Michigan is used to the unfamiliar happening to them at the Big Ten Tournament. Last year their plane slid off the runway in route to Washington D.C., and they didn't arrive until 90 minutes before tip-off. They then had to play in their practice uniforms against Illinois. Yesterday against Purdue with four minutes left in the game, some maize and blue colored confetti began to fall from the rafters towards the court. It may have been premature, but Michigan had already started their party.

Looking forward

This seems all too familiar for John Beilein's Michigan team.

A rather underwhelming middle of the season, where they lost three of six games towards the end of January and then managing to get hot at the right time. This Beilein team is different than previous years though. A change in philosophy over the summer led to them focusing on getting after it on the defensive end. Assistant coach Luke Yaklich saw the capabilities in this team full of athletes and had to instill the right mentality into them, and it is finally paying off. They shut down Michigan State's high powered offense in the semi-finals and then did the same to Purdue in the championship game. Purdue came into the game averaging 81 points per game according to ESPN and Michigan held them to 66 points and 23 percent from behind the three-point line.

From start to finish yesterday, Michigan was in complete control, and if it wasn’t for poor shooting in the first half, they could have been up double digits at the break.

Michigan is more than capable on the offensive end as well. They’ve uncovered a German gem in Moritz Wagner and have capable players beside him. Zavier Simpson is the perfect floor general and the leader on the defensive end.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Jordan Poole, and Charles Matthews are all capable of lighting it up from behind the ark. Jon Teske showed yesterday that he’s ready when called upon. They have a beautiful blend of inside and out and offense and defense. They will most likely be a top-three seed in the tournament, and it feels like they have the team to go all the way this year.

The waiting game

They could run into a minor problem though. With the Big Ten Tournament being held a week earlier, they now have to wait two weeks before the Ncaa Tournament starts. They’ll get some much-needed rest after four games in four days, but they’d much rather keep playing as they are the hottest and most confident team in the country right now. They’ve won nine straight games in the last month and are playing their best basketball of the season. If Beilein can keep the momentum going, they may well be raising another trophy April 2.
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