Tim Hardaway Jr found his shooting stroke, leading Michigan with 25 points and 11 rebounds (photo by John Dixon, AP)

On January 17, 1995, Boyz II Men had the number one hit, “On Bended Knee.” Also on that day, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake his Japan, killing over 6,000 people, and Michigan beat Illinois in Assembly Hall behind Jimmy King, Maurice Taylor, Maceo Baston, and Makhtar N’diaye. That flash from the past happens to be the last day Michigan beat Illinois in Champaign – until tonight.

It took 17 years and 14 tries but Michigan knocked off the Illini 72-61 to keep its hopes of ending an even longer drought – winning the Big Ten title for the first time since 1986 – alive.

Michigan got off to a fast start with a three-pointer by Stu Douglass and a dunk by Jordan Morgan before Illinois finally got on the board. Tim Hardaway Jr’s first three of the night put Michigan ahead 10-4 but Illinois scored seven of the next nine to cut the lead to one.

But Trey Burke hit back-to-back threes and a breakaway dunk to pull Michigan ahead 22-14 and draw an Illinois timeout. Michigan widened the lead to 13 over the next eight minutes before Illinois scored five straight. Michigan took a 35-27 lead into the half.

In the second, Illinois vowed to make it a game, using an 12-5 run to start the half and pull within one. Hardaway then decided to take over. He scored the next 11 points, including three straight three-pointers, to give Michigan a comfortable lead at 51-44 with eight minutes to play.

From there on, Illinois could only pull within five as Michigan made the most of its free throws, hitting 21-of-23 for the game. Seventeen of Michigan’s final 19 points during the last seven minutes of the game came from the free throw line, the only non-free throw a Morgan jumper which was followed up by a free-throw to complete a three point play.

Hardaway led Michigan with 25 points, hitting all four of his three-point attempts, 6-of-7 total shots from the field, and 9-of-10 free throws. He also led the Wolverines with 11 rebounds to complete his second double-double of the season. Most importantly, it was a refreshing departure from his struggles over the past two months. If his slump is indeed over, it comes at just the right time, heading into the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, and will make Michigan very tough to beat.

Burke also shined for the Wolverines, scoring 21 points and recording five assists to break Gary Grant’s Michigan record (140) for assists by a freshman, which occurred in 1984-85.

No other Michigan player scored in double figures. Zack Novak struggled from the field, hitting just 1-of-7 field goals, but scored eight points as a result of making all six of his free throws. Morgan added seven points and seven rebounds.

The win brings Michigan’s record to 22-8 overall and 12-5 in the Big Ten and sets up what should be a thrilling Sunday. If Michigan wins at Penn State (12-18, 4-13) at 1pm, it will then be forced to root for Ohio State to beat Michigan State at 4pm. If that scenario plays out, Michigan will capture a share of the Big Ten title along with Michigan State and Ohio State.

Michigan missed out on a perfect home record on its own Senior Night on Saturday and now travels to Illinois hoping to keep its Big Ten title hopes alive and spoil the Illini’s Senior Night.

#16 Michigan v. Illinois
	Thursday, Mar. 1 7 p.m. ET ESPN Champaign, Ill.
21-8 (11-5)	Record	17-12 (6-10)
Ferris State 59-33 Towson 64-47 W. Illinois 59-55 #8 Memphis 73-61 UCLA 79-63 Iowa State 79-66 Oakland 90-80 Ark. Pine-Bluff 63-50 Alabama A&M 87-57 Bradley 77-66 Penn State 71-53 Minnesota 61-56 #16 Wisconsin 59-41 Northwestern 66-64 OT #9 Michigan St. 60-59 Purdue 66-64 #20 Indiana 68-56 Nebraska 62-46 Illinois 70-61 #6 Ohio State 56-51 Northwestern 67-55 OT	Wins	Loyola 67-49 SIU-Edwardsville 66-46 Lipscomb 79-64 Richmond 70-61 Illinois State 63-59 Chicago State 90-43 Maryland 71-62 #18 Gonzaga 82-75 St. Bonaventure 48-43 Coppin State 80-63 Cornell 64-60 Minnesota 81-72 2OT Northwestern 57-56 Nebraska 59-54 #5 Ohio State 79-74 #10 Michigan St. 42-41 Iowa 65-54
#6 Duke 75-82 Virginia 58-70 #11 Indiana 71-73 Iowa 59-75 Arkansas 64-66 #3 Ohio State 49-64 #10 Michigan St. 54-64 Purdue 75-61	Losses	UNLV 48-64 #8 Missouri 74-78 Purdue 60-75 Penn State 52-54 Wisconsin 63-67 Minnesota 72-77 OT Northwestern 70-74 #23 Indiana 71-84 #25 Michigan 61-70 Purdue 62-67 Nebraska 57-80 #9 Ohio State 67-83
66.3	Points Per Game	66.2
60.4	Scoring Defense	63.8
699-for-1,532 (45.6%)	Field Goal %	698-for-1,572 (44.4%)
636-for-1,500 (42.4%)	Def. Field Goal %	647-for-1,510 (42.8%)
238-for-686 (34.7%)	3-point %	171-for-554 (30.9%)
173-for-507 (34.1%)	Def. 3-point %	186-for-492 (37.8%)
288-for-407 (70.8%)	Free Throw %	353-for-494 (71.5%)
9.9	Free Throws Made/Game	12.2
31.1	Rebounds Per Game	32.8
31.7	Opp. Rebounds Per Game	31.0
13.2	Assists Per Game	12.7
10.6	Turnovers Per Game	13.8
4.9	Steals Per Game	5.3
2.1	Blocks Per Game	4.2
G – Trey Burke (14.2) G – Tim Hardaway (14.1)	Leading Scorer	G – Brandon Paul (14.8) C – Meyers Leonard (13.4)
F – Evan Smotrycz (5.6) F – Jordan Morgan (5.0)	Leading Rebounder	C – Meyers Leonard (8.1) G – Brandon Paul (4.6)

Illinois is on a free-fall and is likely playing its last home game under head coach Bruce Weber. After beginning the season 15-3 with wins over 18th-ranked Gonzaga and 5th-ranked Ohio State, the Illini have dropped nine of 11. One of those two wins was a 42-41 victory over Michigan State, so despite all of the problems, Illinois is capable of beating anyone in the Big Ten.

The Illini are really a two-headed monster with guard Brandon Paul and center Meyers Leonard. Paul, a 6’4″ junior, averages 14.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game but his biggest clame to fame this season was his 43-point performance against Ohio State in which he hit 8-of-10 three-pointers. He also hit 6-of-10 against Northwestern and shoots at a 34.2 percent clip on the season. In Michigan’s 70-61 win over Illinois on Feb. 12, Paul scored 21 points, hitting 4-of-8 from three. He also turned the ball over seven times.

Leonard is a 7’1″ sophomore averaging 13.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He has a season high of 22 against Richmond and last week against Iowa, however, Michigan held him to his second lowest total of the season, five.

Junior guard D.J. Richardson is the only other Illini averaging in double figures at 12.1 points per game. He matched that with 12 against Michigan, but hit just 1-of-8 three-pointers. He leads the team in three-point percentage at 35.5 percent.

In that first meeting, Michigan held the Illini to 38.9 percent shooting and shot 50 percent itself. It was a closely played game but Michigan got 15 points from Hardaway, 14 from Trey Burke, 13 from Evan Smotrycz, and 12 from Zack Novak. Hardaway and Smotrycz combined to hit 4-of-4 three-pointers in the first half to help Michigan build a six point halftime lead and Michigan held on from there.

Illinois is not a great shooting team, ranking eighth in the Big Ten at 44.4 percent from the field and second to last in the conference at 30.9 percent from downtown. The Illini also give up the best three-point percentage in the conference, which bodes well for Michigan.

It will be an emotional night for the Illini, honoring seniors Sam Maniscalco and Jean Selus. Maniscalco is a transfer from Bradley who averages 6.5 points per game and just under 25 minutes of action. Selus is a walk-on who has played a total of seven minutes all season.

Michigan is looking for its first win at Assembly Hall since 1995, where the Illini have beaten Michigan 13 straight times.

Expect Illinois to come out strong and play a close, passionate game for the final time this season in front of the home crowd. Michigan will need the kind of production it got from its four stars if it is to win.

Welcome to our new weekly column, Arbitrary Michellanea. It’s arbitrary because it won’t be all-encompassing; what is covered will be subject to what I choose to be most newsworthy or compelling based on what happens each week. It’s Michellanea because, well, it’s a varied collection of material with a Michigan twist. It will be similar to The Rear View Mirror column from football season, but this will become a permanent feature in and out of season. Essentially, it will serve as a roundup of the events from the past week that didn’t fit into some sort of game column, but aren’t necessarily worthy of a full post on their own. These will typically be midweek and will always focus on Michigan football, basketball, or other sports as deemed important (see: Lion Kim, Masters), as well as rivals and opponents as they apply to Michigan.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance…

Michigan’s loss to Purdue on Saturday narrowed the Wolverines’ Big Ten title hopes to very slim. But the first of four remaining hurdles to that goal was cleared last night when Indiana beat Michigan State 70-55 in Bloomington. Michigan State could have wrapped up the outright Big Ten title with a win and could still do so with a win on Sunday against 11th-ranked Ohio State, but for now, Michigan still has a chance to capture a share of its first title since 1986.

Remaining Schedule
	Thursday at Illinois – 7pm Sunday at PSU – 1pm
	Sunday v. #11 Ohio State – 4pm
	Wednesday at Northwestern – 8:30pm Sunday at #5 Michigan State – 4pm

To do so, Michigan has to beat Illinois on the road on Thursday and Penn State on the road on Sunday. If both of those happen, Michigan will then be forced to root for Ohio State to beat Michigan State in East Lansing on Sunday afternoon. In that scenario, the three teams would all share the Big Ten title. If Michigan loses a game, it is out of the running. The timing is such that Michigan will be able to win it’s final two games (Sunday’s game is at 1pm) and then sit back and watch OSU-MSU battle it out beginning at 4pm.

Spartan fans are already throwing out the line about Michigan “backing into” a Big Ten title just like it did a BCS bowl game, but let’s be very clear: in a tough and rugged Big Ten, Michigan held its own and if it ends up with a share of the title, it was earned. Yes, Michigan stumbled against Iowa and Purdue, but Michigan State lost to Northwestern, who Michigan swept, and Illinois, who Michigan has a chance to sweep on Thursday. Michigan also split the series against MSU, Ohio State, and Indiana (who MSU just lost to). Of course, this will all be for naught if Michigan falters on Thursday or Sunday, so the goal this week is to take care of business and then find it inside you somewhere to root for Ohio.

Stocking up for war

Over the weekend, despite the basketball loss to Purdue, Michigan did get some good news. Wexford, Penn. offensive lineman Patrick Kugler gave Brady Hoke his commitment on Saturday, adding to the long list of four-star recruits who have already pledged to Michigan for the 2013 class. Kugler is the 54th-ranked player in the Rivals 100 and the fifth four-star offensive lineman in the class. Add that haul (assuming they all hold their commitment until next February) the four that will be suiting up this August and Hoke has the foundation to carry the Michigan offense for years to come.

Urban Meyer has been stocking his own barracks with highly rated recruits ever since he took over, leading some to suggest the rivalry is headed back to the good old days. With Hoke’s insistence on referring to them simply as “Ohio” and Meyer continuing the name game by calling Michigan “That school up north,” not to mention his silly academic comparison last week, the rivalry certainly appears to be ramping back up to the days of old. Another ten year war could be in the making.

Stock is rising

S

Junior Hemingway stood out among receivers at the NFL Combine (photo by Dave Martin, AP)

The NFL Combine wrapped up yesterday and each of the three Michigan players in attendance helped his Draft stock with a solid performance. While Mike Martin fell short of his goal of breaking the all-time Combine bench press record, he still finished in the top four in every category among defensive tackles. His 36 reps were tied for second, his 4.88 40-yard dash ranked third, his 7.19 three-cone drill ranked third, his 4.25 20-yard shuttle ranked second, his 33.5 inch vertical ranked fourth, and his 113 inch broad jump ranked first.

Center David Molk beat Martin on the bench, completing 41 reps, which was seven better than the next closest offensive lineman, Stanford’s David DeCastro. Receiver Junior Hemingway also impressed, running a 4.5 40-yard dash, which was faster than most expected he was. He also tied for third among receivers with with 21 bench press reps, behind only Missouri’s Jerrell Jackson and California’s Marvin Jones, led all receivers in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle, ranked second in the 60-yard shuttle, and ranked eighth in broad jump. It’s safe to say Hemingway turned some heads and his stock will rise thanks to his performance. He’s still a late round pick, but some team will take a chance on him in April.

30 years is a long time

Last week, senior guard Zack Novak was selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America to the 2012 Capital One All America third team, becoming the first Michigan basketball player to do so since 1982. In order to be eligible for the honor, one has to be either a starter or a key reserve, achieve at least a 3.3 grade point average, participate in at least 50 percent of the team’s games, and reached at least sophomore status. He was one of just three Big Ten players to receive the honor, along with Northwestern’s Drew Crawford (second team) and Ohio State’s Aaron Craft (first team). Novak was among John Beilein’s first recruits at Michigan and helped restore Michigan basketball to a regular NCAA Tournament contender and this year, a Big Ten title contender.

Zack Novak hit four threes on Senior Night, but it wasn't enough (photo by Carlos Osorio, AP)

A day that began as festive with Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, and Corey Person being honored on Senior Night turned sour pretty quickly as Michigan dug itself a hole that it couldn’t climb out of against Purdue. With a chance to wrap up a perfect home record for the first time in 35 years and remain in the Big Ten title hunt, Michigan fell 75-61.

Purdue scored the first two baskets of the game as Michigan missed its first five shots before finally getting on the board nearly three minutes into the game on a Jordan Morgan dunk. But Purdue reeled off eight straight to build a 12-2 lead. Michigan pulled within three, but in what would be come a theme of the night, Purdue answered the charge with a run of its own, scoring seven straight to take a 19-9 lead.

Michigan battled back once again, playing the final ten minutes of the first half evenly before going into the locker room trailing 32-28.

Morgan got the second half scoring started with a layup but Purdue’s Terone Johnson scored six straight to widen the Boiler lead to eight. Michigan then went on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to take its first lead of the game, 42-40, with 12:19 remaining. However, Purdue wouldn’t let Michigan take over, recapturing the lead and building it to seven.

A Tim Hardaway jumper with pulled Michigan to within four with 4:36 to play, but back-to-back threes by Robbie Hummel sealed the game for the Boilers. Michigan was forced to launch threes and foul in an attempt to come back, but it was not to be.

Purdue got a career high 22 points out of sophomore guard Terone Johnson who entered the game averaging 7.6. His previous high was 16 against Wisconsin on January 12, but on this night he hit 9-of-12 from the field and all four free throws to steal the thunder from the Michigan seniors.

Novak and Trey Burke led the way for Michigan with 12 points apiece while Hardaway added 10. Novak hit 4-of-10 three-point attempts, but Hardaway missed all six of his tries.

Purdue shot 50 percent from the field and 7-of-15 from three-point range, and the Big Ten’s worst free throw shooting team hit 14-of-16 from the line. The Boilers came in with a great offensive game plan that Michigan was unable to solve. On nearly every possession, the Purdue guards used the high ball screen to draw a mismatch with Morgan guarding a guard up top, who then drove to the basket. Rather than switch to a zone, Michigan had no answer.

At 21-8 overall and 11-5 in the Big Ten, Michigan still has an outside shot at a share of the Big Ten title, but it would require Michigan State to lose both of its final games, at #24 Indiana and home against #9 Ohio State, and Michigan would have to win its final two. The next one is Thursday at Illinois before closing the regular season at Penn State next Sunday.

Michigan overcame a major hurdle on Tuesday night by beating Northwestern in overtime on the road. It was a trap game following an emotional victory over rival Ohio State and against a team fighting for its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Tonight, Michigan returns home for the last time this season looking to complete a perfect home record for the first time since the 1976-77 season. It’s Senior Night, but it won’t be easy.

#13 Michigan v. Purdue
	Saturday, Feb. 25 6 p.m. ET Big Ten Network Ann Arbor, Mich.
21-7 (11-4)	Record	18-10 (8-7)
Ferris State 59-33 Towson 64-47 W. Illinois 59-55 #8 Memphis 73-61 UCLA 79-63 Iowa State 79-66 Oakland 90-80 Ark. Pine-Bluff 63-50 Alabama A&M 87-57 Bradley 77-66 Penn State 71-53 Minnesota 61-56 #16 Wisconsin 59-41 Northwestern 66-64 OT #9 Michigan St. 60-59 Purdue 66-64 #20 Indiana 68-56 Nebraska 62-46 Illinois 70-61 #6 Ohio State 56-51 Northwestern 67-55 OT	Wins	N. Illinois 96-34 High Point 67-65 Iona 91-90 Temple 85-77 W. Michigan 80-37 Coppin State 78-57 Miami 76-65 W. Carolina 65-60 E. Michigan 61-36 IPFW 81-56 Iowa 79-76 Illinois 75-60 Minnesota 79-66 Iowa 75-68 Northwestern 58-56 Northwestern 87-77 Illinois 67-62 Nebraska 83-65
#6 Duke 75-82 Virginia 58-70 #11 Indiana 71-73 Iowa 59-75 Arkansas 64-66 #3 Ohio State 49-64 #10 Michigan St. 54-64	Losses	#15 Alabama 56-65 #11 Xavier 63-66 Butler 65-67 Penn State 45-65 Wisconsin 62-67 #9 Michigan State 58-83 #22 Michigan 64-66 #20 Indiana 61-78 #3 Ohio State 84-87 #8 Michigan State 62-76
66.5	Points Per Game	71.5
59.9	Scoring Defense	65.2
674-for-1,472 (45.8%)	Field Goal %	708-for-1,634 (43.3%)
609-for-1,446 (42.1%)	Def. Field Goal %	644-for-1,469 (43.8%)
229-for-654 (35.0%)	3-point %	222-for-610 (36.4%)
166-for-492 (33.7%)	Def. 3-point %	171-for-468 (36.5%)
286-for-403 (71.0%)	Free Throw %	365-for-569 (64.1%)
10.2	Free Throws Made/Game	13.0
31.1	Rebounds Per Game	33.4
31.7	Opp. Rebounds Per Game	34.3
13.3	Assists Per Game	13.5
10.6	Turnovers Per Game	8.7
5.0	Steals Per Game	6.9
2.1	Blocks Per Game	3.6
G – Tim Hardaway (14.3) G – Trey Burke (14.3)	Leading Scorer	F – Robbie Hummel (16.5) G – Lewis Jackson (10.3)
F – Evan Smotrycz (5.6) F – Jordan Morgan (5.0)	Leading Rebounder	F – Robbie Hummel (6.9) G – Kelsey Barlow (3.7)

Similar to Northwestern, Purdue enters looking to secure a spot in the Big Dance. The Boilermakers hold a 18-10 record, 8-7 in the Big Ten. More than likely, they’re in, but they can’t afford to falter down the stretch. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Boilers a current 9-seed, while CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has them an 8-seed. With wins over Michigan, Penn State, and Indiana to close the regular season, the Boilers could cement a spot and avoid the waiting game on Selection Sunday that Michigan has found itself playing the past few years.

Purdue enters having won three of four, most recently an 83-65 win over Nebraska. The only loss during that span was a 76-62 home loss to 8th-ranked Michigan State. In that one, Purdue held a 38-35 halftime lead before going ice cold, missing 22 of their first 23 shots in the second half. Star forward Robbie Hummel was held to just six point in the second half (he had 18 in the first) and the Boilers had no answer for Draymond Green who recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.

Purdue isn’t a great team, but by no means are the Boilers a bad or even below average team either. Of their 10 losses, eight were to teams either ranked at the time or currently ranked. Only Butler and Penn State stand out as bad losses. They played Michigan tough in the January 24 meeting, but Michigan pulled it out 66-64. In that game, Michigan rebounded from a road loss to Arkansas, getting 19 points out of Tim Hardaway Jr on 8-of-15 shooting and 12 points apiece from Jordan Morgan and Stu Douglass. Michigan was hot from the field, hitting 54 percent and also outrebounded Purdue 30-24.

Even so, it went down to the wire. Michigan held a 65-64 lead in the closing seconds and Purdue got off a pair of threes that would have won the game, but neither would fall. Hummel scored 16 on 6-of-14 shooting while guard Lewis Jackson led the Boilers with 17.

Purdue guard Kelsey Barlow was dismissed from the team a week ago following a bar fight, but he didn’t play much of a factor in the first meeting. In nine minutes of action, he went 0-for-2 from the field and didn’t score a point, though he averaged eight points a game on the season.

The Boilers average five more points than Michigan does, but also give up five more. They shoot slightly worse at 43.3 percent, but are slightly better from three. The main area of weakness is from the free throw line where Purdue shoots just 64 percent. If it comes down to the wire, Michigan has the advantage.

A win would keep Michigan in contention for the Big Ten title. The Wolverines currently stand a game back of Michigan State, which hosts Nebraska tonight at 8pm. Michigan is also tied with Ohio State, which hosts #15 Wisconsin tomorrow at 4pm. A Michigan win would also secure its first unbeaten home record in 35 years.

Tonight’s game is also Senior Night and Zack Novack, Stu Douglass, and Corey Person will each be honored for their contributions to the program over the last four years. Novack and Douglass were among John Beilein’s first recruits when he took over the Wolverines in 2008 and despite not being highly recruiting, the pair have been crucial to Michigan’s resurgence.

Despite Jordan Morgan's foul trouble, Michigan pulled out the overtime victory (photo by Paul Beaty, AP)

Michigan survived a classic trap game tonight at Northwestern, needing overtime to beat the Wildcats for the second time this season. Following an emotional win over Ohio State on Saturday, a trip to Evanston to face a Northwestern team giddy about the possibility of a first ever trip to the Big Dance was a recipe for disaster, especially for a team that was just 3-6 on the road this season. But Michigan overcame a seven point halftime deficit and early foul trouble to pull out a 67-55 overtime victory.

It was apparent from the beginning that Michigan was in for a tough one when Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz each picked up two fouls early. John Beilein was forced to use Blake McLimans for the majority of the first half, giving the Wolverines no inside presence. Northwestern countered with a 1-3-1 that forced Michigan to chuck up a season high 38 three-pointers.

Michigan held Northwestern without a point for the first 4:23 but could only build up a 6-0 lead. The Wolverines then built a 11-3 lead on a Jordan Morgan layup and Stu Douglass three. The teams went back and forth until Matt Vogrich hit back-to-back threes to give Michigan a 20-13 lead with 9:25 remaining in the half. However, Northwestern closed the half on a 18-4 run as Michigan went just 2-of-10 in the final nine minutes.

Tim Hardaway Jr started the second half off with a layup and Burke hit a three to pull Michigan within two. Northwestern finally got on the board nearly five minutes into the half, and for the next five minutes, points were hard to come by. With 9:51 remaining, Douglass hit a three to cut the lead to one and after a NW free throw, Vogrich nailed a three to give Michigan its first lead of the second half.

Burke followed up with a layup, but five straight Northwestern points put the Wildcats back on top. John Shurna finally got into the second half action to give NW a four-point lead with 2:44 to play, but Burke answered with a three. After another Shurna basket, Hardaway hit a three to tie the game at 49 with 1:46 remaining.

Northwestern had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but missed a pair of shots, giving Michigan the last possession, but a Burke three at the buzzer fell short, sending the game into overtime just like the previous meeting.

In the overtime stanza, it was all Michigan. Burke, Novak, and Douglass hit back-to-back-to-back threes to blow the game open before Northwestern could get on the board. From there, it became a free throw contest and Michigan hit enough of them to seal the win.

Burke led all scorers with 19 points to go along with five assists and just one turnover while playing all 45 minutes. Hardaway added 14 points despite hitting just 4-of-10 from the free throw line and Douglass scored 12, all on threes (4-of-7). Vogrich hit 3-of-6 from three-point range to score nine points.

The Michigan defense held Shurna to 14 points, six below his season average, and his third lowest total of the season. The Wolverines also held Drew Crawford to just six points, 10 below his season average, and his second lowest total of the season.

Michigan returns home for its final game in the friendly confines of the Crisler Center on Saturday at 6pm against Purdue (17-10, 7-7). Seniors Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, and Corey Person will be honored.

Novak and the Wolverines took five charges to stymie Sullinger and the Buckeyes (photo by Tony Ding, AP)

Michigan capped off an incredible day with a prime-time, nationally televised win over 6th-ranked Ohio State. The day began with ESPN College Game Day broadcasting live from the Crisler Center, continued with six football commitments for the 2013 class (more on that to follow), and culminated with a 56-51 win over the Buckeyes.

Michigan scored the first six and never looked back, holding the lead for the rest of the game. The lead grew to as much as 10 in the second half and the closest Ohio State ever got was one at 17-16 with five minutes left in the first half.

It was clear from the onset that John Beilein’s game plan was to control the tempo offensively and jump the high screens and double-team Jared Sullinger in the post, forcing the Buckeyes to settle for shots from the outside. And it worked to perfection.

Michigan held OSU to just 10-of-26 shooting (0-for-9 from three) in the first half, but the Wolverines shot just 37.5 percent themselves from the field, allowing the Buckeyes to stay within striking distance. In the second, Michigan hit 13-of-23 and held the Buckeyes to just nine field goals.

The Buckeyes turned to Sullinger in the second half, and he finished the game with 14 points, but the Michigan defense harassed him all game, drawing a pair of charges and keeping him out of rhythm. It was Deshaun Thomas who almost singlehandedly kept the Buckeyes in the game, scorign 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds while Sullinger struggled and William Buford was held to just six points on 3-of-12 shooting.

For Michigan, it was the Trey Burke show as the freshman dominated Ohio sophomore point guard Aaron Craft, scoring 17 points and five assists while holding Craft to just four points, three turnovers, and two assists. With Ohio State trying to claw back in the final minutes, Burke hit a layup with 1:20 remaining and a jumper with 14 seconds remaining, both to put the Wolverines back up by two possessions.

On the former, Burke pulled Craft out near midcourt and beat him off the dribble to the left, drove the lane and converted a layup. On the latter, he drove through traffic to the right and lofted up a floater that kissed off the glass to seal the win.

Tim Hardaway Jr added 13 and hit both threes he attempted, while Jordan Morgan played perhaps his best game of the season, scoring 11 points and pulling down 11 boards.

The win was Michigan’s first over Ohio State since a 73-64 victory on Jan. 3, 2010 and keeps Michigan in contention for its first Big Ten title since 1986. The Wolverines stand a game behind Michigan State in the loss column with four games to play. The Spartans remaining schedule includes road games at Purdue, Minnesota, and #20 Indiana, and home tilts with Nebraska and current-#6 Ohio State. Michigan returns to action on Tuesday at Northwestern and will look to close out the home portion of its schedule undefeated next Saturday against Purdue.

Hardaway led the way for Michigan with 19 points (photo by Michael Conroy, AP)

Michigan visited West Lafayette on Tuesday night looking for its first true road win of the season and first win in Mackey Arena since 2003. And win it did, reversing the score from Saturday’s loss to Arkansas, and beating the Boilermakers 66-64.

Michigan broke out to a 14-7 lead thanks to seven points from Stu Douglass. The lead then widened to 20-12 with eight minutes remaining in the first half. Purdue fought back, scoring the next seven points to pull within one, but Michigan answered with jumpers from Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway and a pair of free throws by Jordan Morgan. Purdue closed out the half on a 7-2 run to pull within two at 30-28.

The second half began much the same way as the first went: Michigan scoring a few baskets to pull ahead, but never enough to pull away. Each time it looked as if Michigan were poised to put the game away, Purdue would go on a run to get right back in the game.

In the first five minutes of the second half, Michigan built a 10-point lead at 41-31. However, Purdue went on a 20-6 run to grab its first lead since the beginning of the game. A Morgan layup and a Douglass three put Michigan back on top 52-51 with just under seven minutes to play. From there on, the teams battled neck-and-neck, neither leading by more than four points, and trading leads six times.

Trailing by one with a minute and a half left, Zack Novak found Morgan open under the basket and Morgan slammed it home to put Michigan ahead 65-64. Purdue was unable to score and Evan Smotrycz hit the front end of two free throws to give Michigan a two-point lead. A last-gasp attempt by Purdue’s Lewis Jackson missed and Michigan earned its first win at Purdue in its last seven trips. The defense held the Boilers without a field goal for the final 3:54.

Michigan was led by Hardaway’s 19-point effort on 8-of-15 shooting. Morgan and Douglass each added 12, while Smotrycz scored 10. Burke was held to six points, his third lowest output of the season, and lowest in Big Ten play. He shot just 3-of-10 from the field, but dished out six assists.

The Wolverines shot 54 percent from the field and hit 6-of-14 three-pointers while holding Purdue to 44.2 percent overall and 9-of-26 from downtown. Purdue’s stars, Robbie Hummel and Jackson got their points, 16 and 17 respectively, but no one else stepped up for the Boilers.

The win keeps Michigan atop the Big Ten standings and sets up an important road game at Ohio State on Sunday.

Zack Novak hit 5-of-7 three-point attempts and led Michigan with 17 points (photo by MGoBlue.com)

Michigan traveled to Fayetteville for a unique midseason out of conference matchup with Southeastern Conference opponent Arkansas. While it meant nothing for the Big Ten race, a win would have allowed Michigan to maintain its momentum from its third straight win over rival Michigan State. But it wasn’t meant to be as Michigan fell 66-64 in front of a packed Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas jumped out to an early 11-2 lead as Michigan missed four of its first five shots. Zack Novak hit the first of his five three-pointers but through the first 10 minutes of the game, Michigan had fallen behind 29-10. The Michigan offense finally came alive, outplaying the Razorbacks for the final 10 minutes of the first half and went into the locker room down 46-33.

Arkansas opened the second half with a three, but eight straight points by Jordan Morgan and a layup by Novak got Michigan right back in the game, trailing by just six. Michigan then went ice cold, failing to score a point for nearly six minutes, and Arkansas widened its lead  back to 13. But Michigan wasn’t done yet. Morgan ignited a 12-1 Michigan run. Another Novak three pulled Michigan to within two with 3:48 to play.

Over the final three minutes, the teams traded a pair of baskets and Michigan was forced to foul, trailing by two with 21 seconds remaining. Arkansas freshman guard B.J. Young missed a free throw, but the Razorbacks grabbed the offensive board and Michigan had to f0ul again. Once again it was missed and this time Michigan grabbed the board. In the final seconds, Trey Burke got off a three but it rattled in and out at the buzzer and Arkansas pulled off the upset.

Novak led the way for the Wolverines, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds. His 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range was the lone bright spot for the team as Michigan went 8-for-28 from downtown. Morgan contributed 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Burke was the only other Wolverine in double figures with 13. He also added seven rebounds and six assists for a well-rounded day. Tim Hardaway Jr continued his recent struggles, scoring just nine points on 3-of-8 shooting.

Michigan outrebounded the Razorbacks 35-29 and pulled down 13 offensive boards, but Arkansas attempted 21 free throws to Michigan’s seven and made seven more than Michigan did.

Michigan returns to Big Ten play on Tuesday night with a road trip to West Lafayette, Ind. to battle the Purdue Boilermakers (14-6, 4-3) who just got drubbed by Michigan State 83-58.

Head Coach John Beilein had plenty of reason to celebrate Michigan's third straight victory over Michigan State, becoming the first Michigan coach to do so since Steve Fisher (photo by MGoBlue.com)

It had been 16 years since Michigan last beat rival Michigan State three straight times, but with Denard Robinson and Roy Roundtree jumping around among the Maize Rage and a host of Michigan NFLers in the stands, the Wolverines did just that on Tuesday night. Michigan squandered an 11 point second half lead but held the Spartans without a field goal for the final 4:23 to win 60-59.

Zack Novak got the scoring started with a three on Michigan’s first trip down the court and the Wolverines jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Another Novak three put Michigan ahead 13-4 before State got its offense going. Michigan maintained a five-to-seven point lead throughout the first half, taking a 36-29 lead into the locker room.

The second half began much the same with Tim Hardaway Jr getting his first bucket of the game on a dunk and Michigan opening up an 11-point lead. But with 12 minutes remaining, Michigan State’s offense got going and its defense clamped down.

A basket by Keith Appling sandwiched between threes by Austin Thornton and Brandon Wood brought MSU within three. Novak answered with a jumper of his own, but State reeled off six more to grab its first lead of the game at 50-49 with just under seven minutes to play.

An Appling jumper widened State’s lead to three before Trey Burke and Thornton traded threes. With just over four minutes left, center Derrick Nix gave the Spartans their biggest lead of the game at 57-53, but it was the last basket the Michigan defense would allow. Burke hit one of two free throws and Hardaway followed with a jumper to pull Michigan within one. A pair of free throws by Thornton took it back to a three point game but Hardaway answered again, this time with a layup.

With under a minute remaining, Burke grabbed a defensive rebound, pushed it up the court, and found Stu Douglass wide open under the basket for a transition layup to put Michigan on top by one. State ran the clock down to 11 seconds before attempting a shot, which Jordan Morgan blocked. However, it went right back into Spartan hands and Draymond Green got of a good but unbalanced look from the free throw line. It clanked off the left iron and a follow-up tip came up short as time expired.

Burke led the way with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from downtown. Hardaway and Novak each added 10. Michigan held Green to just seven points, nine below his season average, and Appling to 10, three below his average. Michigan was outrebounded 31-18, but committed just eight turnover to State’s 14 and shot 51.1 percent form the field, 13 percent higher than MSU’s defense typically allows.

The win keeps Michigan near the top of the Big Ten standings and preserves the Wolverines’ unbeaten home record this season. Michigan now trails Illinois by one game with a lot of basketball left to play. The Wolverines return to action on Saturday with an out-of-conference game at Arkansas (13-5) before visiting Purdue (14-5) next Tuesday.