Michigan’s magical season came to an end Monday night in heartbreaking fashion. But it was hard to stay down for long given the show Team 96 put on in one of the greatest national championship games we’ll ever see. No one will ever say a loss is a good thing. It’s not and this one wasn’t. It hurt, moreso for the players and coaches involved than you or I will ever know. But the young Wolverines played like they belonged to be there. They played well enough to win, and if not for a bad break here or there, they would have.

But even though the season ended just short of the ultimate goal, what Team 96 achieved will go down in Michigan history right alongside the national championship winning 1989 team, the Fab Five, and all the rest of the great teams to don the maize and blue.

Six months from now, Team 97 will begin anew and we will root them on with a renewed love and passion for Michigan basketball. For the first time in a long time, Michigan basketball will enter a season viewed in high regard on a national stage. But before we get there, and before we even turn our full attention to football, let’s look back at what we expected out of this team and compare our expectations to how it performed.

Back in November as Michigan was getting ready to open its season at home against Slippery Rock, Sam posted his season preview. In it, he pegged the Wolverines to finish the regular season 26-6 and 13-5 in the Big Ten. In reality, they went 26-7 and 12-6. Furthermore, he pegged Michigan as a Final Four squad, which they not only were, but went one game further and finished the season with a school record 31 wins and just eight losses. Sam picked Michigan to finish first in the Big Ten, but they fell just short, although the fifth-place finish is deceiving since they were one rotation of the ball away from beating Indiana and claiming a share of the title.

As far as individual players go, in Sam’s player previews, he forecasted their stat lines from points, rebounds, and assists to field goal and three-point percentage. Let’s see how they performed based on expectations.
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Recap: The sentence that hit the nail on the head was “A huge season for Trey likely means a deep run in March for the Wolverines, but if he sees a sophomore slump, Michigan could find itself underachieving massively.” Big Tean and National Player of the Year is certainly a huge year and Michigan made the deepest March run possible. Burke outperformed his expectations in nearly every category – at least in the ones that matter most – and led Michigan to the brink of a national title.

Future: Trey is the most likely player to jump to the NBA and if he does, no one will blame him. He has done more in his two seasons in Ann Arbor than most players do in their career. He set the single season assists record, was a consensus first team All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year, and Wooden Award winner to name a few. He’s a projected lottery pick in the NBA Draft – Chad Ford has him listed 6th in his updated mock draft – and he’s only that low because of his height. He doesn’t have much left to prove at Michigan, but maybe, just maybe, he will want to return to lead the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and win a national championship next season. We can hope.
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Recap: Hardaway improved his shooting and three-point shooting this season compared to his sophomore season, but they still fell short of his projected averages. In Sam’s preview of Tim he wrote, “There’s no doubt that that Tim Hardaway is one of the best players on this team and an intriguing NBA prospect…but he will need to show some consistency on both ends of the court if he is to realize his dream and follow in his dad’s footsteps to the League.” Hardaway still struggled with consistency this season. When he was on, he was on. Take the Ohio State game in Ann Arbor for instance, when he hit 6-of-9 three-point attempts to carry the Wolverines to victory. However, he also went a combined 4-of-23 from the field in two games against Michigan State and went just 16-of-53 (30.2 percent) from the field and 5-of-22 (22.7 percent) from downtown in the final four games of the NCAA Tournament.

Future: Based purely on speculation, if I had to bet on it right now, I’d say Hardaway will make the jump to the NBA. But scouts don’t have him as a first round prospect anymore and he could drastically help his draft prospects with one more year in Ann Arbor. If he stays and is able to improve his shooting and become more consistent, he could easily work his way into the top half of the first round in 2014.
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Recap: Predicting the production from a true freshman is next to impossible because you don’t know how long it will take him to adapt to the college game. Everyone knew McGary would be a very good player for Michigan, but nobody really knew whether it would be right from the start or whether it would take him a while. He showed flashes of his potential right from the start, but served as Michigan’s sixth man for most of the season, giving the team a spark off the bench. In the tournament, however, he blossomed into a star. He was the talk of the tournament – at least up until his disappointing performance that was marred by foul trouble in the national title game – after back-to-back dominant performances against VCU and Kansas. He underperformed based on Sam’s projections, but he showed everyone late in the season that the expectations will be high next season.

Future: McGary’s breakout tournament performance moved him all the way up to 12th in Chad Ford’s latest mock draft, something that might tempt him to make the jump. But I don’t think he will. He has the potential to be an absolute star, and with a full season in 2013-14 like he had in the tournament, could easily become a lottery pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Expect McGary to return to dominate the paint for Michigan next season.
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Recap: As with McGary, predicting the stats of a true freshman can sometimes be very wrong. In this case, Stauskas performed much better than predicted. In a sense, much more was known about McGary coming out of high school as, at one point, the #2 player in the class, but there wasn’t much to go off of for Stauskas, the Canadian assassin. All that was really known was that he was deadly from behind the arc. It wasn’t until the season started that everybody realized the often heard phrase “he’s not just a shooter.” He finished third on the team with 11 points a game, which is impressive, and earned a starting spot very early on, so his minutes were much higher than predicted. But his shot struggled in the second half of the season with the exception of the 6-of-6 performance against Florida in the Elite Eight. He finished the season 46.3 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point.

Future: Stauskas isn’t a threat to go pro this season, so we don’t have to worry about that. He has vowed to return a different player next season, hitting the gym hard during the summer and coming back stronger and better defensively. The defensive end was by far his weak point this season, and if he can improve that, he’ll be a very dangerous player going forward.
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Recap: Robinson might have been the easiest freshman to predict since most knew he would start from the get-go. His 11 points per game average was exactly what Sam projected and he exceeded his projected rebound average, finishing as the team’s second best rebounder behind McGary. He played more minutes than expected and was always dangerous on the baseline and around the rim.

Future: There’s a slight chance Robinson could make the jump to the NBA since he oozes potential. Chad Ford projected him to go 15th in his latest mock draft. He’ll likely stick around for at least one more year to improve his game and potentially move into the top 10. The main area of work is creating his own shots. In his player preview, Sam said, “He’s certainly a capable shooter, but no one is quite sure how good. We also know he can fill it up from mid-range and will be deadly around the rim, but I’ll be interested to see how his overall offensive game develops and where the majority of his shots come from.” This season, he was mostly reliant on Burke and others to get him the ball in position to hit a shot or to score around the rim. If he can improve to the point where he can create his own shots, he will be lethal.
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Recap: It’s no secret that Morgan was somewhat of a disappointment this season. No one expected him to be a first team All-Big Ten caliber player, but in his first two seasons he showed potential to be a reliable big man. But this season, he struggled to be a consistent scoring option and had problems catching the ball down low. He underperformed in nearly every category and eventually lost his starting job to McGary during the tournament.

Future: Morgan has one season left in Ann Arbor and is still an important piece of the puzzle for John Beilein. He remains one of Michigan’s best defensive players, and that was no more evident than when he came in and took a charge at the end of the Final Four game against Syracuse that essentially sealed Michigan’s win. If he can work on his hands to the point that he’s able to catch the balls that are fed to him on the pick and roll, he could earn back some playing time next season. Otherwise, he’s probably destined to be the first or second man off the bench.
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Recap: Horford continues to develop as a player and fight through injuries early in his career. He missed several games early in the season due to injury, which set back his development and allowed McGary to eat up some of his playing time. Sam said as much in his player preview: “Pay very close attention to him early on to see how his season may go.” The time missed resulted in only 8.8 minutes per game throughout the season. When he was on the court, he was usually reliable, capable of rebounding and finishing when given the opportunity and stepping up and hitting free throws. But he wasn’t the breakout player that Sam thought he might become.

Future: There is still optimism for Big Jon’s future. He has the lineage and the work ethic – he hit the gym to work on shooting right after Michigan arrived back in Ann Arbor after the national championship game – to become a dependable big man worthy of more minutes. He just needs a full off-season and season of staying healthy. If he, Morgan, and McGary continue to develop, Michigan could have a very good frontcourt next season.
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Recap: Perhaps the rotation player that carried the lowest expectations into the season, Spike proved that he has what it takes to run the basketball team at the college level. He was only expected to manage the offense for a few minutes a game while Burke got a breather, and he did that adequately. But in the Final Four, he gave the world a glimpse of his potential. In the semifinal against Syracuse, he hit two key threes to fuel Michigan’s lead, and then in the national championship game, he exploded for 17 first half points. It was like Rudy, except you know, good. He fizzled in the second half, not used to playing so many minutes, especially on such a big stage, but his performance at least put to ease concerns about who will run the team if Burke makes the jump to the NBA.

Future: While Michigan has had the bittersweet reality of great point guards that leave early the past few years – first Darius Morris and now, most likely, Burke – Albrecht is a nice change of pace. He’ll never be a threat to leave early and he may never even earn a starting spot since Michigan has another talented point guard coming in next season. But he gives the position quality depth, which is something it has lacked.
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Recap: Like Morgan, Matt Vogrich saw his playing time dip this season, but his happened a lot sooner. He began the year as a starter, but that only lasted a handful of games before Stauskas took over. In fact, Vogrich played double digit minutes in only four games all season. He scored his season high of eight points in the season opener against Slipper Rock and then didn’t score more than three in a game the rest of the way. He enjoyed an interesting career that saw his playing time fall as his career went on, but that also coincided with team success.

Future: Vogrich’s career is over.
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As you can see, the player who most outperformed his expectations was Burke, which is extremely impressive given the expectations he had after his freshman campaign. It’s no wonder he won every award imaginable. Stauskas also vastly outperformed his projections, though I don’t think anyone could have thought he’d have so much early success. Glenn Robinson III performed right on his expectations and will likely have them raised going into next season.

The biggest underperformers were the big men. Morgan and Horford could improve next year, while McGary will likely have the highest expectations of anyone on the team going into 2013-14. Hardaway also underperformed slightly despite improving his shooting. If he returns for his senior season, his expectations will be high once again.

Now, we wait and see what Burke, Hardaway, McGary, and Robinson decide regarding their futures. The choices they make will determine the expectations the team has going into next season. It’s most likely that two of the four will leave, but as we saw with Taylor Lewan’s surprising decision to return for his senior year, anything is possible.

via MGoBlue.com

Meet Josh Bartelstein, Michigan’s senior captain who played a total of 56 minutes in his Michigan career, none of them meaningful in any game, but all of them significant to his 14 teammates. The blogger and son of a prominent NBA agent, Bartelstein is more likely to represent future professionals than ever get paid to play himself, but the respect this team had for him was immense. No Michigan player was ever more excited to see a made three-pointer than when Bartelstein made either of his two career field goals, one last year and one the year prior.

Meet Corey Person, a fifth-year senior who was offered to come back for one last year this season not because of his on-court production but because of his off-court leadership, and, most likely, his pre-game dance ritual, a staple that will be dearly missed and never forgotten. Person entered graduate school after earning his bachelor’s degree last year, and despite the time commitment he made for such little recognition, Person never once questioned his decision, a sacrifice certainly appreciated by his teammates.

Senior Josh Bartelstein served as team captain this season (MGoBlue.com)

Meet Eso Akunne, another senior who rarely had a direct impact on any game but again stuck it out and never complained. Akunne lost his mother two summers ago to cancer, and was never able to give her a final farewell as she passed away a half-world apart, but his strength and courage contributed to the team’s success perhaps more than any basketball play could have.

Meet Matt Vogrich and Blake McLimans, the fourth and fifth senior veterans of this University of Michigan basketball team. Both Vogrich and McLimans accepted scholarship offers from John Beilein with very little to go off other than one NCAA Tournament appearance and eventually had to accept “role player” spots on the team as younger players’ talent won out. Regardless, neither player once complained to the media or otherwise about a reduction in minutes played and points scored in each of their last three seasons, instead cheering on their teammates and happily playing their part as senior leaders.

Meet Jordan Morgan, a fourth-year junior who will be back for one final swan song next season. Morgan entered the year as a starter and played the role admirably for the most part before injuring his ankle in Michigan’s first loss of the season and never fully recovering health-wise or confidence-wise, eventually seeing his starting spot dissipate as freshman Mitch McGary stole headlines throughout the NCAA Tournament. Nonetheless, Morgan continued to give everything he had and was often the on-court vocal leader of this team and a guy who everyone looked up to despite his struggles. A quiet night in the championship game was aptly preceded for Morgan by his thunderous game-ending dunk in the semifinals over Syracuse.

Meet Max Bielfeldt, who chose to play for Michigan two years ago despite an unclear situation in terms of playing time and his family’s strong allegiances to Illinois. Bielfeldt, a redshirt freshman who must feel like a sixth wheel among the “Fresh Five”, has three years left of eligibility but certainly realizes that his battle for playing time will continue to be an uphill climb as the years continue to pass. Still, the player lovingly referred to as Moose by his fellow teammates was nothing but smiles and laughs throughout Michigan’s post-season run even though he only stepped on the floor for less than one minute the entire time.

Fifth-year senior Corey Person didn't play much but his pre-game dance will be missed (MLive.com)

Meet Jon Horford, a redshirt sophomore who continues to ooze potential but has a ways to go before putting it all together. Horford always seemed to be in positive spirits despite an early-season knee injury (his second in two seasons) and worked his way into productive minutes this year. The younger brother of NBA All-Star Al Horford is often over-shadowed in the media and was often over-matched on the court by stronger, quicker, and more talented big men this year, but Jon still has plenty more basketball to look forward to in Ann Arbor and will continue to put forth full effort every time he steps on the floor. His length and shot-blocking prowess make him an important piece moving forward, and Horford’s final point this year, a made free throw to give Michigan a three-point lead with just 18 seconds left against Syracuse in the first Final Four game, was absolutely crucial, especially considering he had missed the first.

Meet Caris LeVert, the skinniest, youngest, and last member of this year’s freshman class. A former Ohio University commit, LeVert switched his pledge to Michigan after coach John Groce left the Bobcat program and was immediately projected to redshirt this year in order to gain some weight and experience off the court. Early on, however, it was clear that LeVert had too much heart and not enough quit to let that happen, quickly over-taking Vogrich’s minutes by mid-season and going on to make a bigger impact than anyone could have predicted. The lanky 18-year-old was almost always out-muscled by his man and he finished this season with by far the lowest shooting percentage of any regularly-used player, but LeVert’s defense was always praised by coaches and his gutty eight-point performance against Syracuse was the difference between the biggest win and the hardest loss of the season for the Maize and Blue.

Matt Vogrich enjoyed success early in his career but was relegated to the bench this season (MGoBlue.com)

Meet Nik Stauskas, the Canadian sniper that will probably end up being the best shooter Michigan coach John Beilein has ever taught when his career comes to an end. The second commit of this freshman class, Stauskas honed his shooting skills in his cold backyard with the rebounding help of his dad for years as preparation for this – a chance to contribute on a championship-contending team and a potential future NBA career. This year saw its ups and downs for Stauskas, from the amazing 22-point shooting display to lead Michigan over Florida for the South regional title to the measly three combined points in the two Final Four games in Atlanta, but overall it was an incredible year for the calm, confident kid with a bright future in Ann Arbor and beyond.

Meet Spike Albrecht, another unheralded freshman who was brought in as a last-minute emergency plan in case Trey Burke had decided to bolt for the NBA last year. Once Burke announced his plans to return, most assumed that Albrecht would be relegated to a bench-warming spot, and his baby-face looks lent to some confusion as to whether Spike was a player or manager, but the sure-handed and sure-headed 20-year-old set things straight throughout the year with solid contributions in spot minutes. As the year went on, Albrecht seemed to provide more and more on a nightly basis, finally culminating with a captivating 17-point first half performance in the championship game on a brilliant 6-of-7 shooting stretch that stole big minutes on ESPN and stunned college basketball fans around the country – a show that followed a perfect, albeit short-lived, six-point outing in four minutes against Syracuse. Spike has now won over the hearts of many young women and Michigan fans everywhere and will look to build on his already growing legacy with three more years in Ann Arbor and a more prominent spotlight.

Meet Glenn Robinson III, the quiet, athletic freshman assassin. The son of former college great Glenn Robinson, Little Dog was never the focal point of this Michigan offense, but he always seemed to manage double-digit points while grabbing a few rebounds, helping the team to so many victories while never once complaining about not getting as many shots as perhaps he would demand on a lesser team. With his next-level athletic abilities and his knack for finishing around the rim, Robinson has turned the heads of many scouts and faces a decision of whether to declare for the NBA Draft or return to Michigan to work toward completing some unfinished business with the rest of the team. No matter what he decides, Glenn Robinson III has already carved out a spot in the hearts of many Michigan fans after blossoming from a lowly-regarded high school player to a top player on one of the best college teams in the country.

Eso Akunne never played much, but got to enjoy a trip to the finals (detroitnews.com)

Meet Mitch McGary, the freshman big man and ball of energy. After committing to play for Michigan as the second-highest rated high schooler in the country, McGary was expected to star right off the bat, but his learning curve was a little slow. Alas, the 20-year-old struggled academically at his four-year high school in Chesterton, Indiana before transferring far away from home to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before getting his grades in order and refining his basketball game. With time, McGary’s conditioning and overall game improved slowly but surely at Michigan; his energy, on the other hand, has never lacked. As the NCAA Tournament finally rolled around, McGary’s star started to shine bright on the national stage, as he poured in double digit points in five of Michigan’s six games, including a new career high in consecutive games over VCU and Kansas, and recorded double-doubles over the same stretch before slightly struggling to reach the same level in the championship game, where he was hampered with four fouls. McGary, who now finds himself on draft boards with these renewed looks, has a decision to make much like his roommate Robinson’s. If he stays, McGary is seen as a potentially dominant animal in the post, a guy who could conceivably average a double-double, expand his game, and lead Michigan back to the promised land. If he goes, McGary will be seen as a Wolverine whose love of Michigan and passion for tough play have already ingratiated him in the hearts of all Michigan fans.

Meet Tim Hardaway, Jr., the son of NBA legend Tim Hardaway. The junior and second-leading scorer of this Michigan team bounced back from a tough year last year to become a scoring force on offense, a solid defender, and a player who could turn the course of a game with a huge dunk or a streak of three-pointers. Despite some difficult games here and there, Hardaway always seemed to be a steadying force and the seasoned veteran within a lineup full of underclassmen, scoring 10 or more points in all but eight games this year. As a freshman, Hardaway championed Michigan back to the NCAA Tournament after the Wolverines had struggled to a 15-17 mark the year prior to his arrival, and despite his tough shooting year last season, Hardaway has always been a great scorer and a phenomenal team player. Many expect him to forego his last year of eligibility and follow in his dad’s footsteps to the NBA; regardless of what he does, however, Hardaway’s three years so far will never be forgotten, and performances like his 23-point night to beat Ohio State in overtime this season will go down in Michigan history.

Blake McLimans was an important senior leader this season (annarbor.com)

Meet Trey Burke, the one-time no-name prospect and Penn State commit out of Columbus, Ohio. A high school teammate of former Buckeye Jared Sullinger, Burke had always dreamed of playing for Ohio State, but when he was shunned by Thad Matta, he decided to take his talents north and play for John Beilein. Two short years later, Burke has become the best Michigan player in at least 20 years, gaining far too many accolades – including First Team All-American honors and Big Ten, Naismith, and Wooden Player of the Year awards – to list off at once. Last year, Burke’s out-of-nowhere freshman stardom nearly convinced him to take off for the pro ranks after just one season of college, but a talking to from his parents and thoughts of the promise of this year’s team led him back to Ann Arbor, where he put on a show for the ages. Night in and night out, Burke’s cool leadership from the point guard spot led Beilein’s team, and his exceptional team play, his caring for his fellow Wolverines, always stood out to those on-lookers. In retrospect, he was without a doubt the best player on the court every time he suited up for Michigan, and his number will one day hang from the rafters of the Crisler Center. Trey, just like his teammates, was always quick to praise teammates for Michigan’s success, even though it was clear that he was the biggest reason for it. So many of his performances are unforgettable, both for Michigan fans and college basketball fans in general, and his ball-handling prowess, passing, and scoring ability will perhaps never again be matched by a Michigan player. In what will almost certainly be his final collegiate game, Trey Burke again showed why he will always be loved by Michigan fans, scoring 24 points, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out three assists while his slight 6’0″ frame took a constant beating from the physical Louisville front line. It wasn’t enough, but, like usual, it was more than what could have ever been asked of him.

Meet the 2012-13 Michigan basketball team. In the end, these 15 young men came up just short of the finish line, losing 82-76 in the National Championship after an improbable run through five rounds of the Big Dance. Much like the teams of the early 1990s, they couldn’t match Michigan’s one national title from 1989, and they will not go down in history as the best team in the country in 2013. But they will forever hold a special place in the hearts of all Michigan fans, and rightfully so. Though the last game may have said otherwise, these Wolverines always have been, and always will be, winners in our hearts.

McLimans, Person, Burke, Bartelstein, Hardaway, Morgan and the rest of Team 96 made it to the NCAA Championship game

Trey Burke held his own, but seemingly tried to do too much at times (Andy Lyons, Getty Images)

Winning on the road in the Big Ten is always a tough proposition and it’s even more so when facing third-ranked Indiana in Assembly Hall in a nationally televised primetime game. Michigan found that out on Saturday night with a 81-73 loss to the Hoosiers.

Michigan won the tip and Nik Stauskas drove the lane, took a hard hit as he missed the layup and Indiana recovered. As Indiana crossed midcourt, the ball went loose and in the hustle to regain it, Jon Horford was whistled for a foul. And so the game went. Indiana star Cody Zeller got the scoring started with a pair of free throws and the Hoosiers would get there often, making 22-of-25 for the game.

Michigan took the lead on a Trey Burke three, but Indiana’s Victor Oladipo answered with a three of his own. From there, Indiana went on a 15-4 run to open up a 20-7 lead before Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a piar of buckets. From that point, Michigan outscored the Hoosiers 25-16, punctuated by a step-back three by Burke just before the buzzer to cut the deficit to four.

To start the second half, Hardaway and Zeller traded buckets and Burke nailed a three to pull Michigan within one. Zeller answered with a dunk, but Stauskas was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws to tie the game. However, Michigan was unable to capitalize on the momentum, as Indiana scored 11 straight to grab a 51-40 lead with just over 14 minutes to play.

Michigan went to work again, chipping away at the Hoosier lead, cutting it to four by the under-12 timeout. A Horford layup pulled Michigan within two and the teams played evenly for the next four minutes.

With just under four minutes to play, and Michigan down four, Oladipo drove the lane and was tied up by Hardaway. The officials whistled Hardaway for the foul, but inexplicably gave Oliadipo credit for the basket despite the fact that he took two-and-a-half steps after the tie-up before he laid in the basket. He converted the three-point play to widen the IU lead to seven.

Michigan was forced to chuck up threes and send the Hoosiers to the line in the closing minutes and Indiana escaped with the eight-point victory.

Michigan shot 42.9 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from three-point range, while Indiana shot a blistering 52 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from downtown. IU out-rebounded Michigan 38-29, but the game was won on the free throw line where the Hoosiers made 22 compared to Michigan’s six.

Apparently this is a shooting foul in Bloomington

Burke led all scorers with 25 points on 24 shots, while Hardaway had a much more efficient 18 points. Burke also dished out eight assists. Stauskas and Mitch McGary each chipped in 10, though Stauskas struggled with his shot all game, much like he did in Columbus a couple weeks ago. Glenn Robinson was held to just two points on 1-of-6 shooting and looked completely overmatched at times. We may never know for sure, but it seemed like something was off with him.

All five Hoosiers scored in double figures, led by Zeller’s 19 points and 10 boards. Oladipo scored 15, while Christian Watford also had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Michigan falls a game behind Indiana in the Big Ten standings and will lose the No. 1 national ranking. But let’s not forget – the Wolverines were without Jordan Morgan (he did play two minutes) who was still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in the previous game. His inside presence was severely missed, as Zeller was able to get several put-back dunks with no body to block him out. Horford and McGary filled in pretty well, but Morgan’s experience was certainly missed.

The Wolverines return home on Tuesday for a must-win battle with Ohio State. Everybody remembers the previous meeting when Michigan fell behind big in the first half and battled back only to fall by three. A loss on Tuesday would put the Big Ten title in jeopardy and give the Buckeyes yet another win over the Maize and Blue. From there, Michigan travels to Wisconsin and Michigan State to complete an early February gauntlet.

GRIII threw down an alley-oop dunk from Trey Burke to ignite the Michigan win (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

Not quite one month ago in Evanston, Illinois, the Michigan Wolverines opened up the Big Ten season in grand fashion, storming out of the gates to take down the home-court Northwestern Wildcats by a whopping 28 points. Tonight, Northwestern had the opportunity for revenge. That opportunity, that dream, lasted all of about seven minutes.

With 12:53 remaining in the first half, Glenn Robinson III threw down what has now become a standard alley-oop from Trey Burke to take an 18-11 lead, forcing Northwestern coach Bill Carmody to call his second timeout in just over a two minute span and sucking up what remaining life Northwestern ever had entering Ann Arbor. Unfortunately for Northwestern, that timeout didn’t change the tide of the game much, as Trey Burke scored the next four points himself to help lead the Wolverines to an 18-10 run to end the half.

No one really had any doubt as to what the outcome of this game would be, but the way Michigan continues to win is still impressive. It is increasingly evident that Beilein has four top-notch scorers at his disposal, depth at just about every position, and a team full of players who have bought into his system and play for each other. Trey Burke could go out and score 25 points a night on 20 shots to boost his Draft stock if he wanted to, but instead he consistently has games like tonight – 18 points on 11 shots, eight assists to just one turnover, four rebounds, two steals, and a handful of nice defensive plays that won’t show up in the box score.

This team is, well, just that – a team. Perhaps no play all season embodied that sentiment as well as one tonight early in the first half, when Trey Burke received a long pass from under the basket for an open look from the corner. Instead of shooting, however, Burke made a quick pass to his right, finding Tim Hardaway, Jr. even more wide open for a wing three. For a guy shooting 41 percent from downtown on the year, this was a great shot. So what did he do? He made the extra extra pass, this time to freshman Nik Stauskas, the team’s leading three-point shooter, on the other wing. The Canadian sharpshooter buried the three, of course. With three excellent passes that led to ultimately to the best shot Michigan could get in that possession, the Wolverines again proved that they play more as a team than as individuals. They truly want to win ball games more than they want to inflate their own stats.

In all honesty, that might have been the best look Michigan will get all season. Stauskas, a guy shooting over 50 percent again from downtown, would have had time to tie his shoes and run to the concession stands before a Wildcat would have had the chance to get a hand in his face on the three. The crowd knew it was going down, too, as you could hear the anticipation build from Burke’s pass to Hardaway and then finally from the veteran to the newbie.

Another supremely encouraging aspect of tonight’s game was Michigan’s apparent dedication on the defensive end of the floor. Every college basketball fan in America knows by this time that Michigan can score the ball, but questions remain as to how well the Maize and Blue can prevent its opposition from scoring. For the night, at least, Michigan showed that it is capable of putting forth the necessary effort on both ends of the court, holding Northwestern to a horrid 37.3 percent mark from the field and just 21.1 percent from downtown.

Northwestern's guards had trouble keeping Burke in front of them all night (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

David Sobolewski and Reggie Hearn, the two healthy Wildcats that lead the team in scoring, combined to score just 12 points on 15 shots, as freshman big man Alex Olah was the only one in purple able to break the double-digit barrier with 10 points. It still took him 10 shots to get there though.

For Michigan, Burke led the way yet again on offense, but he was joined by Glenn Robinson III, Stauskas, and Jon Horford in scoring double figures. Horford was perhaps most impressive, as he finally displayed the potential every Michigan fan has been yearning to see in his first start of the season. Filling in for an injured Jordan Morgan, Horford put up a very respectable stat line of 10 points (3-of-5 FG, 4-of-5 FT), seven rebounds, and three blocks in 20 minutes and proved to be Michigan’s best interior defender tonight by a long shot. His back-to-the-basket game is easily the most refined out of all the post players, and his length contributes to his great rebounding and block numbers. Obviously Horford is still working his way back into the lineup, and Mitch McGary will continue to demand 15-18 minutes per game, but all of a sudden Jordan Morgan’s absence is not all that worrisome.

Lastly, Beilein has to be pleased with the way Michigan was able to play smart tonight and hold onto the ball. The Wolverines didn’t turn the ball over a single time in the first half, and only twice in the second, and although Northwestern coughed it up just six times themselves, there is not a team in the country that will consistently beat Michigan when they hold onto the ball like that.

With this sleeper game out of the way, Michigan can now place all of its focus on the looming night game matchup in Bloomington this Saturday. The Hoosiers rolled Purdue in West Lafayette tonight and will enter the game as the third-ranked team in the country. The winner of that game will have an early leg-up on the Big Ten championship race and will likely enter next week as the number one team in the country. A Michigan win would continue to solidify the team’s elite status.

By now, however, there isn’t much more to prove in the regular season. Michigan is elite, and, win or lose on Saturday, the Wolverines have all the makings of a conference champion and a titan in March. With the reigns of the team in Burke’s hands, this carriage is staying well on course.

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 v. Eastern Michigan
	The final game in Michigan basketball history (damn Mayans)
Thursday, Dec. 20 | 8:30pm ET | BTN
11-0	Record	6-3
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	Wins	Rochester 66-52 E. Illinois 60-52 IPFW 60-47 UTPA 57-47 Madonna 75-57 Purdue 47-44
	Losses	Jacksonville St. 54-61 #4 Syracuse 48-84 UIC 48-74
78.2	Points Per Game	57.2
57.5	Scoring Defense	57.6
319-for-624 (51.1%)	Field Goal %	190-for-491 (38.7%)
243-for-608 (40.0%)	Def. Field Goal %	182-for-480 (37.9%)
89-for-222 (40.1%)	3-point %	37-for-132 (28.0%)
65-for-210 (31.0%)	Def. 3-point %	60-for-207 (29.0%)
133-for-184 (72.3%)	Free Throw %	98-for-145 (67.6%)
12.1	FT Made/Game	10.9
37.5	Rebounds Per Game	36.2
27.9	Opp. Reb. Per Game	36.8
15.1	Assists Per Game	10.3
10.2	Turnovers Per Game	13.9
4.9	Steals Per Game	7.9
2.6	Blocks Per Game	5.6
G – Trey Burke (18.0) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.7)	Leading Scorer	G – Derek Thompson (12.3) F – Glenn Bryant (10.4)
F – Glenn Robinson (6.5) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (5.4)	Leading Rebounder	F – Daylen Harrison (6.7) C – Da’Shonte Riley (6.3)

As the end-of-year holidays approach and days come to a close earlier and earlier, the smell of Big Ten basketball is in the air. For Michigan, the conference season means a chance to defend their share of last year’s Big Ten title and a shot to prove that their sensational non-conference play has been no fluke. Christmas and New Year’s Day must pass before that happens, however, and the Wolverines still have two more games against non-Big Ten (but in-state) opponents before they can claim a flawless non-conference slate. The first of these two matchups comes tonight (8:30pm on Big Ten Network) as the 6-3 Eagles of Ypsilanti make the short drive to the Crisler Center with upsets on their minds. Let’s take a quick look at what Michigan fans should watch for:

1. Stay Focused: After taking down West Virginia at the new Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, Michigan will not face another high-major opponent until the Big Ten season begins in January. So far, the Wolverines have downed Pittsburgh, Kansas State, North Carolina State, Arkansas, and West Virginia with relative ease on their way to an 11-0 record to date, their best since winning the national championship in 1989. Eastern Michigan is clearly not even close to the level of any of these teams despite the fact that the Razorbacks and the Mountaineers have struggled through much of the season to date, and this game is not one that will draw many national viewers. Furthermore, the Wolverines are in the middle of exams and the majority of the Maize Rage will be out on break. In essence, there will not be a ton of energy in the building, and if Michigan becomes lackadaisical, Eastern will jump at the chance to make it an interesting matchup. In reality, the Eagles are probably not good enough to deem this a potential trap game, but any Division I team has enough talent to at least keep it close. Michigan needs to stay focused on the task at hand and simply take care of business in this one.

1. Play Solid Defense: If there has been one area that Michigan could noticeably improve upon this year, it is on the defensive end of the court. Opposing teams have gotten a few too many easy looks at times throughout the non-conference season, and while Michigan has played solid defense at other times and perhaps some teams have played up to Michigan’s level, the gimme baskets will be the difference in one or two Big Ten games if they persist. Jon Horford’s injury certainly won’t help in this category at all, which is all the more reason the rest of the team needs to pick up the slack and make every possession for the other team a difficult trip. With the way Eastern Michigan has struggled to shoot the ball this year, making just 38.7 percent of their field goals and 28 percent of their threes, there is no better game than this to work on defense and get some confidence heading into conference play.
   

   If there's a weakness for Michigan it has been its defense (John Minchillo, AP)

1. Get Rested: John Beilein would love to blow out every team Michigan ever plays, but that is not realistic, and everyone knows it. A blowout in a game like this, however, is something that is both very possible for Michigan and very desirable before Big Ten play. Eastern Michigan ranks worse than 300th in the country in field goal percentage, assists per game, and points per game. They are not good. Michigan, on the other hand, is very good, ranking in the top five in the country in shooting percentage and top 50 in points per game and defensive rebounding percentage. Every year it seems that Michigan enters the year claiming added depth and every year it seems that Beilein shortens his bench significantly within a few games, doling out a high percentage of minutes to few players. This season has been no different. Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway, Jr., and Glenn Robinson III all play more than 30 minutes per game, and Nik Stauskas averages 29.5 minutes in his own right. Beyond those four, only two other guys play double digit minutes, big men Jordan Morgan (21.8 minutes per game) and Mitch McGary (14.3 mpg). Perhaps most disturbing about these numbers is that two of those guys averaging big-time minutes are freshmen that have yet to experience the grind of a Big Ten season and all four of the leading minute users are expected to be the Wolverines’ best shooters. These guys need to rest their legs to stay fresh heading into the rough and tough conference season. Michigan will continue to be targeted by every team in the conference season, and going on the road in the Big Ten will not be easy. The young Wolverines can use all the rest they can get right now before those legs are needed to rain more threes starting in a couple weeks. Look for the starters to play no more than 25 minutes tonight and pay close attention to the big man rotation. An injured Horford will likely lead to an opening for Max Bielfeldt to get increased run.

Prediction: Michigan should have no trouble rolling their neighbors as they warm up for the Big Ten. Wolverines win 81-52 in a coast-to-coast victory.

Trey Burke led all scorers with 27 points (John Minchillo, AP)

The final major test before the Big Ten schedule begins was passed with flying colors in Brooklyn on Saturday night. Michigan jumped out to a big lead and fought off a late charge to beat West Virginia 81-66.

Michigan raced out to a 13-2 lead in the first two minutes and widened it to 24-7 at the 13 minute mark of the first half. West Virginia then went on a 11-1 run to cut the lead to 10 before a Trey Burke jumper stopped the run. Michigan widened the lead back to 15, but WV was determined to make it a game. Ten straight points cut Michigan’s lead to 32-27, but Michigan stifled the comeback once again and carried a 43-32 lead into the half.

Michigan scored nine of the first 11 points of the second half to build an 18-point lead and it stayed that way until West Virginia mounted a final comeback attempt. From the 8:39 mark to 4:31, the Mountaineers outscored Michigan 17-6 to cut the lead to just seven. But from there, Michigan made 8-of-10 free throws to seal the win.

Michigan’s two big stars, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr, played their best on the big stage, scoring 27 and 25 points, respectively. Burke made 12-of-16 shots from the field and doled out eight assists. Hardaway made 7-of-12, including 4-of-8 from three-point range and 7-of-8 free throws. The Wolverines’ only other player in double digits was Nik Stauskas who had 10, though he hit just 2-of-7 three-point attempts. The other two starters, Jordan Morgan and Glenn Robinson III scored eight apiece, while Michigan got just three points from its bench – two from Mitch McGary and one from Jon Horford.

As a team, Michigan shot 56 percent and held West Virginia to just 38.5 percent. Michigan out-rebounded West Virginia 32-29, holding the Mountaineers 12.5 below their season average on the glass. For the first time this season, Michigan finished the game with more turnovers than assists, with 14 and 13. Stauskas had six of the turnovers, while Burke had none.

The most discouraging aspect of the win was the loss of Horford to a knee injury in the first half. Reports this morning say it’s a dislocated kneecap, and John Beilein said he could return in two or three weeks.

Michigan returns home to face Eastern Michigan on Thursday and then Central Michigan on Dec. 29 before opening Big Ten play at Northwestern on Jan. 3. The Wolverines’ conference schedule opens with the Wildcats, followed by Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio State, so there is a very good chance Michigan could be 16-0 heading into the big Jan. 13 showdown in Columbus.

With Indiana’s loss to Butler on Saturday afternoon, Michigan should move up a spot in the national rankings. Duke will likely take over No. 1 with Michigan right behind. Based on Duke’s remaining schedule and the relative weakness of the ACC this season, it’s hard to imagine Michigan passing the Blue Devils in the rankings anytime soon.

After seven-and-a-half long months of waiting, the Michigan basketball season finally begins tonight as the Wolverines welcome the Rockets of Division II Slippery Rock to the newly-renovated Crisler Center. Because Slippery Rock is not in Division I, this game will technically not count in Michigan’s RPI or Strength of Schedule calculations at the end of the season, but anything less than a blowout win would be cause for concern for the fifth-ranked team in the country. It is simply imperative that John Beilein’s team gets off to a fast start this year if the program expects to compete in the Big Ten. With that in mind, here are a few things to pay special attention to in the season opener:

How well will Jon Horford return from injury? (photo by the Detroit News)

1. Jon Horford: The redshirt sophomore big man should be good to go after Beilein said that he expected him to be “full-go” for tonight earlier this week, but Horford’s past injury problems are cause for concern. A healthy Horford is a trendy pick to break out in the Big Ten, but an injured Horford sitting on the bench won’t do much to help in the blocks and rebounds departments like he is capable of doing. Expect to see Horford play about 10-15 minutes based on how he is feeling and look for him to record at least two blocks in that time.

1. Big-man rotation: This point goes hand-in-hand with Horford’s status, but also deserves special mention because of Michigan’s added size and depth down low. Horford’s addition should mean more two-big lineups, but if that is not working out for whatever reason, one of Jordan Morgan, Mitch McGary, and Horford will have their minutes severely limited. Expect Morgan to start while McGary and Horford should follow closely off the bench to replace the four and five at times.

1. Starting Lineup and Rotation: Simply put, John Beilein has never had so much depth at every position in his career. This Michigan team has the talent and the personnel to comfortably go two-deep at every position, but as we’ve seen in the past, Beilein generally likes to keep his rotation under 10 players. I expect nine guys to get significant burn on the court (eight-plus minutes per game), but that still means that a handful of players will be fighting for few minutes. Beilein will likely stick with his starting lineup of Burke-Hardaway, Jr.-Vogrich-Robinson III-Morgan from the Saginaw Valley State game, but the substitutions will be very interesting. It seems to me that Nik Stauskas will come in to replace Vogrich (or Hardaway in the case of foul trouble) early on with McGary checking in for either Robinson III or Morgan as Beilein sees fit. Spike Albrecht will see spot minutes while Burke rests and Horford will find a spot in the big-man rotation, but just how much everyone plays will be very interesting early on as Beilein finds the right combinations and starts to substitute the same guys consistently.

1. Style of Play: Everyone knows that John Beilein’s preferred lineup is four guards or wings and one big man so that the floor can be spread and his shooters can get open shots. With more size and talent down low this season, however, Beilein has openly stated that he will be working with different lineups and different styles of play throughout the year, probably depending on how his players work together and how the styles work against individual teams. A bigger lineup would potentially mean more emphasis on offensive rebounding, interior defense, and inside scoring while a smaller lineup would signal spreading the floor, getting back on defense, pushing the fast break, and shooting a lot. Make no mistake about it, however: no matter who is on the floor, Michigan is still going to shoot a lot of threes, send at least two guys back after a shot to eliminate fast breaks, and protect the basketball on offense, all staples of Beilein teams. When all is said and done I think we will see almost equal minutes of Glenn Robinson III and a big man at the four position, but it will be interesting to see when, why, and how often Beilein switches up the style throughout the year.

Jon Horford slams home two of his six points (AP photo)

Michigan kicked off the EA Sports Maui Invitational in style with a 73-61 victory over the Memphis Tigers. Memphis was obviously the most athletic of the teams, but Michigan played much smarter and more disciplined, inviting the ball pressure and picking it apart with back cuts and solid guard play.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way for Michigan with 21 points and got the Wolverines off to a fast start. The sophomore scored nine of Michigan’s first 18 points as Michigan jumped out to a 18-9 lead.

Memphis battled back with a 10-2 run of its own and even took a four point lead with three minutes left in the first half. But just before the half, Michigan used a 10-0 run – a three by Stu Douglass, five points by Trey Burke, and a Hardaway jumper – to take a 37-31 halftime lead.

Throughout the second half, Michigan kept the lead at a comfortable margin, refusing to let the Tigers close the gap. The closest Memphis got was nine but Michigan answered every time it seemed as if Memphis was poised for a run.

Michigan got a three-pointer off the bench from Eso Akunne, his only points of the night, and another big three by Evan Smotrycz at just the right times. Smotrycz didn’t get much done on the offensive end, but led all players in rebounds with eight.

Burke handled Memphis’ athletic guards like a seasoned veteran, matching a career high with 14 points. He also contributed four assists and came up with a key blocked shot to end the first half and give Michigan a healthy dose of momentum heading into the break.

Michigan didn’t get a lot of scoring on the inside, but Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford did a great job of making the most of the opportunities they got. When Hardaway and Burke found them open, they converted every time.

Michigan did a good job of hitting free throws after struggling from the line in the first three games. Hardaway hit 9-of-10, the only miss coming on his first attempt. Burke hit just 2-of-6.

Duke won the day’s second game to set up a rematch of the NCAA Tournament second round matchup back in March. In that one, Michigan nearly pulled off the upset, falling 73-71 when Darius Morris’ runner hit the back iron at the buzzer.