They begin a tough finishing stretch by putting their seven-game win streak on the line Tuesday night against fourth-ranked Illinois in a game postponed from mid-February due to COVID-19 protocols. Then, the Wolverines play Michigan State in a home-and-home series — again thanks to the pandemic — to wrap up the regular season.
Then comes navigating the brutal Big Ten Tournament, where four teams are ranked in the top seven, six are in the Top 25 overall, and only three head into the final stretch of the regular season with a losing record.
“I've been really impressed with how our guys have been very — I have to use the professional word — but they act like professionals in a sense,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said.