet another highlight reel long run from 49 yards. On Illinois’ first possession of the second half linebacker Kenny Demens picked off a pass which led to the Funchess touchdown. And just like that Michigan was up 31-0 with over 10 minutes to go in the third.

Thomas Rawls saw some carries throughout the game and continues to make the most of his limited opportunities. He finished with nine carries for 90 yards and a touchdown. His score came on a 63-yard run in which he showed he is way more than just a ‘run you over’ kind of guy. He showed good footwork, and while he may not have elite speed he had more than enough to outrun the Illini defense.

Fitz Toussaint made some strides in the run game rushing for 62 yards on 18 carries but is still far from the player he was last season. Going forward, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rawls get more touches and Fitz get fewer.

Jake Ryan and Kenny Demens harassed Illinois QBs all game (photo by the Ann Arbor News)

Al Borges continues to pare down his play calling to suit this team, and it has worked the past two weeks as Michigan has run for just under 330 yards per game and thrown the ball only 27 times total. The run game is the strength of this team and hopefully we continue to see more of it as the Big Ten season wears on. Denard is a capable passer when he sets his feet and isn’t called upon to win the game with his arm.

The defense completely shut down the Illini – not that Illinois was any good – but Michigan showed who was boss all day long. Jake Ryan continues to be a force off the edge and led the team in tackles with 11 and tackles for loss with 3.5.

Michigan has quieted its critics with back to back dominating outings. The loss to Alabama seems like ages ago, and the debacle against Notre Dame no longer matters. Michigan sits 4-2 (2-0 in the Big Ten) and in control of its own destiny in the Legends division.

Next week, the Wolverines welcome intrastate rival Michigan State into Ann Arbor in what should be a great game. MSU has struggled mightily this season and already has two losses in the conference. Despite their struggles Sparty will come to play and look to make it five in a row over Big Brother. Team 132 exorcised some demons last season as it finally beat Ohio State, and I expect Team 133 to do the same against Michigan State.

Throw the records out the door and buckle up, as this one is gonna get rough. In the end, I think Michigan is the better team and there is a rather bitter taste still in their mouths after losing to Little Brother four straight years. Michigan was a favorite to win the Big Ten coming into the season and after October 20th, there will be no doubt.

Denard Robinson threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the 45-0 win over Illinois. In the process, he became the eighth player in NCAA history to record 40 career rushing touchdowns and 40 career passing touchdowns. He also became the eighth player in Big Ten history to eclipse 10,000 career yards and moved past Chris Perry and into a tie with Mike Hart for third in career rushing touchdowns at Michigan. He also passed Rick Leach for fourth in career touchdown passes.

Denard and Desmond Morgan postgame press conference (photo by Justin Potts, M&GB)

Cliffs Notes:

- His injury was just a boo-boo
- He’s not even thinking about Michigan State yet
- He likes throwing to Devin Funchess
- He doesn’t care about stats
- He always expects to win

On what he injured and whether he was scared that it was more serious than it actually was…
“Well it was just a boo-boo. I mean, everybody gets hurt, so it was all good. I came back in and it didn’t bother me at all.”

On the defense…
“I think every great team has to have a great defense. If we can score points, we can win the game if they shut them out. They played well and it was a team effort today.”

On how long before the game ended did he start thinking about Michigan State…
“Right now, I’m not even thinking about it. This is a big win for us and it was a tough game we just won. We feel good about it because Illinois is a great team and we want to enjoy that right now and then tomorrow we move forward.”

On the handoffs and big run after coming back from his injury…
“I just go with whatever we get. I just go out there and play football and whatever I see, I just play with it. Our offensive line blocked well today and we had a lot of holes.”

On how comfortable he is with a run-heavy offense for the second straight game…
“I’m comfortable with it because this is Michigan. This is how Michigan always plays. The running backs are running well and the offensive line, they come out every day and practice hard, and put forth effort today, so I’m happy with them because that’s where it starts.”

On whether he saw all the blocks that set up the 71-yard touchdown pass…
“Oh yeah. I saw the last block by Michael Schofield. He’s the right tackle [and] he came from way back and he made the key block, so that was exciting watching him go down the field and make a block.”

On what’s it like to be able to throw it up in the back of the end zone to a big guy like Devin Funchess…
“Funchess always goes up and gets the ball and you enjoy throwing to that guy. He’s a great athlete and I enjoy it.”

On whether it feels like Denard has 10,000 total yards…
[laughing] “I don’t even know about that. I don’t look at the stats or any of that stuff. I just go out there and play football. The only stat I care about is turnovers and I just go out there and have fun with the team worry about winning.”

On the confidence level and whether they’re going into games expecting to win…
“Every game we come in expecting to win. If you walk on the field and you think you’re going to lose, you’re going to lose.”

Michigan dominated Illinois in all three phases of the game, setting up a big showdown with Michigan State next week. The Wolverines out-gained Illinois 527 to 134 and won 45-0. Brady Hoke spoke to the media afterwards.

Brady Hoke postgame press conference (photo by Justin Potts, Maize and Go Blue)

Cliffs Notes:

- He’s happy with the performance overall, but there’s still room to improve
- It was frustrating to leave points on the board in the first half
- Kenny Demens did his homework which led to his interception
- It was important to get Russell Bellomy some game action and he’s confident in him
- Denard just had a boo-boo
- The running back job still belongs to Fitz
- There was no question about awarding Gerald Ford’s legends jersey to Desmond Morgan

Opening Statement…
“It was a good to win on Homecoming. It’s good to win anytime and really, complete game wise in a lot of ways, this was probably the most complete we’ve played. Running the ball with the running backs, Denard obviously had some great runs in there, and defensively after the second series or two we started playing Michigan defense. We played well against the run and I thought when we did that on first and second down it gave us an opportunity to try and put some pressure on the quarterback, and I thought the guys did a nice job. Some things in there, we had some penalties, running the ball early – them against our defense – we weren’t happy with, but overall, it’s probably as complete as we’ve played. But it’s not near good enough.”

On the offensive and defensive lines…
“I didn’t think early up front defensively we were playing with gap integrity and getting off blocks as well as we needed to. We were hitting in there and getting four or five yards and five or six yards, and that’s not stout enough at the line of scrimmage. I think we’ve got some work to do there. I thought we played a little better as the game went on, but at the same time I think there was a lot of improvement. From an offensive standpoint, I think as we continue to grow to some degree, I think we’re playing a little better when you look at pad level. I think we’re playing a little better with the speed that we want to play with.”

On the big defensive plays early…
“Those were critical, but the one where they went for it on fourth down and our defense stepped up and did a nice job, we got the ball back and we’re in two-minute, and we get nothing. That’s frustrating because we felt coming into the locker room during halftime that we left some points on the board. You can’t do that when you play for championships.”

On the play of seniors like Quinton Washington and Kenny Demens…
“Quinton has improved probably every game and it’s exciting as a coach when you see a guy who steps out there and gains confidence and plays better. He’s a big part of our football team and he’s a wonderful young man. Kenny, I’ll tell ya, the interception, he had seen the route, he had prepared. And that’s the one thing I think we’ve done better as a team is the preparation. He knew formationally, he knew route-wise, he knew where they were lined up, what route was coming, so he jumped the route and that’s a maturity that you like to see in your football team. Kenny being a senior, you expect that, but when it works out, you’re excited about that.”

On the importance of getting Russell Bellomy some real game action…
“You know, it always is. I think we’re very excited about Russ Bellomy, and we have been. He came in there with a lot of confidence. We had the one exchange problem later in the game and I think the ball slipped or we didn’t get it up enough, but he’s a guy that we think is a good quarterback. That’s why we recruited him, so it was good to get him some work, and obviously meaningful work. But any work is good work.”

On when he starts thinking about Michigan State…
“I don’t know. I hope these guys enjoyed this right now. I don’t know if you ever don’t think about rivalry games. I think that’s always part of what makes us special being Michigan.”

On why he chose Desmond Morgan to wear number 48 and if he laid down any expectations for him…
“It was very easy to choose Desmond because of his character and his integrity, because of how he comes every day in our building, in the classroom, in the community. He is a great kid and really the Grand Rapids connection didn’t have a whole lot to do with it until I felt like I was going to do it with Desmond and then it kind of clicked in.”

On the thought process behind mixing in Thomas Rawls and Justice Hayes with Fitz Toussaint…
“We just wanted to give them both some more carries. I think competition is always healthy for everybody, so getting those guys some time out there [was good]. Vince, we didn’t play at all because he had a little bit of a hamstring [injury] and so that’s where Justice got more reps because of that.”

On whether the running back spot is still Fitz’s job…
“Yes.”

On how confident he was that the defense could win the game when Denard went down with an injury…
“I’d like to tell you I was very confident. I felt good about our guys on defense, and the other piece of it is our kicking game. We had kind of challenged that group, challenged ourselves as coaches that our kicking game had to make improvements and has to continue to. But with that part of it, I was comfortable if that’s the way it would have gone.”

On Denard’s injury…
“Just a boo-boo.”

On how relieved he was that it wasn’t too serious and Denard could go back in…
“Well, anytime any guy gets dinged up and boo-boos and stuff, you always worry about it.”

On whether Denard not throwing an interception for the second straight game is comfort level with the game plan or maturity…
“I think it’s a combination of both. I think he obviously reassessed after Notre Dame a little bit – we all did – where we were. And then I think some [of it was] game plan. We were determined that we were going to run the football and in the passing game, the play-action part of it, the passing part of our offense that he felt most comfortable with.”

On how much he stressed to the players not peeking at Michigan State before the game…
“I didn’t talk about it, because our guys never even mentioned it [or] looked at it. I was really surprised, but I felt really confident about every week for us is a championship game no matter what. So they have to prepare for every opponent like a championship game. There was none of that in the locker room or anywhere else. It was Illinois and how we wanted to play, and how we wanted to prepare.”

On whether today was the jump start that Fitz needed…
“I thought Fitz ran the ball hard. I thought he got more north and south. [Did it] jumpstart him? I hope. But at the same time, I think there were two runs I didn’t really like, but other than that I thought he really started getting vertical a little more.”

On whether Fitz needed a jump start…
“You’ve got to explain jump start. Is that where your battery dies? Well, we didn’t do that with him. But I just think, and I’ve said this before, it’s not always the back. There’s 10 other guys out there. If Denard doesn’t carry out fakes very well, then that’s not going to be effective. I just throw that out as a piece that’s all part of coaching and how you put our offense together.”

On Jake Ryan’s relentless effort of missing the quarterback and not giving up and sacking the quarterback, causing a fumble…
“Greg [Mattison] and the defensive staff do a tremendous job when you talk about effort and the toughness that you need to play football at Michigan with and defense at Michigan with. Number one, the self pride that Jake has and how he is as a football player, it’s more of a Michigan pride and a team pride and a defensive pride. That’s not why he got off the ground and forced the fumble, but that’s part of who he is and who we want to represent.”