Michigan basketball: the season is on the line this Saturday

A season ago, through 24 games, the Juwan Howard-led Michigan basketball team sat at 14-10 overall and struggled to make the NCAA tournament that March. That team went on to finish 17-13, blow a seemingly impossible lead in the conference tournament to Indiana, and still snuck into the Big Dance with a 17-14 record.

Somehow, that Michigan basketball team beat Colorado State and Tennessee to make the Sweet 16 before being knocked out. The Wolverines have seen a similar season full of ups and downs this year. Earlier in the season, the Wolverines suffered a 63-61 loss in Ann Arbor at the hands of Central Michigan — a Quad 4 opponent.

Despite the setbacks thus far, Michigan basketball still has its season goals ahead of it. The Wolverines are currently tied for 2nd place in the Big Ten with Indiana and Rutgers, with an 8-5 conference record. Additionally, there is plenty of time to right the ship, but a loss this weekend would make the remainder of Michigan’s schedule insurmountable.

Michigan basketball set to host No. 18 Indiana

One of the hottest programs in the Big Ten is visiting Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines this weekend. On Saturday, the 18th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten) will make the trip to the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Wolverines have five Quad 1 games remaining on their 2022-23 schedule, though only one of these games is at home, and that game is this weekend. Michigan basketball needs the resume help if they expect to make the tournament, and if it cannot pick up a home win against a Quad 1 team, there’s no reason to expect the Wolverines to finish on a high note.

Michigan basketball has a grueling stretch to close out the year. After hosting Indiana this weekend, the Wolverines will face four more Quad 1 teams (Wisconsin, Indiana, Rutgers, and Illinois) — all on the road. Michigan will also face Michigan State and Wisconsin at home, which are both Quad 2 matchups.

The bottom line is this: if Juwan Howard and the Michigan basketball team expect to make another magical Sweet 16 run next month, they need to overcome the Hoosiers this weekend. A victory over Indiana would extend the Wolverines’ winning streak to four in a row and improve their record to 15-10 (9-5 Big Ten); at the very least, Michigan would be back on track to getting into the tournament picture.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other steaming platforms.