The day before Michigan basketball hosted Northwestern at Crisler Center, assistant coach Saddi Washington was asked to explain the team’s defensive improvements in consecutive lopsided victories. Speaking to the media via a video conference call, Washington credited the Wolverines for their intensity and composure in “crunch time” because, he said, most Big Ten games are decided by a critical two- or three-minute spurt.
Roughly 30 hours later, Washington jumped from his seat on the U-M bench and pumped his fists with joy. The Wolverines, who led by as many as 11 but found themselves trailing late in the second half, had conjured one of those very spurts.