Where Does Michigan Basketball Go After Win Over MSU?

On Saturday, the Michigan Wolverines (15-12, 9-7 Big Ten) defeated the Michigan State Spartans (16-10, 8-7 Big Ten) in an emotional night at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, MI. The game was the Spartans’ first time taking the court since tragedy struck the MSU campus on Monday of last week. After picking up at 12-point quadrant two victory, where does Michigan basketball go from here?

Where Does Michigan Basketball Go Now?

The Michigan Wolverines have four games remaining on their 2022-23 regular-season slate — three of these games are quadrant one matchups. The only non-Q1 game that the Wolverines will play is a home matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers, who recently defeated Michigan in Maddison. Up next, the Wolverines will face Rutgers (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) in New Jersey before returning home for their final home game of the year.

After the Rutgers and Wisconsin games, the Michigan Wolverines will finish the season against two quad one opponents on the road — first, Michigan will play at Illinois, and then end the year at Indiana. As things stand right now, the Michigan Wolverines are in a four-way tie for fourth-place in the Big Ten with Maryland, Iowa, and Rutgers.

Things To Keep In Mind For The Wolverines

On Saturday, Michigan star freshman guard Jett Howard went down with an ankle injury — his second ankle issue of the season. Here is what his father, head coach Juwan Howard, had to say about his injury after the game: “I haven’t heard anything yet. Just praying, we need him, need a healthy Jett.” The loss of Jett Howard could make-or-break the Wolverines ever-dwindling NCAA tournament hopes.

As of today, Michigan’s record in quad one games has dropped to 2-9 — the Ohio State Buckeyes are no longer a quad one home win. This means that pulling off a few upsets over the remaining four games will be critical for the Wolverines’ resume.

Another key factor to keep in mind is the Wolverines’ quad four loss to Central Michigan earlier this season, which is a massive blemish on Michigan’s tournament resume right now. Honestly, even if Michigan basketball is to win out, I am not sure that a 19-12 record would be enough, though I would be happy to be wrong about that. At this point, it’s looking like UM will need to grab a few more regular-season wins and then make noise in the Big Ten Tournament in order to go dancing in March. Additionally, the Wolverines could also just win the Big Ten Tournament and earn the automatic bid that way.

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